The principal products of brass battery were pans, kettles, basins and bowls, collectively known as Hollowware. The
names of the vessels produced were recorded by Samuel Timmins in 1866, describing the brass industry in Birmingham, but recalling
its Bristol origins:
"the articles manufactured are produced by the same processes, as neptunes, guinea pans and kettles, Lisbon pans,
&c, viz., that of "battery," or hammering".
Industrial History of Birmingham, 1866
The demand and destination for such items
is evident from the following extract from the journal of Thomas Phillip, a member of the Royal Africa Company in the late C17th and
captain of the Hannibal, an English slave ship:
A Voyage from England to Africa and so forward to Barbados
"Cowries were essential, the smaller the more esteem'd. The next in
demand are brass neptunes or basons, very large, thin and flat. Certain textiles were also acceptable, but only to a limited
extent; near half the cargo value must be cowries and brass basons to set off the other goods".
Thomas Phillips, Whydah, Gold Coast
of Africa, 1694
Writing in his 1754 travel diary, RR Angerstein described the hollowware destined for the Guinea trade:
"The
largest dishes that are sent to Guinea are 4 ft in diameter and the smaller, 1 foot, and there are in addition 50 to 60 various sizes
in between. It was said that of this article alone, Guinea uses 80 to 90 tons per year".
RR Angerstein, 1754
The largest
dishes to which Angerstein refers were Neptunes, large shallow pans, over 1 m in diameter and around 8 cm deep.
A number of uses have been suggested for the Neptune, including salt crystallization.
A 'kettle' was a straight
sided vessel with an iron or brass handle to enable it to be hung over an open fire. A Guinea Kettle, as the name implies,
was a hollowware kettle manufactured for the Guinea trade.
A 'pan' was a bowl or basin shaped vessel,
having no handle. Lisbon pans were hollowware manufactured for the Lisbon trade or copied from designs traded out of Lisbon.
Portugal had been engaged in trade with the Gold Coast of Africa since the 15th century, trading brass for gold, ivory, pepper and
slaves. Portugal had no indigenous brass industry; hence bought brass from metal manufacturers in the Low Countries
and later from Bristol.
Scheduled Monument
Grade II* Listed Building
A. A Voyage from England to Africa and so forward to Barbados. Journal of Thomas Phillips. 1694
B. RR Angerstein's Illustrated
Travel Diary 1753 - 1755. Industry in England and Wales from a Swedish perspective.
C. The Resources, Products and Industrial History
of Birmingham and the Midland Hardware District. Samuel Timmins. 1866
D. Bristol Brass: A History of the Industry. Joan Day. 1973