Car building in Accrington.

garinda · 26-08-2009, 00:25

Just came across this, and was suprised to see cars used to be manufactured in Accrington.

Anyone any idea where they were located?

IDENTIFICATION AND DATING:

cca 1906 Globe
Photo of an unusual car received from Peter Strutt (UK) being driven by his great-grandfather, William Taylor, the coachman to the Duke of Portland's agent, who ran the Welbeck Estate office in Mansfield Woodhouse, Notts. We are pretty sure that this is a cca 1906 Globe as manufactured by Hitchon Gear & Automobile Co, Accrington, Lancashire (1904/7). Only about 12 such cars made. Not connected with the Globe mentioned earlier on this Help Page, or the US Globe car.

SVVS Web Assistance with Classic, Vintage and Veteran Cars

Retlaw · 26-08-2009, 11:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

Just came across this, and was suprised to see cars used to be manufactured in Accrington.

Anyone any idea where they were located?

IDENTIFICATION AND DATING:

cca 1906 Globe
Photo of an unusual car received from Peter Strutt (UK) being driven by his great-grandfather, William Taylor, the coachman to the Duke of Portland's agent, who ran the Welbeck Estate office in Mansfield Woodhouse, Notts. We are pretty sure that this is a cca 1906 Globe as manufactured by Hitchon Gear & Automobile Co, Accrington, Lancashire (1904/7). Only about 12 such cars made. Not connected with the Globe mentioned earlier on this Help Page, or the US Globe car.

SVVS Web Assistance with Classic, Vintage and Veteran Cars

I have a vague recollection from something my father once said, that they operated in part of H & B's on the bottom floor Scatcliffe St, near Ormerod St end where they kept the wagons.
Retlaw

Atarah · 26-08-2009, 12:43

yep, quite right. think the name Hitchon had something to do with it. will find my notes and let you know.

Atarah

wadey · 26-08-2009, 13:21

Hitchon Gear & Autom. Co.Ltd., Accrington, Lancashire 1904-1906
Classic Car Show International

Atarah · 26-08-2009, 13:28

I have just spent about 10 mins typing some notes up, pressed send and it had kicked me out of AccyWeb! Why! so I will have to start all over again. I want to cry! In the meantime, here is a piccy.

Atarah · 26-08-2009, 14:07

Sssh! it happened again, got kicked out of AccyWeb, but as I was typing, I had the sense to keep pressing "Save" - good job I did. Anyway, here are my notes:-

Yes, Accrington most certainly ALMOST became an important centre for the motor industry!

It was due to a great benefactor to our town, who was also a former chairman and Managing Director of Howard & Bulloughs - his name was MR ALFRED HITCHON.

He first went to work at The Globe works in 1880, when the firm was privately owned by Mr John Bullough. It was one of Mr Hitchon's ambitions that Accrington should become a great motor car manufacturing centre, but although that dream never happened, he did go on to achieve great things in life! His genius helped to build up a firm which for so many years became the backbone of employment in Accrington. He also became a great benefactor to the town - he gave £50,000 to Accrington Victoria Hospital, which way back in 1943 was a lot of money! He was offered the Freedom of the Borough, but declined the offer. His company, bases in the Charter Street part of Howard & Bulloughs, was known as THE HITCHON GEAR & AUTOMOBILE CO. LTD.

Many of our local engineering firms were "experimenting" with the manufacture of motor cars at the turn of the century - there was money to be had! This went on until the beginning of WW1, The charabanc, originally a horse drawn vehicle, very long and open to the elements (with seating on transverse benches facing forward), was being developed as a motor coach. A well known firm at that time, Pilkingtons (who once had Dowry St Iron Works) had moved to Bamber Bridge and were concentrating on the development of the charabanc. Many Manc and L'Pool car companies were also starting the production of cars, including the first prototype by Mr Royce, who later teamed up with Mr Rolls. A long established firm of coachbuilders from Accrington - Alfred Walker & Sons, Oxford St, also made car bodies for many years.

Alfred Hitchon was actually a blacksmith when he first came to Accrington from Simonstone, but became an engineer and inventor. He progressed to a machine salesman, but by 1905 he was a Director and Vice-Chairman of H & B. He was always trying out new ideas and actually patented about 200 items. Among his many applications were three during the year 1901, for automobiles. They leased part of Moscow Mill (Now Ossy Mills) to begin the manufacture of gears. In 1904 he founded the Hitchon Gear & Auto Co (in the Charter St premises), and began theh production of THE GLOBE CAR. The company was set up to produce and market a gearbox which Alfred had designed and patented in 1901. It was of revolutionary design - its main feature was a free wheel system that made gear changing a very simple matter, but ...... apparently did not allow the engine to be used for braking!!!!!!!!

Oh dear! Perhaps the reason it did not survive!

So, yes, we NEARLY did become the "Coventry of the North".

Mr Hitchon lived to the ripe old age of 96 years - truly a "Man of Mark"

Atarah

Bob Dobson · 26-08-2009, 16:03

Excellent stuff Atarah. I think that this should be crossed-indexed so as to appear in 'Accrington's hall of fame'

garinda · 26-08-2009, 20:04

Accy Web at it's best.

You ask a question, and have all this information in return.

Fascinating.

Thank you.

wadey · 26-08-2009, 20:34

Thanks Atarah, great article and perhaps if they had had servo brakes his gear box might have been a best seller

cashman · 26-08-2009, 22:27

amazing what ya never had n inkling of, nice one Atarah.

Wynonie Harris · 27-08-2009, 08:03

Thanks for that, Atarah...fascinating stuff. Just imagine, if Accy had become the "Coventry of the North"; we might be a big city now, with Blackburn and Burnley as small satellite towns. Fair makes you think...

garinda · 27-08-2009, 08:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Thanks for that, Atarah...fascinating stuff. Just imagine, if Accy had become the "Coventry of the North"; we might be a big city now, with Blackburn and Burnley as small satellite towns. Fair makes you think...

...and there would have been more German bombs dropped on us, like Coventry, than there was!

Wynonie Harris · 27-08-2009, 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by garinda

...and there would have been more German bombs dropped on us, like Coventry, than there was!

Never thought of that. Maybe we were better off without the car, after all!

jaysay · 27-08-2009, 10:03

Its actually surprising just what has gone on in this area over the years

jhitchon · 13-09-2009, 13:34

I can confirm that this is a Globe 12-14 HP made by Hitchon Gear and Automobile Company of Charter Street Works Accy. My great grandfather was Alfred Hitchon the firm's founder. I have deposited copies of the company's press cuttings file that I inherited with Accy Library. A similar picture appeared in Accrington Observer and Times 10 Feb 1907. Alfred Hitchon was also Chairman of Howard & Bulloughs before he retired.