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 A Coulthard steam wagon at the Battersea Bridge works of S. Bowley and Son in 1905 | |
| Industry | Manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1744 in London |
| Founder |
|
| Defunct | 1963 |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Lubricant, oil, fuels, paint, soap and candles |
S. Bowley and Son was a manufacturer of lubricants, oils, soaps and candles, founded in 1744.[1]
History
S. Bowley and Son was founded by Joseph Bowley, in Westminster in 1744 to manufacture soap and candles, and to refine oil.[2] In 1868, the company built the Wellington Works at Battersea Bridge and moved there.[1]
In 1883, there was a major fire at the Wellington Works distillery that resulted in the destruction of two barges moored beside the works, the distillery and warehouses and boiler house.[3]
The company was an early producer of petroleum fuels for motor cars, in 1902 it was one of the four London refineries that held a license to import oil in barges along the River Thames.[4] By 1910, they were producing specialist fuels for aircraft.[5]
In 1935, the company established Bowley's Quarries Ltd as a subsidiary, and purchased the Gaertheiniog slate quarry in Wales.[6] The quarry closed in 1937.[7]
By the early 1950s, the company was primarily making paint,[8] and at the end of the decade it was manufacturing hand trucks and trolleys.[9]
In 1963, the company was wound up. It was succeeded by Bowley and Coleman Trucks Ltd, based in Bedfordshire, which continued to produce the hand trucks and trolleys.[10]
References
- ^ a b "S. Bowley and Son". Grace's Guide. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Thames on fire". Clapham Observer. 10 April 1959. p. 8.
- ^ Appendix No. 6 Petroleum Accidents. Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1894. p. 72.
- ^ "Carriage of Motor Spirit on the Thames". The Motor-Car Journal. 20 December 1902.
- ^ "Some flight accessories". Flight and Aircraft. 30 July 1910.
- ^ "Bowley's Quarries Ltd". Roads and Road Construction. 13. Carriers Publishing Company: 202. 1935.
- ^ Quine, Dan (December 2022). The Hendre Ddu Tramway: Blue Stones and Green Trees. Lightmoor Press. ISBN 9781915069153.
- ^ "Fought blaze amid exploding oil drums". South Western Star. 15 August 1952. p. 1.
- ^ "Two Wheeled Truck". Hardware Trade Journal. Vol. 250. 1958. p. 170.
- ^ "...cracker filling". Biggleswade Chronicle. 9 November 1979. p. 35.
