English Steel Corporation
English Steel Forge and Engineering Corporation of River Don Works, Sheffield and North Street Works, Openshaw, Manchester
1928 A merger of companies in the steel industry was announced, involving parts of Vickers, Vickers-Armstrongs and Cammell, Laird and Co [1]. This would involve all of the steel interests of the 3 contributing groups, except for interests in guns, ammunition and tanks. A new company would be created to take over these interests: the English Steel Corporation Ltd. The constituent parts from Vickers-Armstrongs were:
- River Don works, Sheffield
- Attercliffe works, Sheffield
- Holme Lane works, Sheffield
- Openshaw works, Manchester
- Drop forging plant at Elswick
and from Vickers:
and from Cammell, Laird and Co:
- Cyclops Steel and Iron works, Sheffield,
- Grimesthorpe works, Sheffield, and
- The Yorkshire Steel and Iron Works, Penistone
1929 Became a public company. Vickers held the majority of the shares and Cammell Laird held the balance[2]
1930 Forged large shafts for the Beauharnois hydro-electric scheme on the St Lawrence River in Canada. 38" diameter, forged weight 42 tons, finished weight 36 tons.[3]
1932 Description of the Vickers-Coats hydraulic torque converter. ESC had acquired the manufacturing rights of the coupling designed by Allan Coats. There followed a description of an application of the converter, fitted to a locomotive running on a miniature railway laid down by the Scarborough Corporation, for conveying passengers between Peasholm Station and Scalby Mills. Both the locomotive and the carriages were built by Hudswell, Clarke and Co. The locomotive was a miniature of the 4-6-2 type in appearance, but was actually driven by a two-cylinder airless-injection engine made by Dorman and Co.[4].
1932 'Steel Plant to be Dismantled.— Any faint hopes which have been entertained in the Manchester district of the reopening of all or a portion of the extensive steelmaking, heavy engineering, and armament works of Messrs. The English Steel Corporation, Limited, formerly under the control of Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company, Limited, at Openshaw, Manchester, have been dispelled by the announcement that Messrs. Thos. W. Ward, Limited, of Sheffield, have been entrusted with the work of dismantling more than 40 acres of the works. During the war years fully 15,000 employees were engaged at the works, but after the termination of hostilities business declined steadily, and the works were closed down more than two years ago. It is understood that the crucible steel and small tools departments adjoining, which employ between 600 and 700 men, are unaffected by the decision.'[5]
1932 Demolition of the 100-ton goliath yard crane by Thos. W. Ward.[6]
1933 Description of the new open-hearth steel melting department at Sheffield.[7]
1934 New company Firth-Vickers Stainless Steels formed to acquire the stainless steel interests of Thomas Firth and John Brown and the English Steel Corporation, which would jointly own the new company[8].
1935 See English Steel Corporation:1935 Review
1935 Description of heavy forging department [9]
1937 Steel manufacturers. [10]
1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers
1940 Advert. Engineer's tools. [11]
1945 Advert. Small tools. [12]
1951 Nationalised under the Iron and Steel Act; became part of the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain [13]
1954 English Steel Corporation, Ltd. Engineers’ cutting tools, files and hacksaws; high-speed and carbon-tool steels, high-grade carbon and alloy steels; “ Escaloy ” tungsten carbide; drop-forged crankshafts and aerocomponents. Head Office and Works: Sheffield, f.: Sheffield 41071 (P.B.X.). Sheffield. London Office: Vickers House, Broadway, London, S.W.l. and Abbey 1011 (London Area Sales).[14]
1954 Vickers Ltd and Cammell, Laird and Co agreed to purchase this company, which was their former steel making subsidiary, from the Holding and Realization Agency [15].
1961 Parent of 20 subsidiaries. Employ 16,000 persons. Of River Don Works, Sheffield. [16]
1963 Formal opening of the new Tinsley Park Steelworks by the Duke of Edinburgh[17]
1964 Principal operating companies included:[18]
- English Steel Forge and Engineering Corporation
- English Steel Rolling Mills Corporation
- English Steel Castings Corporation
- English Steel Spring Corporation
- English Steel Tool Corporation
- Darlington Forge
- Taylor Brothers and Co
- Modern Hardmetals
1967 English Steel Corporation was nationalised and incorporated in British Steel Corporation. Compensation of £21.75M paid to the owners Vickers (75%) and Cammell, Laird and Co (25%) [19].
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, 18 December 1928
- ↑ The Times, Apr 05, 1945
- ↑ Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Wednesday 17 December 1930
- ↑ Engineering 1932/02/12
- ↑ Engineering 1932/03/11
- ↑ Engineering 1932/04/15 Photograph and brief article
- ↑ Engineering 1933/09/08
- ↑ The Times, 12 July 1934
- ↑ Engineering 1935/02/15
- ↑ 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ Mechanical World Year Book 1940. Published by Emmott and Co of Manchester. Advert p148
- ↑ Mechanical World Year Book 1945. Published by Emmott and Co of Manchester. Advert p182
- ↑ Hansard 19 February 1951
- ↑ 1954 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ The Times, 15 June 1954
- ↑ 1961 Guide to Key British Enterprises
- ↑ The Times May 21, 1964
- ↑ The Times, June 10, 1964
- ↑ The Times, 30 January 1968
- The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978/9. ISBN 0-903485-65-6