Views of Browns Foundry on Portrack Lane. The company ceased trading in March 1978 with the lay off of 24 men. The hoist shown was used to lift the cupulas.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Views of Browns Foundry on Portrack Lane. The company ceased trading in March 1978 with the lay off of 24 men. The hoist shown was used to lift the cupulas.
Was there any connection between this Brown’s, and Francis Brown’s fabrication works on Church Road? My father, Ken Little was Works Manager, before he went to Eddie Whaley’s Welding at Phoenix Sidings.
In 2004/2005 I researched Stockton C.C”s ground at Portrack Lane for “the Cricket Grounds of Durham” for the Association of cricket statisticians. My research does not agree with Mr Harbron”s comments however. The cricket ground existed c 1849 to c1870, and was contemporary with the Brown”s site – lying directly to the north of it. (the gas holder referred to by Mr Herbert is on the site of the old cricket ground. It may be that Brown”s expanded on to the site of the old cricket ground , but I am not sure of this. The ground closed c1870 and according to Michael Heavisides ( see Heavisides”s Almanack for 1911) the old club wound up. It was subsequently revived but did not move to the Grangefield Ground until 1891. My research did not reveal anything to link the two grounds, or Mr Brown, in the way stated by Mr Harbron above.
I started work as a wagon lad at John Russells warehouse in 1962, and remember Browns Foundry which was directly opposite
The large gas holder is adjacent to, rather than on the Browns Foundry site – just to the north of it.
Built on the site of the old Stockton Cricket Club. Mr Brown, a member, allocated the present Grangefield Ground as part of the deal of purchase. The nearby pub is the “Cricketers-Arms”, the sign features two cricketing gentlemen in mid Victorian dress, carrying bats of the period. A large Gas-holder now stands on this site.
It may be that Stockton cricketer of the 1940’s 1950’s, opening bat, Andrew Brown was a descendent of the earlier Mr Brown. He was certainly in this industry.
Ken, you taught his son Nicholas at the Richard Hind. He was in my year there.