Benjamin Goodfellow
of Hyde, near Manchester
c.1838/1840 Benjamin Goodfellow (1811-1863) established works of his own, for the manufacture of the steam-engine piston known by his name, and for general engineering work
Stationary engines. (B. Goodfellow and Co).
1857 Patent to Benjamin Goodfellow, of Hyde, in the county of Chester, Engineer, in respect of the invention of "certain improvements in the construction of steam boilers, and in the mode of supporting steam boilers on their seatings."[1]
1860 Made engines and boilers for the cotton spinning mill of Peter Arkwright at Mellor (erected 69 years earlier by Samuel Oldknow).[2]
1867 The 'executors of the late Mr. Benjamin Goodfellow' supplied a pair of engines to the Quarry Street Mills of Robert Platt.[3]
1883 "... Liquidation by Arrangement of the affairs of George Ben Goodfellow, residing at Lunn Banks, in the county of Chester, and Frederick Frank Goodfellow, residing at the Rowans, Stockport-road, Hyde aforesaid, and carrying on business in copartnership together at Mottram-road, in Hyde aforesaid, under the style or firm of Benjamin Goodfellow, as Iron and Brass Founders, Millwrights and Engineers."[4]
1884 presumably became Goodfellow and Matthews when Robert Matthews was made a partner.
1891 Sometime after Robert Matthews left, presumably the company changed its name to Goodfellow Engineering Co.
1899 Supplied duplex tandem refrigerating machinery for the 'Star of Australia' built by Workman, Clark and Co, 'the largest cold air machine yet fitted on board of any vessel'.[5]
Between 1901 and 1903 Benjamin Goodfellow carried out major work on the four James Watt and Co Beam Engines at Crossness Pumping Station. Originally 125hp single cylinder beam engines, these engines were tripled by replacing the original 48" diameter cylinder with a new 44" which became the Low Pressure, together with a new 33" IP cylinder alongside it (as in a Woolf compound), with the new 19" High pressure cylinder in tandem with it below floor level. All cylinders were fitted with Corliss valves.
1905 "NOTICE is hereby given, that a General Meeting of the Members of the above named Company will be held at No. 12, Exchange-street, Manchester, on Monday, the thirteenth day of November next, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon precisely, to receive the Liquidators' report, showing how the winding up of the Company has been conducted and its property disposed of, to hear any explanation that may be given by the Liquidator, and to pass an Extraordinary Resolution as to the disposal of the books, accounts, and other documents of the company"[6]
1906 "... Joseph Stubbs, Machine Makers and Iron Founders, creditors of the Goodfellow Engineering Company Limited, applied for an Order winding up the company[7]
See Also
Sources of Information
- Stationary Steam Engines of Great Britain by George Watkins. Vol 10