The English Electric Company Limited (EE) was a British industrial manufacturer formed after World War I by amalgamating five businesses which, during the war, made munitions, armaments and aeroplanes.
It initially specialised in industrial electric motors and transformers, locomotives and traction equipment, diesel motors and steam turbines. Its products were later expanded to include consumer electronics, nuclear reactors, guided missiles, military aircraft and mainframe computers.
Two English Electric aircraft designs became landmarks in British aeronautical engineering, the Canberra and the Lightning. In 1960, English Electric Aircraft (40%) merged with Vickers (40%) and Bristol (20%) to form British Aircraft Corporation.
In 1968, English Electric's operations were merged with GEC's,English Electric and GEC plan biggest merger in Britain. The Times (London), Saturday, 7 September 1968; pg. 1; Issue 57350 the combined business employing more than 250,000 people.Payroll of 250,000 for the new giant. The Times (London), Saturday, 14 September 1968; pg. 13; Issue 57356
Foundation In December 1918, aiming to turn their employees and other assets to peaceful productive purposes, the owners of a series of businesses merged to form The English Electric Company Limited.City Notes. The Times, Wednesday, 1 January 1919; pg. 13; Issue 41986
Components English Electric was formed to acquire ownership of: Coventry Ordnance Works of Coventry, which retained a separate identity, and their ordnance works at Scotstoun which was later sold to Harland and Wolff in April 1920. Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing Company of Bradford Dick, Kerr & Co. of Preston founded 1880 and its subsidiaries: United Electric Car Company of Preston Willans & Robinson of Rugby which retained a separate identity—not wholly owned. The owners of the component companies took up the shares in English Electric.
Planned activities of the combined businesses John Pybus was appointed managing director in March 1921City News in Brief, The Times, Friday, 11 March 1921; pg. 17; Issue 42666 and chairman in April 1926.English Electric Company. The Times, Thursday, 22 April 1926; pg. 21; Issue 44252 Initially J H Mansell of Coventry Ordnance Works, John Pybus of Phoenix Dynamo Manufacturing and W Rutherford of Dick, Kerr were joint managing directors.Prospectus, English Electric Company, Limited. The Times, Wednesday, 16 July 1919; pg. 18; Issue 42153The five previously independent major operations under their control had these principal capabilities: Coventry Ordnance Works: built for the production of heavy armaments but was suitable for the manufacture of large generating units. Phoenix Dynamo Works: during the war production was shells and aeroplanes but by July 1919 had been returned to electric motors. Dick, Kerr and United Electric Car: special war work munitions, aeroplanes and metallic filament lamps, prior to the war locomotives and tram cars Willans & Robinson: made steam turbines, condensers and diesel motors, there was a foundry. Together these businesses covered the whole field of electrical machinery from the smallest fan motor to the largest turbo-generator.
In November 1919, English Electric bought the Stafford works of Siemens Brothers Dynamo Works Ltd.City News in Brief. The Times, Saturday, 15 November 1919; pg. 19; Issue 42258 In 1931 Stafford became English Electric's centre.
There was no post-war boom in electrical generation. Though English Electric products were in heavy demand, potential buyers were unable to raise the necessary capital funds. In 1922, a drastic reorganisation of the works halved overheads. The Coventry Ordnance Works was practically closed down.English Electric Company, chairman's address to shareholders. The Times, Thursday, 31 March 1927; pg. 21; Issue 44544
Cables, lamps and wireless equipment were then in buoyant demand, but that would have been a new field for the company to enter. English Electric's business was in heavy electrical and mechanical plant. Both the 1926 general strike and the miners strike caused heavy losses.English Electric Company. The Times, Tuesday, 1 May 1928; pg. 25; Issue 44881 In 1929, part of the Coventry Ordnance Works was sold and the pattern shop at Preston, neither of which was required.English Electric Company. The Times, Saturday, 19 April 1930; pg. 16; Issue 45491
By the end of 1929, it was clear the only solution to English Electric's financial difficulties was a financial restructure. The restructure acknowledged the loss of much of the shareholders' capital and brought in new capital to re-equip with new plant and machinery. An American syndicate fronted by Lazard Brothers and Co. bankers came up with the new capital, but left control in the hands of the previous shareholders.English Electric Scheme. The Times, Tuesday, 4 February 1930; pg. 20; Issue 45428
In June 1930, four fresh directors were appointed, filling four new vacancies.English Electric Directorate. The Times, Tuesday, 10 June 1930; pg. 18; Issue 45535
Ten days later, there was a formal announcement of an American arrangement. "English Electric, with works at Preston, Stafford, Rugby, Bradford and Coventry, had entered into a comprehensive arrangement" with Westinghouse Electric International Company of New York and Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company of East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania US, to exchange of technical information between the two organisations on steam turbines and electrical apparatus. It was made clear that this technical and manufacturing link did not carry with it any control from America. In recognition of the exchange arrangement, Westinghouse offered to provide further capital, which would be less than 10% of the total, including that new capital organised earlier by Lazard Brothers.English Electric. The Times, Thursday, 12 June 1930; pg. 20; Issue 45537.
George Nelson Seven weeks later the chairman, Lionel Hichens, who had temporarily replaced John Pybus in 1927, retired at the end of July 1930 and was replaced by Sir Holberry Mensforth as a director and as chairman.English Electric. The Times, Wednesday, 30 July 1930; pg. 18; Issue 45578 In early October, George H. Nelson was appointed to the board and took up the position of managing director.English Electric Directorate. The Times, Friday, 26 September 1930; pg. 21; Issue 45628 Mensforth had been taken away from his position as general manager of American Westinghouse Trafford Park Manchester, where George Nelson had been his apprentice, in 1919 by the Minister of Transport. The minister gave Mensforth the responsibility of easing the transition of the nation's munitions businesses back into peacetime industry. Mensforth arranged the technical exchange agreement and extra capital with Westinghouse.Geoffrey Tweedale, 'Mensforth, Sir Holberry (1871–1951)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 They began to reorganise.
Relocations
The main base of the company's operation was moved from London to Stafford including the sales departments, general and factory accounts and the principal executives previously in London. The managing director was to divide his time between the various works but was mainly in Stafford or in LondonThe English Electric Company. The Times, Friday, 17 April 1931; pg. 21; Issue 45799
On 30 December 1930 the engineering shops at Preston closed leaving the following distribution: Preston: specialists in high-tension direct-current railway electrification, rolling stock and trolleybuses Dick, Kerr Stafford: medium-sized electrical plant, transformers and switchgear and (from Preston) large turbo-alternator work Siemens Rugby: prime movers, steam turbines and condensing plant, Fullagar and Diesel engines and (from Preston) water turbine plant Willans & Robinson Bradford: small motors and control gear and (from Preston) traction motor and traction control work Phoenix Coventry: engineers small tools (stopped in 1931), zed fuse (cartridge type) transferred to Stafford in 1931 C.O.W.
Radiators and cookers
Manufacture of domestic apparatus got underway at both Stafford and Bradford during 1931.English Electric Company. The Times, Friday, 4 March 1932; pg. 24; Issue 46073 They were followed in 1934 by a range of household meters of various kinds. In the same report to shareholders, the chairman pointed out that every day 330 more homes adopted electricity for heating cooking and lighting and between 1929 and 1935 the production of electricity in Britain had increased by 70 per cent.English Electric Company. The Times, Tuesday, 7 April 1936; pg. 23; Issue 47343.
Recovery 1933 proved to be the first of four years of real achievement. At the beginning of July 1933, Mensforth stepped down and George Nelson took up the post of chairman. Nelson remained managing director.City News in Brief. The Times, Monday, 10 July 1933; pg. 21; Issue 46492 Mensforth kept a seat on the board from which he later retired at the end of 1936.Business Changes. The Times, Saturday, 2 January 1937; pg. 17; Issue 47572
English Electric's recovery was noted by commentators as remarkable. During 1936, past preference dividends had been brought up to date: they were English Electric's first dividend since a 1924 dividend on ordinary shares. The balance sheet at the end of 1936 showed liquidity was in a strong positionCity Notes.The Times, Wednesday, 17 February 1937; pg. 20; Issue 47611 and the chairman told shareholders that the rate of production in the factories for the last three months of the year was double the rate of production in the first three months.City Notes. The Times, Thursday, 25 February 1937; pg. 19; Issue 47618
During 1938, the first dividend was paid on ordinary shares since 1924.City Notes. The Times, Thursday, 10 February 1938; pg. 19; Issue 47915
In the summer of 1938, a large display advertisement confidently declared:
World War II
Airframes
The first steps to strengthen the Royal Air Force had been taken in May 1935 and English Electric was brought into the scheme for making airframesAir Defences. From Our Aeronautical Correspondent. The Times, Thursday, 2 February 1939; pg. 13; Issue 48219 working in conjunction with Handley Page.City Notes. The Times, Wednesday, 8 February 1939; pg. 20; Issue 48224 The chairman reported to shareholders that though both Dick, Kerr and Phoenix were involved in the aircraft business during and shortly after the previous war the problems had so changed they were now completely new to the company. He also noted as he ended his address that the demand for domestic appliances including cookers, breakfast cookers, washing machines and water heaters was growing progressively.English Electric Company. The Times, Wednesday, 22 February 1939; pg. 22; Issue 48236
The Preston works without subcontracting made more than 3,000 Hampden and Halifax aircraft.War achievements, English Electric Company. The Times, Friday, 2 March 1945; pg. 9; Issue 50081From Tramcars To Bombers. The Times, Monday, 9 April 1945; pg. 2; Issue 50112
Aero engines
In December 1942, English Electric bought the ordinary shares of D. Napier & Son Limited. Mr H G Nelson, son of English Electric chairman George H Nelson, was appointed managing director.The offer of the English Electric Company. The Times, Tuesday, 29 December 1942; pg. 7; Issue 49429
Napier's Sabre engines were used in Typhoon and Tempest aircraft and Lion engines in Motor Torpedo Boats
Tanks, locomotives, submarines, ships, power generation The Stafford works made thousands of Covenanter, Centaur and Cromwell tanks as well as precision instruments for aircraft, electric propulsion and electrical equipment.The Rugby works made Diesel engines for ships, submarines and locomotives, steam turbines for ships and turbo-alternator sets for power stations.Bradford made electric generators for ships' auxiliaries and a wide variety of other naval and aviation material.