BOMFORD AND EVERSHED COLLECTION

Contains: ledgers 1940-1956; balance sheet 1910; financial statements 1938-1967; statement of accounts 1929, 1940; directors minute books 1904-1969; list of directors 1956; personal corespondence and papers of Harry Evershed, J.W. Evershed and S.E Alley 1908-1939; plan of land occupied by premises c1905; commercial correspondence 1903-1926, 1936; papers relating to the Agricultural Machinery Advisory Committee 1940; articles of association 1904, 1964; shareholding agreement 1919; company minute book 1904-1971; papers concerning external agreements with Midland Railway Co and R & B Bomford; papers relating to sale of property 1909-1951; patenting records relating to United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Argentinia, Brazil, Canada, United States of America and Australia 1928-1967, patent specification 1872-1960; assignments of letters patent 1929; licence for the manufacture and sale of ploughs 1948 ; assignments of improvements 1958; drawings of Sapper Major bulldozer 1948, 1954; drawing of Sapper earthmover Mark II 1954; technical notes concerning products 1956-1960; correspondence concerning trials of products 1960-1963; publicity album c1940-1960; technical literature of Bomford and Evershed's products c1910-c1970; technical literature of Charles Burrell and Sons Ltd, Richard Garrett and Sons Ltd, Hill and Smith Ltd, J H Holmes and Co, J & H Mclaren, Robey and Co Ltd, Ruston and Hornsby Ltd, Ruston, Proctor and Co Ltd, Wallis and Stevens Ltd c1900-1932; press cuttings album 1928-1955; photographs of products c1860's-1960's; file of historical notes and papers c1970; personal papers of Bomford family 1849-1959; photographs of partners and directors [1910's]-1960; papers concerning the winding up of the estate of Mrs E M Bomford 1934

Bomford and Evershed Ltd began life in 1904 as a limited company upon a threefold foundation

1.E. Humphries and Co Ltd, Atlas Works Pershore, then in liquidation and agricultural engineering firm specialising in portable steam engine and threshing machine production were taken over as a going concern, including the freehold land and buildings at Pershore and their stock in trade, cash and debts, contracts and trade marks.

2.The acquisition of the engineering and steam cultivating, road rolling, dredging and excavating business of Raymond and Benjamin Bomford, Pitchill, Evesham R & B Bomford however continuing in business as a separate concern.

3.The possession of the joint patents of R & B Bomford and Harry Evershed a former employee of R&B Bomford (and prior to 1896 of John Fowler and Co (Leeds) Ltd

In 1908 Bomford and Evershed Ltd, moved to their present site at Salford Priors, Evesham selling Atlas Works together with threshing machine manufacture there, to The Horsfall Destructor Co Ltd (and in it's turn superseded by Fisher Humphries Ltd) Steam engine production having already been discontinued by Bomfords on their acquisition of the Atlas Works. Meanwhile R & B Bomford had been gradually returning to steam cultivation contract work and in 1910 Bomford and Evershed Ltd sold them their steam cultivation contracting machinery. Thereafter Bomford and Evershed Ltd concentrated on rolling, dredging and moving equipment taking a secondary role until this was given an important incentive for development by the `Dig for Victory' campaign during the Second World War R & B Bomford superseded by Bomford Bros were not idle either especially in the design of machinery for hedge cutting, vegetable washing and cultivating and they became a limited company. Bomford Bros Ltd in 1954. The post war years saw Bomford and Evershed Ltd rely more increasingly on manufacturing, selling their dredging business to Bomford and Wilkins after the end of 1956 and entering into cultivator production form 1960 onwards. In 1967 the two firms of Bomford and Evershed Ltd and Bomford Bros Ltd joined to form the present Bomford Group the latter becoming the contracts division of the new concern.

AC Accounts

AC1 Ledgers

AC5 Cost Accounts

AC6 Other Accounts

AC7 Financial Statements

AC9 Invoices and Accounting Papers

AD Administrative and Commercial Records

AD1 Minutes and Proceedings of Board Meetings

AD2 General Administrative and Commercial Records

AD3 Labour Records

AD4 Premises Records

AD7 Commercial Records

CO Legal Records of companies and businesses

CO2 Companies and limited concerns including capital

CO3 External agreements

CO4 Property

CO5 Patenting

DO Drawing Records

DO1 Drawings

ET Technical Records Experimental and General Reference

ET1 Experiments and Trials

ET2 Technical Reference Records

P Publications, promotions and Advertising Records

P1 General Compilations

P2 Individual Advertising and Servicing Publications

P7 Records of Advertising Campaigns and Events

PH Internal Photographic Records

PH3 Individual Prints

SP Social and Personal Records

SP1 General Reference Records including firm histories

SP4 Personal Records

Open for consultation

Deposited in May 1972 Accession number T72/7

Compiled by Caroline Gould, 19 December 2002

A detailed catalogue is available at the Museum of English Rural Life

Please contact the Archivist