Kilner Glass Works

"In the 1860’s Caleb Kilner of Thornhill Lees, taking advantage of existing rail, road and water facilities founded the Providence Glass Works in New Conisbrough. The firm begun originally by John Kilner in 1844, flourished until eventually over 400 people were employed there on the 11 acre site; producing beer and mineral water bottles with glass stoppers, as well as containers for pharmaceuticals, and later the ‘Kilner’ fruit bottling jar. Women were employed as well as men in producing the glass marbles for the bottle stoppers, in packing and also washing departments.

The firm eventually built 76 houses for their workers, in streets known as george, William, John, Thornhill Streets, and Lees Terrace, a;; names with company connections.

They had a large warehouse in Blundell Street, near Kings Cross, London, from whence they exported all over the world, particularly in India and South Africa.

Many skilled workers were brought into the area from Thornhill when in 1873 the Siemens gas furnace was completed and the gas produced locally could be utilised. More than 300,000 bottles were produced each year.

After Caleb Kilner’s death, the firm was managed by his son George. The firm finally closed in 1937 before the Second World War, when demand had decreased and the manufacturing process did not move with the times."

p. 10, ‘Denaby and Cadeby Miner’s Memorial Chapel’ Pamphlet.