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