Marshall, Sons and Co
of Britannia Iron Works, Gainsborough, Lincs.
The company was a British machinery and Traction Engine manufacturer. Marshall's produced large numbers of steam traction engines, steam rollers and agricultural machinery of all types. Later production included diesel tractors such as the Field Marshall and Track Marshall.
General
1842 William Marshall originally an agent for William Fairbairn and Sons branched out on his own and purchased the defunct engineering works of William Garland and Son at Back Street Foundry in Gainsborough.
1848 Company established.
1849 Renamed as Britannia Ironworks and commenced production of road steam engines.
1857 His son James Marshall become a partner in the company.
1861 His other son Henry Dickenson Marshall became a partner in the business.
1861 William Marshall died.
1861 Employing 21 men and 10 boys. [1]
1862 Incorporated as a Limited Company.
1871 Employing 521 men and 85 boys [2]
1876 First traction engine produced.
1877 Exhibitors at the 1877 Royal Agricultural Show at Liverpool [3].
1876 Exhibitor at the Royal Agricultural Show at Birmingham with a new expansion gear actuated by the governor. Details of their feeder for sheaves. [4]
1878 Built a railway locomotive and two more in 1898 and 1902.
1881 Employing 1,437 men and 137 boys [5]
1888 Issued catalogue of tea-preparing machinery with steam engines and boilers. Second catalogue on engines - portable, semi-portable, traction, fixed, horizontal and vertical, condensing; boilers, locomotives and vertical, and saw benches. Another section on road locomotives, portable and fixed engines, thrashing machinery, elevators and mills. [6]
1894 Catalogue of Tea preparing machinery. [7]
1895 Horizontal Engine with gear drive for Stockport Waterworks (Wilmslow Station).
1911 Smithfield Club Show. Exhibited a new steam tractor, a portable engine, a thrashing machine, a patented fire-box and various accessories.
1911 Horizontal Rotative Engine for Chatham and Rochester Waterworks (Luton Station). [8]
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Steam Motor Wagons, Tractors and Ploughs etc. see the 1917 Red Book
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of Paraffin Commercial and Agricultural Motors, Tractors, Ploughs, Sprayers, etc. see the 1917 Red Book
1914 Agricultural and General Engineering for Home and Abroad. Specialities: "Marshall's Oil Tractors" and Jackson's Patent Tea Machinery. Employees 5000. [9]
1920 February. Issued catalogue on Cornish, Lancashire and water-tube boilers. [10]
1920 Royal Agricultural Show at Darlington. 16 bhp portable oil engine (illustrated). [11]
1927 See Aberconway for information on the company and its history.
1929 The company purchased the goodwill, some debts and spare parts of Clayton and Shuttleworth which was in liquidation [12].
1934 As result of continued poor trade, the company was placed in receivership[13]
1935 October. Bought by Thomas W. Ward Ltd. Employed 930 men[14]. Business reorganised and costs reduced.
1936 Marshalls, Sons and Co (Successors) Ltd was formed as a private company to acquire from Thomas W. Ward Ltd the property undertaking and assets of the engineering business of Marshalls, Sons and Co Ltd est 1848. Converted into a public company[15]. 5 member of the Ward family were on the board[16]
1936 1st AGM. Joseph Ward is Chairman [17]
1937 2nd AGM. Joseph Ward is Chairman and Ashley S. Ward is deputy-Chairman and Managing Director [18]
1937 Engineers and boiler manufacturers. [19]
WWII Made Diesel tractors and rollers, dumpers, concrete machinery, tea machinery, steam plant boilers, and work for the war effort[20]
1943 Name changed to Marshall, Sons and Co Ltd
1947 Marshall, Sons and Co merged with John Fowler and Co Ltd; the 2 companies had major interests in diesel tractors[21].
1961 General engineers and machinery manufacturers, producing diesel crawler tractors, diesel road rollers, diesel wheeled tractors, distillation plant, tea preparing machinery, fire tube packaged boilers, earth moving equipment, heavy fabricated steel work, diesel shunting locomotives and wire drawing machinery. 3,048 employees. [22]
1967 Take-over bid by Electrical and Industrial Securities[23]
1970s The factory in Gainsborough was derelict in the 1970s. There is now a supermarket standing on (part of) the former Britannia Iron Works site.
Marshall, Sons and Co. built the boiler for the Fairbairn steam crane which stands on the dockside in Bristol. The maker's plate reads "Marshall Sons and Co. Ltd., Engineers, Gainsboro, England, No.92766".
Agricultural Machinery
See Marshall. Sons and Co: Agricultural Machinery
Stationary Engines
- S Type (8 - 25 bhp)
- H Type (15 - 50 bhp) (1923/4 - )
- T20 (1936 - 1944)
Steam Engines
See Marshall, Sons and Co: Steam Engines
Tractors
See Marshall, Sons and Co: Tractors
Notes
There is a Marshall portable boiler currently restored and in use as the steam source for the Westonzoyland Museum
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1861 Census
- ↑ 1871 Census
- ↑ The Engineer 1877/07/13
- ↑ The Engineer of 21st July 1876 p40 & p43
- ↑ 1881 Census
- ↑ The Engineer of 27th April 1888 p338
- ↑ The Engineer of 27th April 1894 p360
- ↑ The Engineer of 8th December 1911 p593
- ↑ 1914 Whitakers Red Book
- ↑ The Engineer of 27th Feb 1920 p208
- ↑ The Engineer of 25th June 1920 p650
- ↑ The Times, Feb 19, 1930
- ↑ The Times, May 05, 1934
- ↑ The Times, Monday, Oct 28, 1935
- ↑ The Times, Mar 27, 1947
- ↑ The Times, Apr 02, 1936
- ↑ The Times, Thursday, Jun 11, 1936
- ↑ The Times, Thursday, Dec 16, 1937
- ↑ 1937 The Aeroplane Directory of the Aviation and Allied Industries
- ↑ The Times, Dec 21, 1939
- ↑ The Times, Jan 02, 1947
- ↑ 1961 Dun and Bradstreet KBE
- ↑ The Times, Nov 10, 1967
- The Complete Encyclopedia of Tractors by Mirco de Cet published in 2006 by Rebo International ISBN 978-90-366-1893-9
- British Steam Locomotive Builders by James W. Lowe. Published in 1975. ISBN 0-905100-816
- The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978. ISBN 0-903485-65-6
- Steam Engine Builders of Lincolnshire by Ronald H. Clark. Published 1955 by Goose and Son