Willans and Robinson
Willans and Robinson, Ltd., of Victoria Works, Rugby; and Queensferry, near Chester.
1880 The company was founded as a partnership by Peter William Willans and Mark Robinson to manufacture a small high-speed marine steam engine at Thames Ditton, Surrey.
1884 A single-acting central valve engine was developed specifically to drive dynamos, which ultimately became famous.
1888 became a private limited liability company
1888 Took limited status with £200,000 capital. Described as mechanical and electrical engineers, boilermakers, iron and steel founders, launch and ship builders. [1]
1888 H. Farmer, Thames Ditton was the Secretary. [2]
1893 Reconstituted as a public company.
1894 Supplied equipment to Bristol Electric Light Station with Siemens Brothers. Illustration. [3]
1894 The company was registered on 8 March, to take over the business of engine builders of the private limited company of the same name. [4]
1895 Three engines for electricity generation for the Herrison Mental Hospital, Charminster.
1897 Moved to Willans Works, Rugby to satisfy the need for expansion and better railway facilities.
1900 Engine displayed at Paris Exhibition. Normal rating 2400 HP at 200 rpm, 3000 HP maximum.[5]
c.1900 Supplied two engines driving Mather and Platt dynamos for Rathmines Power Station, Dublin (see photo)[6]
c.1900 A modern works, the Ferry Works, were built on the banks of the Dee at Queensferry near Chester[7]
1901-1916 of Victoria Works, Rugby. Annual reports held at Coventry Archives[8]
1902 Engine for electricity generation for Avonbank power station.
1902 Made engines for the Duryea car
By 1902 the company had facilities in Rugby and Queensferry[9]
1904 Engine for electricity generation for the Herrison Mental Hospital, Charminster.
1904 Started production of high-power diesel engines [10]
1907 Installation at Islington Electricity Works[11]
1908 After unsuccessful attempts to dispose of the Queensferry Works, it was decided that they should be closed because they did not make enough profit[12]
1911 335 bhp Diesel engine. [13]
1914 Installed several large steam turbines for various municipal corporations; increased orders for diesel engines; licenced the Muller-Jones condensing plant[14]
1916 Part of Dick, Kerr and Co.
1919 They became part of the English Electric Co.
Licensees for the Salmson engines with Dudbridge Iron Works. These were fitted to the Henry Farman F.27.
1968 English Electric became part of GEC, initially trading as English Electric-AEI.
2014 Willans Works, Rugby, continues to undertake land and marine turbine work as part of ALSTOM Power.
See Also
Sources of Information
- The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978. ISBN 0-903485-65-6
- AA. [1] Image courtesy of Aviation Ancestry
- ↑ The Engineer of 27th January 1888 p69
- ↑ The Engineer 1888/12/28
- ↑ The Engineer of 24th August 1894 p169 & p172
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
- ↑ Engineering 27th April 1900
- ↑ 'The Engineer' 7th Sept 1900
- ↑ The Times, Sep 17, 1908
- ↑ National Archives
- ↑ The Times, Apr 19, 1902
- ↑ A-Z of British Stationary Engines by Patrick Knight. Published 1999. ISBN 1 873098 50 2
- ↑ The Engineer 1907/06/07
- ↑ The Times, Oct 07, 1908
- ↑ The Engineer of 20th October 1911 p430
- ↑ The Times, Jan 28, 1914