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In 1780, James Keir, a
leading chemist and chemical manufacturer
founded James Keir & Company at Bloomfield. The
firm manufactured alkali, soap, and lead
compounds for the Stourbridge glass industry.
One of James’s inventions was a gold coloured
metal, a compound of copper, zinc and iron, used
for metal window sashes, some of which were
installed in Windsor Castle. Factory Road was
originally called Soap Factory Road after the
business.
James Keir was born in
Stirlingshire, Scotland, in 1735 and attended
the Royal High School, Edinburgh. He then
studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh,
where he met and formed a lasting friendship
with Erasmus Darwin. Keir joined the army at the
age of 22 and took a commission with the 61st
Regiment. He was stationed in the West Indies
during the Seven Years' War and rose to the rank of
Lieutenant on the 31st March, 1759. He became
Captain on the 23rd June, 1766. Two years later he
resigned from the army and soon settled at Hill
Top, West Bromwich where he devoted himself to
chemistry and geology.
Around 1771 he married
Susanna Harvey, of Birmingham and in 1772, with
two partners, he leased an old glassworks called
Holloway End Glasshouse at Amblecote and became
friends with one of their customers, Matthew Boulton, to whom they supplied window glass,
decanters, wineglasses and chemical wares. In
1778 he left the glassworks and took charge of
Boulton and Watt’s Soho factory while the two
were away. He was offered a partnership in the
business but thought it was too risky. In 1779
Kier took out a patent for his alloy of copper,
zinc, and iron, which could be forged hot or
cold, and in 1780 he established the soap
factory at Tipton with Alexander Blair, on the
former site of Bloomsmithy Mill. Also in 1780 he
began to collaborate with Joseph Priestley
during his time at Birmingham.
James Keir was a member of
the Lunar Society and a Fellow of the Royal
Society. In about 1790 he moved to Finchpath
Hall, Hill Top, opposite Hawkes Lane. The house
was later divided into two, called The Poplars
and The Woodlands, which have now been replaced
by a row of shops.
Keir was also head of the
firm of Kier, Blair, and Playfair, who purchased
Tividale Colliery in 1794. The colliery supplied
coal to the soap works and also geological
specimens for Keir to study.
He was elected a fellow of
the Royal Society on the 8th December, 1785. James and
Susanna Keir had two children, a son, Francis
who died in infancy and a daughter Amelia.
Susanna died suddenly at the age of 55 on the 20th
November, 1802 and is buried at West Bromwich
church. After her death, James Keir wore her
wedding ring suspended from his neck for the
rest of his life.
The Soap Works at Tipton
were known as "The Factory" and were later
acquired by the Stevenson family. The business
thrived and was greatly helped by the cheap and
convenient transport offered by the local canal.
The firm’s soap was transported to Hull,
Liverpool, Bristol, and London etc. The
ingredients included alkalis that were produced
in the factory using many imported materials.
Another product was white
lead, manufactured by a process invented by
James Keir. It was mainly used by potters for
glazing their wares. Red lead was also produced,
mainly for the manufacture of flint glass, which
was carried out in Dudley, Stourbridge, and
Birmingham.
Decorative metal sashes for
windows were also produced, which were
both light and strong. They were either made of
James Keir’s gold-coloured metal or wrought iron
and were painted or japanned. The gold-coloured
metal, which could be forged or shaped in a
rolling mill, was used in many famous buildings
including Windsor Castle and Carleton House.
On 19th December, 1807 there was a fire at
Keir’s house at Hill Top. He was away at the
time but luckily most of his books and papers
were saved. James Keir died peacefully in his
sleep on the 11th October, 1820 at the age of
85, after a long period of illness. He is buried
at All Saints Church, West Bromwich.
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