ABSTRACT
The almost two decades commencing 1852 brought celebration but also acute sadness for the family in their personal relationships; there were further marriages and grandchildren but sadly also divorces and funerals. Travel remained a major interest for most members of the family, nearly always in a spirit of adventure and often accompanied by danger including on occasions a threat to life. For the businesses, this period proved of paramount importance for future prosperity. With the Newton works closing in 1851, and the Liverpool works still operating under the constraints imposed by the acid gas accusations, the building of two new works, at Flint (North Wales) and Widnes (Lancashire), beckoned a new dawn that would allow the businesses to expand on a previously unimagined scale foreshadowing a new era for the chemical industry.2 Leadership of the businesses had to change as James grew weary of his sole role and sought a more relaxed lifestyle that included extensive travel. While the obvious successors were James’s sons, they were not always enthusiastic about taking over the reins, as Sheridan had already demonstrated.
