Frederick Metters Explained

Frederick Metters (14 May 1858 – 25 September 1937) was an ironworker, founder of the South Australian company which became Metters Limited, of South Australia, Western Australia and New South Wales, known for domestic and industrial cooking ovens and other cooking equipment, and for windpumps. Two of his brothers earlier founded a similarly named company in Victoria known for domestic and industrial cooking ovens.

History

Fred Metters was born in Melbourne the eighth^[1] son of James Metters (c. 1821 – 2 October 1881), a bricklayer from Cornwall who specialized in setting ovens and cooking ranges, and his wife Susan Metters, née Flux (c. 1824 – 4 July 1875), from the Isle of Wight, who arrived in Victoria some time before December 1854.^[2]

He was associated with his brothers Charles Henry Metters (c. 1853–1929) and John Thomas Metters (c. 1853–1924) who traded as "Metters Bros." of Melbourne. They had business premises at Lonsdale Street east before 1884,^[3] at 269 Post Office Place near Swanston Street in 1890, then Elizabeth Street selling stoves and ovens to the Victorian market. By 1890 they were also manufacturing to their own designs on the "Leamington" pattern^[4] with their foundry and factory at 83 Buncle Street, North Melbourne. The two brothers dissolved their partnership on 6 October 1910, leaving J. T. Metters as sole proprietor. The company was still manufacturing and trading as "Metters Bros." in 1935.^[5]

Fred Metters patented an improved design for wood stoves in South Australia in 1891.^[6] He established a factory on Victoria Square around that time, and a factory between Norman Street and Henley Beach Road, West Adelaide before 1894.^[7] The "top fire" design had a full-width cast-iron hob directly over the fire, with recessed circular inserts which could be removed when the cook wanted the flames directly onto the base of the pan. Once the fire was properly alight, the upper flue would be closed, so the heat of the flames would be drawn down past the oven and hot-water tank before escaping up the chimney.^[8] About 15,000 ovens were sold in South Australia alone. Models included the popular "Metters Improved No. 2", as well as the "Barossa", "Beacon Light", "Bega", "Dover", "New Improved", "Royal" and "Wilga". All patternmaking, casting, finishing, machining, enamelling (only the second factory in the colony after A. Simpson & Son to succeed in this demanding art), sheet metal work and assembly was done "in house". By 1902 some 200 employees in Adelaide and Perth were producing 600 ovens per month.^[9]

Western AustraliaMetters established a factory in Essex Street, Fremantle, around 1891, and in 1894 took premises in Wellington Street, opposite the Western Australian Government Railways goods shed.^[10] Around this time began his association with Henry Langdon Spring (c. 1863 – 21 April 1937), newly arrived from London, whom he later took on as a partner.^[11] He established a foundry in Perth before 1907.

New South WalesIn 1902 Metters opened a showroom at 90 Bathurst Street^[8] and a factory in Alice Street, Newtown,^[9] where stoves were assembled from parts made in Adelaide, but that proved impractical and a foundry was established at Alexandria so their stoves could be manufactured locally. By 1907 Metters had a showroom on George Street, opposite St Andrew's Cathedral, advertising stoves made from locally produced iron.^[12] Models manufactured here were"Beacon Light", "Bega", "Canberra", "Capitol", "Crawford", "Dover", "Early Kooka", "Edford", "Empress", "Herald", "Improved", "New Royal", "Newcastle", "Regina", "Royal", "Samson" and "Shearer" wood stoves.

In 1907 a company Metters Limited was founded to take over the assets of the business from Frederick Metters and embarked on an expansion and modernization program.^[13]

Other activities

He was one of those who represented Western Australia at the Interstate Tariff Conference in 1900.^[14]

In 1908 Metters and his son Frederick Hubert Metters purchased from Burton and J. Snodgrass (–1913) a sizeable property 30miles above Morgan, South Australia which they named "Murray View", and there built a house and established a substantial grove of oranges, as well as other fruits,^[15] Doradillo grapes, peanuts and lucerne. Sometime before 1920 the property was put in the hands of a company, in which F. H. Metters had a substantial interest.^[16]

Family

James Metters (c. 1821 – 2 October 1881) was married to Susan Metters, née Flux (c. 1824 – 4 July 1875), and had perhaps eight sons^[1] and one daughter. They lived at 78 Little Lonsdale Street east. James married a second time, to Sarah Ellen Gouldthorpe (c. 1830 – 4 February 1882) on 1 June 1876, and lived at Bradford Cottage, Albert Road, Albert Park.

• Louisa Metters (c. 1844 – 24 February 1872) married James Wade, lived in Melbourne
• Eldest son James William Metters (c. 1852 – 28 February 1884)
• Second son Charles Henry Metters (c. 1853 – 22 March 1929) married Lucy Ellen Royal (c. 1852 – 9 November 1908) on 8 November 1875, lived at Alfred Street, North Melbourne. They had a daughter and two sons.

• John Thomas Metters (c. 1853 – 7 May 1924) married Mary Ann Orr (– 11 August 1936), lived at 20 Westgarth Street, Fairfield, Victoria. They had a large family.

• Frederick Metters (14 May 1858 – 25 September 1937) married Francis Fisher (c. 1860 – 1 February 1923) on 8 October 1883.^[17] Their family included:

• Frederick Hubert Metters (18 July 1884 – 27 August 1954) married Lorna Christina "Crissie" Rees (– 12 January 1946) on 18 July 1906, lived at Murray View, where he and his father established an orange grove.^[18]

• Frederick Rees Metters (1907–) married Melba Evelyn Lehmann on 7 May 1932

• Ronald Murray Metters (5 July 1912 –)

• Stanley Harry Metters (1886–1960) married Gladys Irene Smith (–1938) in 1912

• Frances Muriel Metters (1888–1968) married Stanley Charles Mellor (1876-1947

• Harold Sidney Metters (1890–1957) married Jessie Louise Randell (1887–1932) in 1916. Jessie was a daughter of Capt. W. B. Randell (1856–1917).

• Harold Randell Metters (1917–2014)

• David Finlayson Metters (1919–1987)

• John Raymond Metters (1921–1991)

• Bruce Dudley Metters (1922–2002)

• Frances Judith Metters

• Doris Mabel Metters (1892–1962) married James Murray Merrifield (–) in 1921, lived at Nadda, South Australia

• Alma Gwendoline Metters (1896–) married Lauris Hedley Maddern (1896–1961) in 1922, lived at Monash, South Australia

• Rev. Alfred Metters (c. 1863 – 1 March 1918) married Ottilie Caroline Strempel (– 18 September 1953) on 29 August 1888. They had four children

Notes and References

1. Joyce Gibberd, 'Metters, Frederick (Fred) (1858–1937)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/metters-frederick-fred-13097/text23695, published first in hardcopy 2005, accessed online 5 January 2017.
2. News: Advertising . . 2382 . Melbourne . 27 December 1854 . 6 January 2017 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
3. News: Advertising . . 11,856 . Melbourne . 21 June 1884 . 6 January 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
4. News: Advertising . . 11,049 . Victoria, Australia . 24 July 1890 . 6 January 2017 . 8 . National Library of Australia. (The "Leamington" stove, which won prizes at the 1851 London and 1853 Dublin exhibitions, featured a single wood fire and a wide stove top, was illustrated at Chapter XI of Isabella Beeton's Book of Household Management)
5. News: Advertising . . LXVIII . 4261 . Melbourne . 18 April 1935 . 8 January 2017 . 13 . National Library of Australia.
6. News: Commissioner of Patents . . XXXIII . 10131 . Adelaide . 8 April 1891 . 5 January 2017 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
7. News: Mr. Metters's Oven Factory . . XXXVI . 11033 . Adelaide . 27 February 1894 . 6 January 2017 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
8. News: Messrs. Fred. Metters & Co. . . VI . 348 . New South Wales, Australia . 16 August 1902 . 7 January 2017 . 21 . National Library of Australia.
9. News: Messrs. Fred. Metters and Company's Exhibit of Cooking Appliances. . . LXIV . 1679 . New South Wales, Australia . 12 April 1902 . 7 January 2017 . 23 . National Library of Australia.
10. News: News and Notes . . 10 . 2,694 . Western Australia . 3 October 1894 . 6 January 2017 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
11. News: Mr. H. L. Spring . . 30,983 . 22 April 1937 . 6 January 2017 . 17 . National Library of Australia.
12. News: The Father of Australian Grates . . II . 26 . New South Wales, Australia . 17 May 1907 . 7 January 2017 . 15 . National Library of Australia.
13. News: Advertising . . LIV . 16,530 . Adelaide . 9 October 1911 . 5 January 2017 . 16 . National Library of Australia.
14. News: Inter-State Tariff Conference . . 3946 . New South Wales, Australia . 8 October 1900 . 6 January 2017 . 5 . National Library of Australia.
15. News: Back from the Murray . . 1 . 242 . Adelaide. 13 December 1910 . 9 January 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
16. News: Irrigationist and Fruitgrower . . 28 . 27 . South Australia . 8 July 1921 . 9 January 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
17. News: Family Notices . . XX . 5,939 . South Australia . 22 October 1883 . 5 January 2017 . 2 . National Library of Australia.
18. Web site: Manning Index of South Australian Placenames|Murray View. State library of South Australia. 9 January 2017.