Richard Hornsby and Sons

About

A Summary of the History of Richard Hornsby and Sons

The firm of Richard Hornsby and Sons originated in 1828 in Grantham as a manufacturer of agricultural implements, including ploughs and seed drills. It diversified into steam engine production in 1840, leading to the manufacture of portable engines and traction engines in subsequent decades. The company, which employed 378 men by 1861, established a strong reputation for quality, winning awards at the 1851 Great Exhibition and the Royal Agricultural Society meetings.

Following the death of its founder, Richard Hornsby, in 1864, the business continued under his sons. It was incorporated as a limited company, Richard Hornsby and Sons, in 1879. A pivotal development came in 1891 when the company began production of an internal combustion engine under an agreement with Herbert Akroyd Stuart. The resulting Hornsby-Akroyd engine was a significant commercial success, with over 32,000 units ultimately built, and it powered the world's first oil tractor and oil locomotive in 1896.

The company continued to expand, absorbing J. E. H. Andrew and Co of Stockport in 1906, the same year it discontinued the manufacture of steam engines. Noteworthy later innovations included a chain-track tractor in 1908. By 1914, the company employed 3,500 people and specialized in oil, petrol, and gas engines, as well as agricultural implements. The firm's independent existence concluded in September 1918, when it amalgamated with Ruston, Proctor and Co to form Ruston and Hornsby.