Knight family, iron masters
Other Business Names:
- Knight, Richard
- Stour Valley Ironworks
- Foley family
- Ironworks in Partnership
- Charlcotte Furnace
- Knight, John, & Co
- Crowther Brothers
- Knight & Crowther Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Bringewood, Herefordshire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands
- Cookley, Worcestershire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands, England
- Downton, Herefordshire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands, England
- Ruabon, Wrexham, Clwyd, Wales, Wales
- Whittington, Shropshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, England
- Willey, Shropshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, England
Sectors:
-
Basic metals production
Iron, steel & related alloys production
-
Fabricated metal products manufacture
Metal forging, pressing, stamping, rolling, slitting, etc
-
Basic metals production
Tinplate production
-
Basic metals production
Wire drawing
Notes:
Traced origins in business to Richard Knight, 1659-1745, who developed extensive iron making and forging interests in Forest of Dean, Willey in Shropshire, Stour Valley and Ruabon, north Wales, from late 17th century. Acquired Stour Valley Ironworks from Foley family and for a short time participated in their Ironworks in Partnership. By early 18th century assets were largely based in Stour Valley at Hales, Cookley and Whittington, and at Bringewood and Aston Botterell (Charlcotte Furnace) in Shropshire, where iron and wrought iron were made. Successfully converted from charcoal to coke production. From 1808, trading as John Knight & Co, output focused at Cookley works which made wire, wrought iron and tinplate. This business, in which Knight family came to play a lesser role, was in decline by late 19th century and in 1890s merged with Crowther Brothers to form Knight & Crowther Ltd
Publications:
- Charlcotte Furnace by Mutton, Norman
- Foley partnerships. The iron industry at the end of the charcoal era by Johnson, B L C
- Introduction of coke iron at the Stour forges of the Knight family by Ince, Laurence
- Knight Family and the British Iron Industry, 1695-1902 by Ince, Laurence
- Masters and Men in the Small Metal Trades of the West Midlands, 1660-1760 by Rowlands, Marie B
- Masters and Men in the West Midlands Metalware Trades before the Industrial Revolution by Rowlands, Marie B
- Richard and Edward Knight, ironmasters of Bringewood and Wolverley by Page, Robert
- Transport for eighteenth century ironworks by Lewis, Roy A
- Two partnerships of the Knights. A study of the Midland iron industry in the eighteenth century by Lewis, Roy A
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- Knight, Richard
- Stour Valley Ironworks
- Foley family
- Ironworks in Partnership
- Charlcotte Furnace
- Knight, John, & Co
- Crowther Brothers
- Knight & Crowther Ltd
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Bringewood, Herefordshire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands
- Cookley, Worcestershire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands, England
- Downton, Herefordshire, Hereford & Worcester, West Midlands, England
- Ruabon, Wrexham, Clwyd, Wales, Wales
- Whittington, Shropshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, England
- Willey, Shropshire, Shropshire, West Midlands, England
Sectors:
- Basic metals production Iron, steel & related alloys production
- Fabricated metal products manufacture Metal forging, pressing, stamping, rolling, slitting, etc
- Basic metals production Tinplate production
- Basic metals production Wire drawing
Notes:
Traced origins in business to Richard Knight, 1659-1745, who developed extensive iron making and forging interests in Forest of Dean, Willey in Shropshire, Stour Valley and Ruabon, north Wales, from late 17th century. Acquired Stour Valley Ironworks from Foley family and for a short time participated in their Ironworks in Partnership. By early 18th century assets were largely based in Stour Valley at Hales, Cookley and Whittington, and at Bringewood and Aston Botterell (Charlcotte Furnace) in Shropshire, where iron and wrought iron were made. Successfully converted from charcoal to coke production. From 1808, trading as John Knight & Co, output focused at Cookley works which made wire, wrought iron and tinplate. This business, in which Knight family came to play a lesser role, was in decline by late 19th century and in 1890s merged with Crowther Brothers to form Knight & Crowther LtdPublications:
- Charlcotte Furnace by Mutton, Norman
- Foley partnerships. The iron industry at the end of the charcoal era by Johnson, B L C
- Introduction of coke iron at the Stour forges of the Knight family by Ince, Laurence
- Knight Family and the British Iron Industry, 1695-1902 by Ince, Laurence
- Masters and Men in the Small Metal Trades of the West Midlands, 1660-1760 by Rowlands, Marie B
- Masters and Men in the West Midlands Metalware Trades before the Industrial Revolution by Rowlands, Marie B
- Richard and Edward Knight, ironmasters of Bringewood and Wolverley by Page, Robert
- Transport for eighteenth century ironworks by Lewis, Roy A
- Two partnerships of the Knights. A study of the Midland iron industry in the eighteenth century by Lewis, Roy A