BRITISH TYRE AND RUBBER COMPANY AND ASSOCIATED COMPANIES

This collection includes financial records, minutes, journals, advertising books, salary books and registers of shareholders

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Arger Machinery Ltd B/BTR/AAML

Anglo-American Synco Corporation B/BTR/AASC

Associated Rubber Manufacturers B/BTR/ARM

Bournemouth Central Tyre Company Ltd B/BTR/BCTC

British Goodrich Rubber Company Ltd B/BTR/BGRC

Bramac Ltd B/BTR/BRL

British Tyre and Rubber Company Ltd B/BTR/BTRC

Cow, P.B. and Company B/BTR/CPB

Electric Hose and Rubber Company B/BTR/EHRC

Green, F.R. Holdings Ltd B/BTR/GFRM

Greengate and Irwell Rubber Company Ltd B/BTR/GIRC

Glass Moulding and Design Company B/BTR/GMDC

Glass Yarns and Deeside Fabrics Ltd B/BTR/GYDF

Holdtight Clip and Coupling Company Ltd B/BTR/HCCC

Hood Rubber Company Ltd B/BTR/HRCL

Hertfordshire Rubber Company B/BTR/HRC

India Rubber Gutta-Percha and Telegraph Works Company Ltd (originally Silver's India Rubber and Telegraph Cable Company Ltd) B/BTR/IRGP

James Lyne Hancock Ltd B/BTR/JLHL

Jointless Rims Ltd B/BTR/JRM

Manchester Clothing Company Ltd B/BTR/MCCL

Morgan Crossley and Company Ltd B/BTR/MCRC

Morgan Ebonite Company Ltd B/BTR/MECL

Microcell Mouldings Ltd B/BTR/MML

Mitcham Rubber Company B/BTR/MRC

Palmer Tyre Ltd (later Palmer-Aero Products Ltd) B/BTR/PAPL

Principal Rubber Agencies Ltd, Bristol B/BTR/PRAL

Randall, C.W. and Company Ltd B/BTR/RCW

Rubberised Hair Ltd B/BTR/RHL

Southern Rubber Company B/BTR/SORC

Silvertown Rubber Company Ltd B/BTR/SRCL

Shawcross, John and Company Ltd B/BTR/SSC

Stepney Tyre and Rubber Company Ltd B/BTR/STRC

Somervilles B/BTR/SV

Tinto, Messrs J. and W. Ltd B/BTR/TJWL

Vacu-Blast Ltd B/BTR/VBL

Vacu-Blast Contractors Ltd B/BTR/VRC

Willett Rubber Company Ltd B/BTR/WRCL

Warrington Tyre Company Ltd B/BTR/WTCL

<span class="wrapper"><p>London Metropolitan Archives also has some records of Dunlop Rubber Company Ltd (Acc/2166). There are records of the construction industry and related products in the archives of John Mowlem and Co. Ltd (Acc/2809).</p> <p>Bibliography: Company Archives Lesley Richmond and Bridget Stockford, Glasgow 1986 (60.43 RIC)</p> <p>The International Stock Exchange Year Book (R35.33 STO)</p></span>

• <corpname>British Tyre and Rubber Company</corpname>
• <corpname>BTR plc</corpname>

This substantial collection of business records consists of companies taken over by, or associated with, the British Tyre and Rubber Company, now known as BTR plc. Most companies were concerned with rubber products of all types: from tyres to shoes and even hair, but there are also links with the communications industry and more general trade within the British Empire, including India and Australia.

BTR plc is now one of the largest companies in the U.K. with a stock market capital value of over £6.5 billion. It was originally registered in 1898 as the Leyland and Birmingham Rubber Company Ltd, specially formed to acquire the undertakings of Leyland Rubber Company Ltd, Birmingham. India Rubber Company Ltd and Stanley Morrison and Co. Ltd, The company became known as BTR in 1972 and BTR plc in 1982. Among the more significant companies represented in this collection are:

James Lyne Hancock Ltd. India Rubber Manufacturers of 266 Goswell Road. London EC1. Established in 1820 and registered in 1912. Thomas Hancock, the discoverer and patentee of the vulcanisation of rubber and the first to manufacture India Rubber, was the founder.

India Rubber Gutta-Percha and Telegraph Works Company Ltd. Cable Manufacturers of 83-86 Farringdon Street, London EC1. Registered in 1864, Well known for its trading in Argentina, India, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. This company can trace its roots to Arrowsmith and Silver, Colonial Merchants, Clothiers and army agents of Cornhill, London. The firm later became known as Silver and Co., run by Stephen W. Silver who founded a rubber waterproof clothing factory at Greenwich, transferred to West Ham/Silvertown in 1852. It also manufactured India Rubber and ebonite articles such as insulated telegraph wire. Originally incorporated as Silver's India Rubber Works and Telegraph Cable Co. ltd. The company expanded rapidly by building a new gutta-percha factory at Silvertown, promoting cable companies such as West Coast of America Telegraph Co. Ltd in 1876 and South America Cable Co. Ltd in 1891. In 1934, the company was acquired by British Goodrich Rubber Co. Ltd, later taken over by BTR. The Silvertown factory who severely damaged during World War Two, and sold in 1965.

C.W. Randall and Co. Ltd, Boot Factors of 143 Shoreditch High street, London E1. Established in 1890 and registered in 1914.

Arger Machinery Ltd manufactured rubber, plastics and hydraulic machinery and machine tools.

P.B. Cow and Company Ltd manufactured rubber and plastics and had works in Streatham, Mitcham and Slough.

Glass Yarns and Deeside Fabrics Ltd manufactured glass mats and fabrics for laminating and moulding. Its name changed to Deeglass Fabrics Ltd, becoming BTR Glass Ltd in 1964 and then Oil Feed Engineering Ltd in 1967.

Greengate and Irwell Rubber Company Ltd was incorporated in 1919. It manufactured India Rubber and asbestos goods at its Irwell Works in Salford and in London.

Jointless Rims Ltd manufactured jointless steel cycle rims from 1906.

Microcell Moudlings Ltd manufactured plastics and rubber products at Kingsway, London WC2.

Palmer Tyre Ltd tyre manufacturers of 100-106 Cannon Street, London EC4 and Birmingham. Registered 1895. From 1902 controlled by India Rubber Gutta-Percha. Diversified into aeronautical engineering.

Stepney Tyre and Rubber Company Ltd, rubber product manufacturers were based at Blackhorse Lane, London E17.

Vacu-Blast Ltd machinery manufacturers of Golden Square, London W1 were incorporated in 1950.

Willett Rubber Company Ltd manufactured rubber hose. The company was based in Hurlingham Road, London SW6.