Page 25 - The Tale of Two Fountains

THE TALE OF TWO FOUNTAINS
CHAPTER 3
EAGLE FOUNDRY, NORTHAMPTON
In the 19th century, Northampton had some notable entrepreneurs running engineering com- panies, Iron Founders such as Grundy & Co., Eagle, Beehive, Lion, Vulcan and W. M. Allchin’s Globeworks, well-known for their Traction and Steam engines. There was also the world-famous
model maker, Bassett-Lowke, who operated from Kingswell Street. The Company is known in India for manufacturing the celebrated silver toy train in 1906 for the Maharaja of Gwalior for his Ban- queting Hall. The train ran on a large dining table serving food and drinks for the guests. These com- panies operated mainly in the southern part of the town centre in areas such as Kingswell Street, Foundry Street, Bridge Street etc.1 The Boot and Shoe factory hub, for which Northampton is well -known worldwide, was in the northern part of the town around the Upper Mounts. It was in 1820 when Iron Foundries started in Northampton, after the completion of the Northampton arm of the Grand Union Canal in 1815. This gave cheap access to iron and fuel from the West Midlands. The first known Iron Founder in Northampton was Thomas Grundy, in Bridge Street.
In 1823, Eagle Foundry was established by John Brettell and E.H. Barwell at the bottom of Bridge Street by the river. An advertisement, dated 27th September in 1823 in “The Northampton Mercury” records the business of manufacturing “Iron arms for carts and wagons, tire and nails, iron hurdles,
Map of Foundries in early 19th century Northampton
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