History Tinning

treforest tin works, glamorganshire c.1840

tinplate first begins appear in gloucester port books (which record trade passing through gloucester, ports in bristol channel in 1725. tinplate shipped newport, monmouthshire. follows first appearance (in french of réaumur s principes de l art de fer-blanc, , prior report of being published in england.

further mills followed few years later, in many ironmaking regions in england , wales, later in south wales. in 1805, 80,000 boxes made , 50,000 exported. industry continued spread steadily in england , wales, , after 1834 expansion rapid, great britain becoming chief source of world s supply. in year total production 180,000 boxes of 108 lb each (around 50 kg, in america box 100 lb), in 1848 420,000 boxes, in 1860 reached 1,700,000 boxes. subsequently advance rapid, , production reached 2,236,000 lb in 1891. 1 of greatest markets united states of america, market cut off in 1891, when mckinley tariff enacted there. caused great retrenchment in british industry , emigration america of many of no longer employed in surviving tinplate works.

in 1891, united states made 11,000 tons of tinplate , imported 325,100 tons, in 1899, made 360,900 tons, importing 63,500 tons (mostly re-export). british exports further hindered dingley tariff, removed advantage of welsh plate on america s pacific coast., had 1900 increased more 849,000,000 lb, of on 141,000,000 lb terne-plates. total imports in year 135,264,881 lb. in later years, again, there decline in american production, , in 1907 20% of american tinplate mills @ work, while british production reached 14 million boxes.

despite blow, industry continued, on smaller scale. nevertheless, there still 518 mills in operation in 1937, including 224 belonging richard thomas & co. traditional pack mill had been overtaken improved strip mill , of first in great britain built richard thomas & co. in late 1930s. strip mills rendered old pack mills obsolete , last of them closed in 1960s.