Anglo-American Brush Electric Light Corporation

January 1888.

April 1888. Mordey Alternating Current Dynamo.

of Victoria Works, 112 Belvedere Road, Lambeth.

1880 Company established in Lambeth, London, as The Anglo-American Brush Electric Light Corporation, to work the patents of Charles Francis Brush (born in Cleveland Ohio in 1849) who had invented an electric dynamo in 1876, and whose system of light was commercialised by the American Brush Electric Light Company. The firm seems to have taken over existing premises, Victoria Works, previously used by makers of wood working machinery.

1881 Electric exhibition at Crystal Palace: the north end would be lit by Brush Co using arc lights; other parts at that end would be lit by Lane Fox incandescent lamps; Electric Light and Power Generating Co would also use arc lights; Maxim, Crompton, Pilsen, Edison, Werdermann, Siemens and Hammond system would also be used to light other parts of the building^[1].

1882 The Lane-Fox Incandescent Lamp Department, Portpool Lane, was placed in the charge of Mr St George Lane-Fox^[2].

1883 Emile Garcke joined the Anglo-American Brush Electric Light Corporation as Secretary; he rose to Manager in 1887 and became Managing Director of its successor company, Brush Electrical Engineering Co, four years later.

1885 Absorbed the Great Western Electric Light Co and the Brush Midland Electric Light and Power Co; these companies and another subsidiary, Eastern Electric Light Co, had been liquidated^[3]

A large portion of the company's business was in ship lighting plants. At first high speed Browett Lindley engines were employed to provide the motive power but, later, Mr. John Smith Raworth designed a special type of engine for the work.

The company supplied its first train lighting plants for use on the London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. The machines used for that purpose were of the Brush arc type specially wound for train lighting work so as to give what was very nearly a steady voltage over a range of speed.

At first the firm made no alternators. Then came the introduction of the spider-poled Mordey alternator. Alternating current switchgear was also developed.

1889 As the business grew at Lambeth due to the demand for new electrical apparatus, larger premises were required. The largest machine normally made at Victoria Works had a 60kW output. A few alternators of larger power were made there but could not be tested to their full capacity. Accordingly the company acquired the assets of Henry Hughes and Co at Falcon Works, Loughborough. A new company was incorporated as Brush Electrical Engineering Co to take over the business of the former company^[4].

Sources of Information

↑ Bristol Mercury, 6 December 1881
↑ The Morning Post, November 28, 1882
↑ The Times, Jan 28, 1885
↑ The Times, 15 July 1889

Obituary of John Smith Raworth

[1] Bristol Mercury, 6 December 1881

[2] The Morning Post, November 28, 1882

[3] The Times, Jan 28, 1885

[4] The Times, 15 July 1889

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[4]

Grace's Guide To British Industrial History

Anglo-American Brush Electric Light Corporation

See Also

Sources of Information