AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION LAWYERS

History of soap-making in Bristol from the Middle Ages, concentrating on the business of Christopher Thomas & Bros from 1745 to the take-over of the makers of Puritan soap by Lever Bros and final closure of the Broad Plain factory in the 1950s.

The area of St Philip’s Marsh, on the east side of the river Avon, is important as the focus of early industrialisation from at least the early 18th century. Glassworks, for example, were established in Cheese Lane from the end of the 17th century and several large industrial concerns, such as the Broad Plain Soap Works, were set up here from the late 18th century.

Soap was manufactured in Bristol for many centuries. Richard Alkyne (died 1567), George Martyn (died 1589) and William Bitfeilde (died 1591) were all designated soapmakers in their wills. and a soapmaker named Robert Rogers was mayor in 1621.

Christopher James Thomas was not a Bristolian, however, being born in Llangadog, Carmarthen in 1807 . His father Thomas Thomas came to Bristol and in 1825 opened a soap manufactory in Red Lion Yard off Thomas Lane with his brother in law a Mr Jones..

The soap was originally made without the aid of machinery. Christopher Thomas entered the business of Thomas & Jones a few years later and in 1841 the long-established Bristol soap firm of Fripp & Co (established 1745) amalgamated with Thomas's. This explains why the advertisements state 'established 1745'

The manufactory was now at Broad Plain and after both Thomas Thomas and Edward Fripp retired, the company was run by Christopher Thomas and his three brothers., Thomas jnr, Herbert and Charles. In the 1851 census Mr Thomas and described himself as Widower 75 Retired Soap Manufacturer.

A description of 1890 states that' a man who has too keen a scent for smells above the ordinary ought never to visit a soap works'. and 'I now know what sort of constituent I have long gazed on but never been able to see through , from the unpleasant smelling proximity of Bristol Bridge'. For the main ingredients of .soap were tallow and caustic soda. The addition of perfume, disinfectant or alcohol and a milling process varied the scent and appearance of the basic mix.

As well as soap the Broad Plain works manufactured candles, which also used tallow as a major ingredient. The candle manufacturing area of the plant was known as Rotten Row.. Here was 'a never to be forgotten or removed-from memory... to linger here is unpleasant.'

One of the ingredients used in making the soap was 'glycerine leys' and this used to be drained away as a waste-product, until the invention of dynamite, when the glycerine suddenly became a valuable commodity. No longer thrown away it went on from the soap works to provide further income. As gas and electricity were installed in homes, so this part of the business declined, as can be seen by many 1935 advertisements..

Maryam D'Abo (Kara Milovy in The living Dayights), Madeline Smith (Miss Caruso in Live And Let Die), Shirley Eaton (Jill Masterson in Golfinger), Zena Marshall (Miss Taro in Dr. No), Roger Moore (James Bond), Eunice Gayson (Sylvia Trench in Dr. No), Tania Mallet (Tilly Masterson in Goldfinger), Caroline Munro (Naomi in The Spy Who Loved Me) & Joanna Lumley (The English Girl in On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

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