Grace's Guide
British Industrial History
Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 148,463 pages of information and 233,888 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.
Oldham and Son
From Graces Guide
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.
1960 Advert for batteries for mining.[7]
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.[8]
1963 Motor Show exhibitor. Batteries.[9]
1965 Following the death of John Oldham, his son Orlando became chairman
1971 Carlton Industries outbid Chloride Electrical Storage Co to acquire Oldhams[10]
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
- ↑ * Mining Year Book 1960. Published by Walter E. Skinner. Advert p559
- ↑ * 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- ↑ * 1963 Motor Show
- ↑ The Times, Dec 31, 1971