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The
History of Pickerings |
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Founded
in 1854 by Jonathan Pickering, Pickerings Limited is one of
the oldest engineering firms in England. Jonathan Pickering
was the inventor and patentee of the original Pickering Pulley
Block with which the Company established its reputation. It
was considered a wonderful invention at that time and far
surpassed other types then in use.
Further
improvements in Hoisting Appliances were developed as time
progressed, and the Company successfully exhibited its products
at the Philadelphia Exhibition in the USA in 1876, Bremen,
Germany, in 1874, and Amsterdam, Holland in 1888, when in
each case the Company was awarded medals in recognition of
the excellence and quality of its equipment. |
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Pickerings Gear Shop c.1904 |
Pickerings
was one of the first companies in the country to manufacture
elevators, a natural evolution from general hoisting appliances.
Pickerings was the inventor of the self-sustaining Hand Lift
and Service Lift, and developed the Belt-Power and Hydraulic
Lift.
In
1888 Pickerings designed and manufactured their first Electric
Lift which was installed at the Middlesbrough Co-operative
Society. The first fully automatic push button lift was made
in 1896 which was, in those days, a considerable achievement
and was the fore-runner of many developments in the lift industry.
The Company was
also well known for its ship lifts, having installed lifts
in many well known passenger ships (including the QE2), naval
ships and bulk carriers (for example, the Atlantic Conveyor,
which was sunk in action in the South Atlantic during the
Falklands War in 1982). |
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Promotional material c.1903 |
Lifts
and hoisting appliances were not the only product for which
Pickerings was known at the turn of the 20th century. The
Company specialised in many forms of handling plant and Furnace
Charging machines. During the two World Wars much work of
national importance was carried out including the manufacture
of balloon winches and field power/traction units (1914-1918
War), and trench mortars and components for Bailey Bridges
and floating Pontoon Bridges (1939-1945 War). The Company
also installed the Ammunition Lifts for the long range cross-channel
guns on the South Coast of England, near Dover.
During
the period of the British Empire export markets were fertile
grounds for British based companies and these markets were
not neglected by Pickerings. Lifts have been supplied throughout
the world including, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia,
South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, China, India,
Brazil, Turkey, Burma, Belgium and Iceland. The Company continues
to serve and expand in various export markets. |
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Pickerings's lifts as used by the Empire
Air Service in its mooring masts |
In
1891, after the death of Jonathan Pickering, the Board of
Directors invited Mr. John Fothergill (at that time an independent
marine engineering consultant and sometime consultant to Pickerings
on ship docking and unloading systems) to succeed as Managing
Director. This he accepted, and Pickerings is currently in
its fifth generation of family ownership and management.
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