James A Jobling took over the failing glassworks of Henry Greener's in Sunderland in the North East of England in 1885. He was the principle creditor at the time, but glassmaking was not his main interest and the Company continued to trade under the name Greener and Co.. It was not until his nephew, Ernest Purser, became the manager in 1902 that the company started to make major investments in the glassworks, and to move towards a profit-making situation.

After a set-back during the war (1914-1918) there was major re-construction of the works, and in 1921 Jobling's obtained the franchise to manufacture and market PYREX glassware in Great Britain and the Empire (excluding Canada). The name of the company was changed to James A. Jobling and Co. Ltd., and PYREX glass rapidly became the most profitable part of their business. Between 1900 and 1930 the works grew from aound one hundred employees to over a thousand.

During the 1930's Jobling's introduced their OPALIQUE glass, a hand-pressed opalescent glass made from molds commissioned and made in France by Frankhauser, the most prominent Parisian, art-glass mold-maker. The same molds were used for JADE glass, and the quality of Jobling's fire-polished pressed art glass during the mid to late 1930's is recognised to be the highest ever achieved in England. Unfortunately the recession of the 1930's and the War (1939-1945) put an end to Jobling's production of this kind of art glass, and eventually (in 1973) the company was taken over by Corning International Corporation, the USA manufacturers of PYREX, and in 1975 the name of Jobling's was changed to Corning Ltd.

James Jobling did little to build his glass business in the years around the turn of the century and again the company ran into financial problems. Their saving came from him appointing his nephew Ernest Jobling-Purser as manager in 1902.

Jobling-Purser began by revitalising the company with an investment programme (presumably funded by his uncle) using technology from the USA and Germany. His most significant contribution however was to come when he acquired from the Corning Glass Co. the licence to manufacture and market PYREX heat resistant glassware in Great Britain and the Empire (excluding Canada) in 1921.

It was this product range which enabled Joblings to grow and prosper throughout the depression years.

Whilst the sales of PYREX soared the flint glass department fell into decline. [S332]

• 1 Caroline Elizabeth Jobling-Purser
  
• 2 Timothy Ernest Jobling-Purser
  
• 3 Juliet Mary Jobling-Purser
  
• 4 John Graham Jobling-Purser