Frome: Singer’s Castings
Abstract
In 1848, John Webb Singer, then aged 30, was a clockmaker with an established business in Eagle Lane, a tiny back street near the town’s centre. History of John Webb Singer and Sons' factory in Frome Town, Somerset, England, UK
Contents Updated: Thursday, 26 October 2006
Singers: A Force in Frome for 150 Years
The late John Frapwell looked back on the history of J W Singer & Sons whose factory was for many years in the centre of Frome.
The history of Singers spans one and a half centuries! In 1848, John Webb Singer, then aged 30, was a clockmaker with an established business in Eagle Lane, a tiny back street near the town’s centre which was chosen as a location for filming the television £3 million period piece, Drover’s Gold. Besides making clocks for the home, including grandfathers, he also had a good reputation as a clock repairer and maintained the local church turret clocks. A dedicated churchgoer himself, John Webb made a pair of candlesticks for St John’s Church in the town. They were so admired that soon there was a damand for more ornamental work.
Decorative work for churches such as alter crosses, chancel screens and gates, light pendants and lecterns were all produced. Singer moved to the present Cork Street site, his sons Herbert and Edgar joined him and they expanded to undertake life-size statues. The workforce grew, Singer even imported foreign skilled craftsmen to work for him and the firm became one of the town’s largest employers.
John Webb Singer was instrumental in founding the old School of Art and Science in Park Road—a splendid old building used until about ten years ago and sadly demolished last year. Singer died in 1904 aged 86. By then statue work from Singer’s factory had a world wide market. During the 1914-18 war the factory became a munitions works and, like many companies then, had to employ women thus leading to the subsequent emancipation of women. When peace returned, the company worked on war memorials and continued to develop the manufacture of hot brass pressings—a process started during the war years.
The Depression saw the demise of the art metal side of the business. In 1926/27 the company disposed of its ornamental metalwork and bronze statuary interests to the Morris Singer comapny in London. In September 1948 the company held a dinner at the Frome Drill Hall to celebrate its hundredth year of existence. Singers had gradually become a world leader in brass pressing production until the late 80s when, by then part of the giant Delta Metal Group of companies, in a rationalisation scheme, the presses were moved to more modern sites in Birmingham.
Ever keen on new processes, the early 60s saw pioneering work in the field of pressure diecasting. Again Singers reached a world market and it was with a high standard of quality work in diecastings that Singers survived the recession during the 1980s. In fact a number of staff and workforce redundancies were necessary before renewed prosperity and optimism returned to the company during the past decade.
Leading the 150 workforce is Richard Dredge. He has spent over thirty years with the company, rising through the ranks from a young apprentice to becoming managing director.
Many homes will have examples of work mass-produced by Singers in more modern times. Here are some examples of where their early art statue work can be seen, all produced in Frome; the bronze statue of Boadicea on Westminster bridge, the Victoria and Albert memorial facing Buckingham Palace, the General Gordon Monument in Khartoum, the chancel screen in Westminster Cathedral, the Cecil Rhodes Memorial in the Motoppia Hills above Capetown, Central Hall Westminster, the equestrian statue of King Edward VII in London, the bronze interior fittings of the Johannesburg Town Hall, the lead dragon in Cardiff Town Hall, and fittings in Manchester, and war memorials in Shanghai, Edinburgh and London—to name but a few.
Used with permission. Story and Photographs © John Frapwell. John Frapwell (01373 464116) is Frome’s press and commercial photographer and occasional reporter. This piece appeared in the Fosse Way Magazine (01963 365100), a free sheet covering Somerset and Dorset, 8 May 1998. Additional photographs from Derek Gill’s “Frome in Old hotographs” published by Alan Sutton Publishing Ltd.
On Tuesday 15 September 1998 the 180 employees at Singers’ were told that the company was in negotiations to sell off some of its interests. Efficiencies had meant that a good proportion of the site had been underused. Talks continued with Mendip District Council about relocating to a new site in Frome. Meanwhile the company announced its plan to build 35 houses on its town centre site. Any foundry in use for a long time will contaminate its site with heavy metal residues and this is true of Singers. Arsenic, cadmium and lead are among the pollutants present. The problem of the pollutants has to be addressed before the site can be used for housing. The site is currently designated for industrial use. Mendip Council however are looking for “brownfield” sites for development. This site is near the river Frome, the town centre and nearby wooded areas making it attractive for mixed development aimed at enhancing the town centre.
The development went ahead, and a much smaller Singers moved to an industrial estate at the edge of Frome. Frome lost the chance of having a picturesque town centre with river walks, shops and cafes.
