Title
Archives of Connolly Brothers, British Insulated Callender's Cables and BICC Ltd
Reference
YA2005.108
Production date
01-01-1851 - 31-12-1999
Creator
- Connolly Brothers LtdBiographyBiography
Connolly Brothers Ltd was a cable and wire makers founded by John, Thomas and James Connolly in 1894 but acquired 1895 by a consortium of seven subscribers. The business employed around 150 workers.
Connollys initially concentrated production on wire covered with vulcanised rubber and flexible wires. By around 1900 they had installed a lead press to produce lead covered cable which created opportunities in the Far East. They pioneered enamelled wire production using a process licensed from Alfred Voqelgesting of Germany. In 1909 Connollys secured a contract with the General Post Office (GPO) to supply enamelled and cotton covered wire, made up into lead covered cable for use in the telephone service.
In 1919 the company went into receivership and the assets of Connolly Brothers Ltd were sold to Enfield Cables Limited. This led to the formation of Connollys (Blackley).
- Connollys (Blackley) LtdBiographyBiography
Connolly Brothers (Blackley) Ltd was established in 1919, when the assets of Connolly Brothers Ltd were sold to Enfield Cables Limited.
Connollys was a member of the industry body the Cable Makers Association, and was best known for its Blackley Tape product.
As well as the main works in Blackley, Manchester, the company had a factory in Kirkby and offices in London, Birmingham, Glasgow and Aycliffe.
The company became a subsidiary of British Insulated Callenders Cables Ltd in 1959, although it continued to operate independently, manufacturing telephone cable. It was became known as BICC Connollys Ltd in 1975 when a restructure of British Insulated Callenders Cables Ltd resulted in the parent company being renamed BICC Ltd.
In 1999, BICC Ltd sold its cable manufacturing business, including BICC Connollys Ltd, to Corning, which was acquired in turn by Belden Cables in 2000. Belden Cables maintained its operations at the former Connollys (Blackley) Ltd works.
- BICC LtdBiographyBiography
BICC Ltd was a cable manufacturing company, the result of the reconfiguration of British Insulated Callenders Cables Limited (BICC) in 1975, at which point BICC became BICC Ltd. BICC Ltd comprised of four operating divisions: BICC Cables Ltd, BICC Industrial Products Ltd, BICC International Ltd, and Balfour Beatty Ltd.
BICC had a world presence which was initially in the Commonwealth but in the 1980s and 1990s extended into mainland Europe and beyond. Acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese companies gave entry in turn to South America and other parts of Africa. Disastrous investments in former East Germany and Russia helped bring the business to its knees at the same time as margins in every other part of the cable-making businesses came under attack.
In 1999, BICC Ltd sold its power cable making business to General Cable Corporation and its optical cable business to Corning. BICC Ltd renamed itself Balfour Beaty in 2000.
Scope and Content
Business records including minutes, accounts, legal agreements, operational papers and personnel records of Connollys (Blackley) Ltd (1851-1979), British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd (1930 - 1975), and BICC Ltd. (1972-1999).
Extent
19 linear metres
Physical description
The condition of the archive is good.
Language
English
Archival history
The archive was created and maintained by Connolly Brothers and their successor companies: Connollys (Blackley) Ltd, British Insulated Callender's Cables and BICC Ltd. In 1999, BICC's optical cable operations were sold to Corning, which was acquired by Belden Cables in 2000. Belden Cables and Cable Design Technologies Corporation merged in 2004 forming Belden CDT Inc. In 2005 Belden CDT donated this archive to the Museum of Science and Industry.
Level of description
TOP
Repository name
Science and Industry Museum
Subject
Conditions governing access
Open access. A Data Protection form must be signed in order to access material related to staffing.
Conditions governing Reproduction
Copies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions.
External document
Related object
System of arrangement
Some preliminary listing had been carried out by a member of staff from Belden. However, no copy of the list exists, and it was possible only to retain the original order for sub-series 2005.108/1/1 and 2005.108/1/2. The remaining records have been divided into 3 series:
YA2005.108/1 The records of Connollys (Blackley) Ltd. This covers the records of the company from its creation as Connolly Brothers in 1895 to its merger into the BICC group in 1975.
YA2005.108/2 The records of British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd. The company was named British Insulated Cables until its merger in 1945 with Callender's Cable & Construction Co. Ltd. and was then renamed British Insulated Callender's Cables Ltd (or BICC). BICC had a number of subsidiary companies (including Connollys (Blackley) Ltd) and this series also covers pre 1975 records which apply to the whole Group, such as the Consolidated Accounts (YA2005.108/2/2/1). Occasionally the distinction between series 1 and 2 is blurred, as there was a lot of correspondence between the two companies. In such cases, files have been placed in either series depending on the majority of their content.
YA2005.108/3 The records of BICC Ltd, reflecting the business after its reorganisation in 1975.
 Connolly Brothers photo.jpg)
