AdminHistory | George Launders was born in 1862 at Grimesthorpe. He went to work in 1873 aged 10 at the foundry of Stanley and Firth (later the Brightside Foundry and Engineering Company Limited). He got married at St Silas Church, Hanover Street on 28 May 1887, later living at Rock Street, Pitsmoor.
According to an article in The Ironmonger (5 Jun 1937), 'he [Mr Launders] recalls the first time he met Harry Brearley when he used to work at the "old side" of John Brown and Company in 1879. Mr Brearley, then a child, used to bring food to the works with his brother, Mr A. W. Brearley'.
In 1884 Mr Launders left Brown's for employment with Steel, Peech and Tozer with whom he remained until he entered the foundry of Brown Bayley's Steelworks Limited in 1889. When Harry Brearley was made works manager of Brown Bayley's in 1915 following his world-famous stainless steel discovery, the two men became friends again. Mr Launders was a moulder by trade but following an accident (while he was foreman at the foundry), Harry Brearley made him Librarian of Brown Bayley's Research Department.
On the occasion of their golden wedding anniversary (in 1937), Mr and Mrs Launders were presented with a grandfather clock and sovereign by Harry Brearley on behalf of the Directors and staff at Brown Bayley's Steelworks.
During the 1930s, Mr Launders wrote a number of local reminiscence books including 'Reminscences of Old Grimesthorpe' (1938). |