Robinson Thwaites (1807-22 October 1884) was a nineteenth century mechanical engineer and mill-owner in Bradford, Yorkshire. His father, Thomas Thwaites, was a master plumber. Robinson trained as a plumber to follow in his father's business and started to practice as a plumber.[1]
But instead, by 1848 he founded the Vulcan Iron Works at Bradford, as shown in an 1858 lithograph in the Illustrated Commerce Guide[2]. His firm, Robinson Thwaites and Co, later (1862) Thwaites and Carbutt, and (in 1880) Thwaites Brothers, acquired a high reputation for its machinery used in the production and manufacture of iron and Bessemer process steel.[3]
For example, in 1877 Thwaites and Carbutt supplied a rolling mill engine for the Eston Ironworks of Bolckow, Vaughan and Co. It had a 36 inch (91.44 cm) bore, and a 54 inch (137.16 cm) stroke.[4]
The pioneering engineering work of Thwaites and his partners is evident from the numerous patents they took out. One was for improvements to steam hammers.[5][6]
Another, taken out by Robinson's son William Henry Thwaites with help from Edward Carbutt was for mine ventilation equipment.[7]
Thwaites' work as a mechanical engineer was continued by three of his sons, Thomas Hirst Thwaites, Arthur Hirst Thwaites, and Edward Hirst Thwaites, all of whom became engineers in the firm. A fourth son who also worked at the Vulcan Iron Works, William Henry Thwaites, died aged 32. His eldest daughter, Mary Elizabeth Thwaites, married the Chief Clerk to Bow Street Magistrates' Court, John Alexander (chief clerk).
The company grew from a firm of "3 seniors, 50 men and 6 boys" in 1851 to "130 men and 13 boys" by 1871.[8] The company continued in production until at least 1914.[9]