Abstract
Having merged with the Patent Nut & Bolt Co., the managers of the collieries and manufacturing plant of the former Dowlais Iron Co. discovered that they were no longer autonomous leaders. Not only were there other interests to consider, but, despite their size and historical importance, they found themselves being junior partners in the union. They were faced with the prospect that their policies might conflict with those decided upon by other members of the Guest, Keen group. Would the personalities that the amalgamation had brought together be prepared to co-operate with one another? Whilst at first sight the activities of the Dowlais Iron Co. complemented those of the PNB and provided for a chain of vertical integration, on closer inspection it was apparent that the links fitted together far less closely than might be supposed. There were considerable difficulties following the merger, as formerly unconnected units had to sever established business relationships and attempt to form trading and supply relationships with those consumers within the group of whom they had little knowledge and, on occasion, because of personality clashes and the strength of former company loyalties, scant liking.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Guest Keen & Nettlefolds Directors’ Minute Book, Vol. I 1900–05, 8 October 1903, it. 754.
Owen, Dowlais Iron Works, p. 92.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 6 July 1905, it. 1128.
Owen, Dowlais Iron Works, p. 92.
Ibid., p. 95.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 28 January 1902, it. 399.
Owen, Dowlais Iron Works, p. 93.
JISI, Part 1 (1900), B. Talbot, ‘The Open Hearth Continuous Steel Process’, pp. 33–61.
Carr and Taplin, British Steel Industry, p. 216.
Ibid.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 1 November 1900, it. 41.
Ibid., 25 June 1901, it. 225.
Ibid., 29 August 1901, it. 255.
Ibid., 2 June 1904, it. 899.
Ibid., 5 January 1905, it. 1032.
Carr and Taplin, British Steel Industry, p. 215.
Guest Keen Baldwins, p. 60; East Moors Album, Portrait of a Steelworks 1888–1978, Cardiff (1978).
Dowlais Iron Steel & Coal Co. Ltd., Minute Book, 28 October 1899.
Ibid., 23 July 1900.
GKN Annual Reports 1902–1914.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Cardiff Works 1911–1915.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais-Cardiff Works 1908–10, Letter from A.K. Reese, 29 October 1909.
Letter to A.K. Reese, 23 March 1911.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Cardiff Works 1911–15, op. cit., 4 February 1911.
GRO, D/DG, Letters 1908–10, Letter from E.H. James, 9 December 1910.
GKN Minute Book Vol. I, 2 July 1903, it. 716.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais-Cardiff Works 1902–03, Letter from E.H. James, 30 April 1903; D/DG, Letters Cardiff Works 1911–15, Letter from A.K. Reese, 5 December 1912.
GRO, D/DG, Supplementary Letters, London Works — Crawshay Brothers, 1902–13, Edward Steer to A.T. Keen, 20 July 1906.
Ibid., E. Steer to Dowlais Iron Co., 20 July 1906.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais-Cardiff Works 1902–03, 30 April 1903.
Ibid., Letter from E.H. James, 21 May 1902.
Ibid., Letter from A.K. Reese to William Evans, general manager at Dowlais, 8 December 1902.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais-Cardiff Works 1908–10, 12 October 1908.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Cardiff Works 1911–1915, A.K. Reese to Cwmbran, 17 June 1912.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Cardiff Works 1911–15, Letter from A.K. Reese, 19 August 1914.
GRO, D/DG, Supplementary Letters 1902–13, op. cit., A.K. Reese to GKN Dowlais, 31 December 1907.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais-Cardiff Works 1908–10, Thomas R. Martin to GKN Dowlais, 7 January 1908.
Ibid., A.K. Reese to GKN Dowlais, 31 October 1908.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 26 March 1901, it. 154.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 2 October 1902, other committees established at the same time were ‘Works’, ‘General Purposes’, ‘Finance’ and ‘Nettlefolds’, it. 540–544.
Ibid., 26 November 1901, it. 357.
Ibid.
Ibid., 17 December 1901, it. 370.
Ibid., 2 October 1902, it. 536.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Collieries 1904–07, from H.S. Martin, 10 December 1904.
Ibid., Letter from H.S. Martin, 9 October 1906.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Collieries, Mr. Howell R. Jones 1909–11, 15 February 1909.
Ibid., 20 February 1909.
PP 1919, XL, 603 (Sankey Commission, evidence of Sir R.A.S. Redmayne).
Rhodri Walters, EcHR, Vol. XXVffl (1975), ‘Labour Productivity in the South Wales Steam-Coal Industry 1870–1914’, p. 297.
PP 1907, XIII, 535.
Walters, ‘Labour Productivity’, p. 297.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 17 December 1901, it. 366.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Colieries 1904–07, from H.W. Martin to GKN Dowlais, 8 March 1904.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais-Cardiff Colliery, Abercynon 1909–1915, Letter to Bruce Jones from GKN Dowlais, 12 February 1909.
Wilkins, South Wales Coal, pp. 323–24.
Rhodri Walters, EcHR, Vol. XXVIII (1975), ‘Labour Productivity in the South Wales Steam Coal Industry 1870–1914’, p. 301.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Colieries 1909–11, Statements from H.R. Jones to William Evans, 25 July 1911.
PP Select Committee 1873, X 52.
Walters, ‘Labour Productivity’, p. 289.
Ibid., p. 293; P.P. 1847 XVI, 418; 1873 X 52.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Collieries 1904, 1907, From Bruce Jones to H.W. Martin, 3 March 1904; GKN Minute Book Vol. I, 26 March 1901, it. 150.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Collieries, Mr. Howell R. Jones 1909–11, 15 February 1909.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Cardiff Works 1902, Statement on 26 April 1902.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Collieries 1904–07, Letter from H.W. Martin to GKN Dowlais, 31 December 1906.
Émile Zola, Germinal, Paris (1885), Harmondsworth (1954), p. 203.
GRO, D/DG, Letters Dowlais Collieries, Mr. Howell R. Jones 1909–11, Letter to GKN Dowlais, 9 September 1910.
Saul, Great Depression, pp. 44–45.
Cyfarthfa Works Act (1882).
JISI, part II (1897), ‘The Cyfarthfa Iron and Steel Works’, pp. 237–39.
Addis, Crawshay Dynasty, pp. 148–49.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 29 August 1901, it. 258.
Ibid., 5 November 1901, it. 319.
Ibid., 6 March 1902, it. 428.
Ibid., 6 August 1903, it. 724.
Ibid., 8 October 1903, it. 762.
Ibid., 5 November 1903, it. 771.
Ibid.
Ibid., 26 November 1907, it. 359.
PIME, Vol. 79 (1910), Memoir E.P. Martin, pp. 1706–08; The Engineer, Vol. CX (1910), obituary, p. 363.
PIME, p. 1707.
JISI, Part II (1910), obituary, p. 369.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 3 February 1902, it. 408.
JISI, Part I (1915), Obituary, p. 454.
GKN Minute Book, Vol. I, 20 August 1900, it. 1.
Dowlais Iron Steel & Coal Co. Ltd., Minute Book, 1900–15, passim.
Copyright information
© 1987 GKN plc
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Jones, E. (1987). South Wales: More Steel and Coal, 1900–14. In: A History of GKN. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06629-2_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-06629-2_10
Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, London
Print ISBN: 978-1-349-06631-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-06629-2
eBook Packages: Palgrave Business & Management CollectionBusiness and Management (R0)