Clayton & Shuttleworth
Encyclopedia
Clayton & Shuttleworth was an engineering company located at Stamp End Works, Lincoln
, Lincolnshire
. The company was established in 1842 when Nathaniel Clayton (1811-1890) formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Joseph Shuttleworth (1819-1883).
. These products became the mainstay of the firm's business. Clayton & Shuttleworth became one of the leading manufacturers in the country at the time. They supplied steam engine
s and threshing machines to other manufacturers, as well as selling under their own name. In 1851 they sold more than 200 steam engines, boosted by the Great Exhibition. By 1857 they had produced a total of 2,400 steam engines, and by 1890 total output had reached 26,000 steam engines and 24,000 threshing machines.
In 1870 their workforce in Lincoln was 1,200. The export trade was important to the firm. A branch in Vienna
(Austria) was established early on, and other branches followed at Pest (Hungary), Prague
(now Czech republic), Cracow (Poland) and Lemburg
(now Ukraine).
The firm became a limited company in 1901, and Alfred Shuttleworth (1843-1925), son of the founder, became chairman.
In the twentieth century Clayton & Shuttleworth for a short time manufactured tractors. In 1911 they built a 4-cylinder oil engine
, with car-type radiator, sheet metal bonnet, and a cab roof. This was followed in 1916 by a 4-cylinder gas-kerosene engine crawler tractor ("Chain Rail"). This 40 hp machine lasted till 1929. They also built a 100 hp gun tractor similar to a Holt tractor
. They were the first British firm to make a combine harvester
.
They failed in the depression of the 1930s, and were taken over by Marshall, Sons & Co.
of Gainsborough, for the combine harvester technology.
In 1916 the company made parts for the Submarine Scout airship for the Admiralty and during the First World War received a number of contracts to build aircraft for both the War Office
and Admiralty
. The first contract was to build the Sopwith Triplane
, although the War Office cancelled the contract, 49 were built for the Royal Naval Air Service
with the first Clayton-built aircraft delivered on the 2 December 1916. The company built the aircraft in the eastern end of the Titanic works from where they were pushed outside for engine runs, following ground tests the aircraft were dismantled and taken to Robey's Aerodrome at Bracebridge Heath
for test flying and delivery.
In March 1917 the company received a contract to build the Sopwith Camel
which remained in production at Clayton's until 1919 when over 500 aircraft had been built. In 1916 a new works was built to enable the company to build the large Handley Page O/400 bomber. When completed the aircraft unlike the smaller Sopwith aircraft were flown out for testing and delivery from a field to the east of the works, the field became known as Handley Page Field. After production of the O/400 a contract was placed to build the Vickers Vimy
but only one was built before the Armistice
and the contract was cancelled.
. The company issued a souvenir leaflet after the war to celebrate the success. Modern research indicates that Brown may not have fired the fatal shot.
Lincoln, Lincolnshire
Lincoln is a cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England.The non-metropolitan district of Lincoln has a population of 85,595; the 2001 census gave the entire area of Lincoln a population of 120,779....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...
. The company was established in 1842 when Nathaniel Clayton (1811-1890) formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Joseph Shuttleworth (1819-1883).
History
In 1845 they built their first portable steam engine, and in 1849 their first threshing machineThreshing machine
The thrashing machine, or, in modern spelling, threshing machine , was a machine first invented by Scottish mechanical engineer Andrew Meikle for use in agriculture. It was invented for the separation of grain from stalks and husks. For thousands of years, grain was separated by hand with flails,...
. These products became the mainstay of the firm's business. Clayton & Shuttleworth became one of the leading manufacturers in the country at the time. They supplied steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s and threshing machines to other manufacturers, as well as selling under their own name. In 1851 they sold more than 200 steam engines, boosted by the Great Exhibition. By 1857 they had produced a total of 2,400 steam engines, and by 1890 total output had reached 26,000 steam engines and 24,000 threshing machines.
In 1870 their workforce in Lincoln was 1,200. The export trade was important to the firm. A branch in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
(Austria) was established early on, and other branches followed at Pest (Hungary), Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
(now Czech republic), Cracow (Poland) and Lemburg
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
(now Ukraine).
The firm became a limited company in 1901, and Alfred Shuttleworth (1843-1925), son of the founder, became chairman.
In the twentieth century Clayton & Shuttleworth for a short time manufactured tractors. In 1911 they built a 4-cylinder oil engine
Oil engine
Oil engine may refer to:* Hornsby-Akroyd oil engine* Hot bulb engine* Hesselman engine...
, with car-type radiator, sheet metal bonnet, and a cab roof. This was followed in 1916 by a 4-cylinder gas-kerosene engine crawler tractor ("Chain Rail"). This 40 hp machine lasted till 1929. They also built a 100 hp gun tractor similar to a Holt tractor
Holt tractor
The Holt tractors were a range of caterpillar tractors built by the Holt Manufacturing Company, which was named after Benjamin Holt- Military Use :...
. They were the first British firm to make a combine harvester
Combine harvester
The combine harvester, or simply combine, is a machine that harvests grain crops. The name derives from the fact that it combines three separate operations, reaping, threshing, and winnowing, into a single process. Among the crops harvested with a combine are wheat, oats, rye, barley, corn ,...
.
They failed in the depression of the 1930s, and were taken over by Marshall, Sons & Co.
Marshall, Sons & Co.
-External links:* – at the Powerhouse Museum, Sydney, Australia...
of Gainsborough, for the combine harvester technology.
Aircraft manufacturer
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
and Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
. The first contract was to build the Sopwith Triplane
Sopwith Triplane
The Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. Pilots nicknamed it the Tripehound or simply the Tripe. The Triplane became operational with the Royal Naval Air Service in early 1917 and was...
, although the War Office cancelled the contract, 49 were built for the Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
with the first Clayton-built aircraft delivered on the 2 December 1916. The company built the aircraft in the eastern end of the Titanic works from where they were pushed outside for engine runs, following ground tests the aircraft were dismantled and taken to Robey's Aerodrome at Bracebridge Heath
Bracebridge Heath
Bracebridge Heath is a commuter village approximately south of Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. It lies at the junction of two major roads the A15 to Sleaford and the A607 to Grantham, and was part of the Boothby Graffoe Wapentake...
for test flying and delivery.
In March 1917 the company received a contract to build the Sopwith Camel
Sopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
which remained in production at Clayton's until 1919 when over 500 aircraft had been built. In 1916 a new works was built to enable the company to build the large Handley Page O/400 bomber. When completed the aircraft unlike the smaller Sopwith aircraft were flown out for testing and delivery from a field to the east of the works, the field became known as Handley Page Field. After production of the O/400 a contract was placed to build the Vickers Vimy
Vickers Vimy
The Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
but only one was built before the Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
and the contract was cancelled.
Red Baron
One of the most notable aircraft built by Clayton & Shuttleworth was Sopwith Camel B7270 flown by Canadian pilot Roy Brown and officially credited with the downing of the Red Baron Manfred von RichthofenManfred von Richthofen
Manfred Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen , also widely known as the Red Baron, was a German fighter pilot with the Imperial German Army Air Service during World War I...
. The company issued a souvenir leaflet after the war to celebrate the success. Modern research indicates that Brown may not have fired the fatal shot.
Aircraft built
- Handley Page 0/400
- Sopwith CamelSopwith CamelThe Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
- Sopwith TriplaneSopwith TriplaneThe Sopwith Triplane was a British single seat fighter aircraft designed and manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War. Pilots nicknamed it the Tripehound or simply the Tripe. The Triplane became operational with the Royal Naval Air Service in early 1917 and was...
- Vickers VimyVickers VimyThe Vickers Vimy was a British heavy bomber aircraft of the First World War and post-First World War era. It achieved success as both a military and civil aircraft, setting several notable records in long-distance flights in the interwar period, the most celebrated of which was the first non-stop...
External links
- Tractor collectors Information http://tractors.wikia.com/wiki/Tractor_%26_Construction_Plant_Wiki
- Museum of English Rural Life MERL