The glass factory of Chance Brothers was established at Smethwick in 1824 and was managed by many able members of the Chance family. The extension into manufacturing lenses for lighthouses commenced in 1850 and its first products were available in 1851 with James Timmins Chance in command. He was assisted by Dr. Hopkinson, and a line of very able designers and engineers followed under men of extreme enthusiasm, right up to the commencement of World War II. These included the names of Wharton, Jeboult, and particularly, Kenward. At the time of my arrival in 1937 the glass and lighthouse works both had military men in top management (Major Gubbins as managing director of the lighthouse works) who were fully committed to their main 'core' products, but both under 'Chance' chairmen Walter Chance and Sir Hugh Chance. In 1941 they took on 'entrepreneurial' directors who were prominent in production consulting, but in the opinions of many, lacked the 'pharomania' that the 'core' product engendered.
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