| Chillout Room > Rainwear History > Thomas Hancock | |
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The history of the raincoat |
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| Thomas Hancock, pic from his 'Personal Narrative' |
Hi
I enjoyed your site and have a few comments about Charles Macintosh and Co. and Thomas Hancock. My GGGGrandad was the engineer and rubber pioneer Walter Hancock, the brother of Thomas.
When Thomas became the Senior Partner of Chas. Macintosh and Co a large factory was built in Manchester to make Macintosh waterproof coats using Hancock's tecniques and his 'masticator' [See page 9 of Thomas Hancock's Personal Narrative]. His brother Walter Hancock installed the steam engines. The factory was the largest of its kind.
It was Thomas Hancock's discovery and the patent he obtained for 'vulcanization' that of course revolutionized his business in Goswell Rd, London, and in Manchester.
Your comment about the lending of experinced workers in the infant rubber industry is very true. Thomas sent his Foreman to Manchester from London and also another [senior figure] to France to a firm he established named Cye and Fils.
The original rubber raincoats were realy ponchos or Tarps
that sold well for travellers on the outside of coaches, but during the Summer the non-vulcanized rubber smelled worse than the horses.
DE
Hi David
I'm so sorry I haven't acknowledged your fascinating email about your GGGGrandfather - I was so interested in it I put it in a special place, then promptly lost track!
But - many thanks indeed. I will put it up asap. If there is anything more you know of concerning the Hancock role in the Mackintosh business I would be thrilled to hear it.
I see you subscribe to the UK-favoured account of the disputed priority between Hancock and Goodyear!
I am in touch from time to time with John Loadman - you may have been involved in the recent book?
Do forgive my lack of organisation - it was very good of you to write
With every best wish
Lorraine
Hi Lorraine
Thanks for your message.
I also think this topic rocks! It's an English tragedy with of course no sex but lots of rubber and steam.
When Charles Macintosh died in 1843 Thomas Hancock was the Senior Partner of Chas. Macintosh and Co and ran the firm with the Burley Bros. of Manchester. He was also on the Board of Directors. The logo of Chas. Macintosh and Co shows at the top a hand extended with a rooster [or Cock] in its palm. This reflects the Hancock involvement!
I was very interested in the research performed on the original Macintosh and Co Factory in Manchester when the site was levelled and redeveloped early year 2000.
The steam boilers installed were by Watts and Boulton and there were several other early steam engines installed for their Masticating Operation.
There was something very Charles Dickens about the whole site including great expectations and bleak house.
Chas. Macintosh was a member of the Royal Society of Arts in London, and he and both Thomas and Walter Hancock would often attend the lectures there. They also attended lectures at the Royal Institution given by Sir Humphry Davy and Michael Faraday.
Because of a close association with Sir Michael Faraday regarding his experiments with electricity, the brothers Hancock - Thomas, Walter, and Charles, a third - developed and patented a steam driven machine to wrap copper wire with rubber. A pioneering telegraph cable insulated in this way was the first to be laid beneath the Channel between England and France. Soon a patented procedure had gutta percha added by Chas. Hancock which allowed the transatlantic cable to be laid by The Great Eastern. This accomplishment along with the first reliable self-propelled steam omnibus of 1834 must have been as great a leap forward as the Internet and Transistor in its time.
John Loadman and the PHS has researched the original home of Thomas Hancock and the laboratory he set up to experiment with early rubber eventuating in his discovery of vulcanisation and naming of the process. Unfortunately the home in Stoke Newington was destroyed by a V2 rocket in 1945. The Society did raise a blue plaque at the present building on the site. John also located the Hancock Family Bible and graciously gave it to my Cousin Frank James for the family archives.
I hope one day the BBC decides to fund a docudrama of steam, rubber, Macintosh and Hancock because the story has much of what the 19th Century and the Victorians were all about: and it is a genuine British story.
Kindest Regards,
David E
Hi David
Well, all very interesting stuff, much of it altogether new to me!
About the macintosh material though, are you drawing on sources other than the Personal Narrative? Hazel is very anxious to chase out all the primary texts on these vital issues!!
Many thanks for your trouble, much appreciated.
With very best wishes
Lorraine
