The Mellanear works

Your place to talk about your Bootle memories
DonDeeg
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:39 pm
Location: Pleasant Grove,Utah,U.S.A

Welcome Istock. Katy I grew up in number 8 Lunt Rd.
We played Football outside the Melly gates everynight.
I was back there in April and walked down by the park that sits on the land now.
I remember in the mid sixties they built a new chimney for the factory nr the top of Lunt rd.Before they had finished it I remember climbing up the inside of it with a few other lads from that area.Not sure if Bobhamo remembers doing that with us?
It was a tough time growing up in the fifties and sixties there.
I just read a story about a man who grew up in Frankfurt right after the Second World War. in his story he made this comment about how he looks back now on those tough times.
" throught the softening filters of Experience" I think thats how I now remember my childhood in Lunt Rd.
Born and bred in Lunt Rd.
Went to St George of England school.
billygooner
Posts: 174
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 4:06 pm
Location: bootle

hi katy. i worked in the factory for 2years as a maintenance fitter from 1962-1964.the reason it moved from cornwall was because when the tin in cornwall became to expensive to mine all the tin ore came into liverpool from bolivia therfore it would be to expensive to send it all the way down south. :D regards billy(rufford road)
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BOBHAMO
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hi billy i think the first post from katy was along time ago 2007 , must have passed your house a few times :lol: :lol: altcar road lad , bobhamo
bootle born altcar road
DonDeeg
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:39 pm
Location: Pleasant Grove,Utah,U.S.A

JvLovelady I remember the buckleys and the maguires..I was good mates with John Maguire.
What part of Berkshire are you in? I lived in Reading for awhile and Caversham.
Bobhamo, wasn't it one of the Buckleys that was a really good Footballer?
Born and bred in Lunt Rd.
Went to St George of England school.
e foulkes
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:48 pm
Location: southampton

I went to school with one of the Buckleys his name was Aaron. He had a number of older brothers and I am now great friends with a daughter and her husband of one of the older brothers.
He was a good footballer. I also went to school with Robert Divine 30 Alt Road. he later left Alt road and became an airline steward. Not heard any more about him since.
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BOBHAMO
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hi eric on this pic i think there about 6 or 7 buckleys , glenys , jean ted arroncant remember the rest . theres a name from the past robert devine , got to admit we give him a bit of stick over his name :lol: :lol: bob
bootle born altcar road
e foulkes
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:48 pm
Location: southampton

Bob,

Need to study this more closely but the one I first recognized I am pretty sure is your dad with a party hat on holding a little boy. Is that boy you and was your sister Marjorie (I think it was her name she was in my class in Linacre) is she on the picture.
I take it this was the street Coronation Party.
I remember we had one of the Alt road party I will have to see if my sister has still got it.
whacker66
Posts: 468
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:55 pm
Location: south wales

Nice to see you posting again eric..and how is Mrylin doing ..is she still in Bootle...keep posting
Peter
e foulkes
Posts: 9
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Location: southampton

Marilyn is living over the water in Bromborough. I haven`t seen her for a while so you have reminded me I should get in touch.
e foulkes
Posts: 9
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Location: southampton

Just spoken to a friend of ours who is the daughter of Johnny Buckley. I think he must of been the good footballer as he nearly played for Everton but couldn`t due to injury.
Here is a list of the Buckleys as some people may remember them:
Kenny (deceased)
May (deceased)
Johny
Rita
Billy
Beryl
Myrnha
Glenys
Teddy
Aaron
whacker66
Posts: 468
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:55 pm
Location: south wales

Is Marylin on the PC if so has she seen the pic on Linacre school...and surely Eric you have Photos...especially of your bikes..post some plz...
Peter
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BOBHAMO
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hi eric yes thats my dad holding my brother colin 2nd left on the front is are marjorie,4th on the top row is glenys holding me :lol: :lol: our jean is just under glenys , aaron i thought was called aarond , worked as a jioner with me in the corpy, it was a great street to grow up in ,bit posher than lunt road :lol: :lol: :lol: bob
bootle born altcar road
e foulkes
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Jun 10, 2008 10:48 pm
Location: southampton

Funny that you should say that it was a bit posher than Lunt Road I seem to remember that was the feeling at the time. I am not sure why maybe it was down to it being one row of houses rather than opposite each other.
What about Alt road we had front gardens?
DonDeeg
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:39 pm
Location: Pleasant Grove,Utah,U.S.A

Posher than Lunt Rd?????? I am absolutely shocked.....
We had all the characters in our street..
Born and bred in Lunt Rd.
Went to St George of England school.
DonDeeg
Posts: 179
Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 11:39 pm
Location: Pleasant Grove,Utah,U.S.A

Eric you were Posh, you had a garage...we had a shed!!!!!!
Born and bred in Lunt Rd.
Went to St George of England school.
whacker66
Posts: 468
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2008 8:55 pm
Location: south wales

Now now boys...calm down calm down,....sent you a PM Donny trevs #
Peter
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BOBHAMO
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just a joke lads :lol: :lol: bobhamo
bootle born altcar road
Dobbsyboy
Posts: 208
Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 7:28 pm
Location: Over the border in that Litherland

Gardens in Alt Road? Which side? Unless you're counting that space between the front wall of the house and the fence/wall/gatepost area?

Or you talking back gardens?
what you looking at eh La?
whacker66
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I think it was about a metre dobbysy...notice I am metric now :lol:
Peter
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Dan
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August 16 1934 William Harvey & Co Ltd Mellanear Tin Smelting Works.

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Factory is to the right of the canal on Lunt Road.

The original tin smelting works, built in 1908, is on the other side of the canal, and above it the brick and tile factory.

To the right of Lunt Road is Braby Road.

Upper right is Three Banks Island and a bit of the North Park.

Linacre Lane runs across the top of the photo from left to right.

Same day. Site from the Linacre Lane end.

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1913 map of the area. Factory not yet built.

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Extracts from the British Medical Journal.

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Regards

Dan
bob. b
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Great read Dan Thanks

Bobby
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Dan
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Cheers Bob.
Pet hate of mine.
People being killed at work.

Regards

Dan
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fatboyjoe90
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Joined: Tue Sep 15, 2009 6:29 pm
Location: merseyside

William Harvey. The Mellanear Lunt road factory in Bootle a slag carrier.


Image.
Last edited by fatboyjoe90 on Fri Nov 19, 2021 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Cheers Joe.
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BOBHAMO
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Location: BIG CITY

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bobhamo
bootle born altcar road
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fatboyjoe90
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Location: merseyside

Great photos of the Mellanear Bob. :wink:
Cheers Joe.
John T
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2021 7:58 pm

I lived in Lunt Road Bootle from 1060 when I was 13 years old , to 1974
The Melanear works was supposed to be on its last legs but I was warned by people to be careful of RATS -although why rats would be fond of tin engineering premises is baffling.

John Tinsley
john.tinsley@compandben.com
John T
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Joined: Mon Jan 04, 2021 7:58 pm

1960 not 1060 !

John
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BOBHAMO
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Welcome John, just cant remember you ,John did you live next door to Trevor Jones at no 11
Mrs Tinsley lived there
can you fill us in on what school as you are the same age as myself
The canal was a breeding ground for rats
bobhamo
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bootle born altcar road
Rainhillman
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2021 5:58 pm

This is the correct list of Buckley’s from Altcar Road.

Kenny (deceased)
May (deceased)
John (deceased)
Rita (deceased)
Billy (deceased)
Beryl
Myrna (deceased)
Jean
Glenys
Teddy
Arend

These are/were my aunts/uncles. Mum (Jean) married Stan Cawsey (Lunt Road). Dad worked at the Mellanear for a while.

Regards

Stan Cawsey
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Dan
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fatboyjoe90 wrote: Mon Dec 31, 2018 8:59 pm
William Harvey. The Mellanear Lunt road factory in Bootle a slag carrier.

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Dan
Posts: 4730
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 6:24 pm

Cassiterite tin ore.

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Polberro Mine, St. Agnes, Cornwall, Callington, Cornwall.

An old bottle measuring 8 cm tall containing a bulk sample of cassiterite concentrate taken from180 bags weighing a total of 7.5 tons from the from the Polberro Mine in November 1940. The bottle is sealed with wax and has a label from The Mellanear tin smelting company at Bootle near Liverpool owned by the Williams Harvey Co.

The Mellanear Smelting works which was owned by Williams Harvey was originally near the Mill Pond at Hayle, Cornwall and moved to Bootle in the 1930s.
KeithsFamily
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2022 5:13 pm

My maternal grandfather Thomas Lowe worked at the Mellanear Tin Smelting Works of Messrs. Williams, Harvey and Co. Ltd in Bootle in the late 1920s and very early 1930s. He was the very first person at the works to die of Arsine [Arsenic Trihydride] Poisoning. He may have been the first man in the world to die of arsenic trihydride poisoning as part of the process of tin smelting. He died on 17th November 1931 and his Death Certificate said the cause of death was: "accidentally poisoned with arseniuretted hydrogen whilst at his work on … 15th". The inquest made it clear that there had been other incidents at the works not resulting in death which had not been reported to the authorities. However, he was followed to his grave by a furnaceman shortly afterwards in 1931. The inquest was reported in The Liverpool Echo on Thursday, 10 December 1931.

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Someone has already posted extracts from the British Journal of Industrial Medicine on Arsine Poisoning which had been written by two doctors from Bootle Hospital reporting on another incident of poisoning in exactly the same Tin Smelting Works in Bootle in 1956 in which two more men had died. Had the Coroner in 1931 not accepted a verdict of Accidental Death but reported the company to the public health authorities, the deaths in 1956 might have been avoided.
Rockdoc
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jan 17, 2023 9:36 pm

katy wrote: Wed Jan 10, 2007 11:08 am Hello all

Thank you for all your responses. It is all helping me to build a picture up.

I have read somewhere that the works came to Bootle from Cornwall - I wonder why they moved up north?

I have also heard when they opened the park all the houses on Lunt Road got given hanging baskets for the front of there houses and there was a bit of a celebration. There must have been some press at the event, or someone must have taken photos. I am new to all this, so can anyone tell me whether there is any way I can look through the local presses archive?

Katy
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Dan
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Bootle Times September 26 1930

15½ years late, but the answer to Kate's question is inn the article.

The Cornish mines ran out of workable ore around 1905. Bootle was handily placed for imported Bolivian ore.

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Dan
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Recollections from the Bootle Knowhere site.


Re: Mellanear Residents Group by S W Cawsey (Member 10104807) on 7-Sep-2003
Dear Karen,
Williams Harvey Mellanear works was on Lunt Road but the offices, and hence the address, was in Altcar Road. ( parallel to but shorter than Lunt Road, as it only run from Beck Road to Alt Road. )
I worked in the analytical Laboratories of the "Mellie" from 1957 to 1965 when I got married and moved to Rainford.
My then girlfriend lived in 11 Altcar Road and I could see her house from the Labs.
I lived in 29 Lunt Road with my mum and three sisters, and my youngest sister Carol still lives in the same house.
There were 7 "open-hearth reverberatory furnaces" to smelt the tin ore, but not all 7 were used at the same time.
Tin ore came from all over the world and also from the few remaining Cornish tin mines.
( the Cornish Mines had romantic names like Weald Jane and South Crofty, but the ore was quite
low grade. ). The best ores were Bolivian and Nigerian.
If you would like to have any further memories, please let me know.
Stan Cawsey
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