Crane Engineering, Upper Orwell St - Ipswich, Suffolk - UK Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The central plaque reads:
'THIS GARDEN WAS OPENED ON 30 MARCH 1977 BY THE MAYOR OF IPSWICH
COUNCILLOR H.R. DAVIS
IT WAS PRESENTED TO IPSWICH BY CRANE LIMITED MANUFACTURERS OF
MALLEABLE IRON PIPE FITTINGS AND BRONZE AND STEEL VALVES
IT MARKS THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST METAL POURED
IN THE MALLEABLE FOUNDRY OF THEIR IPSWICH FACTORY
AND IS IN APPRECIATION OF THE SUPPORT GIVEN BY THE
TOWNSPEOPLE TO THE COMPANY OVER THE YEARS.'

"The octagonal reliefs on either side show molten metal being poured and the lettering:
'DISA
MATIC'
in the right hand background.

John A Green was born in Ipswich in 1932, son of a Master Mason. He gained his Master Mason Certificate in 1951. He studied at Ipswich School of Art (1951-54) and the Royal College of Art (1954-57) where he was encouraged by Prof. John Skeaping. From 1957 until 1959 John was assistant to Jacob Epstein. His main run of work is the restoration of church monuments. His work in Ipswich is this bronze panel on a brick plinth, symbolising the technical development in foundry methods during the fifty years since the firm Crane's came to Ipswich.

Crane Co history
The 'Crane' name continues in the name of the hill on London Road coming out of the town towards Colchester just after it crosses the railway line. This stretch of road is known to locals as 'Crane Hill' (although no signs are visible, the name is certainly there on street maps – it's the home of a milepost) which relates to Crane Hall, home of the engineering family. The Victorian brick encasement completely hides the original 16th century timber framed structure. Later development of the site for residentail use resulted in the rendering and painting of Crane Hall as well as intenal modernosation as offices. British Listed Buildings shows Crane Hall as a Grade II structure standing close to Kelly Road on the north-west of London Road (the Dickens Road side) and we recall that Thompson & Morgan occupied these offices. This famous seedsman's company started in the mid-19th century in a small garden behind a baker's shop in Tavern Street, Ipswich, tended by William Thompson, the baker's son, who specialised in raising rare plant species. That company still trades today from Poplar Lane on the western edge of Ipswich.

Cranes in Suffolk can be traced back to the Norman Conquest and ensuing settlements in East Anglia; by the 15th centry it was a wealthy family with extensive estates. Some members of the Crane family emigrated to Massachusetts in eastern America in 1636 accompanying John Winthrop. Winthrop became the first governor and Timothy and Maria Crane (née Ryerson) is recorded in New Jersey at around 1730. They appear to be descendants of the Ipswich family. In 1732 they had a son, Richard Teller Crane. He eventually founded what was to become Crane Co in 1855 in Chicago. In 1855 he founded the R.T. Crane Brass & Bell Foundry in Chicago. Crane produced valves, fittings, and specialty castings for a growing industrial America.

The site on Nacton Road in Ipswich was bought in 1919 by Crane Co of Chicago, then owned and run by Richard Teller Crane Junior (who also became a philanthropist to our town) and a massive factory initially using American machinery and know-how was set up. Richard Teller Crane Jnr and his father before him lived in Ipswich, Massachusetts in the USA, where the family built a large mansion which stands today. It would seem that the Ipswich, Suffolk factory site location was acquired mostly due to an acknowledgement of the family ancestry. During its 90 years in Ipswich it employed thousands of local people and during the 1970s became the largest manufacturing employer (around 3,000) in Ipswich, alongside other more locally established companies like Ransomes Sims & Jefferies, Ransomes & Rapier and Reavells. Similar Crane subsidiaries were established in most European countries and in Australia."

SOURCE - (visit link)

Type of Historic Marker: Plaque Give your Rating: Historical Marker Issuing Authority: Not listed Age/Event Date: Not listed Related Website: Not listed

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