Beardmore, William, & Co Ltd, general
Other Business Names:
- Napier, Robert, & Co
- Vickers Son & Maxim
- Mossend Steelworks
- Alley Maclellan Ltd
- Sentinel Works
- Beardmore Motors Ltd
- Lithgows Ltd
- Firth, Thos, & John Brown Ltd.
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Dalmuir, West Dunbartonshire, Strathclyde, Scotland, Scotland
- Glasgow, City of Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, Scotland
- Mossend, North Lanarkshire, Strathclyde, Scotland, Scotland
Sectors:
-
Transport equipment production
Airframe production & repair
-
Mechanical engineering
Armaments & ammunition production exc warships, aircraft, cannon, hand guns and cartridges, swords, etc
-
Fabricated metal products manufacture
Armour plate production industry
-
Basic metals production
Iron, steel & related alloys production
-
Fabricated metal products manufacture
Metal forging, pressing, stamping, rolling, slitting, etc
-
Transport equipment production
Motor vehicle production
-
Transport equipment production
Railway locomotive, rolling stock & components production & repair
-
Transport equipment production
Shipbuilding & repairing exc small craft
Notes:
Traced origins to a steel forging business at Parkhead, Glasgow - for long known as Parkhead Forge - in which the Beardmore family had an interest from 1861. In 1887 (Sir) William Beardmore, 1856-1936, was sole partner, taking over on the retirement of his uncle. Under him the business expanded rapidly to become a leading British engineering and armaments manufacturer. 1890 started to make armour plate and in c1900 started ship construction at Dalmuir via acquisition of the shipbuilding interests of Robert Napier & Co. Incorporated 1902 when Vickers Son & Maxim Ltd took a substantial interest. 1905 acquired Mossend Steelworks. Built aero-engines and aircraft, 1914-29, and acquired railway locomotive builder, Alley MacLellan Ltd of Sentinel Works, in 1918. Established Beardmore Motors Ltd in 1920 to build motor vehicles until 1929. By 1918 a major UK business but from mid 1920s in difficulties when gradually reduced through sales and closures and rationalisation and joint ventures with competitors largely under the watch of the Bank of England. Some parts acquired by Lithgows Ltd. Business largely extinct by 1940, the remnants at Parkhead being nationalised in 1951 and later acquired by Thos Firth & John Brown Ltd. The Beardmore name given up in 1975
Publications:
- Armstrongs of Elswick. Growth in engineering and armaments to the merger with Vickers by Warren, Kenneth
- Battleship Builders. Constructing and arming British capital ships by Johnston, Ian, & Ian Buxton
- Beardmore Built. The rise and fall of a Clydeside shipyard by Johnston, Ian
- Beardmore. The history of a Scottish industrial giant by Hume, John R, & Michael Moss
- Bitter with the Sweet. The history of Fletcher & Stewart by Turton, Alison, & Michael Moss
- Business, Banking and Politics. The case of British steel, 1918-1939 by Tolliday, Steven
- Colvilles and the Scottish Steel Industry by Payne, Peter L
- Forging the Fleet. Naval armour and the armour makers, 1860-1916 by Boursnell, David
- Planning and profits. British naval armaments manufacture and the military complex, 1918-1941 by Miller, Christopher W
- Roll of Honour of Employees of William Beardmore & Co Ltd, Dalmuir, Who Died on Service in the Great War by Unknown
- Romance of Engineering. William Beardmore & Co Ltd, Glasgow by Unknown
- Souvenir. Empire Exhibition, Scotland by Unknown
- Steel Works of Parkhead and Mossend by Unknown
- William Beardmore & Co Ltd, Glasgow. Impressions of the works by Frank H Mason by Unknown
- William Beardmore Ltd. Steel manufacturers and forge masters, shipbuilders, engineers by Unknown
- William Beardmore. 'Transport is the thing'. The wide range of vehicles, aircraft, motorcycles, etc, produced by Beardmore by Hurst, K A
Groups:
Other Business Names:
- Napier, Robert, & Co
- Vickers Son & Maxim
- Mossend Steelworks
- Alley Maclellan Ltd
- Sentinel Works
- Beardmore Motors Ltd
- Lithgows Ltd
- Firth, Thos, & John Brown Ltd.
Locations city-town / local authority / county1974 / region-state / country:
- Dalmuir, West Dunbartonshire, Strathclyde, Scotland, Scotland
- Glasgow, City of Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland, Scotland
- Mossend, North Lanarkshire, Strathclyde, Scotland, Scotland
Sectors:
- Transport equipment production Airframe production & repair
- Mechanical engineering Armaments & ammunition production exc warships, aircraft, cannon, hand guns and cartridges, swords, etc
- Fabricated metal products manufacture Armour plate production industry
- Basic metals production Iron, steel & related alloys production
- Fabricated metal products manufacture Metal forging, pressing, stamping, rolling, slitting, etc
- Transport equipment production Motor vehicle production
- Transport equipment production Railway locomotive, rolling stock & components production & repair
- Transport equipment production Shipbuilding & repairing exc small craft
Notes:
Traced origins to a steel forging business at Parkhead, Glasgow - for long known as Parkhead Forge - in which the Beardmore family had an interest from 1861. In 1887 (Sir) William Beardmore, 1856-1936, was sole partner, taking over on the retirement of his uncle. Under him the business expanded rapidly to become a leading British engineering and armaments manufacturer. 1890 started to make armour plate and in c1900 started ship construction at Dalmuir via acquisition of the shipbuilding interests of Robert Napier & Co. Incorporated 1902 when Vickers Son & Maxim Ltd took a substantial interest. 1905 acquired Mossend Steelworks. Built aero-engines and aircraft, 1914-29, and acquired railway locomotive builder, Alley MacLellan Ltd of Sentinel Works, in 1918. Established Beardmore Motors Ltd in 1920 to build motor vehicles until 1929. By 1918 a major UK business but from mid 1920s in difficulties when gradually reduced through sales and closures and rationalisation and joint ventures with competitors largely under the watch of the Bank of England. Some parts acquired by Lithgows Ltd. Business largely extinct by 1940, the remnants at Parkhead being nationalised in 1951 and later acquired by Thos Firth & John Brown Ltd. The Beardmore name given up in 1975Publications:
- Armstrongs of Elswick. Growth in engineering and armaments to the merger with Vickers by Warren, Kenneth
- Battleship Builders. Constructing and arming British capital ships by Johnston, Ian, & Ian Buxton
- Beardmore Built. The rise and fall of a Clydeside shipyard by Johnston, Ian
- Beardmore. The history of a Scottish industrial giant by Hume, John R, & Michael Moss
- Bitter with the Sweet. The history of Fletcher & Stewart by Turton, Alison, & Michael Moss
- Business, Banking and Politics. The case of British steel, 1918-1939 by Tolliday, Steven
- Colvilles and the Scottish Steel Industry by Payne, Peter L
- Forging the Fleet. Naval armour and the armour makers, 1860-1916 by Boursnell, David
- Planning and profits. British naval armaments manufacture and the military complex, 1918-1941 by Miller, Christopher W
- Roll of Honour of Employees of William Beardmore & Co Ltd, Dalmuir, Who Died on Service in the Great War by Unknown
- Romance of Engineering. William Beardmore & Co Ltd, Glasgow by Unknown
- Souvenir. Empire Exhibition, Scotland by Unknown
- Steel Works of Parkhead and Mossend by Unknown
- William Beardmore & Co Ltd, Glasgow. Impressions of the works by Frank H Mason by Unknown
- William Beardmore Ltd. Steel manufacturers and forge masters, shipbuilders, engineers by Unknown
- William Beardmore. 'Transport is the thing'. The wide range of vehicles, aircraft, motorcycles, etc, produced by Beardmore by Hurst, K A