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George Saxon & Co facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
George Saxon & Co
Industry Engineering
Founded 1878
Founder George Saxon
Defunct 1943 (closed)
Headquarters Openshaw, Manchester, England
Number of locations
 3
Hawthorn Mill, Chadderton, Magnet Mill, Chadderton, Broadstone Mill, Reddish
Products Triple expansion cross compound with Corliss valvess, Manhattan engine

George Saxon & Co was a British engineering company. They made large stationary steam engines. These engines were used to power factories and later textile mills. The company was located in Openshaw, a part of Manchester, England.

About George Saxon

George Saxon, the founder, was born in Manchester in 1821. He learned his engineering skills by training with a famous engineer named William Fairbairn. Later, he became a foreman at another company.

In 1854, George Saxon invented a special safety device. It was called a fusible plug for steam boilers. This plug would melt if the boiler got too hot. This helped prevent dangerous explosions. That same year, he started his own business in Openshaw.

He probably began making steam engines around 1860. George Saxon was always trying to make engines better. He patented many small improvements to his engine designs. He was also a respected engineer. He became president of the Manchester Association of Engineers in 1871. His sons joined the business and continued it after he passed away in 1879.

Company History

Before 1860, George Saxon & Co mostly fixed engines. They also made parts like gears and shafts for mills. In 1860, they added a new workshop. This is when they started building their own steam engines. They expanded their workshops again in 1870.

By 1870, they were building larger engines. Some of these used steam at a high pressure for that time. By 1875, Saxon was building very powerful engines. Some could produce between 750 and 1,000 horsepower. These were for the new cotton mills being built.

Engine Designs

George Saxon engines were known for having a long stroke and running at a high speed. From around 1890, they started using Corliss valves on their large mill engines. These valves helped control the steam flow more efficiently.

Saxons were also quick to use the efficient "triple-expansion" engine design. This design used steam three times to get more power from it. In 1892, they built their first large triple-expansion engine. It produced 1,260 horsepower for Rock Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne.

They also built very large engines. In 1908, they made a 2,750 horsepower engine for a mill in Middleton. This was their biggest engine in the Oldham area. For some mills, like Pear New Mill in Stockport, they used a special "Manhattan" design. This design allowed for more power in a smaller space.

Later Years

George Saxon & Co was very busy in the early 1900s. Between 1901 and 1910, they built 85 engines. However, when the First World War started in 1914, their engine production dropped quickly. They also sent some engines to India in the 1890s and early 1900s.

The last mill engine made by George Saxon was in 1928. It was a 450 horsepower engine for a bleachworks in Chinley. This engine had Corliss valves and a large 16-foot flywheel. It ran at 100 rotations per minute.

Sadly, none of George Saxon's original engines have survived today.

Mills Powered by Saxon Engines

Here are some of the mills that used engines made by George Saxon & Co:

  • Junction Mill, Middleton (1875)
  • Boundary Mill, Oldham (1875)
  • Star Mill, Oldham (1875)
  • Hawthorn Mill, Chadderton
  • Lark Mill, Hollinwood (1901)
  • Curzon Mill, Ashton-under-Lyne (1901)
  • Magnet Mill, Chadderton
  • Broadstone Mill, Reddish
  • Cairo Mill, Waterhead, Oldham (a triple-expansion engine)
  • Irk Mill, Middleton (a Manhattan engine)
  • Fox Mill, Hollinwood (a Manhattan engine)
  • Ridgefield Mill, Failsworth (a Manhattan engine)
  • Swan Lane Mills, Bolton (1200 horsepower)