Drake and Gorham
of 66 Victoria Street, London, SW, Manchester and Glasgow, electrical, mechanical and hydraulic engineers.
of 36 Grosvenor Gardens, Westminster (from 1920)
1886 Company established by B. M. Drake, managing engineer of Electrical Power Storage Co and J. M. Gorham, who had been the first works manager for Electrical Power Storage Co in 1883[1].
1893 Installed hydro-electric lighting plant at Chatsworth House. Dynamos direct-coupled to water turbines, running at 1000 rpm. 850 incandescent lamps.[2]. The two dynamos were ordered from Siemens Brothers and Co (Order No. A2740). Both were driven by water turbines. One was rated at 300A, 115V, 1000 rpm, and the other at 90A, 150V, 1250 rpm [3]
1894 Catalogue of electric lighting plant and accessories. [4]
1898 Formation of Drake and Gorham Electric Power and Traction Co, to take over electric tramways and electricity supply undertakings of thr business.
1901 Drake and Gorham Ltd was registered as a public company, to acquire the business of electrical engineers of the same name. Directors: B. M. Drake (Chairman), J. M. Gorham, M. G. Drake, and G. O. Hamilton (Managing Directors); and J. C. Forster, and E. H. Story.[5]
1912 Dealing in electric lamps from adjacent premises in Westminster Bridge Road. Acquired Metallic Filament Lamp Co of Liverpool[6].
1914 Electrical, mechanical and hydraulic engineers. Specialities: the application of electricity to light and power; petrol gas and acetylene lighting. [7]
1916 Took agency for electric trucks (Edison accumulators)[8].
1917-20 Annual reports, in Coventry Archives[9]
1920 Areas of business included electricity generation, industrial and country and town house electrification and electric vehicles[10].
By 1929 electrical contracting was a major part of the business; also dealt in switchgear, wireless, Duro pumps and water softeners[11].
1931 Published a list of private houses, churches, institutions, schools, offices, works, etc which had been customers, as well as electric signs, architects and consulting engineers, and municipal electricity supply companies and others[12]
1964 Acquired Arthur Scull and Son, forming Drake and Gorham, Scull[13].
1965 Acquired Sturtevant Engineering Co[14]
1969 Acquired Chilton Electric[15], Holland and Hannen and Cubitts[16].
1969 Combined Chilton Electric with its other subsidiary Ottermill Switchgear.[17]
1970 Drake and Gorham (Holdings) was one of about 12 companies investigated for breaching trade practice rules on collusion[18]
1970 Name changed to Drake and Cubitt (Holdings) Ltd; had 3 divisions[19].
1972 Drake and Cubitt (Holdings) Ltd formed Cubitt Development Corporation in a deal with London and County Securities to exploit property opportunities[20].
1976 Sold Holland and Hannen and Cubitts to Tarmac. The group was renamed as Drake and Scull Holdings Ltd[21][22].
1984 Drake and Scull was acquired by Simon Engineering
1989 Simon Engineering planned to see Drake and Scull. The group was acquired by JWP Inc of USA.
- Large switch panel. Exhibit at Anson Engine Museum.
First part of a company history: here (pdf).
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ The Times, 19 January 1929
- ↑ [1] HEVAC website - 1886-1961 Drake & Gorham - Some account of the first 75 years
- ↑ Siemens Brothers and Co order book, July 1893 - Nov 1894
- ↑ The Engineer of 14th September 1894 p238
- ↑ The Stock Exchange Year Book 1908
- ↑ The Times, 17 October 1912
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ The Times, 9 October 1914
- ↑ National Archives
- ↑ The Times, 5 November 1920
- ↑ The Times, 19 January 1929
- ↑ The Times, Oct 31, 1931
- ↑ The Times, 19 February 1964
- ↑ The Times 18 August 1966
- ↑ The Times, 24 April 1969
- ↑ The Times, 24 May 1969
- ↑ Wolverhampton Express and Star - 25 March 1969
- ↑ The Times July 14, 1970
- ↑ The Times, 20 August 1970
- ↑ The Times, 28 April 1972
- ↑ Companies house filing
- ↑ The Times, 4 September 1976