The
Unofficial Website
The Brass Industry
Brass, a hard wearing alloy of copper and zinc, with a multitude of uses,
has probably long been made in Rotherham. I have been able to find little about the early industry but there was a manufacturer of bells in trade in the town in the Eighteenth Century
- see Bell Founding. These would have cast in brass.
Rotherham was a leading town in the brass manufacturing industry from the 1840s when Edward Chrimes invented and patented the screw down tap. When Edward died in 1847 Richard Chrimes went into business with John Guest forming the firm of Guest and Chrimes. An extensive business was forged in the supply of water pipes, gas pipes and fittings, taps and valves, fire hydrants and water and gas meters. The original site as on the river bank just below the old market place but this soon became too small and a new factory was erected on Don Street in the New York area. The building dating from 1857 still exists and part has listed status. Guest & Chrimes closed in 1999 when their new owner moved production to Derbyshire.
From this one firm there grew many off shoots, e.g. Gummers Ltd., William Baines & Co, William Heaton & Co. Obviously there was a lot of brass to be made. None of these are any longer in business.