James Neill and Co (Sheffield)
Eclipse of Composite Steel Works, Napier Street, Sheffield. Telephone: Sheffield 24372-3. Cables: "Bentley's and A.B.C. Code, 6th Edition"
Neill Tools
1889 James Neill, a successful accountant, turns to steelmaking and patents "composite" steel (steel-backed iron).
1909 Registered the Eclipse trademark
1911 Started making the world's first composite steel hacksaw blades.
By 1924 the company was also making saw frames; the company introduced the classic shape which all hacksaws now mirror.
1929 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Combined Iron and Steel for Machine Knives, Dies, etc., Crucible Steel, Magnet Steel, etc. "Eclipse" Safety Razor Blades. "Eclipse" Hack Saw Blades and Frames. "Eclipse" Permanent Magnets. (Stand No. J.31) [1]
1937 British Industries Fair Advert for 'Eclipse' Non Electric Magnetic Chucks and Accessories. Also 'Eclipse' Hack Saw Blades and Frames; 'Eclipse' High Grade Crucible Steels. (Engineering/Metals/Quarry, Roads and Mining/Transport) [2]
1939 See Aircraft Industry Suppliers
1945 Advert for Eclipse tools including hacksaw blade and frames, pad handles, saw sets etc. [3]
1953 James Neill and Co (Sheffield) Ltd acquired Hallamshire Steel and File Co from the Holding and Realization Agency[4].
1959 Patent - Improvements in or relating to tool-holders. [5]
1960s Acquired Peter Stubs.
1966 Patent - Improvements in or relating to saw-file handles. [6]
1968 Tool bits. [7]
1968 Sheffield Rolling Mills was formed as a company jointly owned by British Steel, Balfour and Darwins (38%) and James Neill Holdings (17%) to operate the Tinsley Park bar mills at Sheffield, which were 5 years old; the private sector companies would transfer work there from their older plant[8]
By 1969 was part of James Neill Group which also included James Neill Holdings, Whiteley, Lang and Neill, and Hallamshire Steel and File Co[9]
1969 James Neill Holdings purchased Relham Products, automatic turning specialists, from Dutton-Forshaw[10]
1970 James Neill Holdings acquired John Shaw and Sons (Wolverhampton), toolmakers and merchants; acquired R. A. Stephen of Morden, maker of Goscut tools[11]; acquired Moore and Wright of Sheffield.
1970 Public issue of shares by James Neill Holdings[12]
1971 Acquired Elliott-Lucas,maker of 40 percent of pliers, pincers and nippers in UK[13]
1972 Acquired Benson Verniers and GKN Shardlow Metrology. Brand names featured included Eclipse, Britool, M&W, PS Stubs, Elliott Lucas[14]
1974 British Steel bought out its partners in Sheffield Rolling Mills[15]
1985 Purchased Spear and Jackson
1988 James Wilkes bought the Peter Stubs business (except for the bi-metallic strip activities which would be integrated with the hand tools activities)[16]
1989 Acquired by the MMG Patricof Group, which said it wanted to expand the business and refloat in c.5 years[17]
1993 Known as Neill Tools
1995 The new company was renamed Spear and Jackson plc.
1997 Spear and Jackson was acquired from Apax Partners by U.S. Industries, consumer products manufacturer, formerly part of Hanson[18]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ 1929 British Industries Fair p123
- ↑ 1937 British Industries Fair Advert p642; and p394
- ↑ Mechanical World Year Book 1945. Published by Emmott and Co of Manchester. Advert p1
- ↑ The Times, 23 February 1954
- ↑ [1] Wikipatents
- ↑ [2] Wikipatents
- ↑ The Engineer of 9th August 1968 p221
- ↑ The Times (London, England), Thursday, Sep 19, 1968
- ↑ The Times, Jan 17, 1969
- ↑ The Times, Jul 16, 1969
- ↑ The Times April 17, 1970
- ↑ The Times, Nov 27, 1970
- ↑ The Times, Nov 30, 1971
- ↑ The Times, Jun 08, 1972
- ↑ The Times, Apr 27, 1974
- ↑ The Times, October 29, 1988
- ↑ The Times, October 11, 1989
- ↑ The Times Dec. 5, 1997
- [3] Spear and Jackson website