Oldham and Son
Battery manufacturers, of Denton, Manchester.
1865 Established, as an engine and machine maker of Denton by Joseph Oldham (b.1832 in Hyde)[1] [2]
Orlando Oldham led a rapid expansion into hat manufacturing machinery and electric safety lamps for miners[3]
1911 Manufacturer of mechanical items for collieries and hat manufacturer.[4]
Orlando's son, John was apprenticed to the company; he developed a battery for the miners' lamps they made (which previously had been made with Chloride batteries), which was the prototype of a major line of products for the business.
1920 Private company.
1920 Patent to O. Oldham, G. Oldham and J. Oldham of Denton for improvements in terminals for batteries[5]
Post-WWI The business was led by Orlando's three sons - John, George and Edward. They took the business into (rechargeable) batteries for radios and then into car batteries
1937 Battery manufacturers. "Oldham" Batteries.[6]
1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers
Post-WWII expansion into overseas markets through exports and by establishing overseas subsidiaries
1947 Company made public.
1954 Oldham and Son, Ltd. Manufacturers of storage batteries. Directors: J. Oldham, O.B.E., J.P. {Chairman}*, G. Oldham; E. C. Oldham {Joint Managing}*, E. R. Alltree; Col. S. Bell, O.B.E., J.P.; W. Elkin Platt; J. J. Hammond; S. J. Wrigglesworth {General Manager}. Senior Executives: A. Eyre {Sales Director}, H. Akroyd {Industrial Sales Manager), T. J. Martin {General Battery Sales Manager}*, M. Smith {Technical Sales Manager}*, C. D. J. Statham {Mining Sales Manager}, A. H. Bull {Export Manager}, H. Holt, Jr. {Manager, Overseas Operations and Developments}, J. Dowse {Works Manager}, F. Booth {Chief Chemist and Research Manager}, S. Schofield {Purchasing Manager}, T. G. Mair {Works Engineer}. Head Office and Works: Hyde Road, Denton, Manchester. T.: Denton 2431 (private branch exchange). T.A. and Cables: Oldhams Denton Manchester. Codes: A.B.C. 5th, Bentley’s, Lieber’s, Marconi. Regional Service Depots: London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Associated Companies: Societe Francaise des Procedes Oldham, France; Oldham and Son (Africa), Ltd.; Oldham and Son (India) Ltd. Overseas Distributors: In all the principal countries of the world.[7]
1960 Advert for batteries for mining.[8]
1961 Manufacturers of electrical equipment, electrical storage batteries, miners' electrical safety lamps, also general engineers, manufacturing fur-felting machinery for the hat manufacturing industry. 1,000 employees.[9]
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Batteries.[10]
1965 Following the death of John Oldham, his son Orlando became chairman
1969 Oldham and Son (Denton) Ltd was incorporated as a private company which was then renamed Oldham and Son Ltd
1971 Carlton Industries outbid Chloride Electrical Storage Co to acquire Oldham International[11]
1978 Oldham and Son Ltd was renamed Oldham Batteries Ltd
1981 Hawker Siddeley acquired Carlton Industries; its particular interests were in the the car battery parts of the group[12]
1987 Oldham Batteries Ltd was renamed Oldham Crompton Batteries Ltd
1989 Carlton Industries was renamed Hawker Batteries Ltd[13]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1891 census
- ↑ The Times, May 22, 1965
- ↑ The Times May 22, 1965
- ↑ 1911 census
- ↑ The Engineer 1921/01/14
- ↑ * 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ 1954 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ * Mining Year Book 1960. Published by Walter E. Skinner. Advert p559
- ↑ * 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- ↑ * 1963 Motor Show
- ↑ The Times, Dec 31, 1971
- ↑ The Times, Saturday, October 15, 1988
- ↑ Companies house filings