Gwynnes Limited

Gwynnes Limited was a City of London England engineering business, iron founders and pump makers founded in 1849 to capitalise on the centrifugal pump invented by James Gwynne (1804–1850). In 1856 his eldest son, J E A Gwynne, of Essex Street Wharves on the south side of The Strand was awarded a patent for the manufacture of carbon or charcoal powder. Their Strand site became part of the Victoria Embankment built between 1865 and 1867 and Gwynne profited from judicious investment in the reclaimed land. Their Crisp Road, Hammersmith Ironworks and works at Church Wharf, Chiswick, London, were established in 1867 to specialise in the manufacture of these centrifugal pumps and pumping engines This machinery was for use in practically all purposes where large or small quantities of liquid were required to be lifted and dealt with for low or high heads. A limited liability company was formed in May 1897 to own the business.

They made cars between 1920 and 1929. Following their 1919 agreement to purchase the Albert car business, Adam Grimaldi & Co Limited, a new holding company was formed and named Gwynnes Engineering Company Limited. Their share issue did not attract the expected support from investors and the car venture failed, hampered by lack of capital.

After the company was dissolved in 1927 the pump-making business continued under the ownership of Gwynnes Pumps Limited which belonged to Fosters of Lincoln. Subsequent ownership was: W H Allen Sons & Company, Vickers then Amalgamated Power Engineering of Bedford before Gwynnes' separate identity disappeared in the 1970s.

Gwynnes was founded in 1849 to make their Invincible centrifugal pumps in sizes from small to as large as, for example, the three pumps for the large graving dock of the Bombay Port Trust which together moved 8,500,000 gallons of water per hour. In 1910 they were reported to employ about 400 men in the Hammersmith works when new Battleships and Cruiser battleships were fitted with their hydraulic ejectors and bilge, sanitary, fresh water, fire and other pumps. Their pump engines were used for salvage work and dredging among many other purposes.

They also provided supplementary equipment such as their eight-horsepower fire engine. The Gwynnes Eight vehicle range included a light fire engine equipped with Gwynnes' own pumps. Two examples are preserved. One was built in 1922 for the Marconi Company's factory fire brigade and is now at Coventry Museum of Transport. The other was stationed at East Raynham in Norfolk and is now at Holkham Hall.

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