Appendix A WG Armstrong and Co. and Successor Companies, 1847-1928

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Appendix A
W. G. Armstrong and Co.
and Successor Companies,
1847-1928: A Commercial
and Financial Record
W. G. Armstrong & Co., 1847-82
1847 Site at Elswick purchased April. Capital by summer £43 000. Pro
duction began October.
1848 Crane business growing. First, unsuccessful, attempts to build loco
motives.
1849 Two hydraulic winding engines ordered by South Hetton Coal Co.
1850 45 cranes made. Employment at Elswick over 300. Armstrongs won
contract for Grimsby dock gates.
1851 Armstrong hydraulic cranes and other machinery praised at Great
Exhibition.
1852 75 cranes made.
1853 At approximately this time, first bridge-building operations.
1854 First dividend paid to partners. Armstrong designed submarine mines
for War Office. November, plans for first Armstrong gun.
1855 First Armstrong gun delivered to War Office.
1856 New design for gun submitted.
1857 Development work on ordnance.
1858 W. G. Armstrong appointed Engineer of Rifled Ordnance to the War
Office with control over Woolwich Arsenal.
1859 Elswick Ordnance Company formed. George Rende) brought in as a
managing partner.
1860 Andrew Noble to Elswick as joint manager of ordnance works.
1861 Shoeburyness trials established superiority of Armstrong over Whit
worth gun. A. Noble a partner at Elswick. C. Mitchell began five-year
programme of Russian warship building at Walker yard.
1862 Second Armstrong attempt to produce locomotives failed in early
1860s.
1863 In winter and spring Armstrong's connection with War Office and
Woolwich terminated. All British government orders for Elswick
Ordnance Co. ceased. S. Rende! association with Armstrong com
pany began in course of proceedings of Ordnance Select Committee.
Late 1863, S. Rende! began search for first foreign orders. Joseph
Whitworth supplying Confederate army with guns.
256
Appendix A 257
1864 212 cranes made. 1 January merger of engine and ordnance works as
Sir W. G. Armstrong & Co.
1865 Blast furnaces built at Elswick.
1866 Agreement with William Palliser for use of his gun patents. H. 0.
Rende! joined Armstrongs in engine works.
1867 Agreement with Mitchells of Low Walker that Armstrongs should
build naval vessels in his yard.
1868 Armstrongs' first vessel, the gunboat Staunch, launched at Walker.
Consideration and rejection of proposal to make guns in Italy.
1869 Armaments negotiations with Austria.
1870 Armstrongs took out licence to make Gatling automatic gun.
1871 Elswick in forefront of Nine Hour Movement Strike, May-October.
1872 Brazilian Ordnance Committee decides to adopt Whitworth gun.
Armstrong negotiated over armament supply to France.
1873 Japanese visit to Elswick.
1874 Negotiations with Russia over plans to permit manufacture there on
Armstrong patents.
1875 Throughout mid-1870s negotiations for sales with Turkish Empire. S.
Rende! wrote The Question of the Guns to defend the Armstrong
system against the claims of foreign ordnance and that of Whitworth.
1876 Strengthening of Armstrong contact with Italy. Swing Bridge, New
castle, engineered by Armstrongs, opened- development of industry
requiring sea access began above the Newcastle-Gateshead bridges.
1877 Progress by Noble and Abel with slow-burning powder. Armstrong
negotiations with Brazil and China.
1878 Manufacture of heavy guns for Italy.
1879 Committee on Ordnance recommended British return to breech
loaded guns. Whitworths made their first armour plate.
1880 S. Rende! left firm, as MP for Montgomeryshire. Joseph Whitworth
opened Openshaw works to replace crowded Charlton Street, Man
chester works.
1881 Employment by Armstrongs c. 4000.
1882 G. Rende! left Elswick to take up post of extra Civil Lord of
Admiralty. November agreement for merger with Charles Mitchell &
Co. as public limited company. Fast protected cruiser Esmeralda built
at Walker for Chile (later delivered to Japan).
Sir W. G. Armstrong Mitchell & Co. Ltd., 1883-96
Profit After
Taxation (£)
1883 146120 Construction of shipyard and steel works at Elswick
well advanced. February, J. Vavasseur joined A/M and
his operations moved from London.
1884 150246 Shipyard and steelworks almost complete.
1885 172367 First ship, the Panther launched for Austria at Elswick.
H. F. Swan inaugurated modern oil tanker with Gluck
aufbuilt at Walker. Land bought at Pozzuoli for Italian
factory.
258 Appendix A
1886 195 415 Three warships and six merchant ships launched.
1887 213973 HMS Victoria launched at Elswick. Death of Sir Joseph
Whitworth.
1888 233 594 Pozzuoli at work. Erith cartridge factory built. De-
velopment of AIM Quick Firing Gun.
1889 243924 Part of Ordnance Works site given up for steelworks
extension. Decision not to build shipyard at Pozzuoli.
1890 314588 Steelworks made 4000 tons forgings and 2000 tons
castings.
1891 309621 Contract for supply of fast protected cruiser Yoshino
for Japan.
1892 228 784 Trade badly affected by strikes in Durham coal mines
and Scottish steelworks.
1893 231181 Strike in Tyneside shipyards, owners gave way.
1894 236246 Strike of moulders and pattern makers.
1895 251516 Revaluation of land and buildings at Walker and
Elswick. Ordinary share capital increased to £3m.
Death of C. Mitchell.
Sir W.G. Armstrong & Co. Ltd., 1896-7
1896 335 158 Consideration and rejection of proposal for construc
tion of an armour plate works at Barrow.
Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth & Co. Ltd., 1897-1929
1897 442863 Amalgamation with Sir Joseph Whitworth & Co,
approved January. Decision to build armour plate
works at Openshaw. Consideration and rejection of
suggestion for involvement in major US east-coast
arsenal/naval shipyard.
1898 490962 Lengthy labour dispute.
1899 653612 Elswick blast furnaces demolished to make room for
new shops. Land acquired at Scots wood to be developed
for shot, shell and fuze works (and later for an auto
mobile plant).
1900 671106 Death of Lord Armstrong. Sir Andrew Noble became
Chairman.
1901 564864 Additional capital needed for Elswick extensions, Open
shaw armour plate works and Scotswood. P. Watts left to
become Director of Naval Construction at Admiralty.
1902 652698 Land and buildings revalued. Thames Ammunition
Works on Dartford Creek purchased.
1903 631359 Acquisition of controlling interest in Ansaldo engineer
ing group of Genoa.
1904 636323 Negotiations began for association with Hadfields of
Sheffield.
1905 618414 Accelerated capital spending to cope with requirement
of new, faster machine tools.
Appendix A 259
1906 652639 Took interest, shared with Vickers, in Whitehead
Torpedo Company of Weymouth. Consideration of
acquiring an interest in Beardmore & Co.
1906 475777 (Six months to end December, marking transition from
a financial year ending 31 June to one ending 31
December.)
1907 722409 Proposals for association with Hadfields rejected.
1908 491350 Seven-month strike. Consideration of acquisition of
interest in Hawthorn Leslie.
1909 500325 Problems of suitable conditions for building larger
warships causes first consideration of a new yard at
High Walker.
1910 611345 Beardmore interest again considered. Decision to
build new shipyard.
1911 681138 Resignation of Sir A. Noble from active management.
1912 761765 Extensions at Openshaw and Scotswood. New steel
works at Montreal. E. H. T.-D'Eyncourt left Elswick to
become Director of Naval Construction.
1913 877684 Death of Lord Rende!, June.
1914 925522 January, the Rio de Janeiro sold to Turkey and re
named Sultan Osman. June, visit of Naval Architects
Association to the new Armstrong Yard, Walker.
1915 1289419 Close Works, Gateshead rented from Parsons & Co.
Increased depreciation in view of continuous use of
machines. Sir Andrew Noble died October. J. M.
Falkner succeeds as Chairman.
1916 'After the War Conditions' sub-committee appointed.
Consideration of entering civil engineering.
1917 Decision taken to provide own marine engine building
4053 605 capacity.
1918 Locomotive building to be undertaken after end of
war.
1919 Crompton and Co., electrical engineering, and Sidde
ley Deasy Motor Car Co. acquired.
1920 675179 Acquired £0·86 million interest in Pearson Knowles of
Lancashire. December, J. M. Falkner retired as Chair
man. Sir Glynn West appointed to Chair.
1921 438887 Acquisition of Charles Walmesley, paper machinery
works. Short of work in traditional lines. Large-scale
cancellations of naval and merchant shipbuilding work.
1922 467 549 Strikes in year. Only busy departments were hydro
electric and civil engineering. Decision taken to
embark on Newfoundland electricity and pulp and
paper developments.
1923 436376 Additional orders, but at tight prices.
1924 505250 Trade depression acute. Financial problems led to closer
contacts with Bank of England and with Baring Bros.
1925 891503 In financial difficulties with major contracts.
(loss)
260 Appendix A
1926 531210 Scheme of arrangements for Debenture Holders to
(loss) reduce interest charges.
1927 527953 Revaluation of investment in Italy. Arrangement
(loss) to dispose of Newfoundland Power and Paper Co.
Autumn arrangement for amalgamation with Vickers.
1928 551970 1 January 1928, all naval and armament business of Sir
(loss) W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth & Co. passed to
Vickers-Armstrong Ltd.
Appendix B Members of
the Board of Directors of
Armstrong Mitchell and
Successor Companies,
1883-1929
Armstrong Mitchell
1883 Sir William Armstrong Chairman
Capt. A. Noble Vice-Chairman
W. D. Cruddas
Sir James McGarel Hogg, MP
C. Mitchell
H. 0. Rende!
S. Rende!
Sir William Siemens
H. F. Swan
Rt Hon. Lord Sude1ey
Rt Hon. Lord Thurlow
J. Vavasseur
P. G. B. Westmacott
Lt. Gen. Younghusband
1884 Sir W. Siemens died: replaced by Hon. E. F. Leveson Gower.
1885 Col. H. Dyer added.
1887 G. Rende! and Count Albini added.
1888-9 J. M. Falkner succeeded W. D. Cruddas as Secretary, but not in a
directorship.
1890 End of directorship of Lord Margheramorne (formerly Sir J.
McGarel Hogg).
1895 S. Noble and P. Watts added. Death of C. Mitchell.
1896 Sir W. G. Armstrong and Co.
1897 Sir W. G. Armstrong Whitworth and Co.
H. 0. Rende! resigned. Replaced by W. A. Watson-Armstrong.
H. S. Carrington, M. Gledhill, H. Whitehead and Maj. Gen. Sir
Henry Alderson of Whitworths joined Board.
1898 Death of M.G. Gledhill and of Col. H. Dyer.
1900 Death of Lt. General Younghusband. C. W. Mitchell
appointed.
Death of Lord Armstrong. Sir A. Noble Chairman, Lord Rende!
Vice-Chairman.
261
262 Appendix B
1901-2 Retirement of P. Watts. J. M. Falkner appointed.
(A. Cochrane Secretary, but not director.)
1902-3 Death of G. W. Rendel. Election of H. N. Gladstone.
1908 Death of E. Leveson Gower.
1909-10 Deaths of Count Albini, H. F. Swan and J. Vavasseur.
J. Noble elected as director.
1911 Retirement of W. D. Cruddas.
1912 Election to Board of Sir E. P. Girouard, Rt Hon. Sir G. H.
Murray, Rear Admiral C. L. Ottley.
1913 Death of Lord Rendel. J. M. Falkner Vice-Chairman.
1915 Death of Sir A. Noble. J. M. Falkner Chairman.
Election to Board of Sir A. G. Hadcock, Rt Hon. Lord
Sydenham.
1916 Reappointment to Board of Sir Philip Watts.
1917 Death of P. Westmacott.
1918 Election of Sir Glynn West, Lord Southborough.
1920 Retirement from Chairmanship of J. M. Falkner. Sir Glynn West
elected to chair. Retirement of H. Whitehead and H. N. Gladstone.
1921 Sir J. Noble Vice-Chairman. A. H. J. Cochrane and W. T. C.
Cochrane elected to Board.
1923 Retirement of Sir E. P. Girouard.
1924 Election of Sir E. H. T. D'Eyncourt.
1925 Election of J. F. Taylor.
1926 Death of Sir P. Watts. Resignation of Sir Glynn West, J. M.
Falkner, Sir G. H. Murray, Sir Charles Ottley and Lord
Sydenham. Lord Southborough Chairman. J. F. Taylor replaced
J. Noble as Vice-Chairman.
[At approximately this time the following were added to the
Board: J. Hawson, J.D. Siddeley, J.P. Davison and Sir A. Kaye
Butterworth, and S. Noble resigned.]
1927 Resignation of J. Noble, A. H.J. Cochrane, C. W. Mitchell and
Sir A. Kaye Butterworth.
1928 Resignation of Lord Southborough and E. H. T. D'Eyncourt.
1929 Resignation of J. F. Taylor.
Appendix C Warships and
other Armed Vessels built
by Armstrong Whitworth
and its Predecessor
Companies to 1912
Flag Number of ships Displacement tons
British 40 168363
Japanese 13 100587
Brazilian 11 81610
Chilean 9 61070
Chinese 22 25765
Norwegian 4 14554
Russian 8 14000
Argentine 5 13619
Italian 5 8969
Turkish 2 4 701
Portuguese 1 4253
United States 1 3437
Austrian 2 3082
Spanish 2 2108
Roumanian 1 1331
Dutch 2 340
Grand Total 128 507789
Source: The Elswick Ordnance Co, privately published, 1912.
263
Notes and References
Sources: Records of Armstrongs and of Other Armament Companies
Armstrong Whitworth
Tyne and Wear Archives Services Newcastle upon Tyne.
Vickers records - at Vickers House, Millbank, and now at the University
Library, Cambridge.
Correspondence of Stuart, Lord Rende! held by Miss R. Rende! and in the
Rende! Collection of the National Library of Wales.
Correspondence held by Mr John Noble.
There is extensive material dealing with the reorganisation of the armament
trade in the archives of the Bank of England.
Recollections of T. H. W. Cruddas of Elswick since he joined as an
apprentice in 1905, in a letter of 1957 to W. F. G. Pritchett (in Vickers
records).
Recollections of Sir James Reid in 1959 for J.D. Scott (in Vickers records).
H. D. Scott notes for Vickers: A History (1962) (in Vickers records).
J.D. Scott notes of discussions with the Bank of England concerning
Armstrongs in the 1920s (1958) (in Vickers records).
C. W. Townsin. Recollections and notes (1959) (in Vickers records).
Other British Armament Firms
Vickers - as above.
Cammell Laird - these records are reported to have been largely destroyed
in the Second World War, or otherwise lost.
John Brown - records of the Sheffield branch not traced; records of the
Clydeside operations are in the business archives held in the University of
Glasgow.
Beardmores- in business archives of the University of Glasgow.
Coventry Ordnance - not traced.
Abbreviations used in Notes
A&E Arms and Explosives
A.H.J.C. A. Cochrane
A.M. Armstrong Mitchell & Co.
A.N. Andrew Noble
A/W Armstrong Whitworth Papers
B.B. Sir Benjamin Browne
D.N.B. Dictionary of National Biography
E.H.T.D. Eustace Tennyson D'Eyncourt
Eng Engineer
Engg Engineering
E.R.P. Sir Edward Peacock
E.S.C. English Steel Corporation Magazine
264
Notes and References 265
G.M. George Murray
G.R. George Rende!
H.N.G. Henry N. Gladstone
H.R. Hamilton Rende!
H.S.C. H. S. Carrington
H.W. Henry Whitehead
!.C. T.R. Iron and Coal Trades Review
J.F.T. James Frater Taylor
J.M.F. John Meade Falkner
J.N. John H. B. Noble
J.P. J. R. Perrett
J.V. Josiah Vavasseur
M.J. Mining Journal
M.N. Sir Montagu Norman (later Lord Norman)
P.N. Philip Noble
S.M.T. Securities Management Trust
S.N. Saxton Noble
S.R. Stuart Rende! (Lord Rende!)
T.E. Times Engineering Supplement
Times T & E Times Trade and Engineering Supplement
T&W Tyne & Wear Archives
V.M. Vickers Minutes
W.B.M. William Beardmore Minutes
w.c. William Cruddas
W.G.A. William George Armstrong (Sir William, later Lord)
1 Introduction: British Industrial Decline and the Armament Trade
1. Carr and Taplin, 1962, p. 151.
2. Trebilcock, 1977, passim.
PART I THE ESTABLISHMENT, EXPANSION AND
DIVERSIFICATION OF ARMSTRONGS, 1847-85
2 The Foundation of Elswick Works and its Entry to the Armament
Business
l. Cochrane, 1909, p. 20. McKenzie, 1983, passim.
2. Local Records, p. 209.
3. Dougan, 1971; Cochrane, 1909.
4. Cochrane, 1909, p. 67.
5. Hunt, 1851, p. 538; Hunt, 1862, p. 224; Poole, 1852, 'Cranes'.
6. Armstrong Whitworth, 1912.
7. Bessemer, 1905, passim.
8. The Times, 24 January 1860, p. 10, 'The Armstrong Gun'; ibid, 26
January 1860, p. 10 and 12 November 1860.
9. Beeton, 1883.
10. The Times, 6 June 1859, p. 10.