DavidGrain
master brummie
I understand that the O'Nions is the correct pronunciation even if spelled Onions.
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Alldays & Onions
- Thread starter Kevkonk
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jmadone
master brummie
David,
Alldays & Onions Ltd., merged with J C Peacock & Co Ltd., and moved to Weston super Mare, but this company was taken over later by the German Witt Group, located in Halifax, Yorkshire.
There was a complete history of A&O published in 2002 by Landmark Publishing, ISBN 1 84306 047 7.
PA739
Hi, I am from South Africa. We recently discovered one of our historical items on the farm has the badge of Alldays & Onions on it. I read that they were involved in War work, just curious to find out what items they manufactured, could it be that they manufactured naval mines? Thank you
hi and welcome...sounds like a nice find....hope someone can give you more info about the company..could i ask what the item was that you found and if you can post a photograph of it that would be great
lyn
Hi Lyn, thank you
Here is photos of it. Someone on one of my FB groups suggested Naval Mines. Not sure what to think.
Attachments
Lol, yes. As far as I know it is empty, but I will ask my husband if we can try to open it up. It is quite a mystery indeed.
Most certainly hoping to find out more yes.
I am wondering if its an air vessel off a hydraulic ram pump
en.wikipedia.org
I have seen a few with round air vessels like this one
Hydraulic ram - Wikipedia
I have seen a few with round air vessels like this one
guess it could be mort but not sure....think we need to find out exactly what sort of things the company made...I am wondering if its an air vessel off a hydraulic ram pump
Hydraulic ram - Wikipedia
I have seen a few with round air vessels like this one
lyn
Lloyd
master brummie
Alldays and Onions, of Great Western and Matchless Works, Small Heath, Birmingham, was a manufacturer of motor lorries, cars and vans, cycles and motorcycles, complete outfits for foundries and workshops, hammers, fans, hearthes, forges, cranes, pulley blocks, etc. See https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Alldays_and_Onions
DavidGrain
master brummie
As one of the oldest companies in Birmingham, I think you can assume that they made nearly every that they could in metal over the years.
ChrisM
Gone but not forgotten R.I.P
Interesting conundrum!
What is its size, roughly? Any external connections of any sort? Brackets? I was wondering if it is some sort of pressure vessel, for an unknown purpose. Or an expansion chamber in conjunction with some sort of pressurised system. As it turned up on a farm, some sort of agricultural equipment, or part of it?
Would the history of the Company, or any surviving product list (as already mentioned in this thread) give us any clue?
Chris
What is its size, roughly? Any external connections of any sort? Brackets? I was wondering if it is some sort of pressure vessel, for an unknown purpose. Or an expansion chamber in conjunction with some sort of pressurised system. As it turned up on a farm, some sort of agricultural equipment, or part of it?
Would the history of the Company, or any surviving product list (as already mentioned in this thread) give us any clue?
Chris
For anyone interested.I am wondering if its an air vessel off a hydraulic ram pump
Hydraulic ram - Wikipedia
I have seen a few with round air vessels like this one
The Wolseley Register on-line shop is now selling a book called "Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co. Ltd",, which is a complete history of the company and includes over 80 pages of car production data.
This could be a short run book, as the Register says it only has a limited stock.
PA739
Richard Dye
master brummie
It could be an air vessel or accumulator give the type of ram/pump. It appears to be large and robust which you would expect for the technology of the day. Which appears to be quite a novel design.I am wondering if its an air vessel off a hydraulic ram pump
Hydraulic ram - Wikipedia
I have seen a few with round air vessels like this one
Excellent, I've been looking for a copy of that, and now have one on order. Thanks for the tip off!
I'm doing a one name study of sorts on the Birmingham Alldays, who mostly relate either to my family, or to the Allday bellows-making family, who went on to co-found Alldays & Onions. I can trace the latter family back as far as Peter Allday (~1778-1850) and Phoebe Inghley (~1774-1840), who lived on Coventry Street in 1813, but no further as yet.
Quite a history, their company has.
An account of the use of bicycles in the Boer war, for which Alldays & Onions Ltd. was awarded a major supply contract:
onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk
1898 Alldays Matchless Military Roadster – The Online Bicycle Museum
1898 Alldays Matchless Military Roadster
onlinebicyclemuseum.co.uk
My copy of "Alldays & Onions Pneumatic Engineering Co. Ltd" has now arrived, and features a fine collection of photos and sketches of all manner of interesting engineering contraptions as well as pictures of notable Alldays - nice to be able to put faces to the names of some of these folk I've been researching. I'm afraid from my initial flick through, I can so far shed no light on the mysterious spherical device pictured upthread. I've spotted nothing of that shape among the various pumps, bellows, forges, bikes, cars and vans in the Alldays and Onions product range.
The book has a wealth of information on the history of the company and its forbears in the later Victorian era, but just a few tantalizing details on its origins. For the Allday side of the business, it states the following:
The book has a wealth of information on the history of the company and its forbears in the later Victorian era, but just a few tantalizing details on its origins. For the Allday side of the business, it states the following:
- "The company Allday & Co., was founded in 1784"
- In 1876 the company had premises on Branston Street, under the name "William Allday & Son (Established 1780)"
BrummieGeoff
Sparkhill Lad
The 1911 Census shows William Allday - "Managing Director of Alldays & Onions, Pneumatic Engineering" - living with his family in this fine house named "Springfield" on Yardley Wood Road in Moseley.
The photo was on a postcard that was produced as a Christmas greeting.
The photo was on a postcard that was produced as a Christmas greeting.
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Richard Dye
master brummie
Is the house still there?
Richard It looks like by the style of the hosues that replaced it, it must have gone in the 1930's
Richard Dye
master brummie
Seemed like such a beautiful house!
This question was years ago but I can't see that anyone has addressed it. The factory was on the left hand side of Sydenham Road walking away from Montgomery Street. City Electrical Factors was on the corner of Anderton Road and Sydenham Road.
It has aldays and onions moulded on the side with Birmingham underneath . I was told by an old Welsh master blacksmith that it was 1928 and Massy , who became massy fergison tractors bought them out in 1930 ???? And its a 2cwt power, which he said was the smallest they did. Can anyone shed any truth to this only possible history that I know. I still use my power hammer, unbelievable piece of engineering. It will gently close a matchbox without marking it, then you can crush a piece of 4"" x 2" wood into matches in two blows....perfect kindling for the forge!!
Hi Mark, and welcome to the forum.
I know something of the history of Alldays & Onions, but was not familiar with their power hammers, so I've just been reading up on those - sounds like an impressive machine you have there.
The purported history of your device doesn't tie up all that well with what I know of the company history. Alldays and Onions merged with another company to become Alldays Peacock in 1969. They are no longer an independent company, but still exist as part of the Witt UK Group. You can find their website here:
They remain in touch with their bellows-making roots, primarily making industrial fans these days. The most recent power hammer advertisement of theirs that I can find dates to 1958 - see Graces Guide here:
Their longtime competitor in the power hammer market was B & S Massey of Manchester:
They are not, to my knowledge, related to Canadian company Massey-Harris, the agricultural manufacturer who went on to become Massey-Ferguson.
Assuming Alldays exited the power hammer market at some point, it's plausible that B & S Massey may have acquired their patents, but I can't find any record to support such an occurrence.
For anyone curious, I found this demonstration video of an Alldays & Onions 1 cwt hammer from Canadian blacksmith Ethan Harty:
I know something of the history of Alldays & Onions, but was not familiar with their power hammers, so I've just been reading up on those - sounds like an impressive machine you have there.
The purported history of your device doesn't tie up all that well with what I know of the company history. Alldays and Onions merged with another company to become Alldays Peacock in 1969. They are no longer an independent company, but still exist as part of the Witt UK Group. You can find their website here:
They remain in touch with their bellows-making roots, primarily making industrial fans these days. The most recent power hammer advertisement of theirs that I can find dates to 1958 - see Graces Guide here:
Their longtime competitor in the power hammer market was B & S Massey of Manchester:
They are not, to my knowledge, related to Canadian company Massey-Harris, the agricultural manufacturer who went on to become Massey-Ferguson.
Assuming Alldays exited the power hammer market at some point, it's plausible that B & S Massey may have acquired their patents, but I can't find any record to support such an occurrence.
For anyone curious, I found this demonstration video of an Alldays & Onions 1 cwt hammer from Canadian blacksmith Ethan Harty: