Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies

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Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies sn 20539 portable engine at Bromyard Show 2008

Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies sn 20539 portable engine at Bromyard Shoe 2008 from the back

Ramsomes, Sims and Jefferies sn 18504 of 1906 "Sybil" NO6925 at Belvoir Castle Rally 2008

Ransomes, Sims and Jeffries Engineers of Ipswich, England were a major British agricultural machinery maker. Their most famous products were traction engines, ploughs and other tilling equipment.

History

The company was founded, as Ransomes, in 1789 by Robert Ransome, an Ironfounder in Norwich before moving to Ipswich. He received patents for improvements to ploughs.

In 1869 four engineers, J.A. Ransome, R.J. Ransome, R.C. Rapier and A.A. Bennett, left the company (At that time called Ransomes, Sims & Head) by agreement, to establish a new company, Ransomes & Rapier, on a site on the River Orwell, to continue the business of railway equipment and other heavy works.

Main article: Ransomes & Rapier

Time Line

• 1785 - Ransomes & Co. formed by Robert Ransome.
• 1789 - Robert Ransome moves company to St. Margaret's Ditches, Ipswich.
• 1809 - Firm becomes Ransomes & Son.
• 1818 - Firm becomes Ramsomes & Sons.
• 1825 - Becomes J & R Ransome
• 1830 - changes to J.R. & A Ransome, following Robert Ransome's death.
• 1841 - Move to new works at Orwell begins
• 1846 - Becomes Ramsomes & May
• 1849 - Move to new works completed
• 1850 - Ransomes & Sims, open London Office
• 1851 - Charles May leaves & Later starts Brown and May in Devizes.
• 1869 - Ransomes Sims & Head, (Also Ransomes & Rapier formed by agreement by 4 of firms engineers, takes over the rail components business)
• 1881 - Ransomes, Head & Jefferies. following John Jeferies being appointed a partner (after Marrying John Allens daughter).
• 1884 - Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies.
• 1901 - Granted the companies First Royal warrant.
• 1902 - Built First petrol engined Lawn mower.
• 1911 - Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies Ltd formed.
• 1949 - New foundry opened at Nacton
• 1966 - Move to Nacton completed.
• 1968 - Orwell works sold
• 1987 - Farm machinery division sold to Electrolux & trades as Agrolux.
• 1998 - Ransomes Plc sold to Textron and becomes "Textron Turf Care & Speciality Products", Registered as Ransomes & Jacobson Ltd. in the UK
• 2001 - Trading name changed to "Textron Golf, Turf and Speciality Products"

In the First World War, they manufactured aeroplanes: - 350 "Royal Aircraft Factory F.E.2" fighters.

(Bit of history missing here ! ! ! )

In 1989 the whole of the agricultural implement business was sold to Electrolux and merged with their subsidiary Overum.

This left Ransomes solely as a manufacturer of lawn mowers, with the Westwood and Mountfield mower brands. The company accepted a take-over offer from Textron Inc, USA, and their independent existence ended early in 1998.

The history of company is the subject of an exhibition at the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket, Suffolk and they are also represented in Ipswich Transport Museum.

Product Range

Main article: List of Ransomes model range

The company has over the years produced a vast range of products and models for both the home market in the UK and for export markets with the models built to suit local operation conditions and technology with some products being very basic and having hand powered options for 'third world' countries in Africa for example.

Steam Machinery

• Portable Steam engines for driving threshers and grinding machinery.
• Traction engines

Stationary Engines

For a short period Ransomes built a small range of oil Engines, often used by farmers in the early 20th century to power machinery like Pumps and Corn mills as the portable steam engines died out and before the diesel engines and electric motors took over.

Harvesting Machinery

Main article: Ransomes Harvesting Machinery

A sectioned working model of a Ransomes Threshing machine, to illustrate the working parts

Ransomes were one of the earliest buiders of harvesting machinery in the UK on a large scale, with examples of their Threshing machines still in existence and being demonstrated at Steam fairs and other events such as working days at museums and farm centres like Acton Scot.

• Threshing machines.
• Corn grinders.
• Potato harvesters
• Beet Harvester
• Combine harvesters
• Corn dryers
• Balers
• Elevators

Ploughs & Implements

Main article: Ransomes Ploughs

A Ransomes TSR 200 Bought and restored by Gary Burns

Ploughs and cultivators, moving from horse drawn implements to modern linkage mounted versions.

Ransomes TSR 200-4-S

The Ransomes TSR 200 plough is a four furrow auto reset plough with hydraulic front furrow width adjustment, that was produced from the 1960s to the early 70s.

Mowers

A compact Ransomes Junior Mk I of 1964 fitted with a Norton Villers engine. Shown at Stoke Goldington Steam Rally 2009

Main article: Ransomes Mowers

Ransomes produced a range of Lawn Mowers from the 1900 on-wards. These were hand push types then larger engine propelled types from the 1920s. By the 1960s they included 'Industrial' ride on mowers for the sports industry, such as Golf courses and Football fields etc.

Sprayers

Main article: Ransomes Sprayers

The company marketed a range of crop sprayers for a period from the 1940s, with the initial machines a design built under license from Plant Protection Ltd and designed in conjunction with ICI research engineering department.

Electric vehicles

As steam vehicles went out of favour in the early 20th century Ransomes built a number of Electric trams (Trolley Buses) and these were exported all over the world in the 1920s and 1930s. Ransomes built a range of electric works tugs that had developed from machines built for use in the factories.

Forklift Trucks

Main article: Ransomes Forklifts

The building of Forklifts started with electric powered lifting tables foir use in the works in the early 1900s, as a modified platform truck. These evloved into small electric works cranes basaed on a truck. Later Forks were added to a platform truck for lifting stillages and tooling in factories and this evolved into electric forklift trucks in the post war years. Over a thousand electric works trucks were built during the war period.

In 1959 a marketing agrrement was signed with the American Hyster company for them to sell the Ransomes electric trucks world wide and Ransomes to market Hyster Petrol and electric Forklifts in the UK. This agreement lasted till 1973.

Ransomes Brand

Main article: Ransomes Tractors

Ransomes initially built a prototype internal combustion engined tractor in the 1920 but the idea did not take-off.

The firm later moved on to producing a range of tracked garden tractors from the mid 1930s.

In the 1950s they added producing combine harvesters to the list of machinery manufactured. This was a natural progression from their existing threshing machine business, as the industry moved to the new 'self-propelled' technology. The initial trailed model was built under license from Swedish manufacturer.

Preservation

Please add any known Steam machine details to the table below.
Click Here to edit list.

Preserved machines built by Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies Ltd (TER list 180 + in UK)

Engine No.	Name	Build Date	Type	Weight	Power nhp	Reg No.	Owner	Image	Other info
Ransomes, Sims & Heads no. 1776	-	1869	PE	weight ?	6 nhp	-	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Head no. 2442	-	1872	PE	weight ?	? nhp	-	Owner ?
Ransomes, Head & Jefferies no. 5137	Lizzie McKenna	1882	Traction engine	7 ton	6 nhp	Z 1	Museum of East Anglian Life		lowest sn surviving RSH engine in the TER 2008 list
Ransomes, Head & Jefferies no. 5141	George	1882	PE	weight ?	? nhp	-	Owner ?
Ransomes, Head & Jefferies no. 5263	-	1883	TE	weight ?	? nhp	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 6818	Little Ben	1886	Portable engine	-	8 nhp	na	Owner ?		lowest sn surviving RSJ engine in the TER 2008 list
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 8613	Island of Mor	1891	Portable engine	-	3 nhp	na	The Bicknell Family, Hampshire
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 10753	Lily	1897	PE	weight	8 nhp	-	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 11412	Lily	1897	TE	-	7 nhp	FI 1407	Owner ?, Carlow ROI
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 12622	Poppy	1894	PE	weight ?	2 nhp	-	Owner ?		(T96) ex UP103
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 13865	Rosalee	1901	TE	weight ?	7 nhp	IP 727	Owner ? in Tralee, ROI
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 14385	Marie	1902	Portable	-	2 nhp	-	Brian Dando, Bristol		listed at Kemble 2009
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 15012	The Countryman	1903	TE	10.5 ton	7 nhp	NO 4034	Owner ?, Coventry
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 15127	Winifred	1903	TE	8.5 ton	6 nhp	TA 1935	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 15278	The Chieftain	1903	TE	? ton	7 nhp	NO 2009	S. Haylock, Cambs		At Stoke Goldington Steam Rally Old Warden 2009
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 15609	Lady Diana	1904	TE	9 ton	6 nhp	CJ 4220	Allan Prout, Ledbury		At Welland 2010 & Shrewsbury Steam Rally 2011
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 15740	Dolly May	1904	TE	?	?	J 14457 (Jersey reg no.)	Pallot Steam Museum		In the collection of the Pallot Steam Museum on Jersey
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 18407	No. 8	1906	PE	weight	6 nhp	-	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies No. 18504	Sybil	1904	TE	-	? nhp	NO 6925	?		At Belvoir Castle Steam Festival 2008
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies No. 20539	-	19 ?	Portable	-	? nhp	N/A			Bromyard Gala 2008
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 20737	-	1908	Portable engine	5 ton	6 nhp	NA	R. Hinch		At Little Casterton 2009
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 20760	Jubilee	1908	TE	9 ton	6 nhp	2891 UR	A. Frost, of ?	to add	At Old Warden 2009
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 22683	-	1910	PE	weight	power	-	R. Scourfield, Pembs	To add	At South Cerney 2013
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 23803	William Fletcher	1911	TE	10 ton	7 nhp	NO 3291	A. Roan, Wiltshire	to add	at South Cerney 2013
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 24585	Northern Star	1911	TE	9 1/2 ton	6 nhp	J 6719	D Cuthbertson, Co Durham	to add	Masham Steam Rally 2010
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 27268	Little Lucy	1917	portable	-	4 nhp	-	Owner ?	to add	Beaulieu Steam Revival 2010
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 27277	The Leprechaun	1918	TE	10 ton	7 nhp	DS 7473 (ex AT 1253)	J. Garrod, of Harlton, Cambridge	to add	At Old Warden 2011 ex ROI
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 27461	Paddy	1918	Traction engine	9 ton	6 nhp	FI 1176	Owner ?		at Onslow Park Steam Rally 2009
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 27524	Jesse	1918	Traction engine	10 ton	7 nhp	E 5123	K&G Jones, Forest of Dean ?		At Black Country Steam Weekend 2010
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 27548	-	1919	TE	10 ton	7 nhp	NL 2563	Owner ? in Ireland ?		In Cheffins July sale 2007
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 27596	Lady Mary VC ex. Old Peculiar	1919	TE	10 ton	7 nhp	WR 6553	J. Carr, Sheffield		at HarewoodLincoln 2008
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 30004	-	1919	TE	? ton	nhp	R 6968	Owner ?		Haddenham Steam Rally 2005
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 31066	Hooky	1920	Crane Engine	? ton	6 nhp	PV 4943	B. Bicknell, Hants		at Lister Tyndale Steam Rally & Old Warden 2009
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 31143	Name	1920	Portable	-	9 nhp	-	Owner ?		Museum of Country Life - Sandy Bay
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 31136	-	1920	TE	?	?	DM 3048	Cardiff Industrial & Maritime Museum
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies No. 31298	Garioch Queen	1919	TE	9 ton	6 nhp	SA 4253	B. Peacock		Holcot Kettering & Lincoln 2008 (Worked in Scotland)
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 34270	Matilda	1927	wagon	5 ton	7 nhp	SV 9177	M. Savage, Hampshire		At Bill Targett Steam Rally 2011 One of only 3 surviving RSJ wagons worldwide
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 34323	-	192?	type ?	?	?	-	owner ?		In Tasmania.
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 35247	Old Faithful	1924	TE	? tton	6 nhp	PU 4391	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies No. 36020	-	1924	TE Colonial type		7 nhp	BS 9010	J.J. Forshaw		Holcot 2008 & Woodcote Rally + Old Warden 2009 (repatriated from Mozambique)
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 36030	-	1925	Portable	-	8 nhp ?	-	Strumpshaw Hall Steam Museum		In the Strumpshaw Hall Steam Museum in Norfolk
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 36220	-	1920	ST	5 ton	4 nhp	UE 2496	J. Holman, of ?		At Old Warden 2009
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 39127	General Wolfe	1928	traction engine	7 1/2 ton	4 nhp	PN 1903	B. Biddlecombe, Southampton		Seen at Bill Targett Steam Rally 2011
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 42032	Velfry Queen	1931	TE	10 ton	6 nhp	IH 2816	Owner ?		at Astwood Bank Vintage Gathering 2011]]
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 42035	Alica Rose	1932	TE	12 ton	6 nhp	ANG 194	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies No. 42036	Langham Belle	1932	TE	10 ton	7 nhp	TL 2366	W.K. Kirby & Family		Holcot Steam Rally 2008
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 43030	Harvest Time	1935	Portable	4.5 ton	5 nhp	-	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 42126	Winifred	1943	portable	6 1/2 ton	10 hp	-	Owner ?		Youngest listed RSJ engine in the TER 2008 list
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 1234	Name	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 59336	n/a	date built	AM54 Thresher	weight	-	N/A	Owner ?		Threshing Drum
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. E409	-	1930	Portable	-	?	-	Brighton Engineerium Museum		Late model (steam) engine
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. ?	Name ?	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?
Ransomes, Sims & Jefferies no. 1234	Name	date built	type	weight	power	Reg no. ?	Owner ?

Machine types Key:	References / sources
SW = Steam Wagon, PE = Portable, Plg = Ploughing Engine, RR = Road Roller, SM = Showmans, TE = Traction Engine

 

The Jersey based The Pallot Steam Museum at Sion near Trinity has a 1904 RSJ Ransomes Sims & Jefferies Steam Engine nicknamed Dolly May still running well even after more than a century of opperating, and was the first ever machine equipment that the museum acquired. She was bought new and spent most of her long life helping the many Jersey farmers at the time and even in both World Wars as a haulage road tractor and worked heavily ever since, and she was also honoured with being named after Samuel Pallots late wife who was named Dorothy Pallot. The original Dolly May is occasionally still driven regularly in Jersey every Summer for the locally known Battle Of Flowers and shipped to England for the famous Devon Steam Rally Meeting held every year, among with many other original and classic original vehicles.

The 1912 RJS Traction Engine aka Dolly May infoplate

The original 1912 RSJ Steam Engine Dolly May in fully restored on display in Jersey, UK

References

• Wikipedia for base article
• Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies, A history of their products, by Brian Bell - Book on company history
• Old Glory Magazine for surviving engines
• Steam Scenes for surviving engines
• TER for engine nos and names

External links

• Old Mower Club Features Ransomes mowers