Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 1154342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 167,710 pages of information and 247,104 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 147,919 pages of information and 233,587 images on early companies, their products and the people who designed and built them.

St. Helen's Works

From Graces Guide

1864 James Cross started his own locomotive manufacturing business after his previous employer, the St Helens Railway, was taken over by the LNWR. He was joined by Edward Borrows and Arthur Sinclair, both former St. Helens Railway employees. Borrows quit after a short time over the patent rights to a diaphragm pump which he had invented. He established his own business, naming the factory 'Providence Works'[1] Cross took over the old St Helens workshops at Sutton shed.

1865 Under Mr. Cross, the works built the first large engine to be constructed under Fairlie's patents; this was for the Neath and Brecon Railway.[2]

1869 Ceased business. They had built around sixty locomotives. The final batch, of 30, was for the East Indian Railway.

See Also

Sources of Information

  1. [1] 'Sutton Beauty and Heritage' website, Part 27
  2. The Engineer 1865/12/22