Old Coventry firms

I worked at Unbrako on Burnaby Road between 1968 to 1977 in the computer department. It was a part of SPS in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. One thing I recall is printing invoices for 6 screws, or some such small quantity, for orders from companies as far afield as Hong Kong.

We were taken on an apprentice visit (must have been 67,68 or 69), because Unbrako was one of the biggest users of Wickman multi spindle automatics at the time. The first thing you noticed was the noise the machines made, no health & safety regarding ear protection then !!! They were producing 1000's of "cap head" screws of various thread sizes per hour, this included drifting the hexagon for the allen key.

Hi mcsporran, no such thing as a minimum charge in those days? I remember when I first got into sub-contracting, you could go to Cromwell Tools and buy them singularly. A 200 off box full was offered at huge discount.

Hi, Mick. I thought you, as a walker, and some other like minded Forumites might be interested in something I read today in a book called American Ramble by Neil King JR. The author had just gone through 2 bouts of cancer and when he was finally given a clean sheet, he decide to walk from his home in Washington DC to Central Park in NYC. He made a list of places, mostly historical, he wanted to stop by as he walked the backroads through small towns and farm country. Passing by Valley Forge he was encouraged by a local to visit Coventryville. Almost fell out of my chair here. A Quaker named Samuel Nutt arrived here from Coventry in 1717 who saw opportunity to turn the abundant ore within the hill into iron which he did with a series of forges along French Creek. The Nutt empire expanded and after his death, his wife Anna Rutter Nutt built the famous Warwick Furnace close by. Ironically, the cannon balls forged there were used to kill the British troops during the Revolutionary War. Now that's an unexpected old Coventry business. OK, Ann and Helen - do you have anything on Samuel Nutt or Anna Rutter Nutt?

Hi Linda. Other than what can be Googled. Searching for people before the 1800s get's very hard. There are Nutts referenced at the Herbert but it's not obvious if there was any specific connection. There is this - I've no idea what MM of Coventry was.

MM, possibly Master Mason? and a bit more info here https://www.chesco.org/4708/Warwick-Heritage

Also found this. - "Know all men that I Mordecai Lincoln of Coventry in the County of Chester, for and in consideration of the sum of l500 etc., do forever quitclaim to William Branson, merchant of Philadelphia, his heirs and assigns, one full and undivided third part of the one hundred and six acres of land, according to articles of agreement made between Samuel Nutt of the one part and the said Mordecai Lincoln of the other part, together with all singular the Mynes and Minerals, Forges, Buildings, Houses, Lands and Improvements whatsoever thereunto belonging. Dated 14 December, 1725. There were several members of the Nutt family who married into the Branson family and I've been trying to determine if they were related to Samuel Nutt who was in business with William Branson of Chester, PA. I also found a Sarah Branson of Suffolk, England who married Miles Nutt on July 16, 1623 in Barking, Suffolk, England. She may be related to the Branston family of Suffolk, England discussed below. If Miles Nutt was related to Samuel Nutt, this may be a clue linking the Branstons of Suffolk, England with the Bransons of Chester, PA. According to the information below, Samuel Nutt, (Quaker and founder of the Coventry Ironworks) of PA was from Warwickshire, England. http://www.pa-roots.com/~chester/coventry%20twp.htm The original twp of Coventry doubtless received its name from Samuel Nutt, an early settler, who came from Coventry in Warwickshire, England. The first settlers here were assessed in 1718 as the "highest district from Skoolkill to Brandiwine." In 1720 there was an attempt to divide the district between Coventry and Nantmeal, and the district called "Scoolkil" was taxed alone in 1722. In 1841 the township was divided into North Coventry and South Coventry, an din 1844 East Coventry was formed by a division of North Coventry. In the latter year the line between South Coventry and East Vincent was established.

Ah, thanks for that Heathite. I was trying to link it to the foundry business, not the Freemasons. What is the degree of a Master Mason? Some of these masonic bodies use numbers as an informal way of referring to or identifying the degrees they confer, but the most important and therefore "highest" degree is always the third, or Degree of Master Mason.

There was a few about at that time. Cut from the same article. The Original MMs in 1668 were Leicester, Braunston (later Oakham), and Swannington. About 1690 Hinkley was detatched from Leicester and Dalby from Oakham. Subsequent unions formed Leicester & Hinkley MM (1761) and Hinkley, Leicester & Oakham MM (1790); it was renamed Leicester MM in 1817. Swannington was united to Dalby 1762 as Dalby & Donnington MM, which was disolved in 1790 at the same time as Leicestershire QM, and its constituent PMs added to Nottingham MM in Derby and Nottinghamshire QM.

Thanks Mick. Looking up Dalby & Donnington MM, the MM meant monthly meeting re Quakers. So a certificate from MM of Coventry would have been proof of being a good Quaker? QM was quarterly meeting and PM was a preparative (local) meeting.

WOW! I knew you'd be good but you all- as they say here- are great. I think the Delaware River, where the first forges were built, flows into the Schulykill River that ends up in Pittsburgh, sounds like the area noted in your post. Interesting that a Quaker was involved in making cannonballs.

There is an article in a 1997 CET saying that Nutt's ironworks played a crucial roll in George Washington's struggle to free the American colonies from the yoke of British rule. Many of the workers had Coventry roots and were led by the family of the Coventrian who had established the foundry many years before. Nutt had called the town Coventryville and many of the buildings were reminiscent of his home town. The church was named St Marys after St Mary's Hall With advancing British troops the workers shut down the factory and doused the fires. They then buried the newly made guns. The Cannons were never discovered and eventually the British suffered defeat.