CMSA Membership 1914
CMSA Membership 1914
CMSA Membership 1914
CMSA Membership 1914
CMSA Membership 1914
Typical Works Layout
Typical Makers Catalogue
Examples from Catalogue
Examples From Catalogue
Examples From Catalogue
N. Hingley & Sons Ltd were not the first to make chain in the Black Country, although they did become the biggest and most influential. Indeed at least six firms pre-dated the arrival of Noah Hingley. They were, however, the first to make cable-chain for ships, and many other firms followed.
In 1911 there were two hundred and thirty five factories making chain, including middlemen with small factories sub-contracting to the larger works when they were busy. The image gallery lists the members of the Chain Makers and Strikers' Association in 1914, and the firms they worked for, but it is not a complete list of all the Black Country manufacturers. The Chain Makers and Strikers' Association had nearly thirteen hundred members, whereas there were over six thousand working in the trade.
A “closed shop” operated throughout the chainmaking industry, which meant that only members of the trade union were allowed to work as chainmakers and strikers. So why are there not over six thousand names on the lists? It’s because only the chainmakers worked for the firms, the strikers were paid by the chainmaker. This is what was known as the "butty" system.
Take a look at the lists of names and see how many have the same surname, an indication of the practice of bringing in other family members and teaching them the trade. Many of the strikers, those not on the lists, were also members of the same family.
Rollover the captions in the box to see the available images in thumbnail format, click the caption to see the full-size image
| Reference: | 687 |
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| Updated: | Tue 5 Jun 2007 - 14 |
| Interpretation written by | Louis Howe |
| Author's organisation | Curatorial |
| Organisation's website |