Harrison Ainslie
The firm of Harrison Ainslie & Co. was a British firm of ironmasters and iron ore merchants, selling high quality haematite from their mines on Lindal Moor to smelters in Glasgow, Scotland, South Wales and the Midlands.
He was active in the Furness iron industry from 1722 as manager of Cunsey forge and a partner in Nibthwaite furnace.
The partnership agreement at Nibthwaite prevented Richard Ford from building an ironworks within 10 miles, so the lease was taken in the name of his sister, Agnes Bordley.
There is conflicting evidence as to who ran the company after the death of Benson Harrison in 1863,[7] but when William George Ainslie died in 1893, it was stated that he had for the past 30 years had the entire control and management of the firm's business.
The shareholders in the new company were Richard Edwin Killeen, James Saunders, James Murray, George B Court, George Ernest Bicknell, Thomas Henry Derbyshire, and Francis Cheers, most of whom were from Liverpool.
The receiver, James Morgan White, set up the Charcoal Iron Co which ran Backbarrow furnace until 1966.
The nature of the Furness iron industry changed dramatically in 1850 when Schneider & Davis discovered the large deposits of ore at Park.
[11] Henry Schneider turned his mind to building blast furnaces and CS Kennedy saw the prospects of the adjoining Roanhead royalty.
[12] The ore at Park and Roanhead occurred in large three-dimensional bodies (sops is the usual term).
At Lindal Moor, the ore was in veins, flats and small pockets, much more expensive to work.
In spite of an ever-increasing demand for phosphorus-free haematite for the Bessemer process, exports of Furness ore ceased about 1870.
Richard Ford began partnerships in several mines in the Lindal and Marton area from 1746.
Another large area of ground was gained in 1885 when the company spent £22,000 on the lease of Crossgates and Lindal Cote mines.
[27] The blowing cylinders were operated by steam power in later years and the furnace fuelled by coke from 1921.
[30] It was not worked by Harrison Ainslie, but has many features in common with Newland, Bonawe, Craleckan and Duddon, namely: All the blast furnaces mentioned except Warsash are still standing; Backbarrow was under restoration in 2019.
There was some speculation that the corn mill had been moved to the new extension and a forge built on the ground floor.
The reason given for the sale was that Harrison Ainslie had ceased to produce charcoal bar iron and billets.
[34] At the same time as the mills were built, the company sought permission to build powder magazines at Headin Haw, Poaka[35] and Queensferry.
[39][40] The second Harrison Ainslie & Co Ltd. built Maskels power station and fitted electric pumps at Lowfield, Grievenson, Bercune, Diamond, and Gillbrow pits.
