The Tattenhall Local History Website has some interesting notes on the W R Smith Bone Works.

http://www.tattenhallhistory.co.uk/

‘W R Smith & Sons’ was an animal product manufacturer based at the Tattenhall Road, Newton. By 1850 the improved transport facilities saw the development of a thriving industrial centre adjacent to the Shropshire Union canal and railway at Tattenhall Road Station.The location was ideal for dealing with the requirements and distribution related to the business.
A slaughterhouse was established in 1857 and the premises became known as the Tattenhall Road Boneworks.

Combining a slaughterhouse with a new and extensive building programme, including a ‘landmark’ chimney of over 100ft in height, the Tattenhall Road Boneworks became a significant employer on the outskirts of the village until its decline in the 1950s. Regrettably very few of the original buildings remain
Animal bones, hooves, horns and other raw materials were delivered by rail and were processed into glues, gelatine, fats and bone meal fertiliser by a workforce of some eighty employees. The products were then transported on the canal network to the various clients of the company.

W R Smith alsobecame renowned in the locality for his ‘AnnualCompetition and Exhibition of Swedes and Mangels’ which was open to clients and whichwas held on 1 Novemberevery year.Mangels, in particular,were a staple animalfeed for dairy cattle, with Mangel roots growing up to 2 feet long.

The prizes awardedby the company weresubstantial at the time. In 1899 a prize of £50 for ‘Swedes’ was awarded to Mr Thomas Shepherd from Burton, Rossett. In fact, Mr Shepherdbecame unstoppable, gaining success in1901 when he was awarded £25 for his success in the Mangel root competition and again in 1902 when he scooped another £50, winning prizes in both categories. This was obviously a serious competition with entries from near and far and by 1910, at least, 2 Silver Cups were awarded to the categorywinners of ‘Heaviest Swedes and Mangels from North of Shrewsbury’ and ‘Heaviest Swedes and Mangels from South of Shrewsbury’, a combined weight of over 180lbs being the requirement.

A series of certificates and photographs have survived covering the years 1899, 1901, 1902, 1906 and 1910. These artefacts were salvaged from a skip during the demolition of sections of the Boneworks and provide a unique snapshot of times past.


The Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation - 1965 – Obituary - Samuel Gordon Smith, FLS, who died on 7th February, 1965, at the age of eighty, was Chairman of W R Smith & Sons, Ltd, Tattenhall Bone Works, near Chester, and resided at Estyn, Boughton, Chester.

W.R.SMITH & SONS LIMITED

Company Number 00191785

Incorporation Date - 7 August 1923

Company Type - Private Limited Company

Registered Address - Wheelock, 21 Bridge Drive, Christleton, Chester, CH3 6AW

Directors/ Officers - inactive Annie Gertrude Jones, secretary, 26 Sep 1992 - inactive Leslie Norman Basil Jones, director, 16 Sep 1993.

Recent filings -

11 Mar 1996 – dissolved.

11 Dec 1995 – return of final meeting received (members).

30 Mar 1995 – appointment of liquidator voluntary winding up.

1901/11 Census

William Jones (1864-) Hotel Keeper & Coal Merchant. Aldersey Arms Hotel, Newton by Tattenhall.

Married Charlotte (1861-) born in Bwlchy Coban, Montgomeryshire.

Son William Edward (1888-) dentist

Son Leslie Norman (1892-) cricketer

Son Harry Reynolds (1899-) in business

Glazed Stoneware Bottle …

The former ‘Aldersey Arms Hotel’is alarge red-brick building located on Tattenhall Road. It lies almost adjacent to thelocal canal and formerrail infrastructure.William Jones was, amongst other things, a ‘Coal, Coke, Lime and Salt Merchant’, his premises being located atthe Wharfage area adjacent to the old Tattenhall Road Railway Station. The dimensions of the above glazed stoneware bottle are: 25.5cms (height) and 14.5cms (diameter). On the final day of trading, thisglazed stonewarebottle was given to the Bigland Family by ‘Michael Jones’ – particular thanks to the Bigland Family for allowing the reproduction of this image on the Website.