Life in the Balance

When the icy waters of the North Atlantic closed of the R.M.S. "Titanic", it sealed the fate of William Edward Hipkins, the Managing Director of the famous firm of W.&.T. Avery Limited. Hipkins appeared as just another victim on that starry night. After over 20 years of research the life and times of William is revealed. Born into a dynasty of corkscrew makers he rose through the ranks to revolutionise industry. He is the man who saved the famous Soho Foundry, becoming the last managing director of James Watt & Company. He was a man who never sought publicity, yet his management style and dedication would attract praise and criticism in equal measure. A biography of a quiet industrial giant, who rose from a grimy brassfounder's shop to run the largest weighing company in the world, set against the turbulent industrial world of the 19th-20th century. It's all here, personal triumph and tragedy, industrial espionage, sabotage, and a glimpse at a lost era.