Brown, John, & Co Ltd, iron & steel

Sectors:

  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Armour plate production industry
  • Extraction Coal extraction
  • Basic metals production Iron, steel & related alloys production
  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Metal casting
  • Fabricated metal products manufacture Metal forging, pressing, stamping, rolling, slitting, etc
  • Transport equipment production Railway track, fittings, etc, production

Notes:

Traced origins to 1838 when (Sir) John Brown, 1816-96, set up in business. By 1844 making steel and steel castings - at Atlas Works from 1850s. Known as John Brown & Co from 1859. Early on produced steel for railways including springs, rails, etc. 1860s, when largest Sheffield business, started to make armour plate for warships and, later, general ship plates, as well as ordnance forgings. Incorporated 1864. 1899 acquired Clydebank Shipbuilding & Engineering Co Ltd and became leading shipbuilders and engine builders at Clydebank. 1903 acquired large interest in Thos Firth & Sons Ltd, steelmakers at Sheffield. These interests were merged in 1930 through creation of Thos Firth & John Brown Ltd which subsequently acquired, inter alia, large interest in Westland Aircraft Ltd of Yeovil and Markham & Co Ltd, mining machinery manufacturers at Chesterfield. As Firth Brown, merged in 1983 with British Steel plant at Sheffield to form Sheffield Forgemasters Ltd. Also had collieries

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