From Georgian traders to Victorian glass makers: The evolution of the Chance family business and its role in developing glass manufacturing

Abstract

The firm of Chance Brothers became the major British manufacturer of optical and lighthouse glass during the second half of the nineteenth century. But this specialised business grew out of a number of precursor partnerships and companies in the West Midlands and Bristol regions dating back into the eighteenth century which among, other items, manufactured window glass. In a number of instances, for example by employing French workers to transfer Continental techniques to England, these earlier businesses foreshadowed later practices of their successor. This paper examines the development of these family-based businesses until the mid-nineteenth century. It argues that their innovatory technical, engineering and manufacturing practices were shaped by many social and cultural influences. In this case of Chance, these included: intra-family relationships; educational provision; the supply of capital, where connections with the slave trade were significant; and a profound understanding of how to use the tax system for maximising profit. What is striking compared to the contemporary Midland businesses of the Wedgwoods or of Boulton and Watt, is the lack of interest by the Chance family until mid-century in using scientific knowledge and method.