Richardsons, Westgarth and Co
Richardsons, Westgarth Co, marine, electrical engineers and boiler makers, of Hartlepool
also of Hartlepool Engine Works, Hartlepool; Commercial Street, Middlesbrough; Scotia Engine Works, Sunderland
also of Wallsend, Northumberland
1900 October 29th. Richardsons, Westgarth and Co was registered to acquire the businesses of marine engine and boiler manufacturers of T. Richardson and Sons of Hartlepool, Sir Christopher Furness, Westgarth and Co of Middlesbrough and William Allan and Co of Sunderland [1]. Incorporated as a limited company on the amalgamation of these three companies. Tom Westgarth and Donald Barns Morison were the managing directors.
Large gas engines made under licence from John Cockerill (Belgium), including blast furnace blowing engines for Cargo Fleet Iron Co [2]
1903 Blowing engine for Clarence Works, Middlesbrough.[3]
1904 Built a blowing engine for Appleby Frodingham Ironworks
1906 Built a blowing engine for Briton Ferry Ironworks
1906 'Messrs. Richardsons, Westgarth, and Co., Ltd., are now completing at their Hartlepool works a 1,000 kw. turbo-generator for the Lisbon Electric Tramways, and they are supplying with this a complete condensing plant, including a Contraflo condenser. They have also supplied Contraflo condensers with a 800 kw. turbo-generator which they have recently sent out Santiago, Chili. They are also supplying 400 kw. turbo-alterantors, as well as a 750 kw. turbine for one of the electrical manufacturing companies. Several condenser contracts are on hand, including installation of Contraflo condensers for the South Durham Steel and Iron Co., Stockton-on- Tees. The marine department is well supplied with work. An order for engines was booked last week from a Cardiff firm. At their Sunderland works, the firm have just secured an order from Messrs. Robert Stephenson and Co., Limited, of Hebburn-on-Tees, for a set of engines, 23in. by 32in. by 62in, by 42in., duplicate of engines supplied to the s.s. Alga for the same owner. They have also received another order for a set of engines, 25in. by 41in., by 69in. by 48in. from the Northumberland Shipbuilding Company, Ltd., duplicate of eight other sets now on order for this firm. This is the fifth set of these engines which have been ordered for the Midgard Steamship Company, Bremen.'[4]
1911 800 hp Carel-Westgarth diesel marine engine for a cargo boat being built for Sir Raylton Dixon and Co [5]
1914 Directory: Listed as Boiler Makers [6]
1914 Marine, electrical and general engineers and boilermakers. Specialities: marine engines and boilers, turbines and turbo generator sets, gas engines, evaporators, condensing plants. Employees 3,500. [7]
Makers of 'Nesdrum' water-tube boilers[8]
1921 Vertical three-cylinder 25,000 HP rolling mill engine for Cargo Fleet Iron Co. [9]
1922 The new director of the company was accepted by Vice-Admiral Sir George Goodwin after the position was made vacant with the retirement of Captain Walter Brown.[10]
1924 Advert says they are marine engine builders including steam reciprocating, steam turbine and diesel engines. Head office is Hartlepool with works also at Middlesbrough and Sunderland [11]
1925 Due to the severe depression in shipbuilding and the marine engineering industry, the company announced in March of 1925 that its works at Middlesborough were to be closed down, and orders from it were obtained by the firm's Hartlepool works. [12]
1938 North Eastern Marine Engineering (1938) Ltd. was amalgamated with Richardsons, Westgarth and Co[13] and George Clark (1936) of Sunderland[14].
1942 Built a blowing engine for Brymbo Steelworks
1947 Recent turbine-alternator orders: Three 52.5 MW sets for Brighton (Southwick 'B') Power Station, two 30 MW sets for Leicester PS, one 60 MW set for Edinburgh.[15]
1952 Private company - Richardsons, Westgarth (Hartlepool) Ltd was a subsidiary of Richardsons, Westgarth and Co, the public company[16]
1956 Acquired Parsons Marine Steam Turbine Co and Humber Graving Dock [17].
1956 Atomic Power Constructions was established to tender for nuclear power plant contracts; jointly owned by Richardsons, Westgarth and Co, International Combustion (Holdings) and Crompton Parkinson [18].
The company did well until the 1960s. By this time the shipbuilding industry in Britain was in decline.
1961 Electrical, mechanical and general engineers; turbo alternators, condensing and feed heating plant and boilermakers. 2,500 employees.
1961 Manufacturers and sale of land and marine steam and gas turbines and gearing; power installations; turbo blowers and compressors; "N.E.M.-Doxford" oil engines; N.E.M. Gotaverken diesel engines; Clark-Sulzer diesel engines; economic boilers an super heaters; sea water and industrial evaporators; ship repairers and dry dock owners. 7,250 employees. [19]
1982 Richardsons, Westgarth gradually closed its works, and finally went out of business in Hartlepool in 1982.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
- ↑ 'Gas Engines at the Cargo Fleet Iron Works' by Peter Short ('Stationary Engine' magazine, October 2010)
- ↑ Engineering, 26th June 1903
- ↑ Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Wednesday 13 June 1906
- ↑ The Engineer of 15th September 1911 p282
- ↑ 1914 Kelly's Directory of Durham p605
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ 'Steam Boiler Construction' by Walter S. Hutton, 5th edition, Crosby Lockwood & Co, 1921
- ↑ The Engineer 1921/04/01
- ↑ The Engineer 1922/07/07
- ↑ 1924 Naval Annual Advert page xx
- ↑ The Engineer 1925/03/20
- ↑ The Times, Jan 29, 1938
- ↑ The Engineer 1938/02/
- ↑ Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail - Monday 17 November 1947
- ↑ The Times, Sep 18, 1953
- ↑ The Times, 9 January 1958
- ↑ The Times, 14 December 1956
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- [1] Hartlepool Council Web Site
- L. A. Ritchie, The Shipbuilding Industry: A Guide to Historical Records (1992)
- British Steam Locomotive Builders by James W. Lowe. Published in 1975. ISBN 0-905100-816
- The Engineer of 30th November 1900 p555
- The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978/9. ISBN 0-903485-65-6