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Private company

Harrison Ainslie

British firm of ironmasters and iron ore merchants

The firm of Harrison Ainslie & Co. was a British firm of ironmasters and iron ore merchants, selling high quality haematite from their mines on Lindal Moor to smelters in Glasgow, Scotland, South Wales and the Midlands. From a 21st-century perspective, they are more interesting as the last operators of charcoal-fired blast furnaces in Great Britain. Their furnaces were stone-built, water-powered, and much smaller than the coke-fired furnaces of the same era.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

  • Industrymining1

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The firm of Harrison Ainslie & Co. was a British firm of ironmasters and iron ore merchants, selling high quality haematite from their mines on Lindal Moor to smelters in Glasgow, Scotland, South Wales and the Midlands. From a 21st-century perspective, they are more interesting as the last operators of charcoal-fired blast furnaces in Great Britain. Their furnaces were stone-built, water-powered, and much smaller than the coke-fired furnaces of the same era.2

The story

The nature of the Furness iron industry changed dramatically in 1850 when Schneider & Davis discovered the large deposits of ore at Park. Henry Schneider turned his mind to building blast furnaces and CS Kennedy saw the prospects of the adjoining Roanhead royalty. The ore at Park and Roanhead occurred in large three-dimensional bodies (sops is the usual term). At Lindal Moor, the ore was in veins, flats and small pockets, much more expensive to work.

The first two furnaces at Barrow ironworks were blown in during 1859. In spite of an ever-increasing demand for phosphorus-free haematite for the Bessemer process, exports of Furness ore ceased about 1870. Harrison Ainslie's ships found other work and the railway took the ore to Hindpool.

The North Lonsdale Ironworks Company was established in 1873 with William George Ainslie as chairman and Myles Kennedy as vice chairman. With the Ainslie capital invested in a new, modern ironworks and a partner who owned fresh, efficient mines, the prospects for Harrison Ainslie & Co were now bleak.

From Wikipedia’s article on Harrison Ainslie, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.3

Products and brands

  • hematite

Listed on Wikidata.1

Sources

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