Morgan Crucible Battersea

[JenniLl]

Browneyes,

No offense taken! I'm pleased that you found something more helpful than my long deceased patient!

Jenni

[Browneyes]

I'm glad about that Jenni (no offense I mean ). If only your patient was around now - behind-the-scenes snippets and all that

[sue2white]

Is this turning into a comedy show???

[Toby Webb]

My gt grandfather was a Cooper living in Battersea. I always believed that he made barrels for beer, but I have just discovered he worked for the Crucible Works in Battersea.
I googled this and found Morgan Crucible Works.
I am now confused as to what his job could have entailed. They made cruicibles for the Royal Mint. This has confused me more.
Can anyone enlighten my poor brain, I really don't understand what this means.
Sue

Hi Sue.
I can help you for I worked at Morgans in Battersea for several years from 1962. The cooper's yard was on the south side of Battersea Church Rd whereas the main site was to the north butting onto the Thames.
The function of the coopers was to produce light weight barrels ( thinner than for beer) and these would be used to pack the larger relatively fragile crucibles that were being exported world wide with straw filling the voids.
Special purpose machines formed the crucibles. Wood was not used.
Hope this helps. Toby.

[Ladkyis]

OH I love this forum! This thread is EXACTLY the reason I am still here and still doing my little bit to help members because everyone on this forum seems to want to help - and they do it without the need of effusive thanks or much hurrahing (if that's not a real word then I just invented it)
The expertise of our members sometimes leaves me speechless but always very grateful. As a Moderator I tend to read almost every post so I am constantly learning from all of you. This thread is just one example of how kind and knowledgeable our members are. My thanks to Sue2white for asking the question and to everyone else for such interesting answers.

[sue2white]

Hi Toby
Thank you so much for that. That has really been a great help and coincidentally, my great grandfather lived in Church Road for some time, so he only had a short walk to work.

Ladkyis, I haven't been around for a while, so this was a wonderful surprise. I belong to several forums and they are brilliant when something like this happens.

Thank you again.

[Toby Webb]

I recommend that you try to lay your hands on a copy of the centenary book produced by Morgans in about 1960. ( Sorry I can't remember the title) and " A Global Presence. The Morgan Crucible Story" by Peter Pugh. Icon Books. 2006. It contains a view of the Battersea Works in 1856 and shows barrels.
Good luck. T.