J. Brockhouse and Co

1927.

May 1929.

May 1934.

November 1933. C.C.Fire.

December 1933. C.C.Fire.

January 1934.

July 1938.

1938.

1938.

May 1939.

October 1940.

April 1943.

May 1943

November 1943

January 1944.

March 1944.

May 1944.

June 1944.

November 1944.

March 1946.

April 1947.

January 1948.

July 1952.

November 1953.

April 1962.

of Victoria Works, West Bromwich and Australia House, Strand, London, WC2. Telephone: West Bromwich 0431; London Temple Bar 4803/4. Telegraphic Address: "Brockhouse, West Bromwich"; "Brockhouse, Estrand, London"

Maker of vehicle axles and springs. Main works and head office in West Bromwich, a branch in Wolverhampton and a branch in Wednesfield, with 26 companies in the group around the world.

1844 John Brockhouse was born in Wednesbury on 31st December.

c.1856 He was left an orphan at the age of 12, and was apprenticed to R. Disturnal and Co, axle makers, of Wednesbury.

c.1859 The owner was a man called Deeley who seems to have been a typical hard master and Brockhouse walked out on him when he was 15. He got a job at John Rigby and Sons, spring and axle makers, of Holloway Bank.

1864 When he was 20 Brockhouse moved on to Richard Berry and Son of Birmingham.

1865 Aged 21, he moved back to Rigby's as Manager.

1866 He married Maria, the daughter of J. Roberts of Wolverhampton.

1886 Rigby died and Brockhouse, feeling that the business would go into decline, decided to set up on his own account. He set up as a spring and axle maker in a shop and forge behind the butcher's shop in Harvill's Hawthorne, employing eight men. Maria helped finance the business by running a drapery shop, enabling Brockhouse to plough his profits back into the business, which mainly made springs for coaches, but also for anything else, including rickshaws.

1886 Company founded.

1888 He was able to build his own premises, next to J and J Siddons, in Howard Street, West Bromwich.

1896 The firm was turned into a limited company but it continued to be run by John Brockhouse and his Sons.

1897 Brockhouse added axles to his repertoire and built new premises known as the Victoria Works.

1898 Public company. The company was registered on 28 February, to acquire a business of coach spring manufacturers.

The company's first acquisition was Lones, Vernon and Holden, which concentrated on railway work. During the first half of the twentieth century the company expanded rapidly by taking over numerous other firms, including R. Disturnal and Co.

1914 Manufacturers of Axles and Ironwork including Motor, Carriage and Van Springs. Employees 700.

WWI. They seem to have been helped by having "a good war".

1922 The company was particularly successful with John Brockhouse continuing as Managing Director almost until his death, aged 79, in 1922 when one of his sons, also John Brockhouse, took over.

1927 Spring repair service offered by R. Berry and Son, James Leach (of Leeds) and Taylor's Spring Co of Wednesbury; windscreen repair and replacement by Joseph Gibson and Co (see advert)

1932 Bell's Heat Appliances transferred manufacturing of AGA Cookers to J. Brockhouse and Co of Smethwick. A subsidiary, B. H. A. Production was established to manufacture the cookers.

1933 Aga Heat Ltd was incorporated to acquire the 2 companies concerned with the manufacture and sale of Aga appliances - Bell's Heat Appliances and B. H. A. Production

1936 Acquired District Iron and Steel Co of Smethwick whose premises were next door to Brockhouse's laminated springs and railway equipment business unit and Dawkins Enamels and Foundry Co of Wednesfield, which became Brockhouse Castings Ltd

1937 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Drop forgings for Railway Work, Tramway, and Shipbuilding and General engineering requirements. Speciality: Stanchions. (Stand Nos. D.518, Ca.909 and Ca.808).

1937 Acquired Vulcan Motor and Engineering Co of Southport which would be used for general engineering but sold the rights to the motor vehicle side of the business. Profits doubled that year. Acquisitions included the Lewin Road Sweeper, Piercy and Co of Birmingham, R. J. Hunt and Son, ironfounders of Kings Norton, and the Vitreous Enamelling Co; taken an interest in the Fluvario Self priming pump for cars; sold Albion Drop Forgings Co; introduced employee profit sharing scheme

1938 The company had taken on more armaments work. Vulcan Works was renamed Brockhouse Engineering (Southport).

WWII Delivered a variety of products to the war effort. The company continued with increasing success but with a weather eye on the need for returning to civilian work when peace came. Dividends were maintained and a rights issue made in 1940 (one of the few).

1941 Took controlling interest in Orme, Evans and Co

1942 Acquired Frank Morris (Printers)

1943 Acquired Ernest Lake Ltd of Bishop's Stortford, owners of Harvey Frost Ltd, makers of garage equipment, jacks and vulcanizing equipment, which would complement existing parts of the group. Acquired Meldrums Ltd of Timperley, makers of stokers, etc; and John Brooks (Lye) Ltd, maker of anvils and vices. As part of plans for post-war business, the company had developed a new range of municipal vehicles under the Lewin brand, and a hydraulic transmission system for use in all types of self-propelled vehicles. Had built 2 prototype prefabricated buildings

1944 Formed a subsidiary to handle the business in prefabricated buildings, which became Brockhouse Steel Structures

1944 Mr J. T. Brockhouse died

1944 The Brockhouse Group consisted of 24 engineering companies and works. The firms they took over included those making springs and axles but also many others so that, by the second half of the twentieth century, they were a conglomerate.

1944 Acquired Warwick Rim and Sectioning Co Ltd. Was involved in 2 schemes to build steel pre-fabricated buildings, one with Sankeys

After WWII J. Brockhouse and Co acquired the Sunbeam and Karrier trolley bus business from Rootes

At Wolverhampton the company occupied the Elms works on Penn Road, which had originally been built for Sunbeam. When they moved there is not known, nor whether they took over Elm Works directly from Sunbeam.

At Elm Works the company mainly made machine tools. In successive editions of the Wolverhampton Official Handbook they listed the products of this works as: high grade machine tools, automatic injection moulding machines, die casting machines, gear cutting machines, lathes, slideway grinding unit heads, keyseating, milling and broaching machines. At this works they also did complete overhauls of all classes of machine tools; and their drawing office also carried out design work for other companies.

1947 Completed purchase of British Motor Boat Manufacturing Co

1948 Park Royal Vehicles had arranged to supply technical information to the company who had built a factory in Glasgow to manufacture bodywork to Park Royal's designs

1948 Guy Motors acquired Sunbeam Trolley Bus Co from J. Brockhouse and Co except for the tools section which Brockhouse retained

1952 The US subsidiary, the Indian motorcycle company, again incurred a loss which could only be offset against tax on future profits in USA. Acquired W. E. Cramp and Sons of Tipton, makers of ball bearings

1953 Acquired District Iron and Steel Co from the Holding and Realization Agency.

1955 The Southport factory had not been profitable since WWII and was closed; a new machine shop was established at West Bromwich to manufacture hydraulic transmissions. An arrangement had been made with Enfield Cycle Co to manufacture the Indian motorcycle at a new factory at Boston in the UK for export to USA

1959 Sold the Indian Company to Associated Motor Cycles; the name of the US Indian company was changed to Brockhouse Corporation

1960 Acquired Albion Drop Forgings Co and merged into the Brockhouse Group

1960 Significant rise in profits due to general engineering trade despite drop in demand for automotive components

1961 Trailer manufacturers; drop forgers; ironfounders; springs and tool makers. Makers of Sweepmaster, Mechanical Orderly, Universal, Tractor Drawn road sweeper collectors; axles; Brockhouse Bulldog range of grates; U bolts and spring brackets; coupling equipment; machined components; fully automatic pressure jet oil burners for light and heavy oils; welded plate fabrications; general assembly work; spray painting and stove enamelling; degreasing and bonderising. 4,300 employees.

1961 Acquired a factory with equipment at Denton, Lancs from Craven Brothers, machine tool makers, of Manchester

1962 Moving to more complicated engineering products which offered higher rewards although cost more and took longer than the company's conventional products to develop

1963 The Brockhouse Group offered products to several sectors:

• General Engineering
• Engineering - Machine Tools
• Transport
• Building
• Heating

The head office was at West Bromwich.

1963 Acquired the remaining 50 percent of Uniton Ltd, makers of wood-wool slabs, substantial customers of Warwick Rim and Sectioning Co

1964 The aluminium foundry, Kaye Alloy Castings Ltd, was moved to a new factory at West Bromwich. Other factories extended included the one at Glasgow making prefabricated buildings

1967 Acquired Redler Industries, H. J. H. King and Co and 51 percent of Duodec Development and Construction Co from Cozens and Sutcliffe (Holdings)

1967 Ended drop forging at Albion Drop Forgings Co; the work was moved to West Bromwich

1969 Rising inflation made it difficult to keep prices ahead of costs so profits fell

1970 Rebound in profits

1976 Name changed to Brockhouse

1984 the group, which was making a loss, was acquired by Evered Holdings

1987 Brockhouse Castings of Wolverhampton was sold to Saxonforge; the main company was renamed Brooks Castings

2008 The company is still on the same 5.5 acre site in Howard Street, West Bromwich, to which it moved in 1888. (03/08)

See Also

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Sources of Information

• [1] Local History
• [2] Brockhouse Group Website