Urmson & Thompson
Encyclopedia
Urmson & Thompson was a company that manufactured stationary steam engine
s. It was based in Oldham
, Greater Manchester
in England. The company were general millwright
s, also producing some steam engines during the 19th century and after 1904 produced large steam-driven engines for textile mills
in Oldham.
, Oldham
. While Urmson was a trained engineer who had worked at Woolstenhulmes & Rye
, Thompson is thought to have contributed capital
. Thompson died in 1882, and Urmson with his sons John and Andrew continued the business. On the sons' death in 1888 the firm was incorporated, and continued until 1933.
The firm operated out of the Hathershaw Foundry. Initially millwrights, in the 1870s they started making stationary steam engines as well. From 1904 they made a series of large mill engines. The largest was a 2000ihp engine for Ace Mill Co. Ltd., Chadderton in 1914. This was erected in 1919.
The later engines were large. Arthur Roberts reported that Hartford Mill was powered by a 1800 hp twin-tandem compound engine by Urmson and Thompson, built in 1907. It was steamed at 160 psi at 68 rpm. It had a 5 ft stroke driving a 24 ft flywheel. The transmission method was a rope drive using 40 ropes. The engine was reputed to be the only twin-tandem that Urmson & Thompson built. It had two 30" diameter HP (high-pressure) cylinders at the rear, and two 60" LP (low-pressure) cylinders in front. There were Corliss valves on all cylinders. The air pumps were driven from each crosshead. There was a Whitehead governor. The engine cost £5400 and the three boilers cost £1900.
Stationary steam engine
Stationary steam engines are fixed steam engines used for pumping or driving mills and factories, and for power generation. They are distinct from locomotive engines used on railways, traction engines for heavy steam haulage on roads, steam cars , agricultural engines used for ploughing or...
s. It was based in Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
, Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
in England. The company were general millwright
Millwright
A millwright is a craftsman or tradesman engaged with the construction and maintenance of machinery.Early millwrights were specialist carpenters who erected machines used in agriculture, food processing and processing lumber and paper...
s, also producing some steam engines during the 19th century and after 1904 produced large steam-driven engines for textile mills
Cotton mill
A cotton mill is a factory that houses spinning and weaving machinery. Typically built between 1775 and 1930, mills spun cotton which was an important product during the Industrial Revolution....
in Oldham.
History
John Urmson and John E Thompson started business in 1865 in HathershawHathershaw
Hathershaw is an urban area of Oldham, in Greater Manchester, England. It occupies a hillside to the immediate south of Oldham's town centre, and is bound by the districts of Coppice and Fitton Hill, on the northwest and southeast respectively...
, Oldham
Oldham
Oldham is a large town in Greater Manchester, England. It lies amid the Pennines on elevated ground between the rivers Irk and Medlock, south-southeast of Rochdale, and northeast of the city of Manchester...
. While Urmson was a trained engineer who had worked at Woolstenhulmes & Rye
Woolstenhulmes & Rye
Woolstenhulmes & Rye was a company that manufactured stationary steam engines. It was based in Oldham, Greater Manchester in England. The company produced large steam-driven engines for textile mills in Oldham and elsewhere.-History:...
, Thompson is thought to have contributed capital
Financial capital
Financial capital can refer to money used by entrepreneurs and businesses to buy what they need to make their products or provide their services or to that sector of the economy based on its operation, i.e. retail, corporate, investment banking, etc....
. Thompson died in 1882, and Urmson with his sons John and Andrew continued the business. On the sons' death in 1888 the firm was incorporated, and continued until 1933.
The firm operated out of the Hathershaw Foundry. Initially millwrights, in the 1870s they started making stationary steam engines as well. From 1904 they made a series of large mill engines. The largest was a 2000ihp engine for Ace Mill Co. Ltd., Chadderton in 1914. This was erected in 1919.
The later engines were large. Arthur Roberts reported that Hartford Mill was powered by a 1800 hp twin-tandem compound engine by Urmson and Thompson, built in 1907. It was steamed at 160 psi at 68 rpm. It had a 5 ft stroke driving a 24 ft flywheel. The transmission method was a rope drive using 40 ropes. The engine was reputed to be the only twin-tandem that Urmson & Thompson built. It had two 30" diameter HP (high-pressure) cylinders at the rear, and two 60" LP (low-pressure) cylinders in front. There were Corliss valves on all cylinders. The air pumps were driven from each crosshead. There was a Whitehead governor. The engine cost £5400 and the three boilers cost £1900.
Mills driven by Urmson & Thompson engines
Urmson & Thompson produced mill engines in the boom years of the 1870s, and millwrighted (ie produced the bevelled gear shafts) for mills such as Nile Mill, Chadderton. The period 1904–1914 was productive, when they created engines rating a total of 14,300 ihp for nine Oldham mills:- Parkfield Mill, Oldham – 1874
- Hollinwood Mill, Failsworth – 1874
- Honeywell Mill, Oldham – 1874
- Copster Mill – 1904
- Hartford Mill, Werneth – 1907
- Gorse Mill, Chadderton – 1908
- Ace Mill, Chadderton – 1914 (aka Gorse No.2 Mill)
- Falcon Mill, Chadderton – 1915