William Dickinson I

It is not clear how significant was the Dickinson family involvement in the share capital between 1747 and 1787, or whether the family subscribed new capital or bought existing shares. Caleb Dickinson had bought an unknown number of shares in 1747, selling 5 in 1759 and buying two each in 1771 for his son William I and brother Vickris. In 1779 there were 790 dividend paying shares outstanding. However, Ezekiel, William I and Barnard Dickinson were all on the London Committee of the firm in 1779, 3 of the 7 members: the Harfords at that time had 5 of the 9 members of the Bristol Committee]

Brenda J .Buchanan, 'Capital Investment in a Regional Economy: some aspects of the sources and employment of capital in North Somerset, 1750-1830' (unpublished PhD thesis, University of London, 1992) pp. 294-299, 301 and fn. 55 p. 321 [which gives 1799 as the date of the Committee membership, which must be an error for 1779 given the immediate context and Ezekiel's death in 1788].

1. In late 1786 or early 1787 the firm was reconstituted as Harfords and Bristol Brass and Copper Company, dominated by the Harfords, and the Dickinsons and probably other shareholders were bought out.

2. The surviving partners of 'Mark Harford and Brass Wire Co.' in 1805 were listed [in 1872] as John Fisher Weare, Edward Harford, Joseph Harford, William Battersley, John Scandrett Harford, Thomas Walker and Abraham Ludlow.

3. Withdrawal of Sir Richard Vaughan from his partnership with Samuel Lloyd Harford, P.J.Miles, John Scandrett Harford, Charles Ludlow Walker, William Miles, William Henry Harford, and Thomas Kington in the trades or business of Brass and Brass-battery, and Wiremakers, and Manufacturers, Spelter-makers and Copper manufacturers at Bristol under Harfords and Bristol Brass and Copper Company 28/11/1828  

1. http://www.brassmill.com/saltford_brass_mill_015.htm [accessed 10/01/2016].

2. London Gazette 23886 13/08/1872 p. 3678.

3. London Gazette 18539 9/1/1829 p. 52