Four Oaks Spraying Machine Co: History

Note: This is a sub-section of the Four Oaks Spraying Machine Co

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Company History

The Four Oaks Spraying Machine Co (FOSMC) was situated in Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield. On its site are now a former Waitrose store (closed 2020) and the Lloyds British building with a Wine Bar on the ground floor. It was one of two spraying machine manufacturers in Sutton Coldfield; the other being J.A. Southerton, who used the trade name Martsmith, previously Martineau and Smith of Birmingham, the site of this manufacturer is now that of a Porsche dealer.

The founder of the FOSMC, William Charles George Ludford, had been born in 1867 to William and Elizabeth Ludford; his father born in Middlesex, his mother was from Sutton Coldfield. He purchased Fernlea, a house in Belwell Lane, just to the Mere Green side of the railway bridge in perhaps the late 1880’s or early 1890’s, his name appearing on the 1891 Burgess Roll and with his family on the 1891 Census, which recorded his occupation as an accountant’s clerk.

A sprayer machine catalogue from the 1950's, also one produced in 1968, indicates that the company was established in 1895.

From information taken from a document contained within a Company Microfiche record received from Companies House Cardiff, in September 1898 W. C. G. Ludford purchased a plot of land, from a John Jones, in Belwell Lane situated next to his house, Fernlea, upon which he subsequently built his works and some offices fronting Belwell Lane.

On 28th February 1902, W. C. G. Ludford submitted a Patent Application GB190204825, in respect of Improvements in Garden and Other Syringes, that essentially patented the design for an undentable syringe, the Patent was Accepted on 29th January 1903, this would suggest that these may have been produced and sold from mid 1903 onwards.

While I was at the Canwell Show in August 2006 displaying a number of sprayers, a former employee of the FOSMC advised me that when W. C. G. Ludford was returning home one evening on the train from Birmingham to Four Oaks, he came across the idea while toying with some corrugated card packing with him. He realised that if turned with the corrugations out then the central working barrel would be protected.

Plans submitted to the Borough of Sutton Coldfield in May 1911, ref no 2290, indicated the intention of WCG L to construct a single storey office block, 42' x 20', on vacant land to the rear of buildings that fronted Belwell Lane. Work continued and various documents show completion of various stages of work, the one relating to the Form of Notice as to Drains, signed off on 19 March 1912, indicated that the company was known as the The Four Oaks Undentable Syringe Co, interestingly this matches the name shown on some early undentable syringes. A number of Undentables in my collection and on others that I have seen picture of, also had the name The Four Oaks Nursery Co shown on some of their parts.

Further plans were submitted to the Borough of Sutton Coldfield on March 26th 1912, ref no 2373, in respect of the construction of a 2 storey Store and Packing Warehouse, approximately 41' x 32', within the vacant area on site.

Subsequent planning applications Ref 2777 in May 1918 together with Refs 2858 and 2859 in September 1919, indicated that the business was expanding such that further space was required for the business to continue.

In 1909 he purchased the leases of some of the properties on the opposite side of Belwell Lane, subsequent acquisitions took place in later years. In time these led to the FOSMC owning the leases of the properties 1 through to 17 Belwell Lane.

1909 saw a number of spraying machines entered into a demonstration of spraying machines, liquids and liming machines held on Thursday April 22nd and organised by the Wisbech and District Fruit Growers’ Association. The prizes to be awarded were six silver gilt and six silver medals and other firms taking part included Benton and Stone, Birmingham; Cooper & Nephew, Berkhampstead; Strawson & Son, Reading; Drake and Fletcher, Maidstone. Four competitions were arranged; Class A - Knapsack Sprayers for liquids; Class B – Sprayers on wheels for liquids; Class C – Limewash Sprayers; Class D – Knapsacks for distributing dry powders. The field opened at 10.30 a.m and half an hour later when judging commenced reports indicated that there was a good attendance. The Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company succeeded in being awarded the silver gilt medal for Class A with their Knapsack sprayer for liquids. The judges noted that the machine shown by them was exceedingly simple in construction and very well made. A selection of their own nozzles were used and the ‘Marvellous’ nozzle was very much admired, giving a large spray with good force. While they were not successful in any of the other classes contemporary press reports mentioned their entry in Class C with two machines, the one with the thirty gallon tank being their best.

Entry into the Northern Fruit Congress competition in October 1910, held at Hexham, produced two gold medals.

By 1911, the business was doing well enough to support advertisements in such publications as the Estate Book, issued by the Country Gentlemen’s Association. The 1911 advertisement boldly states that ‘The “Four Oaks” Syringes Spraying and Limewashing Machines are acknowledged by all users to be the best the world has ever seen. It featured their Undentable Syringe a range of syringes that were sold with a three-year guarantee against indentation of their working barrel; the working barrel is wrapped within a corrugated brass tube with the corrugations being on the outside. Prices for these in 1911 ranged from 12s 6d for a No 9 which was one-and-one-eighth in. by 20 in., to a No 5, best quality, teak handled example 1+3/4” by 20 in., 32s!

Also featured was The “Four Oaks” Patent Knapsack Sprayer, No 101. This was a sprayer, with a capacity of 3 +1/4 gallons, was carried on the back with an operating arm on one side and a lance at the end of a 3-foot best India-rubber tube, fitted with the “Four Oaks” Patent spraying Nozzle and short brass tube with a stop cock. This cost 45s and the advert advised that in addition to spraying fruit trees and trees of all kinds, vines, hops, Coffee, Tea and Cocoa, also Potatoes and other crops, it could also be used for Limewashing.

In 1913 W. C. G. Ludford submitted a further Patent application which was accepted in July 1914 - ref 1913016492 for improvements in the construction of Spraying Machine.

Limewashing not surprisingly featured heavily in their range of equipment, as this was a regular activity to be undertaken and often very laborious. The spraying machines sold ranged from their “Farmer” Pattern, a 4 gallon limewasher, a bucket with a powerful brass stirrup pump built into it and could be used for spraying any liquid, including limewash, costing £3 2s 6d; to eventually in the 1950’s of two mechanised sprayers the “Self Propelled”. This initially featured a two 12 1/2 gallon drums with horizontal spray bars and lances. Powered by a single cylinder 4-stroke Villiers industrial engine coupled to a three-speed Albion motorcycle gearbox and double reduction chain drive to the single axle, it required minimal effort to operate. The liquid was drawn simultaneously from both tanks and passed through a filter before entering a Brook pump driven via a V-belt directly off the engine and thence via an adjusting valve to the spray bars at the front of the machine. The liquid could be delivered either in a horizontal style across a 10 foot spread of the bars could be altered to deliver it vertically to bushes etc. In 1959 the cost was £135. Later a further version was built offering a total capacity of 55 gallons but based on the design essentially of that of the 25 gallon example. This would cost £218 10s 0d.

1931 Saw a further Patent Application by WCG Ludford, accepted 1932, patent Ref 367172 this resulted in the introduction of a new Sprayer known as The Marvel.

The 1950's also saw the start a range of both tractor mounted sprayers and tractor trailer units being offered with tank capacities ranging from 40 to 60 gallons for the tractor mounted and 40 to 300 gallons for the tractor trailer units

The range of machines they offered was to say the least extensive, on page 1 of catalogue number 35, date estimated to be around 1930 as I have an invoice from this time dated October 25th 1930 with a price for a identifiable sprayer whose price on invoice matches that as in the price list, Introduction, reference is made on this insofar that they claimed to 'Be by far the largest actual manufacturers of sprayers in Great Britain'.

Catalogue 35 indicated that they had by that time through competitions entered they had received over 60 Gold and Silver Medals.

A number of the competitions they were successful at included:

• Wisbech Fruit Growers Association Spraying Demonstration April 22nd 1909 Silver Gilt Medal for Knapsack Sprayer
• Bath and West Rochester 1910 First Prize for Knapsack Sprayers
• Sussex Agricultural Show 1910 Silver Medal for Knapsack Sprayers
• Hexham Fruit Congress October 1910 2 Gold Medals
• Royal Horticultural International Exhibition, 1912, Silver Cup for Sprayers
• RHS Trials of Spraying Machines and Syringes, Wisley Grounds, April 23, 1913, Highest Awards for Spraying Machines, Garden Syringes, Spraying Nozzles and Special Award for Knapsack Sprayers
• International Rubber Exhibition, London 1914 - 1 Gold Medal

While nearly all of their spraying machine patterns were named a number the names given to a number of the models they produced were local; i.e. “Yenton”; “Weeford”, “Shenstone”, “Streetly”, "Maney" and "Vesey".

The manufactory created by WCG Ludford was situated initially next door to his house Fernlea, photographs show a building with ivy or creeper growing up the front, the building had the name in large gold coloured letters just under the first floor windows. This was originally a four gabled building though photographs taken in the early 1970’s show a fifth gable over a garage door entrance with the addition of Ltd after the name.

As mentioned earlier an application to Companies House a while ago resulted in a microfiche of statutory documents supplied. This has revealed some of the history of the FOSMC after WWII. In 1950 a document was drawn up that resulted in the change of trading style of the company from being solely owned by WCG Ludford, to that of a Limited Company with the directors being WCG Ludford and his sons Leslie Brentnall Ludford and Lawrance Ludford. At this time WCG was in his 83rd year and given that he passed away early in 1951 this change may well have been him putting things in order while able to. He is buried with his wife who predeceased him in 1937, aged 77, in the graveyard at Canwell, Staffordshire. It appears as a consequence of his death that the day to day running of the business was taken over by his sons Leslie and Lawrance and the business continued onwards.

Production of some sprayers was moved to Southern Ireland and a company called Sprayers Ltd was created in order to manufacture various models under licence. Outwardly the only difference to sprayers manufactured there was a different plate affixed to the sprayers. The Copy of a document found on a website of the Irish government, that resulted from a question in the Irish parliament as to the level and number of companies set up in Eire with foreign investment, suggests that this took place between 1st January, 1955 to 31st March, 1957.

With the introduction of plastics into industry in the late 1950’s and throughout the 1960’s together with a more disposable society developing this inevitably had a detrimental effect on the company. Added to this as many of the products were designed for large estates and country gardens, which too had seen a large decline after the war, the once profitable business appeared to falter. New companies were coming along, Hozelock appeared in 1959. Leslie Ludford passed away in 1959. The accounts of year ended 31 December, 1971 show the result with a net loss for the year of £1581.79 to which had to be added the cumulative loss from previous years of £21,022.31, resulting in a debit balance of £22,604.10 carried forward.

The report also reported the impending sale of the freehold premises comprising of the works and offices of the Company, with a book value of £1719 for the sum of approximately £45,000. 1972 saw the trading situation appear to deteriorate further with a loss of £4569.27; 1974 saw the death of Lawrance Ludford and his son E.N Ludford become a director. The 1974 Annual Report confirmed that "The Company's Works and Offices situated on the north side of Belwell Lane were sold in August 1972.

During 1975 the freeholds of some of the properties on the south side of Belwell Lane were sold, these included the remaining assembly shop and offices at 11 Belwell Lane. The 14th January 1977 saw the effective closure of the FOSMC as a manufacturing concern as the Company’s stock in trade was sold to the purchaser of the company’s business for £7,750.00. Investigation has revealed that The Willcox Group purchased the business, they were manufacturers of machine tools and machine tool lubrication systems with premises in Kings Road Tyseley, Birmingham. One of their subsidiaries was The Phillip B Waldron Co. Ltd, using the brand name Dronwal. This date also saw the cancellation of the Company’s VAT registration by H.M Customs and Excise. The only income then became that derived from the letting of certain of its remaining Freehold properties combined with ground rents receivable. This continued until 24th March 1986 when the remaining freehold investment property was sold for the sum of £76,500, after selling expenses were deducted.

This drew the line under what had been probably the most well known brand of spraying machines made in the Midlands, possibly the country maybe the world. This was confirmed in December 1986 when the directors recommended to the members that the company be placed into voluntary liquidation, this took place and the process was completed with the company being fully wound up on 15 September 1987. What remains is a wonderful heritage based upon the surviving examples of their products together with the detailed literature that was used in promoting the business while trading.

Sources of Information.

• Companies House Microfiche for Four Oaks Spraying Machine Co Limited Co No 00483413, various documents within
• Espacenet- Patent Search for Patent Information.
• Sutton Coldfield Reference Library for Planning Applications re Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company/ W C G Ludford
• Sutton Coldfield Burgess Roll Records - held at Sutton Coldfield Reference Library,
• Census Returns 1851-1911 plus Parish Register Records and Death Registration Index, Index of Wills and Marriages, Births and Deaths 1867 to 1974 on FamilySearch.org for WCG Ludford and relatives. Access is totally Free to this site upon Signing up.
• Cambridgeshire County Council Wisbech Library - re Articles in Wisbech Advertiser April 28 1909 - re Wisbech Fruit Growers Association Sprayer Demonstration April 22, 1909.
• Copyright 1912 Spraying and Limewashing Machines - Directions for Use - with some prices
• Invoice July 25th,1925 from FOSMCO to Messrs J. G. Banfield and Sons, Agricultural Engineers, Teme Street, Tenbury.
• Invoice October 25th,1930 to Messrs William J Markham & Son, Ironmongers, Market Square, Buckingham re sale of Four Oaks "Dairyman-de-Luxe" pattern machine with Unchokable Nozzle In Lieu of Ordinary.
• Four Oaks Catalogue and Price List Re Catalogue 35 - undated
• Advertisement from The Ironmonger Buyers Guide 1937
• Copies of Advertisements from Milling December 1938 June1939 & December 1939
• Advertisement from The Ironmonger Buyers Guide, 1946
• Advertisement from Timber Trades Directory, 1948
• Four Oaks Catalogue and Price List April 1951
• Four Oaks Catalogue and Price List of 1st December 1954
• Dail Eireann - Volume 207 - 25 February 1964 Ceisteanna - Questions. Oral Answers. - Establishment of Industries.
• Catalogue of Selection of Products from the World's Largest Range, Four Oaks with Price List dated January 1st 1968, and sub heading Prices maintained without increase for 1969.

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