Casgliadau Arlein

Production book used at Braich Goch Slate Quarry Co., Corris, between March 1878 and February 1880.

The production book records the quantity of ‘best’ and ‘seconds’ produced at different bargains, as well the different sizes of slates produced e.g. 160 ‘best’ 20x10 slates, or, 60 ‘seconds ‘20x12’ slates. Production is recorded between March 1878 and February 1880. During 1878 Braich Goch quarry employed almost 280 men (40 up on the previous year), and produced over 7,000 tons of slate. It seems that 1877 and 1878 were the quarry’s golden years, producing a profit of £12,856 and £12,319 respectively. In 1879 profit has fallen to £4610. By 1880 the workforce had been cut to under 200 workers, and production had fallen to a little over 5,000 tons, with a profit of £586.

Braich Goch Quarry was developed from 1836 by a quintet of businessmen who took a lease on the land from Sir John Edwards, and operated under the business name of ‘North Wales Slate & Slab Quarry’. In 1843 the company surrendered the lease, and passed the lot to Arthur Coulston, a Civil Engineer. In 1851 Coulston was joined by Robert Jackson, William Rees, William Wingate, and Thomas Wakeman, and the Braich Goch Slate and Slab Company was formed. In 1853 the quarry was taken over by John Rowlands, but by 1864 he was bought out by the Birley family who set up the Braich Goch Slate Quarry Ltd. The Birleys continued with quarrying at Braich Goch until 1906 when the Braich Goch Slate Quarry Company was wound up. The quarry was owned and operated by a number of different businessmen until 1970 when the quarry was closed.