Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Registered UK Charity (No. 115342)

Grace's Guide is the leading source of historical information on industry and manufacturing in Britain. This web publication contains 164,971 pages of information and 246,452 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.

William Sloane Accles

From Graces Guide

William Sloane Accles (1856-1918)

1856 (1855?) October 1st. Born at Bathurst, Bendigo, Australia, the son of George Accles and his wife Hannah Fergusson. His older brother is James George Accles

1862 Family moved to the USA

1877-80 Worked at Pratt and Whitney, USA

1891 Came to England from the USA

Married Edith Helen Tuttle

1894 Works Manager at Grenfell and Accles, Holford Engineering Works, Perry Barr where his brother is a director.[1]

1901 Living at Fitz-George Avenue, Fulham: William S. Accles (age 44 born Bendigo, Australia), Engineer (Mechanical) and Employer. With his wife Edith H. Accles (age 32 born USA) and their daughter Hazel E. Accles (age 8 born USA). One servant.[2]


1918 Obituary [3]

WILLIAM SLOANE ACCLES was born at Bendigo, Australia, on 1st October 1856.

He served his apprenticeship at Colt's Armoury in Hartford, Conn., and was subsequently with the firm of Pratt and Whitney, of the same town.

For several years he was manager of his brother's works at Birmingham, namely, Messrs. Grenfell and Accles, afterwards Accles, Ltd., who introduced the Gatling Gun, and later the Accles machine gun.

In about 1895 he joined the Niles Tool Co., and in the following year became its manager in Europe with headquarters in London.

In 1900 the Niles Co. purchased the Pratt and Whitney Co., whose works became famous for their special rifle-making machinery; and subsequent amalgamations caused the title of the firm to be changed to the Niles-Bement-Pond-Co., of which he remained European Manager until his death.

During his long connexion with the firm he travelled extensively on their behalf, and was successful in obtaining orders of great magnitude.

His death took place at his residence in Kensington, on 26th January 1918, at the age of sixty-one.

He became a Member of this Institution in 1894.


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