Platt Brothers & Co Ltd was the successor limited liability company to Platt Brothers and Company and operated from 1868-1982. Company founder Henry Platt established his first company in 1821. He formed a partnership with Elijah Hibbert in 1822, with the company name of Hibbert and Platt. Henry Platt's sons Joseph and John Platt joined the company and the name changed to Hibbert, Platt and Sons. In 1846, John Platt became the senior partner, following the deaths of his father and elder brother. In 1854, the Platt family bought out the Hibbert family interest in the company and formed Platt Brothers and Company and from 1868 traded as a limited liability company. Because of the Depression and subsequent downturn in trade during the 1930s a trading company was formed by a number of local textile machinery makers and resulted in the formation of the Textile Machinery Makers Ltd in 1931. Although they had merged, the companies continued to trade under their own names until 1970. The subsequent rationalisation resulted in a change of name to Platt UK Ltd.

John Hetherington established a machine tool manufacturing company in 1836. The company was originally located in Pollard Street, Ancoats, Manchester, rapidly expanding to occupy other premises in the area. The original Pollard Street works eventually became known as the Ancoats Works. The company also had a factory at the Hope Mills on Pollard Street. Its Vulcan Works opened in 1856, also on Pollard Street, and was the company headquarters until 1939, when operations moved to the Union Iron Works in Gorton, Manchester. Hetherington had originally been in partnership with William Fairbairn, as John Hetherington & Co, Machine Makers, but this partnership was dissolved in 1844 and Hetherington became a sole proprietor. Hetherington’s sons joined him in business from 1854, and the company became known as John Hetherington & Sons, makers of machine tools and textile machines. In 1851, the company employed 200 men. By 1861, the workforce had increased to 490 men, 250 boys and 46 girls. The company at this point manufactured machinery for cleaning, preparing, combing, and spinning cotton, including carding engines, drawing frames, slubbing frames, roving frames, and self-acting mules. It also continued to manufacture machine tools including self-acting slide and screw-cutting lathe, drilling and boring machines. By 1871, the workforce had expanded to 900 people. By 1880, the Vulcan Works was the location for cotton machinery manufacture. The machine tool operation was separated out into a branch of the main company, known as Hetherington & Co, located at the Ancoats Works. John Hetherington & Sons was incorporated as a limited company in 1890. Within a few years, it began to acquire other businesses, including Curtis, Sons & Co, which brought the Phoenix Works into the company, occupied under lease. The company now occupied a large portion of the Ancoats manufacturing district, making it a centrally located manufacturer in the city. In 1914, the company described itself as textile machinists and engineers' heavy machine tool makers, employing 4,200 people. Further expansion came in 1929 with the acquisition of Smith and Coventry Ltd, machine tool manufacturers of Salford and later Timperley. In 1931, in an attempt to counter the downturn in the textile industry, John Hetherington & Sons Ltd merged with six other companies to form Textile Machinery Makers Ltd. Each of the individual companies continued to trade under their own names until 1970, when they were consolidated into Platt UK Ltd.

Company involved in the manufacturing and fitting of hot water pumps, accelerators for domestic heating systems and portable pumps for closed circuit steam plants.

Dobson & Barlow Limited manufactured textile machinery. Isaac Dobson established the company in 1790. His grandson Benjamin Dobson entered into a partnership in 1846 with a Mr Metcalf to form Dobson & Metcalf. The original Black Horse Street works in Bolton were sold the same year, and the new company established expanded works on Kay Street, known as the Globe Works. Edward Barlow joined the company as a partner in 1851, at which point the company became known as Dobson & Barlow. It became Dobson & Barlow Limited in 1892. The First World War saw the company move from textile machinery manufacture to munitions work, manufacturing hand grenades, artillery shells, field kitchens, mobile workshops, naval mines and search lights. It was one of the largest munitions manufacturers in the area. The company traded as a sole concern until the depression during the 1930s. In 1931, the company merged with other textile machinery makers to form the Textile Machinery Makers Ltd. Dobson & Barlow Limited continued to trade under its own name until 1970, when Textile Machinery Makers Ltd was rationalised to form Platt UK Ltd.

Originally based in Liverpool, the company manufactured food preparation machinery for the commercial bakery industry. They later had premises in Earlstown, Lancashire.

Formed in 1959 absorbing the Armature Manufacturing Company of the same address. The company manufactured repulsion motors, automobile and aircraft test equipment for the previous twenty years.

Company manufacturing large commercial oil and electric heaters used to heat and store compounds and varnishes used in industrial processes. The Company owned by I.C. and A.S. Morgan also manufactured electrical ovens, dryers and radiators.

Company established by Francis Richmond and Henry Chandler in 1834 and involved in the manufacturing and selling of agricultural machinery, specialising in cutting and mower machinery. It seems they were also involved in the making of commercial bakery equipment.

1853-1967, machine tool maker and crane manufacturer, Salford. Craven Brothers was formed in 1853, at Dawson Croft Mill, Salford by brothers Greenwood and William Craven. Their primary function was to make machinary tools for locomotives but they soon branched out into other machinary areas particularly armaments. In 1900, the company moved to a 25 acre-site in Reddish, near Stockport, called the Vauxhall Works. By the early 20th century they had become best known for their cranes, but also made planing machines, radial drills and slotting machines. During the World Wars, the company came under governmental control and after the depression of the First World War the company managed to stay open because of its good export business particularly with Russia. In 1928, Craven Brothers merged with Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co. Ltd, Joshua Buckton & Co. Ltd and Thomas Shanks & Co. Ltd however the factories of these comapnies closed and all moved to the Reddish factory of the Craven brothers. In 1961 the Denton branch works were sold. In 1967 the company was bought by Staveley Industries Ltd and the Reddish factory closed in 1970.

Machine tool manufacturers (1882-1928) Joshua Buckton and Company Limited were a machine tool manufacturers based at Wellhouse Foundry, Meadow Road, Leeds. The company was established by Joshua Buckton in 1842. Joshua Buckton and Company was incorporated in 1882 to become Joshua Buckton and Company Limited. The same year Joseph Hartley Wicksteed succeeded Joshua Buckton as head of the firm. By 1914 they had 500 employees with specialities in heavy ordnance and turbine lathes, armour plate and turbine planing machines, universal testing machines of largest capacity and the Buckton testing machine. Mr. Buckton died in 1895 and Mr. Wicksteed became chairman of the company. In 1928 the machine tool business was acquired by Craven Brothers; the staff transferred to Reddish where the products were manufactured.

Company formed by F. White in order to benefit from a patent taken out for the design of a portable coke waggon for bakers' ovens.

Goodbrand & Co Ltd was established in around 1876 as Goodbrand & Holland, a partnership between Walter Goodbrand and Thomas Eccles Holland. The original company is listed in the 1876 edition of Slater's trade directory at 20 Market Place and Victoria Works, Dutton Street, operating as engineers, machinists, mill wrights, brass finishers, mill and machine furnishers, makers of testing machines for cotton, silk, flax, etc. By 1879, the office had relocated to 29 Market Street. The company exhibited at the 1887 Royal Jubilee Exhibition in Manchester under the name Goodbrand & Co, and from this time to the partnership being dissolved, the company seems to have operated under both the Goodbrand & Holland and the Goodbrand & Co names. By 1895, the company had moved to the Southall Ironworks, Southall Street, in the Strangeways area of Manchester, with an office at 28 Market Street, and had expanded to include Milling Engineers and Pump Makers in the company description. After the partnership with Thomas Eccles Holland was dissolved in January 1897, Walter Goodbrand continued operating under the company name Goodbrand & Co at the Southall Ironworks. By around 1900, the works had moved to Britannia Foundry, Stalybridge, with an office maintained at 19 Victoria Street in Manchester. The company manufactured or supplied a diverse range of equipment from delicate instruments used for testing textiles to steam pumps, fuel economisers and steam engines. The company exhibited its textile testing machinery at the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley. Britannia Foundry is present on the 1934 25-inch OS Map CV.7, but absent from the 1947 6-inch OS Map CV.NE. It is presumed that the company ceased trading sometime between those dates.

Company specialising in the manufacturing of pie machines which involves the forming of pastry into pie shapes by the use of a forming machine sold under the brandname "Little Champion". The company continues to make these and other commercial bakery equipment.

Company established by Joseph Foster with premises at Bow Lane Ironworks and a little later at the Soho Foundry, Preston. His son's Francis and James joined the firm in 1882 and the company continued to prosper building Lancashire boilers and other steam equipment. In 1928 it acquired Yates and Thom Ltd, Bolton and in doing so made them one of the largest companies in the country building and supplying boilers and other steam equipment.

Makers of a mechanical stoker sold under the brand name of Low Ram Stoker. The stoker was fitted in order to mechanise the feeding of coal or coke into boilers which required solid fuel.

Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day Ltd was established in Hazel Grove, Stockport, in 1908, by Charles Day. Day was the manager of Mirrlees, Watson & Co of Glasgow, where he had introduced diesel engines to the company's manufacturing range. The diesel engineering business increased rapidly, and Day was tasked with finding new premises to establish a facility solely for the manufacture of diesel engines. With the financial backing of Henry Neild Bickerton of the National Gas Engine Co, Day established the new company. Between 1908 and 1914, Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day supplied diesel engines to the Royal Navy, the Merchant Navy, Manchester Docks, and power stations. The First World War saw the company develop an oil engine for use in tanks that allowed for the use of tar oil in place of fuel oil, which was difficult to import due to blockades. In 1924, Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day developed the Simplex small semi-diesel engine for use in generating stations and flour mills. The following year saw the introduction of the Nobel engine used in railway workshops and generating stations. As well as developing new, lighter engines, the company also investigated the impact of increased revolution speeds on engine vibration. In 1926, Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day amalgamated with Mirrlees, Watson & Co, with full incorporation happening in 1933. During the Second World War, Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day concentrated on engine production for defence, supplying power for radar, radio-location, airfield and various lighting systems for the Air Ministry. The existing close relationship with the Royal Navy continued, with the company supplying engines for minesweepers, towing vessels and landing craft, auxiliary generating sets for shipboard use, and generating sets for naval bases and fleet air arm stations. In 1944, Associated British Engineering acquired Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day, with Mirrlees, Watson & Co remaining a separate company under the new name Mirrlees Watson Co. Associated British Engineering subsequently transferred Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day to the Brush Group in 1949. From 1950, the company manufactured new types of engines, the J and the K type, and a new method of production known as Flow Production. This production technique was unique to Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day and, coupled with new tooling, a new works layout and the new engine types, made the company one of the most modern diesel engine manufacturers in the world. In 1961, Hawker Siddeley acquired Associated British Engineering, including Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day. The same year, Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day merged with the National Gas and Oil Engine Co to form Mirrlees National Ltd, ending the name Mirrlees, Bickerton & Day. Mirrlees National Ltd became Mirrlees Blackstone in 1969, following its merger with Blackstone and Co.

Beyer Peacock (Hymek) Limited, a subsidiary company within Beyer, Peacock Ltd, was involved in the project to build the British Railways Type 3 diesel locomotive. The other two partners in the consortium were Bristol Siddeley Engines Ltd and J. Stone & Co (Deptford) Ltd. Beyer, Peacock were responsible for the design and construction of the shell of the diesel locomotive.

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.

J M Shasha was established in Manchester in 1905 and set up a textile exporting business, specialising in trade with Persian Gulf and Africa. The company traded under various brand names, Jai Hind; Sha Sha Fabrics; Rising Sun Brand; Hand and Spray Fabrics; Jayemess. The company’s own trade mark was a hand spray emblem. In around 1950 the company changed its name to Shasha & Sons Ltd, still exporting textiles goods, chemicals and sundry goods to various countries around the world. The company also operated a subsidiary company J M Shasha Engineering Co Ltd involved in the exporting of machinery and engineering expertise. The machinery was supplied to various sectors including agriculture, textiles and industrial workshops that required pumping equipment and machine tools.

Fowler & Co was an important Manchester firm of calculator manufacturers, established in 1908 by William Henry Fowler and his son Harold. William Henry Fowler studied engineering at Owens College, Manchester, and in 1891 became the editor of The Practical Engineer, a weekly journal published in Manchester. In 1898, he set up the Scientific Publishing Company on Corporation Street, Manchester, which began publishing annual pocket books for a variety of trades. The first in the series was Fowler's Mechanical Engineer's Pocket Book. The Scientific Publishing Company also began selling circular calculators produced by other manufacturers in 1898. Harold Fowler joined the company in 1905 and began designing circular calculators. Around 1908, he started manufacturing calculators from his designs in a workshop set up at his home in Sale. This marked the start of Fowler & Co as a manufacturer of calculators. The double-sided Long Scale or Pocket calculator was to be the mainstay of production for the next 30 years. However, the business was not very profitable. Circular calculators had a large number of different parts, compared with straight slide rules, and had to be assembled by hand. Production costs were therefore high and the calculator cost four times as much as straight slide rules. In 1920, the Fowlers moved the business to larger, separate premises at the Station Works, Chapel Road, Sale. Over the next decade, the company introduced the Universal calculator and the Magnum Long Scale calculator which had a maximum scale length of 50in (127cm). By 1929, Fowler & Co employed four machine operators and a works manager. The business was still not very successful, however, and took in various engineering jobs to support the calculator making side. William Henry Fowler died in April 1932 and Harold became owner of the firm. By 1936, the company had introduced another model, the 12-10 calculator, designed for architects, builders, surveyors and timber merchants who often had calculations to make with decimal and duodecimal (12ths) notation. All the company's products were still marketed through the pages of the Fowler’s Pocket Books. The business moved again in 1938 to Hampson Street, Sale, when the Chapel Street works was demolished to make way for the Town Hall extension. It continued to be a general engineering workshop as well as making circular calculators. During the Second World War, Jim Cookson joined the business as the new manager and the company's name was changed soon after to Fowlers (Calculators) Ltd. In 1948, the company introduced the Jubilee Magnum extra long scale calculator which enabled calculations to five or six figures and had a total scale length of 76in (193cm). Later, it produced several new models including the Type B or Textile calculator. The company marketed its full range through Joseph Casartelli & Sons Ltd, scientific instrument makers of Salford, as well as through the Fowler's Pocket Books. Jim Cookson ran the business after Harold Fowler's retirement. In the early 1960s, the company took over as proprietors of the Scientific Publishing Company. Fowlers (Calculators) Ltd carried on trading until it went into liquidation in around 1988 following Jim Cookson's retirement.

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.

William Kenyon & Sons Limited was founded in 1866. The company began by manufacturing rope drives for use in industrial power transmission. The company diversified into making rope for carrier systems and for the paper industry. The company supplied the ropes used in the first ascent of Everest by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

Established in 1954, following a change of name from Renold and Coventry Chain Co. Ltd, Renold Chains Ltd manufactured industrial chains for use in manufacturing and process control. The company traces its origins to 1864, with the establishment by James Slater of a chain making company in Manchester. Hans Renold, a Swiss engineer, purchased the company in 1879, renaming it the Hans Renold Company. The following year, Renold invented the bush roller chain and established an industry. Over the following years, the company developed industrial chains as well as chain assembly and processing machinery. In 1930, the Hans Renold Company merged with The Coventry Chain Company Limited, forming the Renold and Coventry Chain Co. Ltd. In 1967, the company changed its name again, to Renold Ltd, later Renold Plc. The company continues to operate in Manchester. Company registration number 00249688

Founded in 1890 in Ashton-under-Lyne as the National Gas Engine Co. The name changed to the National Gas and Oil Engine Co. in 1932. It merged with Mirrlees, Bickerton and Day to form Mirrlees National Ltd. in 1961. In 1977 the company became Mirrlees-Blackstone, part of Hawker Siddeley.

The company was founded in 1842 by Daniel Adamson and established an iron works at Newton Moor near Dukinfield. Specialised in the construction of turbines for power generating, boilers, super heaters and fusion welded pressure vessels. It became a private company in 1914 and was made public in 1951. In 1964 the company was sold to Acrow (Engineers).

The General Electric Company (GEC) was created as the General Electric Apparatus Company in 1886 by Hugo Hirst and Gustav Byng from a small electrical business established in London by Byng (Gustav Binswanger and Company, using Byng's original name). In 1887 GEC published the first electrical catalogue of its kind. The following year the company acquired its first factory in Manchester where telephones, electric bells, ceiling roses and switches were manufactured. In 1889, the General Electric Co. Ltd. was formed as a private limited company and moved to larger premises at 71, Queen Victoria Street. Now known also as G.E.C., the company was expanding rapidly, opening new branches and factories. Initially manufacture was focussed on electric bells and light fittings, but this expanded to a wide range of electrical equipment - resulting in the firm's slogan 'Everything Electrical'. In 1893, GEC decided to invest in lamp manufacture. The resulting company, (to become Osram in 1909), was to lead the way in lamp design and the burgeoning demand for electric lighting was to make GEC's fortune. In 1900, GEC was incorporated as a public limited company, The General Electric Company (1900) Ltd, (the '1900' was dropped three years later). In 1902, GEC's first purpose-built factory, the Witton Engineering Works was opened near Birmingham which designed and manufactured electrical equipment and machines. Rapidly growing private and commercial use of electricity ensured buoyant demand and the company expanded both at home and overseas, with the establishment of agencies in Europe, Japan, Australia, South Africa and India and a substantial export trade to South America. The outbreak of the First World War transformed GEC into a major player in the electrical industry with profits to match. The company was heavily involved in the war effort, with products such as radios, signalling lamps and arc-lamp carbons. Between the wars, GEC expanded to become an international corporation and a national institution. The take-over of Fraser and Chalmers in 1918 took GEC into heavy engineering and consolidated their claim to supply 'Everything Electrical'. Other major factories included Osram Lamps at Hammersmith and the telephone works in Coventry. During the 1920s, the company was heavily involved in the creation of the UK national grid. In addition, the opening of the new purpose built company headquarters in Kingsway, London in 1921, and the pioneering industrial research laboratories at Wembley in 1923, were symbolic of the continuing expansion of both GEC and the electrical industry. The company took over several companies in the Birmingham area and elsewhere. After being a minor player in tram equipment, the company entered the heavy rail electric traction market in the 1920’s and 30’s. During the Second World War, GEC was a major supplier to the military of electrical and engineering products. Significant contributions to the war effort included the development of the cavity magnetron for radar, advances in communications technology and the on-going mass production of lamps and lighting equipment. After the war the company continued in the full range of electrical equipment from electronics to atomic power stations, but was not very profitable. In 1961, after a failed takeover bid from the English Electric Company, GEC took over Radio and Allied Industries, a small but very profitable television set manufacturer. Michael Sobell and Arnold Weinstock from this company became GEC directors with a substantial shareholding. Weinstock became managing director in 1963 and undertook drastic changes to make the company more profitable. The rail traction operations were closed and the heavy electrical/ power station businesses were sold to Parsons. A number of ex GEC employees were recruited by Associated Electrical Industries (AEI). A hostile takeover bid was made for AEI in 1967 and the relative profitability/share prices enabled GEC to take over the much larger AEI. In 1968 English Electric agreed to merge with GEC. Further takeovers and mergers made the company one of the largest private employers in the UK. In 1989, Arnold Weinstock agreed a merger between the power and transport businesses of GEC and those of Alsthom of France, part of Compagnie Générale d’Electricité (CGE) to form GEC Alsthom. While Weinstock was in charge the UK arm, the company continued to prosper, but after his death of his son in 1996 he was asked to retire and most of the company’s operations were transferred to France, or were sold off. Small sales and service operations remain for some of the products. Many of the factories have been demolished, with only Stafford continuing on a moderate scale.

Incorporated as a Limited Company on the 28th July 1904 as Jones Brothers (Blackburn) Ltd the company had previously been involved in the designing and manufacturing of elastic harnesses for the Longworth & Jones dhooty motion. This motion had been invented by the brother of Joseph Jones and George Smith Jones who made the harnesses. Their brother Francis L Jones was a manager of the Solomon Longworth & Sons at the Walpole Street Mill in Blackburn. The motion was the predecessor of the dobby, used later for weaving dhooty cloth for export to India. The company grew and after Joseph Jones died in 1882 his share in the business was bought by Francis L Jones and the company became known as Jones Brothers. The works situated on Hart Street became known as Pioneer Works and from here the company manufactured a number of items for the textile industry, Dobby Lags and pegs, Comber Boards, and Jacquard Slips as well as Dobby Heads and Jacquard Harnesses. In 1890 George Smith sold his interest in the company to Francis who then became the sole proprietor. The company continued to grow and expanded to a second site at the Standard Works on William Hopwood Street. Here the factory made Healds and Reeds for doubling Heald yarn. In 1903 a son of Francis went to India to establish a direct business link with mills in India. In 1904 other members of the Jones family joined the company and continued to grow, a subsidiary company Jones Textilaties Export Company Limited was formed in 1912. In 1918 further purchase of premises were added to with the purchase of the Ainsworth brass foundry, later to be known as the Dial works. In 1919 the name of the firm was changed to Jones Textilaties Ltd. Further extensions were made to the various works which allowed the company to also start to make Weft Forks, Weft Fork Holders and Weft Grates, Temples, Perforated Grip and other metal articles. In 1936 a further mill, Audley Range Mill was purchased however, war prevented any further expansion of the company. However, the company did purchase Alexandra Mill and Canton works but they could not be altered until 1949 and 1950 respectively, when Canton works began producing Bobbins and Pirns and Alexandra Mill began producing Cotton Healds, Dobby Healds, Jacquard Harnesses, Heald Frames, Wire Healds, Shedrods, and Pitchbound and All-Metal Reeds. In 1952 the company was still in the control of various members of the Jones family and later in 1958 three leading English Wire Heald makers, F W Carr & Son Ltd, Greenwood & Co (Shipley) Ltd and Jones Textilaties Ltd combined and a new company was formed Wire Healds Limited.

British Northrop Loom Co Ltd was established in Blackburn in 1902 as a limited company. A representative of the company visited the United States of America in 1904 and imported 500 automatic looms, establishing the company as a supplier and later manufacturer of textile looms. It was most famous for its Northrop Loom, introduced around 1914. In 1958, the company acquired Chaseside Engineering Co, manufacturers of earth loading shovels, and became the Northrop Group, manufacturers of automatic looms and earth moving equipment.

The company was originally founded by John James Royle who had premises situated on Liverpool Road, Irlam. In 1900 it became a registered company to take over the business of John Royle. The company specialised as heating engineers for commercial and domestic customers supplying feed water heaters, calorifiers, steam traps, reducing valves and other heating appliances. During the 1960s the company became a subsidiary of the Fairbairn Lawson Group where it continued to manufacture steam traps and valves in the Filtration Fluid Control Division. In 1980 Royles Ltd passed into the hands of the Receiver and as a result the steam trapping side of the business was acquired by Spirax Sarco Ltd, Cheltenham.

The Manchester Steam Users’ Association was established in 1854 to prevent steam boiler explosions. It employed mechanical engineers to inspect the boilers of members who subscribed to the service. The service had been proposed by the engineer Sir William Fairbairn. It is considered to be the first boiler inspection authority in Britain. At the time of its establishment, there had been a considerable number of deaths and injuries from boiler explosions across the country. Between 1864 and 1874, 617 people were killed and 997 people injured as a result of boiler explosions. The Association aimed to avoid explosions at its members’ facilities through quality inspection and remedial works with a guarantee. Members included cotton manufacturers, metal founders, saw mills, builders, and locomotive manufacturers and operators. The Association proposed new legislation to the Home Secretary in 1876 to prevent loss of life from steam boiler explosions, and went on to draft The Boiler Explosion Bill which was first read in the House of Commons in 1881. The Association became part of British Engine Boiler & Electrical Insurance Co Ltd in 1932. Its headquarters were at Longridge House, a purpose built office block opened in 1959. The building was destroyed by the IRA bomb in 1996. British Engine Boiler & Electrical Insurance Co Ltd had been a subsidiary of Royal Insurance Co Ltd since 1912, and is now owned by Knapton Insurance Limited.

Wildt, Mellor Bromley Ltd, part of the Bentley Group of companies had begun manufacturing knitting machines from 1884 onwards. The company originally from Leicester, also manufactured various accessories including the Boyce weavers knotter. The machine was used to automatically tie knots securely at high speed in the winding room of a mill.