Vickers , initially founded like Vickers Company in 1828, was a manufacturer Britannique of military equipment traditionally based with Barrow-in-Furness. The name Vickers remained until the 20th century, in spite of a series of changes and fusions. Today Vickers is part of BAE Systems.
History
Foundation
The Vickers company was founded with Sheffield, England, like a Fonderie of steel by Edward Vickers and its father-in-law George Naylor in 18 28. Naylor was already a joint owner of the foundry Naylor & Sanderson and the brother of Edward had a company of work of steel. The new company called Naylor Vickers and Company was quickly controlled by Edward thanks to its incomes of investment in the railroads. It quickly became known, inter alia, for the bells which it produced. In 1854, the wire of Edward, Thomas and Albert, united the company.In 1867, it became public under the name of Vickers, Sons & Company and diversified: driving shafts of ships in 1868, Propeller S in 1872, press of forging mill in 1882, Shielding S in 1888 and their first pieces of artillery in 1890. Vickers bought then the naval manufacturer Barrow in Furness in 1897, with in premium its subsidiary company the Maxim Nordenfelt Guns And Ammunitions Company . Vickers changes the name of Barrow for " Naval Yard" Construction; and Maxim for Vickers, Sounds & Maxim . Thanks to these acquisitions, Vickers had become a company integrated in the naval field, being able to provide ships, spare parts and armaments. In 1901, the Royal Navy received its first submarine, the Holland 1 , Naval Construction Yard. In 1902, Vickers bought a participation in fifty pourcent of the naval company John Brown and Company on the famous river Clyde.
In 1905, Vickers continues its divesification by buying the car manufacturer Wolseley Tool and Motor Because Company , a subsidiary company of Wolseley Sheep-Shearing Machine Company . Then in 1911, one buys a majority stake in the manufacturer of Torpille S Whitehead and Company . The name of the company mother is changed for Vickers Ltd into 1911 and one creates on the same occasion a division of construction of planes ( Vickers Ltd Aviation Department ). In 1919, the company of electric supplies British Westinghouse is acquired E becomes the Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Company which will quickly become implied in the rail.
Fusion with Whitworth Armstrong
In 1927, Vickers amalgamates with a company of Ingénérie, the Armstrong Whitworth of the area of the Tyne and Wear founded by the William George Armstrong, and becomes the Vickers-Armstrongs, Ltd . The two companies had developed in the same sectors of the armament and naval construction. Armstrong Whitworth had a factory of pieces of artillery to Elswick and navaux building sites with High Walker on the Rivière the Tyne. This last became the " Naval Yard" , of the new company and those of Vickers on the west coast of Great Britain became the " Naval Yard" Construction;.In 1929, the railroads had by the amalgamated company and those of Cammell Laird formed the Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon (MCCW).
The aeronautical division of Armstrong Whitworth remained independent and became in 1928 the Vickers (Aviation) Ltd . The acquisition of the company Supermarine, which will become famous thanks to its Supermarine Spitfire during the Second world war, was done under the name of " Supermarine Aviation Works (Vickers) Ltd". Possibly the fusion of both entitées in 1938, under the name of Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft) Ltd , was done without changing the list of the names of products of each one.
Nationalization
In 1960, the British government forced the regrouping of the aircraft industries of Great Britain. The aeronautical division of Vickers amalgamated with those of Bristol, English Electric and Hunting Aircraft in the news British Aircraft Corporation. Vickers had 40% of the new company, English Electric 40% and Bristol 20% and VAT had 70% of Hunting. Supermarine division ceased its operation in 1963 and the name was not used any more by Vickers after 1965.In 1977, the law Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Act nationalized VAT which was absorbed by the group British Aerospace become today BAE Systems. The section naval construction of Vickers, the Vickers Armstrong Shipbuilders in 1955 but become the Vickers Limited Shipbuilding Group in 1968, was forced to amalgamate consequently law in British Shipbuilders. It was however privatisée in 1986 under the name of Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Ltd (VSEL) and then bought by Marconi Marine. It is part maitenant of BAE Systems Submarines.
Vickers PLC
Vickers was also cut down by its sector of the production of steel, incorporated in British Steel, by the nationalization. What remained became Vickers PLC. In 1986, the company bought the arms factory Royal Ordnance Factory, of Leeds, which became Vickers Defense Systems . It bought also then the company of automobile ingenery Cosworth in 1990, the manufacturer of Motomarine Kamewa in 1996 and the producer of engine of ships novégien Ulstein in 1998. It is separated into 1998 of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and Cosworth with the profit of Volkswagen.Vickers remained independent until in 1999 but was bought by Rolls Royce plc this year. Division armament was sold with Alvis plc and was taken the name of Vickers]. The remainder of Vickers PLC became division Vinters of Rolls-Royce in March 2003. The name Vickers disappeared completely when Alvis Vickers was sold with BAE Systems in 2004 and became BAE Systems Land Systems.
Production
The military production of Vickers included/understood in turn or in parallel Navire S, Mitrailleuses, Avion S and Tank S.
See too
Article related
External bonds
- Companies House
- Air-raid shelter of Vickers
- Photographic archives of Vickers
- Biography of Thomas and Albert Vickers
Notes and refer
- Haddock (1898), Vickers, Sounds and Maxim Limited: Their Works and Manufactures , " Engineering" , London
- Scott, J.D. (1962), Vickers: In History , Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London
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