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Royal Primrose Soap Works

From London's Ghost Acres

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The Royal Primrose Soap Works was a Silvertown soap factory run by John Knight Ltd. The company was established in 1817 in Wapping by John Knight before his sons moved the company to Silvertown in 1880. John Knight was originally making candles when he came up with the idea to use the waste materials to make soap instead. Soap is made through a process called saponification: boiling oils or fats with an alkali, which produces the soap and glycerine. John Knight used animal waste such as the fat, bones, or hooves, and some form of lye to create soap. The company started producing their famous Royal Primrose Soap in 1844 and won an award at the 1851 Great Exhibition. Another famous product was the Knight’s Castile soap. Throughout the 20th century the company expanded into other productions involving animal waste, including glue, fertilizer, and oils.

John Knight’s Soap factory relied on cottonseed, tallow and Palm Oil sourced from Egypt, West Africa, Australasia and numerous other locations.

http://www.saria.co.uk/news/pdms_silvertown_plant_celebrates_130_years_heritage.html

http://www.stgite.org.uk/media/churchwardens.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soap

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Knight


Operation

1880


Location

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Located in

West Ham


Produced

Soap, Candles, Edible Oils, Oil Cake, Glue, Glycerine


Used Raw Materials

Cotton Seeds, Tallow, Palm Oil


Ownership

From To Owner
1880 1922 John Knight's Soap


Industry

From To Industry
1880 The date "{{{to_date}}}" was not understood.The date "{{{to_date}}}" was not understood. Soap, Candle and Related Fat Based Industires


Description