Whessoe

This article is about the company. For the medieval village, see Whessoe (deserted village).

Whessoe
IndustryMetal engineering
PredecessorW & A Kitching
Founded1790
Headquarters
Darlington, County Durham, UK
ParentSamsung C&T Corporation
Websitewhessoe.co.uk

Whessoe is a company based in Darlington and on Teesside in North East England. It was formerly a supplier of chemical, oil and nuclear plant and instrumentation, and today is a manufacturer of low temperature storage.

History

Kitchings and I'Anson

The Whessoe Company traces its origins back to an iron foundry shop founded in 1790. That family business was inherited by William Kitching (d. 1850) and Alfred Kitching (1808–1882), both Quakers, who established the Hope Town Foundry in Darlington in 1832.[1][2][map 1]

Both William and Alfred Kitching were on the board of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, as well as being shareholders.[3] They built several locomotives for the railway, including subcontracted manufacturing and repair work from Timothy Hackworth.[4] 1845 built, Hackworth designed, Tory class Derwent is preserved in the National Railway Museum collection.[5]

In 1860, the Stockton and Darlington Railway purchased the 'Hope Town Foundry' site to extend its Hopetown Carriage Works and the Kitching business relocated to Whessoe Foundry also in Darlington.[map 2] In 1861, A Kitching was recorded as employing 45 people.[1]

The business passed from the Kitchings to their cousin Charles I'Anson.[2][6] The term 'Whessoe Foundry' was first applied to Charles I'Anson & Company in the 1860s, the name Whessoe being a locality name applied to the foundry.[7]

From 1850 to 1890 the company expanded into the manufacture of steel structures, cranes, and gas works equipment.[8] In 1881 the company became a limited liability company.[9]

Whessoe Foundry Company

In 1890 the Whessoe Foundry Company Limited was formed, and in 1920 the company was listed on the London Stock Exchange as Whessoe Foundry and Engineering Co Ltd,[8][10] Shell acquired 51% of the shares.[11]

From 1890 onwards the company mainly manufactured equipment for the gas and oil industries, such as gas holders.[8] It also made linings for underground railway tunnels[9] and later, equipment for the nuclear and petrochemical plants.[8] Whessoe designed and constructed reactor vessels for power stations including Calder Hall and advanced gas-cooler reactors at Hunterston B and Hinkley B.[12]

Whessoe LGA

Whessoe's business supplying low temperature gas storage equipment remained in Darlington, successively owned by Preussag Noell, Skanska and Al Rushaid. In 2013, it was acquired by Samsung C&T Corporation as Whessoe Engineering Ltd.[8]

Whessoe Varec

In 1997 Endress+Hauser acquired the Whessoe Varec instrumentation business.[11]

Controversies

Whessoe Oil and Gas was revealed as a subscriber to the UK's Consulting Association, exposed in 2009 for operating an illegal construction industry blacklist, and was among 14 issued with enforcement notices by the UK Information Commissioner's Office.[13]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ 54°32′11″N 1°33′22″W / 54.536278°N 1.556083°W / 54.536278; -1.556083 (Hope Town Foundry (original location, -1860)), Hope Town Foundry (original location, −1860)
  2. ^ 54°32′17″N 1°33′32″W / 54.538086°N 1.559017°W / 54.538086; -1.559017 (Hope Town Foundry (1860-), also known as Whessoe Foundry), Hope Town Foundry (1860–), also known as Whessoe Foundry

References

  1. ^ a b Sources:
    • "Alfred Kitching", www.gracesguide.co.uk, Grace's Guide, archived from the original on 12 December 2013, retrieved 17 April 2012
    • "William Kitching", www.gracesguide.co.uk, Grace's Guide, retrieved 17 April 2012
    • "W. and A. Kitching", www.gracesguide.co.uk, Grace's Guide, archived from the original on 2 October 2012, retrieved 17 April 2012
  2. ^ a b Sources:
  3. ^ Maurice W. Kirby (1993 [2002]), The Origins of Railway Enterprise, Appendix 2 "Directors and senior salaried officials of the Stockton and Darlington Railway Company, 1825–1962", p.184; see also p.118, 188
  4. ^ Maurice W. Kirby (1993 [2002]), The Origins of Railway Enterprise, pp.67, 104–5
  5. ^ "Derwent". Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. Archived from the original on 24 March 2008.
  6. ^ "British locomotive manufacturers", steamindex.com, I'Anson, C. & Co, Hope Town Foundry, Darlington, archived from the original on 3 April 2024, retrieved 3 April 2024
  7. ^ Wood R 'History of Whessoe' (unpublished MSS: 1954) DCRO
  8. ^ a b c d e "Company History", www.whessoe.co.uk, Whessoe
  9. ^ a b "Whessoe Foundry", www.gracesguide.co.uk, archived from the original on 2 October 2012, retrieved 17 April 2012
  10. ^ "Whessoe", www.gracesguide.co.uk, retrieved 17 April 2012
  11. ^ a b "Whessoe Varec Europe", www.whessoevarec.com, archived from the original on 13 April 2012, retrieved 17 April 2012
  12. ^ "Growth in Nuclear Reactor Pressure Vessels (advert)". New Scientist. 23 (407). 3 September 1964. ISSN 0262-4079.
  13. ^ "Construction blacklist". ICO. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 7 September 2015.