Tangyes

‎‎

1866.

Tangye's First Workshop

Tangye's Second Workshop

Tangye's First Smithy

Differential Pulley Block

The Cornwall Works

1880.

1889.

1889.

1889.

1907.

1907.

1907.

1907.

‎‎

1946.

Tangye of Cornwall Works, Soho, Birmingham was an engineering business.

• 1858 The business was set up by the five Tangye brothers as James Tangye and Brothers of 40 Mount Street, Birmingham-
  • James (1825-1913)
  • Joseph
  • Edward (1832-1905)
  • Richard (1833-1906)
  • George (1835-1920)
• They produced Hydraulic rams (used to launch the SS Great Britain), steam pumps, horizontal steam engines and the differential pulley still known by the Tangye name.

• 1868-70 Joseph produced a Velocipede and a sample is in the Cornwall Museum at Truro.

• 1870 There were 800 people employed.

• 1872 James and Joseph retired from the company.

• 1876 Brake pulley block and safety hoist announced to Cherry's patent.

• 1876 Direct-acting compound steam pumping engine. Tangye Brothers.

• 1876 Exhibitor at the Royal Agricultural Show at Birmingham with Cameron's special pumps and steam engines.

• 1878 Vertical engine. Gold medal Paris. Exhibit at Nottingham Industrial Museum.

• 1880 2,000 on payroll.

• 1880 Manufactured Robinson's gas hammer.

• 1881 The company was made into a limited liability. The company was registered on 31 December, to acquire the businesses of Tangye Brothers, hydraulic engineers, and of Robert Price and Co, malleable ironfounders, of Winson Green, near Birmingham.

• 1888 Hydraulic Baling Steam Pump.

• 1888 June. Engines and machinery for the Birmingham Cable Tramway.

• 1890 Electric light and pumping engines for 'SS Teutonic' and 'SS Majestic'. Illustration and article in 'The Engineer'.

• 1890s 'Colonial' steam engine. (Exhibit at Birmingham Thinktank museum).

• 1894 Antwerp Exhibition. Awarded Diploma of Honour for Large Mechanical Constructions.

• 1894 Electric Light Engine and Dynamo for the Caledonia with Siemens Brothers. Illustration.

• 1895 Two engines for Wellingborough Corporation (Irthlingborough Road Station).

• 1896/7 Directory: Listed as makers of steam boilers.

• 1900 June. Royal Agricultural Show at York. Showed steam, oil and gas engines.

• 1900 Paris Exhibition. Description of the oil and steam engines shown.

• 1903 Three inverted triple-expansion engines for Ilkeston and Heanor Waterworks (Whatstandwell Station).

• 1906 Type S Gas Engine. Exhibit at Anson Engine Museum.

• 1906 Another business was absorbed.

• 1911 They produced machine tools in including Lathes; milling machines for cams.

• 1914 Listed as engineers and manufacturers of gas, oil and steam engines, pumps, hydraulic machinery and lifting appliances. Employees 3,000.

• 1920 At the Machine Tool Exhibition in Olympia they showed an axle end facing and centering machine for railway axles and an axle turning lathe. They appointed Alfred Herbert as the selling agents.

• 1927 Advert for heavy-fuel oil engines from 12 to 500 bhp.

• 1927 See Aberconway for information on the company and its history

• 1961 Hydraulic and general engineers, specialising in the manufacture of diesel engines, pumps, hydraulic and special machinery.

• 1968 Heavy duty jacks. Of Gough Road, Greet, Birmingham.

• Tangye jacks are now manufactured by Allspeeds Ltd [Allspeeds/Tangye website]

• Display of engines. Exhibit at Anson Engine Museum.

See Also

• Autobiography of Richard Tangye

Sources of Information

• Cornwall Museum at Truro
• The Engineer of 25th August 1876 p128
• The Engineer of 14th July 1876 p33 & p40
• The Engineer of 15th October 1920 p381
• The Engineer of 19th November 1920 p512
• The Steam Engine in Industry by George Watkins in two volumes. Moorland Publishing. 1978. ISBN 0-903485-65-6