Journal – a company magazine that continued into the latter part of the
20th Century. The companies had amalgamated the previous year.
by
W. HENRY PRENTICE
The Chemical Works at Stowmarket were erected in 1856 by Messrs Thomas Prentice & Co., the original partners being Manning Prentice senior, Eustace Prentice and Edward Prentice. In the year 1870 the Malting and Fertilizer sections were separated; the latter being carried on under the title of Prentice brothers. The greater part of the Sulphuric Acid made in the first few years was concentrated to Oil of Vitriol for use at the neighbouring Gun-Cotton works, (find out more about the Gun-Cotton works explosion here). This concentration was carried out in large glass vessels embedded in sand and later in corrugated platinum pans. When, however, the price of this metal rose to eighty shillings an ounce, this method was no longer considered practical, and a cascade plant was substituted for it.
The trade in Fertilizers which was small at first steadily grew and the works were extended from time to time to meet the increasing demand.
In 1890 the business was converted into a limited Company under the title of Prentice Brothers Ltd. Mr Manning Prentice Junior was managing director and on his death in 1899 Mr W. Henry Prentice was appointed and continued in office until the Amalgamation.
The Great Yarmouth Works, formerly carried on by Messrs Baly Sutton & Co., were purchased in 1893 and the considerable coastal trade was then transferred to these Works, leaving Stowmarket free to extend the Home trade. In 1913, the horticultural trade carried on by Messrs William Colchester & Co., was acquired. Special attention was given to this Branch and notwithstanding the difficulties caused by the War, The Icthemic Guano Co., has shown a steady and uninterrupted increase.
During the first two years of the war, the greater part of the output of Sulphuric Acid was placed at the disposal of the Government, and it is interesting to note that over 10,000 tons of Concentrated Oil of Vitriol was supplied to the Government before their own factories were available.
A number of employees of the Company served during the War in the Army and Navy, two being killed.
In 1918 and 1919 the present power plant and the new mills were erected. The manufacture of Acid Calcium Phosphate was started in 1916 followed a few years later by Acid Pyro-phosphate of Soda.
In 1920 the Chemical Works and Brickyard at Burwell were purchased from Messrs Colchester & Ball and proved of value in holding the Superphosphate trade in that area during the period of unlimited foreign imports.
In bringing this short sketch of the firm to a close, mention should be made of the improvements effected in the manufacture of Bricks. The yard is now turning out one of the finest white facing bricks in the Country.
Reproduced from the Fisons Journal, No1, January 1930
This extract helps to give a broader sense of how East Anglia played an important part in crop agriculture and producing a key substance in ferilizer manufacture.
Jane Cantwell nee Hayes.