Generating cranes

Last month I was lucky enough to visit a local building called The Generator, which was built in 1936, and used to be a college building. It’s currently being renovated, with a view to offering a space for arts people, arts organisations, and the hosting of events and performances.

It’s a fabulously stunning building on Packe Street, and when I went inside, was pretty much stripped back to bare walls. There were, however, a couple of interesting features still in situ. One of these was a couple of lovely looking valves, one beautifully painted in black, the other showing its age somewhat, being a bit rusty, but both bore an embossed bird, with the number 5 above it.

As the building was constructed in 1936, and because at that time Loughborough was full to bursting with engineering, manufacturing, and related industry, I thought the item in question might have been made locally, however, I wasn’t aware of any Loughborough company which used a crane as its logo. In truth, I only knew it was a crane because I asked around amongst friends and family – so a huge thank you to them for helping me out!

My next port of call, after my internet searching didn’t really bring up anything that immediately seemed right, was to try Facebook! There are so many groups on the social media platform, that I knew of one that could tap into experts, and potentially provide me with the answer I was looking for. And it did …

Putting together all the information I have gleaned, I think the valves are colloquially known as Crane valves, produced by … well … it’s a long story … let’s start in 1897 …

In the late 19th century, Richard Edwin Hattersley, from Halifax, owned a small toolmaking business. Hattersley went on to establish a company called the United Brassfounders and Engineers in 1910, which he formed from a merger of four companies – Newman, Hender and Co, who were based in Woodchester, Glos.; Isaac Storey and Sons of Manchester; Martinau, Beames, and Madeley from Birmingham, and Gaukroger, Sykes and Roberts who were from Halifax.

Hattersley had moved to live in Ormskirk in the early 1900s, and the head office of UB&E was moved from Manchester to Ormskirk in 1923, and Hattersley actually bought much of the company, except for Newman, Hender and Co, which was bought by Charles Percy Newman, and which then became independent from UB&E. The Newman, Hender & Co, manufactured a complete line of valves, stopcocks, and general steam and water fittings.

Around 1936, both companies – Newman Hender, and Hattersley – sold products across the world, and during the second world war, both made products for armaments, munitions factories, and for military purposes.

In 1953, Hattersley took a majority interest in a company called Beck and Co who made meters, and by 1961, the company was manufacturing valves, stopcocks, and related fittings in gun metal, cast iron, and cast steel. These were used to control steam in heating etc.. This is where I get a bit confused, but in 1969, the Newman Hender Group was acquired by Pegler-Hattersley, which had been formed by a merger in 1968 of Peglers with Hattersley Holdings.

Fast forward to 2004, and the valve business of Hattersleys Newman Hender Limited, were bought by Crane Limited, a subsidiary of Tomkins plc.

At first, I thought ooooh, isn’t that amazing that a stop valve that features a crane as its logo was produced by a company that is now owned by Crane. Well, yes, I suppose it is a bit of a coincidence. So, looking at the stop valve in The Generator building, my assumption was that it was produced at the time the building was constructed, but, my research suggests this might not be the case … The only adverts I can find for Hatterlsey are from the 1960s, and there is one particular advert from 1969 that leads me to believe that Hattersleys were the company that provided the stop valve, but whether that was in the 1930s, or the 1960s, I’m not sure. The reason for my believing that Hattersleys were the company I was seeking can be clearly seen below:

You can see this advert on Hattersley's website

If any of you readers know anything more about the fitting out of The Generator, or more about stop vales, or more about the companies that produce them, I’d be pleased to hear from you!

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posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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