Ransomes and May
Orwell Works, Ipswich. Agricultural Engineers.
Genealogy of the Company
- 1779 Thomas and Robert Ransome
- 1785 Ransome and Co
- 1808 Ransome and Son
- 1818 Ransome and Sons
- 1825 James and Robert Ransome
- 1829 J. R. and A. Ransome
- 1836 Ransomes and May
- 1854 Ransomes and Sims
- 1869 Ransomes, Sims and Head
- 1880 Ransomes, Head and Jefferies
- 1884 Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies
General
1836 Charles May of Ampthill joined Ransome and Sons as a partner[1].
1839 Won a Gold Medal at the 1839 English Agricultural Society Meeting
1841 Were building stationary engines.
1841 May and Ransome invented and then patented the 'trenail' and 'chair' for fastening railway rails.
1842 Exhibited a self-propelled model.
1843 Frederick Ransome left the partnership with James Ransome, Robert Ransome, James Allen Ransome and Charles May as J. R. and A. Ransome[2]
1849 All work was finally moved to the new Orwell Works at Ipswich where they later employed a thousand workers.
1849 Exhibited a road locomotive at the Agriculture Show, made by E. B. Wilson and Co[3]
1849 Built the iron part of the swing bridge over the River Rother at Rye, for the South-Eastern Railway[4]
1851 Ransomes and May exhibited a portable engine at the 1851 Great Exhibition.
1851 Award at the 1851 Great Exhibition. See details at 1851 Great Exhibition: Reports of the Juries: Class VI. and two more awards at 1851 Great Exhibition: Reports of the Juries: Class V. and another at 1851 Great Exhibition: Reports of the Juries: Class IX.
William Dillwyn Sims joined the company, in partnership with Robert Ransome, James Allen Ransome and Charles May
1852 Charles May left Ransomes and May. The name was changed to Ransomes and Sims.[5]