Title
Collection of trade literature from Ferguson Pailin Ltd and successor companies
Reference
YA2010.38
Production date
01-01-1925 - 31-12-2000
Creator
- Ferguson, Pailin LimitedBiographyBiography
Makers of heavy duty electrical switchgear and general electrical engineers, based in Higher Openshaw, Manchester. The company was formed in 1913 by Samuel Ferguson and George Pailin, who had worked for Ferranti as switchgear engineers. Ferranti Ltd sold its switchgear patents and stock to Ferguson, Pailin Ltd. in 1913.
The company was acquired by Associated Electrical Industries in 1928, but continued to operate as a separated entity until 1960, when it was merged into AEI Switchgear.
The Openshaw factory was eventually closed in 2003, having operated as part of GEC (the General Electric Company), and later GEC Alsthom.
- GEC Alsthom LimitedBiographyBiography
In 1988 a joint-venture was formed between the General Electric Company (GEC) with Compagnie Générale d’Electricité (CGE) that led to the establishment of an Anglo-French company, GEC Alsthom in 1989. This company encompassed the Power Generation and Transmission, Rail Transport (25%) businesses from the constituent companies of GEC and CGE. The GEC Alsthom company headquarters were based at Rugby, Warwickshire and the headquarters for Transport were based at Trafford Park in Manchester.
GEC Alsthom purchased train builder Metro-Cammell based at Washwood Heath, Birmingham from the Laird Group in 1989, bringing into the group a company which had a long association with GEC Traction and its predecessors as a vehicle builder. In 1998 GEC Alsthom was re-formed and became Alstom with Transport / Alstom Transport one of its major divisions.
- The Record Electrical Company LtdBiographyBiography
The Record Electrical Company Ltd was formed in 1911 by John Westmoreland Record. They are a manufacturer of moving coil and moving iron indicators. These are then used in electric engine speed indicators and other electrical instruments. Formed in 1911, Record Electrical has become a specialist supplier of Analogue Moving Coil and Moving Iron indicators with the "RECORD" and "CIRSCALE" trademark's known worldwide as a symbol of quality and accuracy. The indicators are manufactured and calibrated in Altrincham.
In 1971 Thorn Electrical Industries took ownership of the company.
Scope and Content
Brochures, reports, invitations, instruction manuals and other trade literature relating to Ferguson Pailin Ltd, AEI (Higher Openshaw), GEC (Higher Openshaw), GEC Alsthom (Higher Openshaw & Kidsgrove), ALSTOM (Higher Openshaw, Paris & Stafford) and Medelec Switchgear Ltd of Malta (licensee).
The collection also includes brochures from The Record Electrical Company Ltd, an unrelated business.
Extent
2 boxes
Archival history
The donor worked at Higher Openshaw from 1988 until it closed in 2002, initially as a Production Engineer and then in a number of manufacturing and quality management roles. He was involved in a number of reorganisations, site amalgamations and finally in the transfer of the remaining business to Stafford. During this time, he acted to prevent the material in this collection from going to landfill as buildings were cleared. The nameplate he donated alongside this archive came from switchgear which was installed in St Helens and was being decommissioned. The donor's wife was working as the site engineer at the time and knew of the donor's interest in the history of the Higher Openshaw site and of Ferguson Pailin, so preserved the nameplate on his behalf.
Level of description
TOP
Repository name
Science and Industry Museum
Subject
Conditions governing access
Open Access
Conditions governing Reproduction
Copies may be supplied in accordance with current copyright legislation and Science Museum Group terms and conditions.
Related object
Related items
Y2010.38
