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.