X-Nico

7 unusual facts about The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company

Langlands foundry

Langlands Foundry was an incubator for a number of engineers including Herbert Austin (1866–1941) who worked as a fitter at Langlands, and went on to both work on the Wolesely Shearing machine and to found the Austin Motor Company.

Lickey Grange

He had previously worked as an Engineer at the Wolseley Sheep Shearing Company in Australia and returned to England, with his Australian wife, in 1893 to become Manager of its manufacturing operations in Aston, Birmingham.

Shearing shed

In countries where large numbers of sheep are kept for wool, sometimes many thousands in a flock, shearing sheds are vital to house the necessary shearing equipment, and to ensure that the shearers and /or crutchers have a ready supply of dry, empty sheep.

Sheep shearer

A sheep shearer is a worker who uses (hand-powered)-blade or machine shears to remove wool from domestic sheep during crutching or shearing.

Sheep shearing

His machines made in Birmingham England by his business The Wolseley Sheep Shearing Machine Company were introduced after 1888, reducing second cuts and shearing time.

Vickers

Further diversification occurred in 1901 with the acquisition of a proposed business which was incorporated as The Wolseley Tool and Motor Car Company and in 1905 the goodwill and patent rights of the Siddeley car.

Wide Comb Dispute

Australian sheep shearers, represented by the Australian Workers' Union, opposed the alteration of the Federal Pastoral Industry Award to allow the use of shearing equipment that used combs wider than 2.5 inches.