Clayton & Shuttleworth

Clayton & Shuttleworth was an engineering company located at Stamp End Works, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England. The company was established in 1842 when Nathaniel Clayton (1811–1890) formed a partnership with his brother-in-law, Joseph Shuttleworth (1819–83).

In 1845 the company built its first portable steam engine, and in 1849 their first threshing machine. These products became the mainstay of its business. Clayton & Shuttleworth became one of the leading manufacturers in the country at the time. It supplied steam engines and threshing machines to other manufacturers, as well as selling under its own name. In 1851 it sold more than 200 steam engines, boosted by the Great Exhibition. By 1857 it had made a total of 2,400 steam engines, and by 1890 total output had reached 26,000 steam engines and 24,000 threshing machines.

In 1870 the company's workforce in Lincoln was 1,200. The export trade was important to the firm. A branch in Vienna (Austria) was established early on, and other branches followed at Pest (Hungary), Prague (now Czech republic), Cracow (Poland) and Lemberg (now Ukraine). The firm became a limited company in 1901, and Alfred Shuttleworth (1843–1925), son of the founder, became chairman.

For a short time in the 20th century Clayton & Shuttleworth made tractors. In 1911 it built a four-cylinder oil engine with car-type radiator, sheet metal bonnet and cab roof. This was followed in 1916 by a four-cylinder gas-kerosene engine crawler tractor ("Chain Rail"). This 40 horsepower (30 kW) machine was made until 1929. The company also built a 100 hp (75 kW) gun tractor similar to a Holt tractor. It was the first British company to make a combine harvester.

In 1916 the company made parts for the Supermarine Scout airship for the Admiralty and during the First World War received a number of contracts to build aircraft for both the War Office and Admiralty. The first contract was to build the Sopwith Triplane, although the War Office cancelled the contract, 49 were built for the Royal Naval Air Service with the first Clayton-built aircraft delivered on the 2 December 1916. The company built the aircraft in the eastern end of the Titanic works from where they were pushed outside for engine runs, following ground tests the aircraft were dismantled and taken to Robey's Aerodrome at Bracebridge Heath for test flying and delivery.

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