84 – 85 East Road, Britannia Works

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Joe Day, blacksmith and publican of the Britannia outside Mackay's Engineering Works in the early 1900s

84 – 85 East Road, Britannia Works

History of 84-85 East Road

1881

1891 Alsop family not listed in census

By 1895 the business was being called The Britannia Works after the pub opposite. In Britannia Place beside the Inn was Alsop’s shoeing forge.

Cambridge Iron Founders, 1996, p.51 : Alsop’s seem to have been “Jack of all Trades.” Directories over the years have described them as wheelwrights, blacksmiths, art iron workers and fence makers. They also made carts and caravans. They made horse drawn preachers caravans which used to travel around the district, decorated with biblical texts. Arthur Alsop was the artistic son and he did the signwriting on these caravans. John Alsop himself was a lay preacher and a member of the Plymouth Brethren sect. They made the first cart, free of charge goes the story, for a George Hawkins who had just started up his business as a baker. Hawkins became one of the largest bakers in the area, and established the Dorothy ballroom. John Alsop was described by one of his grandsons as “a great dandy and always very well turned out, a good tradesman but not such as efficient businessman.”

There is no clear evidence of the smelting or casting or iron on the site, but there are still many posts, especially gate posts, with their name on.

1901

John Alsop, 61, general smith, Chatteris

Ann, 61, b Suffolk

Lucy, 30, dressmaker, b Cambridge

Edith, 26, b Cambridge

Mary, 20, milliner, b Cambridge

Joseph, 20, blacksmith’s worker, b Cambridge

Daisy, 18, shop assistant, b Cambridge

In 1905 Anne died.

1911

John Alsop, 74, general smith, b Chatteris

Lydia Ann, wife, 57, b Harston

Daisy Alsop, 28, daughter, draper’s assistant, b Cambridge

Daisy Eaton, 27, daughter, hairdresser, b Cambridge

1912

John Alsop sold his business. He died in 1926 and was buried with his first wife in the Newmarket Road cemetery. The grave used to have a surround of ornamental iron railings.

Donald Mackay in partnership with his son Duncan bought the business of J Alsop in 1912.

Britannia Works, 1927

Mackays was designed by the architect Banyard who also designed part of the University Arms Hotel.

1913 84, 85, 85a

D Mackay, engineer and ironmonger, Britannia Works

Mackays, East Road

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