Business records of W. T. Glover & Co. Ltd

Walter T Glover established his wire manufacturing company in 1868, occupying premises at the Bridgewater Street Iron Works in Salford. W T Glover & Co, known as Glover’s, originally made cotton-covered and braided, insulated copper wires for use on bell, signalling and telephone circuits. As trade developed, the company moved to the Springfield Lane Cable Works in 1880. At this time, factories and larger private homes were beginning to install electric lighting, which required better insulated cable. Glover's started to manufacture cables covered with between one and three layers of rubber strip, waterproof tape and compounded cotton braid. In the late 1880s, Glover's began to make lead-sheathed cables for underground use. The company became a limited company and moved to Trafford Park in 1898, securing the exclusive rights for the supply of electricity to all the roads, streets and premises of Trafford Park. In June 1919, Vickers Ltd took over Glover's. Although Vickers held most of the shares, Glover's kept its name and management. In 1929 the Vickers group reorganised and sold its shares in Glover's to Sir Tom Callendar of Callendar Cable and Construction Co. Some shares later went to W. T. Henley's Telegraph Works Ltd. and British Insulated Cables.

In 1945, Glover’s became part of British Insulated Callenders Cables Limited, following the merger of Callenders Cable and Construction Co and British Insulated Cables.

During the 1950s, Glover’s developed high voltage submarine power cables, used to link centres of population with sources of generation. The parent company formed a subsidiary, BIC (Submarine) Cables Ltd, to manufacture and install the Glover’s cables. Glover's submarine cables linked England and France, and the north and south islands of New Zealand. Increasing competition from other cable manufacturing companies resulted in the south side of Glover’s Trafford Parks works integrating with the newly formed Wiring and General Cables Division of the British Insulated Cables Company (BICC). The Trafford Park factory closed in 1970, but the Glover’s brand continued as part of BICC.

Coal mining company, Warwickshire, c1729-1947
Haunchwood Colliery was producing coal from c1729. It was previously owned by the Nowell family but was taken over in the 1880s by Sir Alfred Hickman becoming Haunchwood Collieries Ltd. It was nationalised in 1947.

The London and South Western Railway Company (LSWR) opened their first line in stages in from London to Southampton in 1838 under the name London and Southampton Railway Company. A year later the company name was changed to the LSWR. By the early 1900s, the line had been extended and ran from London to Plymouth via Yeovil, Exeter and Southampton. Some of the branch lines of the LSWR, further into Southern counties, were in direct competition with the Great Western Railway Company and others were worked in partnership with other railway companies such as the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.

Nine Elms in London was the main depot of the LSWR, until Waterloo Station was opened by the company in 1848. Nine Elms became the goods depot for the London and South Western Railway Company and Waterloo became one of the biggest passenger stations in the country. The main LSWR engineering works was transferred from Nine Elms to Eastleigh by 1909.

Sir Herbert Walker was General Manager of the London and South Western Railway Company from 1912, when he instituted the third-rail electrification programme, and was appointed General Manager of the Southern Railway Company in 1923, until his retirement in 1937. There were a number of notable engineers attached to the LSWR including John Viret Gooch, brother of Sir Daniel Gooch who was Locomotive Superintendent from 1841 to 1850. Dugald Drummond was the Chief Mechanical Engineer from 1895 to 1912; he facilitated moving the Works from Nine Elms to Eastleigh and their subsequent expansion and modernisation. Alfred Szlumper, appointed Chief Engineer in 1914 was key to the expansion and redesign of Waterloo Station, completed by 1922

The LSWR began electrification of its suburban lines from Waterloo in 1913. The first section was opened in 1915, and almost all the other planned routes were opened before the First World War curtailed the project. The London and South Western Railway Company was very prominent in handling all types of traffic during the First World War, due to it’s position serving London and the ports on the South Coast.

The LSWR also had an ocean-going port at Southampton, which was a growing rival to Liverpool and Glasgow for transatlantic travel. The purchase of Southampton docks by the LSWR in 1892, alongside their expansion and modernisation, was organised by Sir Charles Scotter, the General Manager from 1885 to 1898. Scotter then became Chairmen of the Company from 1904 to 1910. The LSWR also ran steamer services from Southampton to the Channel Islands and France.

In 1923, the LSWR was grouped into the Southern Railway Company by the Railways Act of 1921.

1893-?, coal mining, Newcastle, Staffordshire, England.

?-1947, coal mining, St Helens, England

1858-c1947, coal mining company, Hulton, Manchester, England.
The company had its origins in small coal mines on the northern part of the Hulton Park estate, which were owned by the Hultons who had held the estate from medieval times.
On on 21 December 1910 an underground explosion occurred at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit, known as the Pretoria Pit, in Over Hulton, Westhoughton. A total of 344 men lost their lives.
The company was transferred to the ownership of the National Coal Board as part of nationalisation in 1947.

c1899-1947, coal mining company, Durham

?-c1917, electrical supply company, Durham, England
Taken over by the North East Electrical Supply Company (NESCo) in c1917.

c1875-1947, coal mining company, Durham

Engineering company based in Ince, Wigan. Originally a subsidiary of Hall, Lewis & Co. it became a public company when the parent company went into liquidation in 1931.

The Manchester Ship Canal Company was responsible for the funding and construction of the canal and the later management of the canal until it was bought by Peel Holdings in 2008.

The project began with a meeting organised by Daniel Adamson on the 27th June 1882, at his home in Didsbury. The meeting was attended by several industrialists from across the region, as well as civic leaders. The project progressed but, it did have its detractors amongst them the Port of Liverpool and the railway companies. The Ship Canal was deposited with Parliament in November 1882.

The Bill was not successful however, a third Bill was presented to Parliament and this time it made it to the House of Lords where, on the 6th august 1885 it received the royal assent. Some stipulations were put in place amongst them was the company had to but the Bridgewater Navigation Company and raise £5,000,000 prior to any construction starting.

The funding was eventually secured by July 1887 and on the 11th November 1887 Lord Egerton cut the first sod. At the peak of the project there were over 16,000 men and boys working on the construction of the canal. As well as digging and carrying large amounts of the soil away by barrow, there were several mechanical diggers, powered by steam used during the project.

Eventually after six years the canal was finished and attracted the additional building of a large industrial state, Trafford park along the Manchester end of the canal which was started in 1896. The Ship Canal also extended the docking facilities by building a further Dock No 9 which was opened in 1905.

Manchester Docks was the official name given to the Docks at the terminus of the Manchester Ship Canal, the whole length of the Canal being referred to as the Port of Manchester. However, Docks No. 6 - 9 were also known as Salford Docks, due to their location in Salford, whilst Docks No. 1 - 4 were also called Pomona Docks.

The formal opening of the canal was conducted by Queen Victoria in May 1894 although the canal had been opened to shipping prior to the official opening.

c1897-c1933, coal mining company, Cardiff

Coal mining company, Manchester, c1885-1929
Purchased from the Pilkington Colliery Co Ltd in 1885. Operations were extended to Astley in 1908, where a new pit was sunk. The company became part of Manchester Collieries Ltd in 1929.

The Ford company was established in Great Britain in October 1910. In order to promote the company's desire to be seen as a company building cars for the British market using locally sources parts put together by local employees, the Ford Motor Company (England) Limited was established in 1911. At the same time the company moved from London to a new factory at Trafford Park, Manchester.

The success of the company continued and as a result larger premises were required, the company chose a site in Dagenham on the banks of the River Thames and eventually the new plant was opened there in 1931. The Trafford Park factory continued to operate whilst Dagenham was being built and as a shadow factory, during the Second World War, building Merlin engines until 1946, when production was stopped and the factory was sold.

Rubber processor, Trafford Park, Manchester.
Active c1912.

1884-1932, Electrical and mechanical engineer, Manchester
Formed in 1884 as Royce Limited. Registered on 4 June 1891, as F. H. Royce and Co, to take over the business of electrical and mechanical engineers of the firm of the same name. It became a limited company in 1894.
In 1904, the company manufactured their first car, and in 1906, Henry Royce and Charles Rolls form Rolls Royce Limited. Royce Ltd was acquired by Herbert Morris of Loughborough in 1932.

The Great Western Railway, also known as the GWR, was founded by Royal Assent on 31 August 1835. The idea of a railway from Bristol to London had first been mooted in 1824, and finally in 1833 a committee of four prominent Bristol businessmen, namely George Jones, John Harford, Thomas Richard Guppy and William Tothill, had joined together and provided impetus and capital for the project. It took two years to survey the line and push the necessary legislation through Parliament. The first train ran from Bristol to Bath on 31 August 1940, full services started in 1841 and in 1842 Swindon Locomotive Works started operation. The London terminus of the GWR was at Paddington station.

At its inception, the GWR had a board of 24 directors which was divided into two committees based in London and Bristol. The first chairman, who sat on the London committee, was Benjamin Shaw and the first deputy chairman was Robert Bright, a member of the Bristol committee. Sir Daniel Gooch was the first Locomotive Superintendent, a post that came later to be known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer. The GWR did not have the post of General Manager until 1863, when Charles Grierson was appointed. The first Secretary was Charles Saunders. Charles Russell became chairman in 1839. The GWR’s first Engineer (a post that would later be called the Chief Civil Engineer) was the renowned Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and he held the post from March 1835 to September 1859. The GWR was overseen by a Board of Directors.

At the turn of the century there were three departments under the General Manager. These were the General Department, New Works and Government Enquiries and Staff and Expenses. On the operational side of the GWR, the various different departments such as the Locomotive, Carriage and Superintendent, the Superintendent of the Line, the Goods Department and the Traffic Manager all used a similar administrative structure. These departments were headed by one manager and beneath this post responsibility was distributed into divisions based on geographical areas, which varied by department. The docks which were owned by the GWR were administrated separately from the railways under the control of the Chief Docks Manager. There were also facilitative administrative departments, as well as Hotels and Catering, Surveyor, Estate Agent, Stores departments and a Road Motor Engineer’s Department which operated the GWR’s road haulage service.

Brunel insisted on using a broad gauge track, which caused problems both in the civil engineering projects to build the railway and also during operation. A Gauge Commission had been appointed in 1846 and brought about the Gauge Act of 16 August 1846 which noted the systemic advantages of narrow gauge but did not compel the GWR to convert the full length of their track. From 1846 a standard gauge third rail was added to board gauge lines. From around 1868, led by then Chairman Sir Daniel Gooch, the GWR began to convert the entire system to standard gauge, and this was completed on 23 May 1892.

The main line of the Great Western Railway ran over the 118¼ miles between Bristol Temple Meads and Paddington station in London. The construction of the main line required several major engineering works. The chief among these was the two-mile long Box Tunnel between Bath and Chippenham. This challenging engineering work took around five years to complete, opening on 30 June 1841. Brunel also constructed viaducts and bridges, including the Maidenhead Bridge, opened on 1 July 1839 and the Royal Albert Bridge at Saltash which linked Devon and Cornwall across the River Tamar and which opened on 11 April 1859.

The GWR had a road haulage operation, which connected with its rail freight services. The GWR also owned and operated a number of docks and harbours, and after the Grouping in 1923 the GWR became the world’s largest dock-owning company. It wholly owned 16 docks, including Plymouth, Swansea and Cardiff, and jointly owned five other docks. The South Wales ports mainly handled minerals and food, whilst passenger ships used Plymouth and Fishguard. The GWR’s docks and harbours allowed goods and passengers to transfer between rail and sea with ease. The GWR also owned its own hotels, which numbered eight by 1923. The showpiece hotel was the Great Western Royal Hotel which was connected to Paddington station.

The Railways Act 1921 came into effect on 1 January 1923 and the multitude of smaller railway companies were consolidated in the Big Four. The GWR absorbed seven larger constituent companies as well as 26 smaller railways covering most of Wales, the Welsh Marches, Somerset, South Devon and Cornwall. It was third largest Big Four railway, with around 3,800 miles of track.

The Great Western Railway, along with all the other Big Four railway companies was nationalised and taken over by the Railway Executive, part of the British Transport Commission from 1 January 1948. The Western Region of British Railways took over responsibilty for GWR's sphere of operations.

1882-c1957, coal mining, Darlington, England.
Formed in 1882 with the amalgamation of Joseph Pease and Partners, colliery owners and J. W. Pease and Co, ironstone and mineral quarry owners. Registered in 1898.

1864-1935, steam and coal company, Aberdare, South Wales
Amalgamated with Welsh Associated Collieries in 1935 to become Powell Duffryn Associated Collieries.

Coal mining company, Oldham, 1877-1947

Coal mining company, Moira, Leicestershire, c1896-1947.

1847-1922, railway company, England
The title "Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway" was adopted by the Manchester & Leeds Railway in July, 1847 following its absorption of a number of earlier local railways, the largest of which was the Manchester and Leeds Railway.
In 1922, Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway amalgamated with London and North Western Railways; the expanded LNWR subsequently formed part of the London and North Western Railway.

Richard Johnson and Nephew were a firm of ironmasters and wire drawers based in Bradford, Manchester, with a heritage dating back to 1773. They revolutionised the wire industry with the introduction of the first continuous galvanising plant in 1860 and later with the world's first successful continuous rod rolling mill in 1862. These machines sped up the wire-making process at a time when demand was rising rapidly.

The company supplied wire for a range of uses, including galvanised armouring wire for submarine cables, and for use in suspension bridges including one at Niagara. In 1877, the company bought the sole licence to manufacture barbed wire under patent across Britain. The company later supplied over 60% of the steel-cored aluminium conductors for the National Grid.

In 1973, Richard Johnson & Nephew merged with Thomas Firth & John Brown Ltd, becoming Johnson & Firth Brown. The Bradford Works closed in 1986.

The Dunlop Rubber Company takes its name from John Boyd Dunlop, the first person to put the pneumatic principle into everyday use by making an air filled tube tyre for bicycles. However, he was only involved with the company from 1889 to 1894, when he joined a rival firm, Tubeless (Fleuss) Pneumatic Tyre Company.

The original company was the Pneumatic Tyre and Booth's Cycle Agency Ltd, founded in 1888 in Dublin. The name Dunlop Rubber Company was first used in 1889 for a private company created to serve as one of the manufacturing units for the founder company. This founder company changed its name several times: in 1893 to the Pneumatic Tyre Company Limited; in 1896 to the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company Limited and in 1913 to the Parent Tyre Company Limited. In 1931 the founder company went into liquidation.

In the meantime, Harvey Du Cros (who had helped to form the Pneumatic Tyre and Booth's Cycle Agency Ltd.) was providing finance to Byrne Bros., a Birmingham business engaged in the production of general rubber goods. In 1896 Byrne Bros. underwent flotation on the stock market as the Rubber Tyre Manufacturing Company based at Para Mill with the intention of building a new factory, Manor Mills, alongside it. Du Cros purchased the Manor Mills and the Rubber Tyre Manufacturing Company in 1900 and 1901 respectively, and the two companies were amalgamated to form the Dunlop Rubber Company Limited. This company purchased the founder company in 1912.

In subsequent years Dunlop expanded into a vast multinational organisation. By 1946 there were 90,000 shareholders and 70,000 employees with factories in, any different countries, sales outlets in nearly every country, and rubber plantations in Southeast Asia (from 1910). Apart from merely producing tyres, the Dunlop Rubber Company Limited made cycle rims and motor car wheels from 1906, and in 1910 Dunlop developed its first aeroplane tyre and golf ball. In 1914 developed a process of spinning and doubling cotton for a new tyre fabric. A collapse in trade in 1922 after the post-World War 1 boom led to financial and administrative reorganisation, but the inter war period also saw the development of Latex foam cushioning (sold by the subsidiary, Dunlopillo) and expansion by way of new factories in South Africa and India. In 1924 the company expanded into manufacturing tennis balls and in 1925 acquired A. A. Davis, which had tennis racket manufacturing expertise. The company acquired Charles Macintosh of Manchester in 1926.

After World War II (during which Dunlop played a major part as suppliers of tyres and rubber goods to the Allied forces). Dunlop expanded further to produce sports goods, sponge rubber, precision bearings and adhesives. In 1967, the company changed its name from the Dunlop Rubber Company Ltd to Dunlop Ltd, to reflect the more diversified nature of the business and in 1971 Dunlop merged with Pirelli of Italy. The merger was not successful, and was dissolved in 1981. The European tyre business was sold to its former subsidiary, Sumitomo Rubber Industries Ltd of Japan in 1983 and the following year the remaining tyre factories in New Zealand and India were sold for £200 million. Dunlop Holdings Limited (encompassing the whole company) was bought by BTR plc in 1985.

Sir W.G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Company Ltd was formed in 1897 by the merger of Joseph Whitworth and Company with Armstrong Mitchell and Company, which itself had been formed by the merging of W.G. Armstrong and Co with Charles Mitchell and Co in 1882. This new company manufactured a wide range of products including hydraulic equipment, bridges, armaments and ships. Its shipyards produced many merchant vessels such as freighters, tankers, dredgers and icebreaking train ferries for Lake Baikal. They also constructed warships for the Royal Navy, Imperial Russian Navy, Imperial Japanese Navy and United States Navy, including the first polar icebreaker ‘Yermak’, which was constructed for the Russian Navy and launched in 1898.

Initially the new company was headed by William George Armstrong but following his death in 1900 Andrew Noble was appointed as chairman. Also, at this time production of cars and truck would begin, in order to diversify production following the end of the Boer War and the resultant drop in the demand for artillery. Initially these were designed by other companies, but this would switch to inhouse designs later on.

In 1913 an aerial department was formed to begin production of aeroplane and airships. This department produced a number of different designs during the First World War and in 1920 it became a subsidiary under the name Sir W.G. Whitworth Aircraft Ltd.

Following the end of the First World War the company again recognised a need to diversify due to a greatly reduced demand for munitions. As part of this it formed a subsidiary under the name Armstrong Whitworth Development Company. This acquired Siddeley-Deasy, which became known as Armstrong Siddeley Motors, as well as a controlling interests in Crompton and Co and A and J Main and Co. The Scotswood Works would also be repurposed to build railway locomotives. This proved successful due to the modern machinery that had been installed and would produce 1,464 locomotives until 1937 when it was converted back to armament manufacturing. In addition to the steam locomotives common at the time this figure also included diesel locomotives and railcars due to a licence acquired for Sulzer.

1920 not only saw the aerial department’s reorganisation into the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft Company but also the purchasing of a controlling interest in Pearson and Knowles Coal and Iron Co, along with its subsidiary Partington Steel and Iron Co. Later, in 1922, the company would also form the Newfoundland Power and Paper Utilities Corporation in order to finance a paper mill and in 1925 Boving Engineering Co was purchased.

By 1926 the company was suffering financially. Due to the Newfoundland company going over budget and not achieving its productions goals the company was suffering from a greatly reduced cash flow. In the first 11 months of 1926 its losses amounted to £625,767 and by 1927 the decision had been take to merge the defence and engineering businesses with that of Vickers in order to create a new subsidiary of Vickers Armstrong. The ownership of this would be split so that Vickers held 2/3 and Armstrong-Whitworth held 1/3. The Armstrong Whitworth Development Company would also be sold, and it became the Armstrong Siddeley Development Company following its acquisition by J.D. Siddeley, although Armstrong-Whitworth still held a substantial shareholding and also retained the Pearson and Knowles Coal and Iron Company.

Despite these actions heavy financial losses continued and, although they were offset by the sale of the company’s shares in the Armstrong Siddeley Development Company, they still resulted in a serious reduction in capital. As a result, the decision was taken to form two new companies to take over the activities of the original one. These were Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company (Engineers) Ltd, which took over the general engineering business, and Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company (Shipbuilders) Ltd, which took over the Devon, Walker and Tyne shipyards. A holding company was also formed to manage these, Armstrong Whitworth Securities Company Ltd. In 1930 a third company was added to the group, Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth and Company (Ironfounders) Ltd.

Beyond this the 1930s saw a winding down of the Armstrong-Whitworth group’s activities. In 1935 Vickers bought the remaining shares of Vickers-Armstrong and in 1937 Sir John Jarvis acquired Sir W.G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co (Ironfounders) Ltd to relieve unemployment on Tyneside. By 1937 the group had also ended production of locomotives and only the engineering subsidiary remained. This was sold in 1943 and the group was liquidated.

c1923-1947, coal mining company, East Ardsley, Wakefield.

c1896-c1923, coal mining company, Altham, Lancashire.

Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd was the new trading name given to British Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Co on 8 September 1919. The predecessor company had sold its controlling share to the Metropolitan Carriage Wagon Co in 1916 in order to gain membership of the Federation of British Industries. In 1919, Vickers acquired the Metropolitan Carriage Wagon Co, along with its controlling share in British Westinghouse, prompting the change in name to Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd.

The American owned British Westinghouse had established its English operations at Trafford Park in 1899, and Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd continued on the same site from 8 September 1919. The company was initially known for its electricity generators, later diversifying into the manufacture of steam turbines, switchgear, transformers, electronics and railway traction equipment.

The passing of the Electricity (Supply) Act in 1926 provided a boost to the company’s post-war fortunes, with the creation of the National Grid generating demand for the company's products.

In 1928, Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd merged with its rival British Thomson Houston Co Ltd, retaining both names for trading purposes. The following year, on 4 January 1929, Associated Electrical Industries Ltd (AEI) acquired Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd and the British Thomson Houston Co Ltd. Again, both trading names were retained, and a fierce rivalry was established between the firms which the parent company was unable to control.

In 1931, Sir Felix Pole joined Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd as its new chairman. He oversaw a period of expansion for the company leading into the Second World War. In 1939, seeking a more concise name for the company, the Board of Directors decided upon Metrovicks, which became interchangeable with the official company name of Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd. Under Sir Felix Pole's chairmanship, Metropolitan-Vickers developed new products for the aviation industry and during the war was one of the sites where Lancaster bombers were built. In 1941, the company developed the first British axial-flow jet engine, the Metrovick F.2.

Following the Second World War, the company appointed Oliver Lyttelton as chairman, with the aim of increasing the efficiency and productivity of AEI. Despite his success in achieving this aim, Lyttelton was unable to resolve the commercial rivalry between Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd and the British Thomson Houston Co Ltd.

During his second period as chairman, from 1954-1963, Lyttelton, now Lord Chandos, oversaw the development by Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd of the first commercial transistor computer, the Metrovick 950. Chandos also resolved to extinguish the competition and internal divisions between Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co Ltd and the British Thomson Houston Co Ltd, and both company names ceased to be used from 1 January 1960, with all subsidiaries going on to trade under the name of Associated Electrical Industries Ltd.

The General Post Office was established in England in 1660 by Charles II. It grew to cover telecommunications as well as the postal system. The GPO was abolished in 1969 and the assets were transferred to The Post Office, changing it from a Department of State to a statutory corporation.

Formed in 1878 as Newton Heath LYR (Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway) Football Club. They initially played games against other departments and rail companies, but on 20 November 1880, they competed in their first recorded match against Bolton Wanderers' reserve team.

In 1892, the club joined the Football League, by which time they had become independent of the rail company and dropped the "LYR" from their name. By January 1902, the club had debts of £2,670 and was under risk of closure, until Captain Harry Stafford found four local businessmen willing to invest. The name was subsequently changed to Manchester United Football Club in April 1902.

Brewer, Burton-upon-Trent, 1777-c1965
Established by William Bass in 1777 as Bass & Co Brewery. William's son, Michael Thomas Bass, succeeded on his father's death in 1827, and the company became Bass, Ratcliff and Gretton.

By 1877, Bass was the largest brewery in the world. It became a public limited company in 1888. The company took control of a number of large breweries in the early 20th century and in the 1960s merged with Charrington United Breweries to become Bass Charrington.

The brewing operations of the company were bought by Interbrew (now Anheuser-Busch InBev) in 2000, while the retail side (hotel and pub holdings) were renamed Six Continents plc.

The brand London Transport came into being in 1933 and remained until 2000. Prior to 1933, the transport system in London was owned and managed by several independent and separate organisations. The Underground railways were developed and owned by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London (est. 1902) and the Metropolitan Railway (est. 1863) whilst the Tram and Trolleybus networks were under the control of various local authorities and public companies. The London County Council operated tram routes within the County of London but its responsibility did not extend to the bus or tram routes that ran outside its area and it did not hold responsibility for the railways which also extended into neighbouring counties.

From 1933, the London Passenger Transport Board (LPTB) was established in accordance with the 1933 London Passenger Transport Act and covered both the County of London and adjacent counties within a 48-km radius. For the first time services within the London area were amalgamated. A significant proportion of tram routes were brought under the responsibility of the LPTB, as were the Underground Electric Railways Company of London lines and the bus services; this became known as the London Passenger Transport Area. It was then that the familiar ‘roundel symbol’ (designed in 1918) and the tube map designed in 1931 were adopted by the LPTB.

The second World War was to cause some disruption to the ongoing programme, resulting in delays and also the abandonment of some projects. During the post war years, the transport authority was the London Transport Executive until 1962. It was taken into public ownership and London Transport and British Railways were under the same jurisdiction for the first and only time. It was during this time that recruitment began directly from the Caribbean and work began on resolving war damage to stock and stations as well as the completion of projects previously delayed during the war. The post-war years also saw some major developments within London transport, including the withdrawal of both trams and trolleybuses and the introduction of the iconic AEC Routemaster bus in 1956.

From 1963, the transport authority was the London Transport Board until 1969 and it reported directly to the Ministry of Transport and no longer held direct association with the management of British Railways. Public transport was not heavily invested in during this period and motor cars increased in popularity. Unprofitable railways across Britain were also closed. The 1960s also witnessed the opening of the underground Victoria line and also the introduction of the single-deck bus.

From 1970, the Greater London Council was the transport authority and remained so until 1984. Control of green-coloured country buses and Green Line Coaches were passed on to London Country Bus Services which became part of the National Bus Company. As with many organisations during this period, London transport suffered a severe lack of funding from central government as well as major staff shortages. The inter-modal zonal ticketing system was also introduced in 1981.

From 1984-2000 London Regional Transport was the transport authority and was also under direct state control, reporting to the Secretary of State for Transport. Under the London Regional Transport Act in the 1980s subsidiary companies were established to run Underground and bus services. This period also saw the inclusion of British Rail services into fare options and the opening of the Docklands Light Railway in 1987.

From 2000 to the present day, the transport authority has been Transport for London (TfL). Unlike its predecessors, it has never been commonly known as London Transport and holds responsibility for many other transportation functions such as road management, taxi and private hire licensing and also cycling and walking. Responsibility for the Underground was not given until 2003. TfL have been the longest running transportation organisation in London to date.

c1890-c1921, coal mining company, Newcastle upon Tyne

During the First World War the government had taken control of the railways to co-ordinate the war effort. After the war ended it was decided that the railway companies could not competitively return to their prior state, and so the 120 existing railway companies were combined into four companies, which became known as the ‘Big Four’’.

The London Midland and Scottish Railway, also known as the LMS, was founded on 1 January 1923. The London and North Western Railway (LNWR), Midland Railway (MR), Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway (LYR), North Staffordshire Railway (NSR), Highland Railway (HR), Furness Railway (FR), Glasgow and South Western Railway (G&SWR) and Caledonian Railway (CR) were merged. These eight large constituent companies were joined by 27 other smaller subsidiary railways. The LMS covered the Western half of the country, stretching from the London and the Midlands, through Yorkshire, Lancashire, and up to Scotland. In all the LMS had a total of 7,790 miles of track, which made it the largest railway of the Big Four.

The London termini of the LMS were St. Pancras and Euston stations and it had works at Crewe, Horwich, Wolverton and Derby amongst other locations. In 1934 the LMS moved into a new headquarters at Euston House on Seymour Street (later renamed Eversholt Street) in London.

Charles Napier Lawrence, 1st Baron Lawrence of Kingsgate was the first appointed chairman of LMS, he had previously been the chairman of the LNWR between 1921-1923. He was chairman of the LMS for one year, and was succeeded by Sir Guy Granet. The management structure was headed by a chairman and a deputy chairman, there was a board of directors that had initially had 20 members, made of men who previously worked for the constituent companies. The first General Manager was Arthur Watson from the LYR. There was a Deputy General Manager for Scotland, a post first held by D.A. Matthieson, formerly of the CR. J.H. Follows, from the Midland Railway, was the first Chief General Superintendent and S.H. Hunt, formerly of the LNWR, was the first Chief Goods Manager. The post of Chief Engineer was initially held by E.F.C. Trench, formerly employed by the LNWR. The first Chief Mechanical Engineer was G. Hughes from the LYR and his deputy was Sir Henry Fowler, from the Midland Railway. The management structure was re-organised from January 1926 and an Executive was set up, Sir Josiah Stamp was the first President of the Executive. From January 1927 four Vice-Presidents were appointed to replace the general managers on the Executive committee. The line was divided up for operational management into three geographical divisions, which were called Western, Midland and Northern. Each division was overseen by a General Superintendent who reported to the Chief General Superintendent.

The main line of the LMS ran from London Euston to Wick over 729 miles. The LMS ran a number of joint railways with the London & North Eastern Railway and the Southern Railway. It ran the Cheshire Lines Committee, the Midland and Great Northern line between Peterborough, the Norwich and Lowestoft and the Manchester, South Junction and Altrincham suburban line with the London & North Eastern Railway. It also joined forces with the Southern Railway to run the Somerset and Dorset line between Bath, Burnham and Bournemouth.

The LMS undertook a limited programme of electrification, mainly focusing on suburban lines in London and Manchester. The LMS owned many hotels, including the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds and the iconic Art Deco Midland Hotel at Morecombe Bay. The LMS also ran passenger steamers from Holyhead, Heysham and Stranraer over the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Following the 1947 Transport Act which nationalised the railways, the concerns of the LMS were taken over by the Railway Executive as part of the British Transport Committee. Within the Railway Executive, British Rail: London Midland Region assumed responsibility for the LMS’s former area of operations.

The London & North Western Railway Co (LNWR) was established in 1846 following the amalgamation of the London & Birmingham, Manchester & Birmingham and Grand Junction Railways. The new company was the largest joint stock company in Britain, and initially had a network of approximately 350 miles (560 km) connecting London with Birmingham, Crewe, Chester, Liverpool and Manchester.

The LNWR continued to expand and by 1868 the company had added links to Oxford, Cambridge, Leeds, Swansea and Cardiff. However, attempts to amalgamate with Midland Railway ended in failure. By 1871 the London & North Western Railway employed 15,000 people. As part of the 1923 Grouping the LNWR became a constituent of the London, Midland and Scottish (LMS) Railway.

Hall & Pickles is a steel stockholding and processing business established in Manchester by John Hall. The firm has passed through seven generations of the Hall family. Today the company is a large stockholder of a broad range of steel products.

1901-1959, cable manufacturer, Liverpool
Acquired by AEI Cables in 1959.

Morris Commercial Cars Limited was formed as a private company by William Morris in 1924, after he took over the plant and premises of E. G. Wrigley and Co., at Soho in Birmingham, this included 200 machines designed for the manufacture of motor-car components, and c. 350 employees. The company commenced production of commercial vehicles, usually in the payload range from 1 ton upwards, thus supplementing the light commercial vehicles made by Morris Motors Limited at Cowley. Later Morris Commercial took over the former Wolseley factory at Adderley Park in Birmingham.

In 1936, Morris sold Morris Commercial Cars to Morris Motors Limited. The use of the Morris Commercial name on vehicles was discontinued in 1967-68.

c1830-c1969, quarry operators, Wales

Coal mining company, Lancashire, c1896-c1930
Established c1896, owning collieries in and around Wigan. Sold to Pearson & Knowles Coal & Iron Co. Ltd. in c1930, which later became part of Wigan Coal Corporation.

c1923-1947, coal mining company, Stoke-on-Trent

1924-1947, coal mining company, Durham
Formed in 1924 by the merger of Lambton & Hetton Collieries with Joicey Collieries. Nationalised in 1947 as part of the National Coal Board.

1929-1947, coal mining, Manchester, England
Formed in 1929 from the merger of several companies operating on the Manchester Coalfield, including Fletcher, Burrows and Company, Andrew Knowles and Sons, the Clifton and Kersley Coal Company, John Speakman and Sons, Bridgewater Collieries and the Astley and Tyldesley Collieries Company.
Nationalised in 1947.

The Mersey Docks and Harbour Board took over running of Liverpool's docks from the Liverpool Dock Trustees in 1858. The Board was reconstituted as a company in 1972 to allow it to raise money for new building initiatives. It was acquired by Peel Ports in 2005.

Steelfounder, Sheffield, 1842-1930
Merged with neighbouring company John Brown and Co in 1930 to form Thomas Firth and John Brown, otherwise known as Firth Brown.

Electrical supply company, Madras, India.

Coal mining company, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, c1837-1947
Founded in c1837, managed several coal mines in the North East until becoming part of the National Coal Board in 1947.

Coal mining company, Hednesford, Staffs, c1896-1947

Coal mining company, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, c1896-c1930

1909-c1912, wire drawers, Trafford Park, Manchester, England.

Coal mining company, Durham, c1881-c1916

Coal mining company, Whitehaven, Cumbria, c1888-c1933

Rolls-Royce Limited was established by Charles Rolls and Henry Royce in 1904. The company designed and built luxury cars and with the help of Henry Royce’s previous experience in building cranes, it soon gained widespread reputation for engineering excellence.

During the First World War Rolls-Royce added building aero engines to its skills. This enabled them to later become involved in the development of jet engines. They worked engines for both the civilian and military market. However, a costly over-run in designing and building the RB211 civilian aircraft engine brought the company to financial ruin. Even though the RB211 proved a great success in 1971 the owners of the company entered voluntary liquidation.

The government of the day bought the productive parts of the company which became known as Rolls-Royce (1971) Limited. Portions of the company were sold to British Aircraft Corporation and transferred the profitable car division to Rolls-Royce Motors Holdings Limited. In 1987 Rolls-Royce Ltd was privatised and subsequently became Rolls-Royce plc. The Rolls-Royce Motors brand was bought by BMW in 1998.

Cotton thread manufacturer, Meltham, 1890-1939
Established as Jonas Brook and Brothers. It became United Threads in 1890. The company closed in 1939 and the business was transferred to Paisley as part of J & P Coats.

1864-1967, Colliery proprietor and iron and steel manufacturer, Consett, Co. Durham
Formed in 1864 as a successor to the Derwent & Consett Iron Company Ltd. The company's collieries and coke ovens were nationalised under the National Coal Board in 1947, and the company was nationalised in 1951 as part of the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain. It was denationalised shortly afterwards and then renationalised in 1967 as part of the British Steel Corporation.

1887-1952, railway company, Bengal
Formed in 1887 to take over the metre gauge Nagpur-Chhattisgarh Railway, to convert the existing metre gauge track to broad gauge and to extend the system eastwards to join the East Indian Railway at Asansol, 132 miles from Calcutta. The BNR was the last company to be nationalised, on 1 October 1944. In 1952, the BNR was merged with the East Indian Railway to form Indian Railways' Eastern Railway.

1875-1990, paper manufacturer, Blackburn, England.
Taken over by Kymmene Aktibolag of Finland in 1930, but continued to operate under Star Paper Mills Ltd until it was bought by Sappi in 1990.

c1869-1929, coal mining company, Blyth, Northumberland

Manufacturer of artillery, Coventry, 1905-1925
Formed in 1905 by a consortium of the shipbuilding firms John Brown, Cammell Laird and Fairfield.
At the end of 1918 it became a principal constituent of a brand new enterprise English Electric Company Limited. The company closed in 1925.