William's Patent Mineral Charcoal & Oil Co. Ltd.

Company number:

894C

Started:

5th January 1864

Finished:

Liquidator appointed 1866

Registered office:

Oak Alyn, near Wrexham, parish of Gwersyll?, Denbighshire

Oil works:

Patent Oil Works

William's Patent Mineral Charcoal & Oil Co. Ltd. was listed in the Coal Commission report of 1865, but was absent from the 1868 Slater's trade directory. The company appears to have been promoted in the Birmingham area to produce oil and coke from cannel coal using a modified form of retort, patented by the company's General Manager William Mattieu Williams. As recorded by Williams in his article in Ure's Dictionary, The anticipated demand for the pure coke produced by the process; particularly from the metalurgical industry, failed to materialise and the company was liquidated in 1866. The interests of the company appear to have been merged with those of the London, Leeswood and Erith Mineral Oil Co. Ltd.

In his autobiography "Travels in seach of new trade products" serial entrepreneur Arthur Robottom records:

"Mr. Williams and a Mr. Tyndall formed the idea of creating a limited company, and, without much loss of time, proceeded to carry this idea into effect, and the company was formed under the title of the "Williams Oil Company," the agreement with me being that they should take over the first retort, and pay me back the money I had advanced, with interest. "

Directors

Francis Seddon Bolton, of Broad Street Metal Works, Birmingham, Merchant
Samuel Booth, of Wellington Road, Edgbaston, Merchant
Charles Lloyd Browning, of Weoley Park, Worcestershire, Carrier
John Frederick Feeney, of Church Road, Edgbaston, Newspaper Proprietor
William McClary Lightfoot, of Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Gentleman

Subscribers

The Directors listed above
George James Johnson, of 34 Tatenlee? St. Birmingham, Attourney and Solicitor
Benjamin Soans?, of 40 Waterloo Road, Birmingham, Attourney and Solicitor
Edward Saint? Tyndall, of 34 Waterloo Street, Birmingham, Attorney and Solicitor

Newspaper references

A meeting of "Williams's Patent Mineral Charcoal and Oil Company" was held yesterday, at the offices of the solicitors, Messrs. Tyndall, Son, and Johnson, Waterloo Street, to receive the report of the directors, and the balance-sheet to June last; Samuel Booth, Esq., In the chair. The business was merely formal, but very satisfactory statement was made as to the operations of the company, more particularly during the last six months, and the directors expressed their unabated confidence in the success of the undertaking, all the calculations made as to the yield of oil, being fully borne out by the actual results, although the production had hitherto been on a limited scale, owing to the necessity of erecting ovens, and other appliances of manufacture. After votes of thanks to the directors, who were re-elected, and to the manager, Mr. Williams, the proceedings terminated.

The Birmingham Daily Post, 5th January 1865

.......

WILLIAMS'S PATENT MINERAL & CHARCOAL OIL COMPANY, LIMITED.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING of the Shareholders of the above company will be held at 34, Waterloo-street, Birmingham, on TUESDAY, the 11th day of September next, at noon precisely, for the purpose of passing resolutions requiring the above company to be wound up voluntarily, and for the purpose of appointing a Liquidator. By order of the directors. EDWARD L. TYNDALL, Secretary. 9th August, 1866.

The Wrexham Advertiser, 11th August 1866