Beverley Innovators
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Beverley Innovators Introduction to the exhibition The aim of this exhibition was to draw together some of the industries in Beverley that had not been covered in previous exhibitions. The theme of ‘Innovators’ was chosen because these particular people/companies were all responsible for some form of invention or innovation that contributed to industries worldwide, not just in Beverley. You may not be aware that a number of Beverlonians have been Several innovations to the music industry were introduced by the responsible for technical innovations that have changed certain Deans company under the leadership of Charles Deans from 1925 aspects of industry beyond the reaches of Beverley itself. onwards, including their ‘Beverley Standard’ drum kits and folding music stands. The company went on to produce a huge range of In the mid 19th century, for example, William Crosskill patented a products for military use during the war and subsequently for public number of innovations in the world of agricultural machinery, and transport, in particular. received the ‘Council Great Medal’ at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Two pages from Deans’ catalogues of music supplies showing the ‘Beverley New Standard’ drum kit, and part of the range of different types of folding music stands produced by Deans. ERALS DDX1080/2/1 Images supplied by courtesy of Pat Deans of Pat courtesy Images supplied by Three of the patents awarded to William Crosskill in 1852 and 1854 for his clod crushers, portable railways and mowing/reaping machine. The full patents can be viewed in the East Riding Archives. Gordon Armstrong is one of Beverley’s better-known innovators. In In 1853 a Beverlonian, John Gilby, patented a breech-loading rifle addition to creating two cars in 1909 (the ‘Gordons’) he attempted to that was exhibited at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855 and later fly an aeroplane on the Westwood in 1910 and went on to develop at London’s International Exhibition. Manufacturing of the rifle was several models of shock absorbers in the 1920s and 30s. His company, beyond Gilby so this was Armstrong Patents Ltd, supplied shock absorbers to Ford and Morris taken on by Esau Akrill among other large motor producers. who had been producing guns in Saturday Market since the 1830s. Report on Gilby’s patent breech-loading rifle from the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855. books.google.co.uk In 1884 John Cherry, in conjunction with Joseph Armytage Wade, patented the buyexmilitarysurplus.co.uk ‘Helical and Foliated Centrifugal Above: the Armstrong shock absorber Pump’, which was developed with the aim of facilitating Right: The provisional patent specification ERALS DDX1047/4/6 for Armstrong’s “Improvements in or drainage at their brickworks. relating to Shock Absorbers and other Sadly there was disagreement Damping means”, applied for in 1937. John Cherry’s ‘Helical and Foliated ERALS Y/629/2/BEV between Cherry and Wade’s son Centrifugal Pump’, invented with Joseph Wade in 1884 as to the payment of royalties for the invention. Museums & Galleries: Beverley Guildhall, 2015-16 Gordon Armstrong: Armstrong Patents Gordon Armstrong was an engineer whose interest in building cars and improving their comfort led him to develop his Patent Shock Absorber and Independent Front Suspension. Gordon Armstrong was ‘the inventor without whose ingenuity such methods of smooth conveyance could not have been possible.’ In 1919 the first of several models of shock absorber was produced. By 1926 his company was making 200 a week for car manufacturers including Ford and Morris. ‘Armstrongs Patents Co’ was established in 1930 and wound up in 1981. Picture coursey of Pat Deans of Pat coursey Picture Gordon Armstrong’s second garage (now St Mary’s Court) The rear of Armstrong’s Garage in Tiger Lane Picture courtesy of Geoffrey Thompson (North Bar Within is visible at the far end), 1982. ERYMS 2004.1 ERYMS Picture courtesy of Geoffrey Thompson Geoffrey of courtesy Picture Picture courtesy of Pat Deans of Pat courtesy Picture Portrait of Gordon Armstrong in 1962 by P.W.Storey. The painting is in The frontage of Armstrong’s Garage (now Inside Armstrong’s Garage Beverley Art Gallery. St Mary’s Court) after it had closed. Fullerton George Gordon Armstrong was born in 1885 in In 1909 he also designed and Northumberland where his father William was a farmer. By 1901 the built a car called the ‘Gordon’ family had given up farming and lived in Driffield where William was which was described as a a land agent/auctioneer. By 1911 Gordon, with his parents William ‘cyclecar’. He drove the car the and Prudence, and sisters Prudence, Marion and Rozalind, was living 60 miles to York in atrocious at 27 Woodlands, Beverley. He married Margaret Clark in 1912 and weather and added mudguards had two sons, William and Gordon junior. He married his second wife as a result. A number of Violet Carrie Widgery in 1930 and they lived at Longcroft Hall. Their contracts were obtained, mainly home was used as a hospital during the Second World War and in from members of the gentry 1946 housed boys from St. Mary’s School which had been destroyed who wanted custom built cars. (52) ERALS DDX1544/1/16 by fire. The ‘Gordon’ was a light two- The first ‘Gordon’ car, 1909 seater, incorporating his own Gordon Armstrong ‘speed change’ device, an early gear box. The tubular steel frame was an engineer and made it very light, such that one person could lift the front or rear off inventor, and in 1907 he the ground. opened his ‘East Riding Garage & Engineering The second car, ‘The Works’ in Tiger Lane vibrationless ‘Gordon’, had where he made motor the motto –‘not how Cheap bikes and cyclecars. The but how Good’ and ‘Don’t business prospered and buy an experiment, Buy a Armstrong moved into (50) ERALS DDX1544/1/16 ‘Gordon’’. It was priced at three shops and twelve Armstrong’s first ‘East Riding Garage and Engineering 100 guineas and was said to Works’ in Tiger Lane (53) ERALS DDX1544/1/16 cottages (now St Marys be very reliable over rough The second car, the ‘Vibrationless Gordon’ Court in North Bar Within). country. Museums & Galleries: Beverley Guildhall, 2015-16 Museums & Galleries: Beverley Guildhall, 2015-16 Guildhall, Beverley Museums & Galleries: Gordon Armstrong: Armstrong Patents (2) Aged 25 in 1910 he went to Doncaster to see early aircraft being flown. As a result he bought an However, Armstrong was a aircraft (without an engine) for £20, installed a 25 h.p. Anzani engine, motor cycle wheels and a workaholic and his health kitchen chair for the pilot. The fuel tank of deteriorated rapidly. Whilst the ‘Armstrong 1’ held one gallon of petrol, convalescing he began to seek giving it a range of 5 miles, but it never got ways of making motor cars more that far! He paid £1 to be allowed to fly comfortable and, in 1919, he the plane from the Westwood but huge developed the first of several crowds made preparations very difficult. models of shock absorber, which He also injured his hand on the propeller were to become the mainstay and broke the landing wheels when trying of the company. By 1926 he was to turn the aircraft on the ground. producing 200 shock absorbers The ‘Armstrong 1’ on the Westwood in 1910. a week and had obtained orders Picture by courtesy of Bill Goble courtesy Picture by from Ford. After the crowd had largely left he managed Armstrongs munitions workers in 1915. to fly about 100 yards. The Pasture Masters In 1929 the Beverley Guardian reported that would not let him fly from the Westwood again, ‘Gordon Armstrong secured a big contract in face although it is unclear whether this was for his of keen competition in obtaining a huge order safety or that of the crowd. He later flew from from the Morris Motor Company for his patent Swinemoor but this was very difficult because shock absorbers. Deliveries were to commence in of all the ditches. The plane, complete with August and it is expected the contract will provide engine, was offered for sale in February 1912. work for well over 100 hands (male and female)’. The modified plane rebuilt after crashing on its first flight. In 1930 the company became Armstrong Patents Gordon took part in the RAC 6 day trial in 1913, Co. Ltd. In 1933 a 5-day week was introduced. in which the Gordon Mk 2 was shown to have The Beverley Guardian in 1937 reported on a the best fuel consumption (53.98 mpg, over factory visit by the Mayor, describing the new 20 mpg more than any of the other cars) and ‘zincaloid die casting machine which could managed to complete the course, which was produce 1,600 shock absorbers a week’. It was more than many cars were able to achieve. so good it only needed to operate on 1 or 2 days In 1914 Armstrong converted his garage to make per week! shells for howitzers, but by 1917 demand was so In 1938, a lunch at the Royal Station Hotel in great that he bought Crosskill’s old premises on Hull celebrated the opening of new workshops Eastgate in order to expand production. During ERYMS 2014.19 ERYMS and offices in Eastgate. Mayor C.H. Burden ERALS Y/629/2/BEV the First World War tractors and munitions were Patent specification for Armstong’s shock absorbers, 1939 During the RAC 6 day trial, in which Gordon Armstrong competed talked about how ‘The invention of the modern made here. in May 1913, not only did the Gordon Mk 2 have the best fuel consumption it also climbed five of the hills better than the other shock absorber came about when a person seeing cars and managed to complete the course.