Thread of Iron. A definitive history of Shotley Bridge and Consett and district, County Durham; with particular reference to iron and steelmaking

Notes:

Written by a local historian who worked in the iron and steel industry [Consett]. Structured in two parts. Part 1 provides a history of Shotley Bridge from early time with a strong emphasis on the industrialisation of the Derwent Valley, especially swordmaking and papermaking. Here it has chapters: 'Late 17th century - review of metallurgical and industrial activity before the arrival of the German swordmakers'; 'The German swordmakers of Shotley Bridge - fact and fiction disentangled' including the Olney family; 'Papermaking in Shotley Bridge and district -the Annandale family and their influence' [pp120-3] namely John Annandale & Sons from 1810s; 'The history of Shotley Bridge Spa, its establishment and development by Jonathan Richardson, its heyday, decline and demise'. Includes family tree of the Olney family. Part 2 provides a detailed account of the Consett Iron Co Ltd [and Derwent Iron Co] from its origins to closure in 1980 with significant coverage of the post 1945 years. Extensive appendices extend parts of the text and notably cover Consett Iron Co Ltd