Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 162,258 pages of information and 244,500 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Difference between revisions of "Sharp, Stewart and Co"

From Graces Guide
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[[image:Im1873ev16-p268.jpg|thumb| 1873. Shaping machine.]]
[[image:Im1873ev16-p268.jpg|thumb| 1873. Shaping machine.]]
[[image:Im1874ev17-p30.jpg|thumb| 1873.]]
[[image:Im1874ev17-p30.jpg|thumb| 1873.]]
[[image:JD 2022 Sharp, Stewart.jpg|thumb|1876 portable keyway milling machine]]
[[image:Im1923EnV136-p231c.jpg |thumb| 1873. Four-Coupled Express Engine, [[London, Chatham and Dover Railway]], 1873.]]
[[image:Im1923EnV136-p231c.jpg |thumb| 1873. Four-Coupled Express Engine, [[London, Chatham and Dover Railway]], 1873.]]
[[image:Im1923EnV136-p231d.jpg |thumb| 1874. Express Passenger Engine, [[Midland Railway]], 1874.]]
[[image:Im1923EnV136-p231d.jpg |thumb| 1874. Express Passenger Engine, [[Midland Railway]], 1874.]]
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1856 Improved machines for making carpets <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 01 November 1856</ref>
1856 Improved machines for making carpets <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 01 November 1856</ref>


1857 Produced their 1,000 locomotive <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 18 April 1857</ref>
1857 Produced their 1,000th locomotive <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 18 April 1857</ref>


1858 May. Thomas Beatt Sharp leaves the partnership with [[Charles Patrick Stewart]] and John Robinson remaining with [[Sharp, Stewart and Co]] and [[Thomas Sharp and Co]]. <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 08 May 1858</ref>  
1858 May. Thomas Beatt Sharp leaves the partnership with [[Charles Patrick Stewart]] and John Robinson remaining with [[Sharp, Stewart and Co]] and [[Thomas Sharp and Co]]. <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 08 May 1858</ref>  
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1865 August. The company is referred to as [[Stewart Robinson and Co]], of Atlas Works, (late Sharp, Stewart and Co) <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Thursday 10 August 1865</ref>
1865 August. The company is referred to as [[Stewart Robinson and Co]], of Atlas Works, (late Sharp, Stewart and Co) <ref>Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Thursday 10 August 1865</ref>
1876 Portable keyway milling machine (slot drilling machine) described and illustrated <ref>The Engineer, 7 March 1876</ref>. See illustration.


1880 Shares quoted/traded on Manchester Exchange (indicating was a public company)<ref>The Huddersfield Daily Chronicle, 27 January 1880</ref>.
1880 Shares quoted/traded on Manchester Exchange (indicating was a public company)<ref>The Huddersfield Daily Chronicle, 27 January 1880</ref>.

Revision as of 16:36, 7 January 2022

1857 model of Sharp, Stewart vertical milling machine on display at the Musee des Arts et Metiers
Sharp, Stewart slotting machine in the Charles Burrell Museum
1863. Exhibit at the Shildon Locomotion Museum.
1862.
1862.
1861-2.
Nut shaping machine, from 'Engineering', 14 Sept 1866
1866-8.

‎‎

1868.
1871.
1873. Shaping machine.
1873.
1876 portable keyway milling machine
1873. Four-Coupled Express Engine, London, Chatham and Dover Railway, 1873.
1874. Express Passenger Engine, Midland Railway, 1874.
1877. Portable boring machine at the 1878 Paris Exhibition.
1877. Radial arm drill at the 1878 Paris Exhibition.
1877. Slotting machine exhibited at the 1878 Paris Exhibition.
1877.
1878. Four-Coupled Express Engine (P. O. Railway) Paris Exhibition, 1878.
1878. Drilling machine at the 1878 Paris Exhibition.
1879.
1881.
1882. Locomotive No 3055. Exhibit at the Cite du Train, Mulhouse.
1882. Locomotive No 3055. Exhibit at the Cite du Train, Mulhouse.
1882. Locomotive No 3055 (detail). Exhibit at the Cite du Train, Mulhouse.
1885. Planing Machine.
1885. Compound locomotive, Webb's patent for the Companhia Paulista.
1886. Eight Wheels coupled Goods Engine for the Swedish and Norwegian Railway.
1886. Eight-Coupled Goods Engine, Barry Railway, 1886.
1887. Consolidation narrow gauge locomotive.
1889. Main Line Freight Engine.
1892.
1891.
1891.
1893.
1894.
1895. Glasgow Works.
1895.
1895.
1895.
1895.
1895.
1895.
1895.
1896. Barry Side Tank Engine.
1899. Exhibit at the Shildon Locomotion Museum.
1899. Exhibit at the Shildon Locomotion Museum.
1900.
1901. Turret Lathe designed by George Oldfield
1901.
1901.
1901.

‎‎

Mar 1957 0-4-2 Locomotive Built 1856.

‎‎

Mar 1957.Llanerchydol-1860
2018. Cutting machine used in printing press in Nadiad, India.
2018. Cutting machine used in printing press in Nadiad, India.
2018. Cutting machine used in printing press in Nadiad, India.

Sharp, Stewart and Co initially of Atlas Works, Great Bridgewater St, Oxford St, and Caledonia Foundry, Gloucester St, Manchester, boiler makers, ironfounders, machine makers, millwrights, toolmakers and dealers.

and later of Atlas Works, Glasgow in 1888.

formerly Sharp Brothers and Co

1852 The senior partner, John Sharp, retired and was replaced by Charles Patrick Stewart, the name of the company changed to Sharp, Stewart and Co. Shortly after Charles Beyer left. Thomas Sharp junior was succeeded by Stephen Robinson.

Shortly afterwards Charles Beyer left.

1852 William Statham is Superintendent of the Locomotive Department [1]

1853 Listed as makers of locomotive engines. [2]

1853 There is a description of the works of Sharp Brothers and Co in the 1853 Directory of Manchester and Salford pages xxxiii.

1853 Thomas Beatt Sharp and William Sharp listed as being engineers at Sharp, Brothers and Co, ironfounders, engineers, millwrights and machinists, of Great Bridgewater St and Oxford St, St Peter's (the same as Thomas Sharp and Co). Also described as makers of locomotive engines. [3].

1853 Pillar Crane. [4]

1853 Slotting machine for 7ft wheels. [5]

1855 July. William Prior Sharp retires from the partnerships leaving Thomas Patrick Stewart and Thomas Beatt Sharp as partners of Sharp, Stewart and Co and Thomas Sharp and Co [6]

1855. Patent. Dated July 12, 1855.— John Robinson, of Sharp, Stewart, and Co., Manchester, engineers, and William Wedding, of the same place, draughtsman, for improvements in machinery for cutting paper cardboard and other materials [7]

1856 Improved machines for making carpets [8]

1857 Produced their 1,000th locomotive [9]

1858 May. Thomas Beatt Sharp leaves the partnership with Charles Patrick Stewart and John Robinson remaining with Sharp, Stewart and Co and Thomas Sharp and Co. [10]

1858 James Reid was appointed manager.

1858 July. Boiler explosion at Atlas Works leaves seven dead. Employing 1,500 hands. [11]

1858 October. Carpet loom. 'We saw in operation on Wednesday a new and improved reel winding machine, for spooling or winding sewing cotton or thread, the invention of Mr. William Weild, of the establishment Messrs. Sharp, Stewart, and Co., the "Atlas Works," of this city, where the machine has been made and first put into operation. Mr. Weild is the inventor of the carpet loom, and many other machines, and he has been with the above firm fifteen years . . . [12]

1860 Sole rights were obtained for Giffard's patent injector.

The company provided a number of 0-4-0 tender engines for the Furness Railway of which Number 20, built in 1863 has been restored to working order by the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway in Cumbria.

1862 The company began making larger engines, firstly some 4-6-0 saddle tank engines for the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. By 1865 they were building 0-8-0s, again for India.

1862 The company's exhibits at the 1862 International Exhibition in London included eight different types of machine tool [13]. Drawing of slot drilling machine here [14]


1863 Reid left Sharp Stewart to return to Neilson and Co

1864 The company acquired limited liability.

1865 August. The company is referred to as Stewart Robinson and Co, of Atlas Works, (late Sharp, Stewart and Co) [15]

1876 Portable keyway milling machine (slot drilling machine) described and illustrated [16]. See illustration.

1880 Shares quoted/traded on Manchester Exchange (indicating was a public company)[17].

1882 John Robinson became chairman on the death of Charles Stewart.

1888 They were also dealing in general brass and ironmongery, and machine tools; the lease on their premises expired so it became necessary to move. They took over and moved to the Clyde Locomotive Works in Glasgow, renaming it Atlas Works.

1889 A number of compounds were built for the Argentine Central Railway in 1889, some 4-4-0 and some 2-8-0.

1892 They received an order for seventy five 4-4-0s and 0-6-0s from the Midland Railway. By now they had built a number of 4-6-0 engines for overseas railways, but in 1894 came their first order for a British line, the "Jones Goods" of the Highland Railway. By the end of the century they were supplying railways at home and all over the world.

1894 Description of their Atlas works in 'The Engineer'. Long article with many photographs. [18]

1894 Large drawing of six-coupled Bogie Goods Engine for the Highland Railway. [19]

1900 A Duplex Triple-geared Lathe illustrated in 'The Engineer'. [20]

1903, having built over 5,000 engines, the company amalgamated with Neilson and Co and Dubs and Co to form the North British Locomotive Co.


A History of The Firm

From 'Short Histories of Famous Firms' by Ernest Leopold Ahrons, The Engineer - 1923/08/24.

Sharp, Stewart and Co, Sharp, Roberts and Co, Sharp Brothers and Co.

"The original foundation of this celebrated firm dates back to 1806, when two brothers, Thomas and Robert Chapman Sharp, had a workshop in Manchester for the manufacture of tools and general machines. In 1823 a third brother, John Sharp joined the firm, and in 1828 Richard Roberts was taken into partnership, and the title of the firm became Sharp, Roberts and Co. At this time the business was chiefly concerned with the manufacture of cotton-spinning machinery, to which card-making machinery was subsequently added. Roberts was a born mechanical genius, to which talent he added a sound engineering knowledge, such that his many useful ideas materialised into practical working machines. The demand for machine tools afterwards occupied the attention of the two partners, with the result that planing, slotting, wheel-teeth cutting and other useful machines, some of which wore invented and improved by Roberts, found their way into the numerous engineering works then springing up in this country.

In 1833, Sharp, Roberts and Co took up locomotive manufacture, and their first engine was put to work in 1834 on the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. It was aptly named Experiment, and was followed the same year by three engines on somewhat similar principles for the Dublin and Kingstown Railway..."[21] Read More

Read the series of articles on the History of Sharp, Stewart and Co.

The Engineer 1923/08/24 - (No I)

The Engineer 1923/08/31 - (No II)




See Also

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Sources of Information

  1. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 06 November 1852
  2. 1853 Directory of Manchester and Salford
  3. 1853 Directory of Manchester and Salford
  4. The Imperial Journal 1853 Volume III. p240
  5. The Imperial Journal 1853 Volume III. p623
  6. [1] Gazette Issue 21748 published on the 20 July 1855
  7. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 26 January 1856
  8. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 01 November 1856
  9. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 18 April 1857
  10. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 08 May 1858
  11. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 03 July 1858
  12. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Saturday 23 October 1858
  13. [2] The Exhibited Machinery of 1862: a Cyclopaedia of the Machinery Exhibited at the International Exhibition, by D. K. Clark, pp.139-145
  14. [3] BnF Gallica website: Livre Des Machines-outils, leur importance, leur utilité, progrès apportés dans leur Fabrication by J. Chrétien, 1863
  15. Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser - Thursday 10 August 1865
  16. The Engineer, 7 March 1876
  17. The Huddersfield Daily Chronicle, 27 January 1880
  18. The Engineer of 14th December 1894 p511
  19. The Engineer of 14th December 1894 p534 Supplement
  20. The Engineer of 27th April 1900 p434
  21. The Engineer 1923/08/24
  • British Steam Locomotive Builders by James W. Lowe. Published in 1975. ISBN 0-905100-816