George Wright Binks

George was born April 20, 1793 in Woolwich and christened at Saint Mary Magdalene, Woolwich on May 19, 1793.

The 'Wright' middle name is undoubtedly his mother, Sarah's, maiden name.

George married Mary Rose (born 1794-1795 in Shoreham, Kent) at East Wickham, Kent on April 3, 1815 and they had at least 8 children.

In the 1861 census, George & Mary were living at 17 West Ferry Road, Poplar next door to his sons, Joseph Rose Binks at No. 18 and William at No. 19.

George was a manufacturer of Wire-Rope, and if the inscription on his gravestone is to be believed, may have even invented it. He was undoubtedly a pioneer in regard to it's early manufacture. The original photograph from which the picture of George (above) was produced has a hand written note on the reverse which reads "George Wright Binks who made the first piece of wire rope at Great Grimsby".

 

The inscription reads:

Sacred to the memory of GEORGE WRIGHT BINKS - Inventor of wire ropes - who died May 24th 1872 aged 79 years. The Memory of the just is Blessed.

Also of MARY BINKS, widow of the above, who peacefully fell asleep in Jesus - October 12th 1873 in her 78th year.

Also of Ada Mary Graham Grand daughter of the above who died February 20th 1875 aged 18 years and 3 months.
Deeply beloved by all who knew her.

She is safe in her father's house above, in the place prepared by her saviours love.
She is gone from a world of sin and Strife and is reaping the joys of a happier life.

The family Vault of George Wright and Mary Binks of Millwall Poplar.

Grave 233377 The third 3 is a little hard to read and may be a 5.
Plot 101, City Of London Cemetery

My sincere thanks to Doris Harrison for supplying the photograph of George Wright Binks, and after visiting the cemetery, transcribing the inscription on the gravestone.

George and his wife, Mary, died in Poplar, London.








Binks Wire Rope Manufacturing
A History

early 1830s George Wright Binks was a foreman Ropemaker at Woolwich Dockyard. (a)
1834 G. W. Binks' first experiments in the use of soft iron wire instead of hemp. (a)
Mid 1830s Wire Rope first used by fishermen in Clinthorpe, in Lincolnshire (b)
the first ship fitted out to test the strength and working of wire rope was the vessel 'the Marshall of Grimsby'. (b)
George Wright Binks convinced the Royal Navy to replace hemp rope on its fleet of ships with wire rope. (c)
Late 1830s G. W. Binks's work was connected with some of the pioneering wire-rope manufacture carried out by Andrew Smith & Company in Millwall. (a)
Abt 1853 G. W. Binks went into partnership with James Stephenson in Millwall to make wire-rope. (a)
July 31, 1858

We learn from a foreign exchange that a series of experiments were recently made at the Woolwich dockyard, England, to test the comparative strength of wire ropes manufactured by Messrs. Binks & Stephenson, under a new patent, and those made under an old one. The new ropes were made of the patent wire invented and manufactured by Webster & Horsfall, Birmingham, which is unquestionably the most remarkable yet produced, the weight which a very small sized coil will bear is almost incredible. The breaking strain, under the old patent and under the new, may be best judged by the comparison made. Thus, an inch and a quarter rope, made under the old patent, broke under a weight of 2 tons 5cwt, while under the new, to break the same thickness, it required no less than 4 tons 19 cwt. A weight of 4 tons 6 cwt broke a rope of two inches diameter, made under the old patent, while it required 9 tons 10 cwt. to break one of the same size under the new patent. The British Board of Admiralty have the matter under consideration, with a view to its application to the rigging of the ships of the Royal Navy. It may not be generally known, but it is none the less a fact, that a portion of several miles' length of the Atlantic cable (where it is supposed the greatest strain will be exerted) is made of this very wire of Webster & Horsfall. The wonderful superiority in point of tenacity of this patent iron wire may be judged from the fact that a single strand of No. 9 (about the thickness of about one eighth of an inch) will bear 3,390 pounds before snapping, whilst the same sized strand, made of the "best charcoal iron" snaps at 1,250 pounds weight.

We understand that there is an agent of Messrs. Webster & Horsfall in New York, who is about making an arrangement for the introduction of the wire rope of these manufacturers into this country. (Scientific American, 31.07.1858)

Source: http://geocities.com/threesixesinarow/webster.htm

Abt 1860 The Binks & Stephenson partnership broke up. James Stephenson went on to make wire-rope and submarine cable at Joad & Curling's old premises on the north side of Cuba Street. (a)
October 21, 1862

Daily News , (Kingston ), Oct. 21, 1862

ROUND WIRE ROPE
For Ship's Standing Rigging, Jib Stays, etc.

The subscriber informs the owners and masters of vessels, that he has been appointed by Binks & Brothers, of London, makers to the Admiralty, their agent for Western Canada for the sale of their Patent Wire Rope. This rope costs one quarter less than hemp rope, is more durable, is always taut, and is much neater than the old style. The barque British Lion is fitted up with wire rope furnished by these manufacturers.

The following are the circumferences of rope manufactured by Binks & Brothers:- 1 1/2, 1 3/4, 2, 2 1/4, 2 1/2, 2 3/4, 3, 3 1/4, 3 1/2, 3 3/4, 4, 4 1/4, 4 1/2, 4 3/4, and 5 inches.

Price Lists and all further information can be obtained on applications to
R. Gaskin, Agent for Western Canada. Kingston, Oct. 20th

Abt 1863 The firm of Binks Brothers moved to Strafford Street. (a)
September 5, 1908

The company named Binks Brothers Limited was formed to acquire and take over the business carried out by Jabez Binks, Arthur William Binks & Thomas William Graham at Strafford Street, Millwall, East London.

 

The above were named as the Directors. (d)

1908 The Company Secretary was Henry George Raffan (d)
1912 Edith Pollie Binks* was made a Director in place of Jabez Binks who had died. (d)

*Polly Edith Binks (Daughter of Jabez Binks)
Probably 1912

Robert Raffan, a foreman at the works, who lived at 105 Denmark Street, Plaistow was made a Director as was Henry George Raffan, Company Secretary, living at 31 Wallwood Street, Burdett Road. On the Company documents Robert and Henry were noted as Ordinary New Directors. (d)

December 18, 1943

Robert Raffan died. Henry George Raffan’s address was 71 Sandringham Road, New Barking. Arthur William Binks and Henry George Raffan were also Directors of Hawkins(?) Binks Limited. (d)

March 20, 1954 an Extraordinary General Meeting was held at Great Tree, Chagford, Devon to agree a Special Resolution.
July 28, 1954 An EGM was held at 14 Strafford Street, Millwall. The documents were signed by R.H.Raffan, Chairman and Director and R.D.Fraser Secretary.
1964 The Greater London Council (GLC) issued an order for compulsory purchase of the works. (a)
1970 The works finally closed in 1970, Binks Brothers Ltd being taken over by British Ropes Ltd, which moved the business to Charlton. (a)

Wire and Fibre Ropes -
A report on the supply and exports of wire rope, fibre rope and cordage
Presented to Parliament in pursuance of Section 9 of the Monopolies and Restrictive Practices
(Inquiry and Control) Act 1948 - Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 20th November 1973

Chapter 3 (page 16)

.........British Ropes Limited was formed in 1924 by a merger of 8 companies of
which 7 were manufacturers of wire rope and one a manufacturer of binder
twine. In 1925-26 9 more wire rope manufacturers, 4 specialist wire drawers and
4 fibre rope manufacturers entered the group. The group acquired further
interests in soft fibre cordage and related products in the 1930's. Over the years
a number of factories were closed and a considerable amount of re-organisation
effected with the result that by the end of 1945 the group had 7 wire rope
factories and 4 fibre rope factories of which one produced substantial quantities
of soft as well as hard fibre cordage.

In 1948 the Bristol Wire Rope Company Limited and in 1954 Wm Cooke &
Company Limited, both manufacturers of wire ropes became subsidiaries of
British Ropes (it had an interest in BWR since 1925 and in Cooke since 1948).
From 1959 onwards the company's most important acquisitions in the United
Kingdom were the following:

Date of Acquisition

Company

1959

R Hood Haggie & Son Ltd

1962

D Morgan Rees & Sons Ltd

George Elliott & Co Ltd

1963

Newburn Cordage Ltd

1963

Garnock Bibby & Co Ltd

1963

Wrights Ropes Ltd

1967

The London Spinning Co Ltd

1967

Webster & Co Ltd

1968

Healey Brothers Ltd

1970

Binks Brothers Ltd

1971

The Gourock Ropework Co Ltd

May 29, 1970 Miss K.S. Raffan and Mr. R.H. Raffan resigned as Directors. (d)
April 12, 1973 EGM documents were signed by P.C.Ambrose Secretary. (d)
May ?, 1975 The Annual Return of Binks Brothers was presented by Bridon Limited of Doncaster (a company within British Ropes and now all part of FKI plc). Noted on the return was an agreement by Bridon to acquire the share capital of Binks Brothers. (d)

The shareholders were

 

D.L.Raffan, Bridge End,81 The Ridgeway, Westcliffe On Sea 

S.R.Raffan, 13 Cliff Parade, Leigh On Sea. 

S.R.& D.L Raffan, as above. 

Personal Representative of H.A. Brown deceased 

Personal Representative of A.M. Brown deceased 

A.M. Blamires, Leeds 

D.E.S Meek, New Zealand 

R.H.Raffan, 18 Stonehall Avenue, Ilford. 

K.S.Raffan as above 

E. Raffan as above 

R.D. Fraser, 7 Woodstock Road, Croydon.

Bridon Limited

 

The company had not traded during 1977. ??????

 

At winding up the Registered Office was Warmsworth Hall, Doncaster.

 


Sources
a)

The origins of Binks's wire-rope and galvanizing works went back to the mid-1830s, when George Wright Binks was a foreman ropemaker at Woolwich Dockyard, experimenting in the use of soft iron wire instead of hemp. Binks's work was connected with some of the pioneering wire-rope manufacture carried out by Andrew Smith & Company in Millwall from the late 1830s, and in about 1853 Binks went into partnership with James Stephenson in Millwall to make wire-rope. The partnership broke up around 1860, Stephenson going on to make wire-rope and submarine cable at Joad & Curling's old premises on the north side of Cuba Street. The firm of Binks Brothers moved to Strafford Street in about 1863. In 1964 the Greater London Council (GLC) issued an order for compulsory purchase of the works, which finally closed in 1970, Binks Brothers Ltd being taken over by British Ropes Ltd, which moved the business to Charlton. (ref. 111)

From: 'Northern Millwall: The Byng and Mellish estates', Survey of London: volumes 43 and 44: Poplar, Blackwall and Isle of Dogs (1994), pp. 418-423.
www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=46513

b)

Daily News , (Kingston ), Feb. 20, 1868

p.2 Wire Rigging - A writer in the English Mechanic establishes a point which had been questioned, namely that Mr. George Binks, of the firm of Binks, Brothers, Milwall, was the first to introduce the manufacture of wire rope. The first experiments were made in 1834. The first persons in England who used the wire rope were the fishermen of Clinthorpe, in Lincolnshire; and the first ship fitted out to test the strength and working of wire rope was a vessel called the Marshall of Grimsby. The wire rigging of this firm is now extensively used on the lakes, it having been introduced by Capt. Gaskin, of Kingston; and these facts may possibly interest those who have begun to use the new material.

A Voluntary Navy - letter to editor signed "An Old Mizzen-top-man"

 

Source: Halton Hills Public Library http://www.hhpl.on.ca

c)

"...The first commercial success of wire rope was in England when, in 1830, George Binks convinced the Royal Navy to replace hemp rope on its fleet of ships with wire rope. Binks was joined shortly after by Andrew Smith, a Scot, who held patents on several improved varieties of wire rope..."

Source: www.cablecarmuseum.org/the-cables.html

Note: the date of 1830 is unlikely and contradicts other sources.

d) Notes made from fiches relating to Binks Brothers Ltd obtained from Company House in Cardiff. Courtesy of Robert Raffan.