Wood Brothers Glass Company Limited 1834 - 1981

Archives NRA 14866 Wood Bros held at Sheffield;

1828 - flint glasshouse established at Worsbrough Bridge by Messrs Usherwood, Barron, Cartwright and Perkes, works situated on the banks of the canal in 'Pretoria' ; .

by 1834 - the partnership changed and the brothers John and James Wood came from Staffordshire to join with Richard Perkes (d. 1854), a glassmaker; James Wood, the glasscutter and John Wood, the manager, all skilled workers from Stourbridge; made fine table glass, jugs, cruets, bottles and lampshades, with flint glass cased with gold ruby glass with incised designs a speciality; examples were exhibited in the Great Exhibition of 1851;

1854- after Perkes dies, William Wood comes over from the Baccarat glassworks in France to join his brothers;

1870 - business known as Wood Brothers; another brother, Alphonse, joined the partnership from Baccarat, bringing with him techniques of gilding and etching;

1871 - ground lease expires at Worsbrough Bridge;

1872 - firm buys land near Hoyle Mill, Barnsley and sets up a furnace; 1872-1874 - articles made in Barnsley taken to Worsbrough Bridge for finishing and decorating;

1874 - Barnsley works expanded and carries out all processes; Worsbrough Bridge works closed;

about 1900 - branch of works set up in Wombwell;

main site at Pontefract Road in Barnsley where products included pressed and blown glass for domestic and industrial uses.

1981 - works closed