George Saxon

Former works of George Saxon, at the junction of South St and Tram St, Openshaw, as seen in November 2008

1911.

2200hp Twin Tandem Compound Engine at Magnet Mill, Oldham. George Saxon, 1903

2200hp Twin Tandem Compound Engine at Magnet Mill, Oldham

HP valve gear from Magnet Mill, formerly on display at old Manchester Museum of Science and Industry (1974)

1250hp 4-cylinder triple at Hawthorn Mill, Chadderton

Hawthorn Mill, Chadderton, showing barring engine (now preserved) in situ

George Saxon barring engine at Manchester Museum of Science & Industry

George Saxon four cylinder triple expansion engine for cotton spinning mill overseas

Barring engine. Exhibit at Bolton Steam Museum.

Exhibit at Bolton Steam Museum.

1909? Two-cylinder barring engine from a 1300 IHP engine at Hawthorn Mill, Chadderton, near Oldham. The gears would be engaged with the flywheel in order to ’bar’ the engine over slowly. On display at the Northern Mill Engine Society museum in Bolton

1911.

1911.

George Saxon (1821-1875)

George Saxon of Openshaw Engineering Works, Manchester were makers of stationary steam engines

1864 Company established to build mill engines. Exhibit at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry

1878 4-cylinder Triple Expansion engine for Hawthorn Mill, Chadderton (1250/1300hp). Its small barring engine has survived, and is displayed at the Northern Mill Engine Society museum in Bolton. See photo.

1886 Engine for Stamford Commercial Weaving Co, Carrs Mill, Ashton-under-Lyme

1903 Engine for the Tudor Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne

1903 2200hp Twin Tandem Compound Engine for Magnet Mill, Oldham. A set of valve gear from the RH High Pressure cylinder of this engine is believed to survive at Manchester Museum of Science and Industry, but is not on display.

1913 Steam engine at Pear New Mill, Bredbury. This was a very large double ‘Manhattan’ engine, having horizontal high pressure cylinders and vertical low pressure cylinders, driving a pulley grooved for 73 ropes. It was designed to produce 4000 HP, but in the event only half of the mill was completed, so only half of the engine was used. Photographed by George Watkins in 1952.

1938 Death of James Saxon, one of George Saxon's sons, reported . He was born in 1858 and served his apprenticeship at Saxon's works 1872 - 1879. He became manager on the death of his father in 1879, and was made a partner in the firm. He retired from active business in 1918, but continued to live at Higher Openshaw.

Barring engine for mill engine. Exhibit at Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry

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1880 Obituary

GEORGE SAXON was born in Manchester on 20th September 1821.

He was apprenticed with Mr., afterwards Sir William Fairbairn, at his Manchester works — an apprenticeship which he completed to Mr. Fairbairn's great satisfaction.

Afterwards he superintended the erection of many of Mr. Fairbairn's great engineering works. In 1851 he accepted an engagement as foreman to Mr. Benjamin Goodfellow, Engineer, at Hyde, near Manchester.

While in this employment, in 1854, he patented a fusible plug for steam boilers, which has proved highly successful, and is still extensively used.

In 1856 he commenced business in Openshaw, Manchester, as engineer and millwright—a business which increased considerably under his energetic and skilful management. His great practical knowledge led him to make many improvements in this department of engineering, amongst others an automatic cut-off motion, which is being extensively applied at the present time.

His death took place at his residence at Openshaw, on 31st October 1879, at the age of fifty-eight.

He became a Member of the Institution in 1875.

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