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| The Kerr Pattern Company building in 2009 |
Nestled on Rosemary Lane in Lincoln, the Kerr Pattern Company once stood as a quiet powerhouse of industrial craftsmanship. Though the building itself has vanished, its legacy remains deeply embedded in the city’s engineering heritage—and in the very foundations of the street it once occupied.
Meet the Founder: John James Kerr (1871–1948)
Born in Lincoln on 12 April 1871, John James Kerr was a master pattern-maker and inventive mind whose work helped shape Lincoln’s industrial output. He lived at 5 Tempest Street, just a short walk from Rosemary Lane, placing him at the heart of Lincoln’s working-class engineering community. Later, he moved with his wife Eliza (née Deacon) to Lismore, Wragby Road, Sudbrooke.
Kerr began his career with an apprenticeship in a local foundry, where he developed the precision and creativity essential to pattern-making—a craft that combines carpentry, metallurgy, and mechanical design. In March 1910, he leased premises on Rosemary Lane and founded the Kerr Pattern Company, producing industrial castings for a wide range of sectors.
Kerr passed away in 1948, but his legacy lives on in Lincoln’s industrial past. His work bridged traditional pattern-making with wartime innovation, and the site of his former workshop remains a ghostly monument to that transition.
From Biscuit Crumbs to Pattern Making: The History of the Site
Before Kerr’s name graced the building, the site had a rich and varied history:
Pre-1909: Home to Kinetic-Swanton Co Ltd, an organ blower factory that closed in 1909
Early 1900s: Briefly transformed into Henry Kirke White’s biscuit factory
1910s–1920s: Became a hub for precision engineering under Kerr’s leadership
Rosemary Lane was historically a working-class district, where factory workers lived and laboured side by side. The street itself sits atop a medieval graveyard, and archaeological digs have uncovered Roman pottery, medieval walls, and even 67 skeletons unearthed in a nearby cellar between 2003–2004.
The Kerr building stood among other landmarks, including the Wesleyan Day School (built in 1859), which later became a warehouse and now luxury apartments. This evolution—from education to industry to residential—mirrors Lincoln’s transformation over time.
By the 1920s, Lincoln had evolved from a market town into a global industrial centre, with thousands employed in foundries and machine shops.
The End
Why the Kerr Pattern Company Still Matters
The story of John James Kerr and his company is more than a historical footnote—it’s a testament to Lincoln’s spirit of innovation. The Kerr Pattern Company played a vital role in the city’s engineering boom, and its legacy deserves recognition in local history and industrial heritage.
Footnote: I have found a reference to a more balanced method of producing propellors by Kerrs, unfortunately I can not find more about this. Is this true? Do you know about this?