Catalogue description George Angus and Co Ltd

Company Records

No operational or executive records of the company have been deposited, only a series of title deeds which relate to part of the site of the St John's Leather Works.

Accession 88, 3879

George Angus and Co Ltd, 1888-1968

Dunlop Angus Industrial Group, 1968 -?

George Angus from whom the firm took its name was born in 1821, the sixth of at least 8 children of William Angus, a currier and leather factor, and his wife, Ann Threlkeld. The firm, however, was reputedly founded by George's grandfather, Thomas Angus, who established a leather selling business in the Close, Newcastle in 1788. In 1810 his son, William diversified into leather currying. George Angus first entered the family business as an apprentice in 1836, and was in sole charge by 1855 when he appears in trades directories as a currier and gutta percha merchant. India rubber manufacture was added in 1843.

In 1855 the business was run from 36 Grey Street, Newcastle, but when this burned down in 1867 a new works was established at 44 Grainger Street. By 1876 the St John's Leather Works, between Newgate Street, Clayton Street and Westgate Road, had been established. In 1888 George Angus and Co became a limited company.

George Angus died 18 November 1890 leaving two of his four sons as joint managing directors (John Henry Angus and Colonel William Mathwin Angus). These two initiated the company's diversification into gear manufacture at a new factory in Walker, some time between 1915 and 1922.

Following the death of his father, William Mathwin Angus, in 1934, Edmund Graham Angus became chairman, and it was he who further extended the company's interests with the establishment of an oil seal division within the factory at Walker to manufacture seals for the lubrication systems of high speed machinery. From this time the firm's headquarters were at Angus House, 158 Westgate Road. The Walker Road factory quickly became known as the Angus Gear Works.

A new factory was opened at Wallsend in 1956 and by this date the firm was also well known for its power transmission and fire engineering. In fact, although the St John's Leather Works was still operating, the other aspects of this business dominated. In the mid 1960s the city centre works was closed and production moved to a new industrial rubber plant in Cramlington, Northumberland.

In 1968 the firm merged with Dunlop Ltd to form Dunlop Angus Industrial Group.

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