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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Wellington Provincial District]
Glover, James Thomson
Glover, James Thomson, Engineer, Queen's Foundry, Boulcott Street, corner of Church Street, Wellington. Telephone 444. Bankers, Bank of New Zealand. Private residence, Church Street. Mr. Glover was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, in 1849, and was educated at the High School, Edinburgh. Apprenticed to Messrs. Balfour and Co., of Durie Foundry, Leven, Fifeshire, on completion of his term he removed to Liverpool, where he worked for six years at the Victoria Foundry, becoming foreman of the machine shop. For a further period of two years he held a leading position in the marine department of Vauxhall Foundry. He was then for two years leading engineer at the London and North Western Docks at Garston, near Liverpool. In 1875 Mr. Glover came to this Colony per ship “Rodney,” After working for six years with Messrs. Robertson and Co., a year with Mr. E. W. Mills at the Lion Foundry, a short time with the Gas Company, and as leading engineer for the Gear Meat Company, in all cases holding important positions, he established the Queen's Foundry in 1885, and has prospered from the first. The buildings, which include a blacksmith's and fitting shop, apart from the foundry occupy a large section of land, the most being made of the area. The fitting shop is neat and compact containing four fine lathes (the largest being upwards of twenty feet long), two fine drilling machines, a planing machine, an emery grinder for knives of all sizes and shapes, and a large variety of smaller machines and tools. The power is supplied both by steam and water. Mr. Glover is the patentee of an improved water-motor, for which he finds a constant demand; and those who have them in use speak most highly of them, as anyone in need of a water-motor may ascertain by calling upon Messrs. Birnbaum and Son, Mr. Arnold, Mr. Hyde, and a number of others whose names Mr. Glover will gladly give. In another part of the works are to be seen a splendid set of rollers for bending large iron plates, and a very large double stamping press, for stamping tops and bottoms of the infinite variety of dairy utensils of which Mr. Glover makes a specialty. The pattern room is over the fitting shop, and is filled from floor to ceiling with patterns of all kinds, including those for a six feet six inch radical drill, now being manufactured by Mr. Glover at a cost of over £250. This department is fitted with band and crosscut machine saws. For the manufacture of dairy utensils and appliances, special machinery is used, including punching, boring, coning, rolling, and folding machines. The articles produced include milk cans, cream cans, cheese rings, gang presses, milk vats, and in fact everything required in the dairy factory, including Mr. Glover's patent a[gap — reason: illegible]eraters and coolers, and a small engine and boiler combined, of the size needed for creameries. An order of 4000 drums is now being executed for the Langstone Sheep Medicine Company. A plant has just been turned out for the Clairville Cheese Factory, and Mr Glover, at the time of writing is engaged on the production of a similar plant for Mr. W. Barton Among the patterns are those for all kinds of single and compound engines. Glover's patent tobacco cutter, for hand or power: his mitring machine, his patent sausage machine, and others, all show the ingenuity of the controlling mind. Mr. Glover imports from the Old World such materials as are useful; and he is not only a manufacturer of, but also a dealer in all kinds of machinery. His stocks, both new and second hand, are well worthy of inspection. It is such men as Mr. Glover who in the quiet, unostentatious way, are building up a great future for industrial New Zealand.