Thomas Bolton & Sons and the rise of the electrical industry

The firm of Thomas Bolton & Sons grew out of a business producing metal buckles into one of the world´s leading wire, especially electrical wire, manufacturers. This article traces the development of the company from its early years in the late 18th century to its takeover by the cable companies in 1961. Important stages in the company´s growth were marked by the introduction of cold drawing and continuous wire drawing to meet the demand for long lengths of high-conductivity, high-tensile-strength copper wire for the telegraph and telephone industries