Watshams
Watsham's Ltd, electrical contractors, of London and of Reading
Responsible for installation of high voltage transmission lines
1920 Norman D. Watsham, engineer, and Watshams, wholesale electrical supplies, were both at 33 King St, London WC2[1]
1921 The business address of Norman D. Watsham was in Howard House, Strand, London[2]
1922 Watshams won an order from Marconi's Wireless Telegraph Co for 2 types of crystal set and a valve receiver[3]; the order for crystal sets was sub-contracted to Plessey Co. This was the start of Plessey’s diversification into radio and electronic manufacturing.
1924 Norman D. Watsham, engineer, and Watshams, electrical engineers, were at 33 King St[4]
1924 Company incorporated
1926 Norman D. Watsham, engineer, and Watshams, electrical engineers, were at 33 King St[5]
1928 Watshams Ltd, Victoria St, London[6]
1930 Watshams Ltd, contractors, of Luton
1932 Engineers of 38 Arthur Street, Greenock[7]
1959 Specialists in erecting overhead transmission lines. Had experienced some reduction in business[8]
1960s - Contractor to the Post Office for radio towers and masts.
1965 Contractors, of Old Brick Works, Pinden End[9]; of Lynemouth, Newcastle upon Tyne;
By 1967 had acquired Harvey Ironworks Ltd[10]
Watsham's diversified and then changed direction during the 1970s and 1980s, focussing on instrument making rather than electrical engineering and related structures.
1974 Acquired J. H. Dallmeyer Ltd[11]
By 1976 Owned a majority interest in Industrial Pharmaceutical Service.[12]
c1977 Mr D S Watsham retired, age 70. The business continued to manufacture “transmission and telecommunications towers”. However the section which erected the towers had been sold to Hawker Siddeley Power Engineering.
1981 Acquired Optical and Electrical Coatings, maker of thin film coatings[13]
1983 of Grosvenor St, London W1[14]
Renamed Watsham’s PLC
1985 Subsidiary Lontec acquired Drayton Technical Services[15]
1986 Watshams, "the specialised instrument maker", had a successful rights issue[16]
1987 Most recent results reported in The Times
1987 Name changed to Optical and Medical International PLC which consisted of a number of divisions:
- Medical Division - Thames Valley Medical, Industrial Pharmaceutical Service, Moore and Co (Medical Supplies), Cambmac Instruments, Bridge Medical Direct, Truro Dental Laboratories, Dracard.
- Technical Division, which consisted of
- Electro-optics - Watsham's Electro-Optics, Optical and Electrical Coatings, L & S Circuits, Trilec Instruments
- Lontec - Lontec, H. J. Smart and LMA
Proposal to acquire Giltspur Engineering Design
1988 Watsham's Technical Division was incorporated into the OMITEC group of companies.
1990 Watshams Electro-Optics were located in Clwyd[17]
1991 Subsequently the group became OMI International PLC
1998 The successor company was Solvera PLC[18]
1999 The Company went into administration early in 1999 and was finally dissolved in 2007 – only to be restored to the register of companies in 2013 due to a Court Order.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ UK Phone Books
- ↑ UK City and Country Directory
- ↑ Private communication from Noel Clark
- ↑ UK Phone Books
- ↑ UK Phone Books
- ↑ British Phone Books
- ↑ British Phone Books
- ↑ The Times, Aug 12, 1959
- ↑ Outer London NW Kent Phone book
- ↑ The Times Aug. 28, 1968
- ↑ The Times Sept. 7, 1974
- ↑ 1977 Annual report
- ↑ The Times July 11, 1981
- ↑ London Phone Book
- ↑ The Times May 31, 1985
- ↑ The Times, March 06, 1986
- ↑ The Times January 29, 1990
- ↑ https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/00196908