Assets Inventory, Sandycroft Ironworks 1855

Description

The documentation associated with the bankruptcy of George Cram, proprietor of the Sandycroft Ironworks, provides an invaluable insight into the facilities, machinery and tools that iron ship builders used in the middle of the 19th century.
George Cram had acquired the Sandycroft Ironworks from another ship builder, Mr Rigby, in 1853. The vessels which Cram built here include the GOLDEN QUEEN, THE MINO, WINIFRED and the partially completed ROYAL CHARTER.
His ongoing financial difficulties came to a head in August 1854 when his creditors would no longer wait and began legal proceeding to take possession of all his business and personal assets. These creditors included his bankers, Williams & Co (Thomas Rees William and John Williams) of Chester; John Williams and Sir Stephen Glynne owners of the land; Septimus Ledward, iron merchant; and Roberts Roberts of Chester, slate merchant.
The image shown above is taken from a page in the Indenture or legal document setting out the rights of his creditors to take possession of all George Cram's goods and is signed by Septimus Ledward, Roberts Roberts, John Williams and George Cram in the presence of two solicitor's clerks, John Smith and James Bancroft, on 7 January 1856. It shows the first page of the inventory of all areas of the Sandycroft Ironworks and all the items of worth they contained. The areas are the Yard; the Wood Erecting Shop; Engine House; two Lower Twining Shops; Erecting Shed; two Upper Twining Shops; two Fitting Shops; Warehouse; two Iron Boat Building Shops; Offices; and Seven cottages.
The following is the listing of tools from one of the Iron Boat Building Shops:
'Driving gear consisting of three wrought iron shafts with pedestals, hangars, etc.; two vertical drilling machines fixed with complete driving pulleys; steel drills and rimmer; fan blast four feet diameter with driving pulley; grindstone with driving puller; screwing machine with overhead motion fixed complete including taps and dies; three vices; seventeen wrought iron tressels and six ditto fire grates; cast iron straightening block; cast iron crane pillar and crop; wrought iron stove for hearing timber; 52ft of 2in lead piping.'
This is the listing for the other boat building shop and its associated small yard:
'one large plate bending machine with reversing motion fixed complete connected to driving shafting, pedestals, pulleys fixed to building ; one new drilling machine with driving motion; two large and powerful shearing and punching engines with during shafting; pulleys, etc. complete; new wood office; five vice benches; one new vertical drilling machine fixed outside of building with driving gear; one new horizontal punch engine in an unfinished state; fifteen smiths hearths portable; 25 pairs of circular bellows; large cast iron leveling blocks in six parts; thirteen hatchets and braces and thee crank braces; one leveling block 8ft x 4ft - sledge, jointing, riveting, holding up hammers, tongs, leverages, clams, stretching screws, cutters and drawers, drills and chisels; ten wrought angle frame carts with two cast wheels to each; six portable hearths for plates and five pairs of 30in bellows.'
The multiple numbers of items particularly in the second list (e.g. 15 portable smith hearths) confirms the large workforce George Cram employed.
The ship yard office contained:
'two cupboards, chimney piece, 1 grate, ovens, fenders; five irons, hat rail; five framed drawings of machinery, large map of South American coast; model of a treadmill; oil cloth for floor.'
It is these latter homely details that perhaps more than anything else, bring home the sadness of the end of all George Cram's dreams.
These inventory pages relate to the Yard, Wood Erecting Shed, and Smith Tools, and contains a great many references to things which could be used to secure items for lifting and carrying (e.g. blocks, chains, and even a Lewis - a device used by stonemasons to grip stone and inserted into a prepared hole, or seating, in the top of a stone). But can you spot references to devices which could be used to actually lift and carry?
There was brass bell laying about the yard, probably waiting to find its place on board the next ship to be completed. What important function did a bell on board a ship perform?
Did you notice, inside the Wood Erecting Shop, there are were parts for a pair of marine steam engines (e.g. cylinders, pistons , valves, etc.)? But how were the steam engines of the Victorian period different from the internal combustion engines used today in motor cars?
What is the connection between an item in the shipyard office and the man who implemented the first storm warning service as a result of the loss of the ROYAL CHARTER?