Friday 8 January 2016

Down in Deptford remembering J Stone and Co ............ another story from Barny

Does anyone remember (or used to work for J Stone and Co Engineering in ​Arklow Road, Deptford?

From 1881 to 1969 the industrial estate was Stone’s engineering works. J. Stone & Co had been founded by Josiah Stone in a workshop in Deptford in 1831, moving in 1842 to railway arches where he made hand pumps and manual fire engines.

The firm moved to Arklow Road in 1881 to make propellers, watertight ships doors, steam pumps, electric lighting systems for railways axle-driven lighting system, and later air conditioning for trains and other engineering products.

There was a Fastener Division, a Boiler Division, a Rail Division, and a Laundry Division. The propeller foundry moved to Charlton in 1916 where it remains.

In 1950 the Deptford works made rail and road transport products, nails, rivets and washers. In 1959 the firm became Stone Platt Industries, and in 1963 Stone Manganese Marine. The Deptford factory closed in 1969.

Stone's Office block. A classical building of 1916, with an extra floor added in 1928






Picture; inscribed name plate, and trade page courtesy of Grace's Guide to Britsh Industrial History, http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/

9 comments:

  1. My Dad Robert Vandyke worked there from 1930s to 1968 when they moved to Charlton

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    1. I own a letter opener with the name j. Sone deptford on it. It was my fathers who died in 1993 at 86. He was a member of kent caravan club where i think the connection is

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  2. https://www.ebay.de/itm/283770465357

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  3. Mum & Dad also worked there from post war. Dad went with them to Charlton until retired in 1974. Mum moved elsewhere. A good firm right through their name changes. They had a 25 year association. Mum had retirement pension and in the late 1980's they bought for her a top notch mobile chair/scooter. Sadly it could not be used as we had no room to construct a legal standard runway from house to paving, so it went back.. She lived until aged 99 ans 8 months. Brother and I as kids used to hang out opposite the main gate, to the side of which was Mum's Adrema machine office and we'd wait until she came to the window, followed by several of her ladies to wave. It was so different then.

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  4. My dad must have had a connection. He died at 86 in 1993. I have a letter opener with J. Stone deptford on side. Must have contact.
    Dave
    X6TORNADO@GOOGLEMAIL.COM

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  5. My dad worked there i think as a turner during the war, sadly he's no longer with us, but I recollect him saying he had to do night watch duty on the roof during the raids and how scary it was watching the planes and bombs falling. He was in the Home Guard. After the war he moved to Blackheath and then to Coventry to help with the rebuilding.

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  6. I observed a iron manhole cover on the Aldeburgh promenade Suffolk (North end) today, it was manufactured by J Stone of Deptford

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  7. My father was workshop foreman. My brother worked there. My mother worked there making rivets during ww1. My sister was personal secretary to the managing director.

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  8. My father was workshop foreman. My brother worked there. My mother worked there making rivets during ww1. My sister was personal secretary to the managing director.

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