Crowley, Sir Ambrose, and family
Other Business Names:
- Swalwell Ironworks
- Crowley, John
- Millington family
- Crowley, Millington & Co
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Greenwich, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
- Stourbridge, Dudley, West Midlands, West Midlands, England
- Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, North East, England
- Swalwell, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, North East, England
- Winlaton, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, North East, England
Sectors:
-
Merchanting & trade, international & inland
Government contracting re naval & military supplies
-
Basic metals production
Iron, steel & related alloys production
-
Fabricated metal products manufacture
Ironmongery production
-
Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc
Ironmongery, tools, holloware, hardware, stoves, grates, etc, distribution
-
Fabricated metal products manufacture
Metal forging, pressing, stamping, rolling, slitting, etc
-
Merchanting & trade, international & inland
Metal trading & trade
-
Fabricated metal products manufacture
Nail making
Notes:
Traced origins to (Sir) Ambrose Crowley, 1658-1713, who, in c1680s established a wholesale ironmongery business in London which was later headquartered at Greenwich. A network of large warehouses was developed at the latter and subsequently elsewhere to facilitate national distribution. From 1680s ironworks and warehouses were established in North East England, notably at Winlaton and Swalwell, near Gateshead, to become the northern centre of the Crowley operations. Its output notably included nails but also ironmongery and a wide range of other iron products. Expansion continued under Ambrose's son, John, 1689-1728, and Swalwell emerged as a major manufacturer of such products as nails, anchors, ironmongery, plantation hoes for the colonies, ironwork for the Royal Dockyards which were major customers, etc. Also emerged as an important iron merchanting business, in particular importing iron from Sweden. In late 18th century came under management of the Millington family when traded as Crowley, Millington & Co. Thereafter in decline [2023]
Publications:
- Archaeological investigations at Swalwell Ironworks,Tyne & Wear by Proctor, Jennifer, et al
- Crowley House and the Crowley Ironworks. The growth of industry in East Greenwich. Part 1 by Jenkinson, Sally
- From slitting mill to alloy steel. The development of Swalwell Ironworks by Cranstone, David
- Industry and technology in the Derwent Valley of Durham and Northumberland in the eighteenth century by Flinn, Michael W
- Law Book of the Crowley Ironworks by Flinn, Michael W (ed)
- Manufacturing iron in the North East during the eighteenth century. The case of Bedlington by Evans, Chris
- Men of Iron. The Crowleys in the early iron industry by Flinn, Michael W
- Sir Ambrose Crowley and the South Sea Scheme of 1711 by Flinn, Michael W
- Sir Ambrose Crowley, ironmonger, 1658-1713 by Flinn, Michael W
- Works organisation in the seventeenth century. Some account of Ambrose & John Crowley by Young, W A
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- Swalwell Ironworks
- Crowley, John
- Millington family
- Crowley, Millington & Co
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Greenwich, Greater London, Greater London, Greater London, England
- Stourbridge, Dudley, West Midlands, West Midlands, England
- Sunderland, Sunderland, Tyne & Wear, North East, England
- Swalwell, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, North East, England
- Winlaton, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, North East, England
Sectors:
- Merchanting & trade, international & inland Government contracting re naval & military supplies
- Basic metals production Iron, steel & related alloys production
- Fabricated metal products manufacture Ironmongery production
- Distribution - wholesaling, broking, market trading, etc Ironmongery, tools, holloware, hardware, stoves, grates, etc, distribution
- Fabricated metal products manufacture Metal forging, pressing, stamping, rolling, slitting, etc
- Merchanting & trade, international & inland Metal trading & trade
- Fabricated metal products manufacture Nail making
Notes:
Traced origins to (Sir) Ambrose Crowley, 1658-1713, who, in c1680s established a wholesale ironmongery business in London which was later headquartered at Greenwich. A network of large warehouses was developed at the latter and subsequently elsewhere to facilitate national distribution. From 1680s ironworks and warehouses were established in North East England, notably at Winlaton and Swalwell, near Gateshead, to become the northern centre of the Crowley operations. Its output notably included nails but also ironmongery and a wide range of other iron products. Expansion continued under Ambrose's son, John, 1689-1728, and Swalwell emerged as a major manufacturer of such products as nails, anchors, ironmongery, plantation hoes for the colonies, ironwork for the Royal Dockyards which were major customers, etc. Also emerged as an important iron merchanting business, in particular importing iron from Sweden. In late 18th century came under management of the Millington family when traded as Crowley, Millington & Co. Thereafter in decline [2023]Publications:
- Archaeological investigations at Swalwell Ironworks,Tyne & Wear by Proctor, Jennifer, et al
- Crowley House and the Crowley Ironworks. The growth of industry in East Greenwich. Part 1 by Jenkinson, Sally
- From slitting mill to alloy steel. The development of Swalwell Ironworks by Cranstone, David
- Industry and technology in the Derwent Valley of Durham and Northumberland in the eighteenth century by Flinn, Michael W
- Law Book of the Crowley Ironworks by Flinn, Michael W (ed)
- Manufacturing iron in the North East during the eighteenth century. The case of Bedlington by Evans, Chris
- Men of Iron. The Crowleys in the early iron industry by Flinn, Michael W
- Sir Ambrose Crowley and the South Sea Scheme of 1711 by Flinn, Michael W
- Sir Ambrose Crowley, ironmonger, 1658-1713 by Flinn, Michael W
- Works organisation in the seventeenth century. Some account of Ambrose & John Crowley by Young, W A