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John Musgrave & Sons facts for kids
Musgrave mill engine "Edna" at Bamford Mill
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| Industry | Engineering |
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| Founded | 1839 |
| Headquarters | Bolton |
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Number of locations
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Globe Ironworks |
| Products | Stationary steam engines, Triple- and quadruple-expansion engines, No-dead-centre engines |
| Owner | John Musgrave & Sons |
John Musgrave & Sons was a company that built large stationary steam engines. These powerful machines were used in factories and mines to make things work. The company was started in 1839 by John Musgrave and his son, Joseph. Their main factory was called the Globe Ironworks, located in Bolton, England.
Contents
Building Powerful Steam Engines
John Musgrave & Sons was well-known for making strong steam engines throughout the 1800s. Between 1899 and 1908, they produced over 500 large steam-powered engines. These engines were very important for the growing industries in England.
Engines for Coal Mines
The company made many engines specifically for the coal mining industry. These included "winding engines," which were used to lift coal and miners up and down mine shafts. They also built "pumping engines" to remove water from the mines.
Musgraves supplied these vital engines to many collieries (coal mines). For example, they sent engines to Chanters Colliery in 1854 and 1861. Other mines like Wheatsheaf Colliery (1868), Mosley Common Colliery (1870), and Gin Pit Colliery (1884) also used their machines.
Making Boilers
To power their steam engines, companies needed boilers. In 1900, John Musgrave & Sons built a special factory in Westhoughton just to make Lancashire boilers. These boilers were large, cylindrical tanks that heated water to create the steam needed for the engines.
The End of the Company
The company faced some changes in the early 1900s. The Westhoughton boiler factory was sold in 1912. This led to a new company being formed in 1913, called John Musgrave and Sons (1913) Ltd., which continued to run the Globe Ironworks.
During World War I, the company helped with the war effort by making munitions (military supplies). However, the business eventually closed down in 1926. The plans and designs for their engines were taken over by another engineering company, W & J Galloway & Sons. The final notice about the company closing was published in 1927.
See also
- Musgrave non-dead-centre engine
- Hick, Hargreaves & Co. Ltd.