Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company

Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company Ltd

Belwell Lane

Sutton Coldfield

Four Oaks Spraying Machines

The Four Oaks Spraying Machine Co (FOSMC) was situated in Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield. On its site are now Waitrose and the Lloyds British building with Flints on the ground floor. It was one of two spraying machine manufacturers in Sutton Coldfield; the other being J.A. Southerton, who used the trade name Martsmith.

The founder of the FOSMC, William Charles George Ludford, had been born in 1867 to William and Elizabeth Ludford; his father was from Middlesex, his mother was from Sutton Coldfield. He purchased Fernlea, a house in Belwell Lane, just to the Mere Green side of the railway bridge in perhaps the late 1880’s or early 1890’s, his name appearing on the 1891 Burgess Roll and with his family on the 1891 Census, which recorded his occupation as an accountant’s clerk.

I have not been able to find out, as yet, the exact date when he ventured into the manufacture of sprayers and spraying machines, but in September 1898 WCG Ludford purchased a plot of land, from a John Jones, in Belwell Lane situated next to his house, Fernlea, upon which he subsequently built his works and some offices fronting Belwell Lane. In 1909 he purchased the leases of some of the properties on the opposite side of Belwell Lane, subsequent acquisitions took place in later years. In time these led to the FOSMC owning the leases of the properties 1 through to 17 Belwell Lane.

1909 saw a number of spraying machines entered into a demonstration of spraying machines, liquids and liming machines held on Thursday April 22^nd and organized by the Wisbech and District Fruit Growers’ Association. The prizes to be awarded were six silver gilt and six silver medals and other firms taking part included Benton and Stone, Birmingham; Cooper & Nephew, Berkhampstead; Strawson & Son, Reading; Drake and Fletcher, Maidstone. Four competitions were arranged; Class A - Knapsack Sprayers for liquids; Class B – Sprayers on wheels for liquids; Class C – Limewash Sprayers; Class D – Knapsacks for distributing dry powders. The field opened at 10.30 a.m. and half an hour later when judging commenced reports indicated that there was a good attendance. The Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company succeeded in being awarded the silver gilt medal for Class A with their Knapsack sprayer for liquids. The judges noted that the machine shown by them was exceedingly simple in construction and very well made. A selection of their own nozzles were used and the ‘Marvellous’ nozzle was very much admired, giving a large spray with good force. While they were not successful in any of the other classes contemporary press reports mentioned their entry in Class C with two machines, their one with the thirty gallon tank being their best. An advert placed in the Isle of Ely and Wisbech Advertiser of Wednesday April 28 1909 by M Herrod, a firm of chemists who were the agent for Four Oaks in Wisbech showed an image of the Four Oaks External Knapsack sprayer and attested to the success of the machine in the competition.

Entry into the Northern Fruit Congress competition in October 1910, held at Hexham, produced two gold medals.

By 1911, the business was doing well enough to support advertisements in such publications as the Estate Book, issued by the Country Gentlemen’s Association. The 1911 advertisement boldly states that ‘The “Four Oaks” Syringes Spraying and Limewashing Machines are acknowledged by all users to be the best the world has ever seen. It featured their Undentable Syringe a range of syringes that were sold with a three-year guarantee against indentation of their working barrel; the working barrel is wrapped within a corrugated brass tube with the corrugations being on the outside. While I was at the Canwell Show in August displaying a number of sprayers, a former employee of the FOSMC advised me that when WCG Ludford was returning home one evening on the train he came across the idea while toying with some corrugated card packing with him. He realised that if turned with the corrugations out then the central working barrel would be protected. Prices for these in 1911 ranged from 12s 6d for a No 9 which was one-and-one-eighth in. by 20 in., to a No 5, best quality, teak handled example 1+3/4” by 20 in., 32s!

Also featured was The “Four Oaks” Patent Knapsack Sprayer, No 101. This was a sprayer, with a capacity of 3 +1/4 gallons, was carried on the back with an operating arm on one side and a lance at the end of a 3-foot best India-rubber tube, fitted with the “Four Oaks” Patent spraying Nozzle and short brass tube with a stop cock. This cost 45s and the advert advised that in addition to spraying fruit trees and trees of all kinds, vines, hops, Coffee, Tea and Cocoa, also Potatoes and other crops, could also be used for Limewashing.

Limewashing not surprisingly featured heavily in their range of equipment, as this was a regular activity to be undertaken and often very laborious. The spraying machines sold ranged from their “Farmer” Pattern, a 4gallon limewasher, a bucket with a powerful brass stirrup pump built into it and could be used for spraying any liquid, including limewash, costing £3 2s6d; to eventually in the 1950’s a mechanized sprayer the “Self Propelled”. This featured a 25-gallon drum with horizontal spray bars and lances. Powered by a single cylinder 4-stroke Villiers industrial engine coupled to a three-speed Albion motorcycle gearbox and double reduction chain drive to the single axle, it required minimal effort to operate. The liquid was drawn simultaneously from both tanks and passed through a filter before entering a Brook pump driven via a V-belt directly off the engine and thence via an adjusting valve to the spray bars at the front of the machine. The liquid could be delivered either in a horizontal style across a 10 foot spread of the bars could be altered to deliver it vertically to bushes etc. In 1959 the cost was £135. In January 2007 I was lucky enough to purchase an example of this machine. It was purchased from a person who was employed early in his career by a company called H.M. Hutchinson, who it appears took over the business of Matthew Herrod when that business closed in the 1940's-50's. He recalled a new Four Oaks Self Propelled Machine being sold in the Wisbech area and some years later he was given the opportunity of acquiring an example which he feels was the one he saw being sold new.

The range of machines they offered was to say the least extensive; many of the names given to their models had local connections; i.e. “Yenton”; “Weeford”, “Shenstone” and “Streetly” patterns were just a few. As one would expect the FOSMC produced a number of accessories that could be fitted to all of the machines they produced, as the thread used was standard throughout the range.

A letter dated 19th September 1942 makes reference on the letterhead of a competition held by the Royal Horticultural Society at their Wisley grounds in July 1935, at which the FOSMC secured 5 out of 12 awards given for manually operated sprayers. Communication with the RHS resulted in full details of the competition being provided, lists of the competition classes, entrants and awards given. The trials that took place on Friday 12 July 1935 resulted in a total of 28 awards given in 9 classes. The FOSMC managed to be awarded a total of 11 awards in 8 of the 9 classes.

The manufactory created by WCG Ludford was situated initially next door to his house Fernlea, photographs show a building with ivy or creeper growing up the front, the building had the name in large gold coloured letters just under the first floor windows. This was originally a four gabled building though photographs taken in the early 1970’s show a fifth gable over a garage door entrance with the addition of Ltd after the name. From the photographs can be made out the two gable ends of what would have been the main factory. Plans submitted to the Borough of Sutton Coldfield in 1911 for offices & 1912 for a warehouse, both on the north side of Belwell Lane and further plans for storage sheds on the south side submitted in 1918 & 1919 suggested that business was improving.

Application to Companies House a while ago resulted in a microfiche of statutory documents supplied. This has revealed some of the history of the FOSMC after WWII. In 1950 a document was drawn up that resulted in the change of trading style of the company from being solely owned by WCG Ludford, to that of a Limited Company with the directors being WCG Ludford and his son Lawrance Ludford. At this time WCG was in his 83^rd year and given that he passed away early in 1951 this change may well have been him putting things in order while able to. He is buried with his wife who predeceased him in 1937, aged 77, in the graveyard at Canwell, Staffordshire. It appears as a consequence of his death that the day to day running of the business was taken over by his son Lawrance and the business continued onwards. Production of some sprayers was moved to Southern Ireland and a company called Sprayers Ltd was created in order to manufacture various models under licence. Outwardly the only difference to sprayers manufactured there was a different plate affixed to the sprayers.

With the introduction of plastics into industry in the late 1950’s and throughout the 1960’s together with a more throwaway society developing this inevitably had a detrimental effect on the company. Added to this as many of the products were designed for large estates and country gardens, which too had seen a large decline after the war, the once profitable business appeared to falter. New companies were coming along, Hozelock appeared in 1959. The accounts of year ended 31 December, 1971 show the result with a net loss for the year of £1581.79 to which had to be added the cumulative loss from previous years of £21022.31, resulting in a debit balance of £22604.10 carried forward. The report also reported the impending sale of the freehold premises comprising of the works and offices of the Company, with a book value of £1719 for the sum of approximately £45,000. 1972 saw the trading situation appear to deteriorate further with a loss of £4569.27; 1974 saw the death of Lawrance Ludford and his son E.N. Ludford become a director. During 1975 the freeholds of some of the properties on the south side of Belwell Lane were sold, these included the remaining assembly shop and offices at 11 Belwell Lane. The 14^th January 1977 saw the effective closure of the FOSMC as a manufacturing concern as the Company’s stock in trade was sold to the purchaser of the company’s business for £7,750.00. Investigation has revealed that The Willcox Group purchased the business, they were manufacturers of machine tools with premises in Kings Road Tyseley, Birmingham. One of their subsidiaries was The Phillip B Waldron Co. Ltd, using the brand name Dronwal. This date also saw the cancellation of the Company’s VAT registration by H.M Customs and Excise. The only income then became that derived from the letting of certain of its remaining Freehold properties combined with ground rents receivable. This continued until 24^th March 1986 when the remaining freehold investment property was sold for the sum of £76,500, after selling expenses were deducted.

This drew the line under what had been probably the most well known brand of spraying machines made in the Midlands, possibly the country maybe the world. This was confirmed in December 1986 when the directors recommended to the members that the company be placed into voluntary liquidation, this took place and the process was completed with the company being fully wound up on 15 September 1987. What remains is a wonderful heritage based upon the surviving examples of their products together with the detailed literature that was used in promoting the business while trading.

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A photograph of the Four Oaks factory taken in 1970 or thereabouts, below is one looking towards the island at Mere Green.

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This work is the copyright of Adrian Lanchester-Hale of Sutton Coldfield who collects Birmingham made garden sprayers. Adrian would be happy to answer any queries on sprayers, please contact him through Made in Birmingham on the contact page.

Did you work for this company, or sell or use their products? Do you have any information at all about this company, please contact us if you do have information.

				MADE IN BIRMINGHAM
				Birmingham's Industrial History Website

Made in Birmingham Company Index				Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company Ltd Belwell Lane Sutton Coldfield Four Oaks Spraying Machines The Four Oaks Spraying Machine Co (FOSMC) was situated in Belwell Lane, Four Oaks, Sutton Coldfield. On its site are now Waitrose and the Lloyds British building with Flints on the ground floor. It was one of two spraying machine manufacturers in Sutton Coldfield; the other being J.A. Southerton, who used the trade name Martsmith. The founder of the FOSMC, William Charles George Ludford, had been born in 1867 to William and Elizabeth Ludford; his father was from Middlesex, his mother was from Sutton Coldfield. He purchased Fernlea, a house in Belwell Lane, just to the Mere Green side of the railway bridge in perhaps the late 1880’s or early 1890’s, his name appearing on the 1891 Burgess Roll and with his family on the 1891 Census, which recorded his occupation as an accountant’s clerk. I have not been able to find out, as yet, the exact date when he ventured into the manufacture of sprayers and spraying machines, but in September 1898 WCG Ludford purchased a plot of land, from a John Jones, in Belwell Lane situated next to his house, Fernlea, upon which he subsequently built his works and some offices fronting Belwell Lane. In 1909 he purchased the leases of some of the properties on the opposite side of Belwell Lane, subsequent acquisitions took place in later years. In time these led to the FOSMC owning the leases of the properties 1 through to 17 Belwell Lane. 1909 saw a number of spraying machines entered into a demonstration of spraying machines, liquids and liming machines held on Thursday April 22^nd and organized by the Wisbech and District Fruit Growers’ Association. The prizes to be awarded were six silver gilt and six silver medals and other firms taking part included Benton and Stone, Birmingham; Cooper & Nephew, Berkhampstead; Strawson & Son, Reading; Drake and Fletcher, Maidstone. Four competitions were arranged; Class A - Knapsack Sprayers for liquids; Class B – Sprayers on wheels for liquids; Class C – Limewash Sprayers; Class D – Knapsacks for distributing dry powders. The field opened at 10.30 a.m. and half an hour later when judging commenced reports indicated that there was a good attendance. The Four Oaks Spraying Machine Company succeeded in being awarded the silver gilt medal for Class A with their Knapsack sprayer for liquids. The judges noted that the machine shown by them was exceedingly simple in construction and very well made. A selection of their own nozzles were used and the ‘Marvellous’ nozzle was very much admired, giving a large spray with good force. While they were not successful in any of the other classes contemporary press reports mentioned their entry in Class C with two machines, their one with the thirty gallon tank being their best. An advert placed in the Isle of Ely and Wisbech Advertiser of Wednesday April 28 1909 by M Herrod, a firm of chemists who were the agent for Four Oaks in Wisbech showed an image of the Four Oaks External Knapsack sprayer and attested to the success of the machine in the competition. Entry into the Northern Fruit Congress competition in October 1910, held at Hexham, produced two gold medals. By 1911, the business was doing well enough to support advertisements in such publications as the Estate Book, issued by the Country Gentlemen’s Association. The 1911 advertisement boldly states that ‘The “Four Oaks” Syringes Spraying and Limewashing Machines are acknowledged by all users to be the best the world has ever seen. It featured their Undentable Syringe a range of syringes that were sold with a three-year guarantee against indentation of their working barrel; the working barrel is wrapped within a corrugated brass tube with the corrugations being on the outside. While I was at the Canwell Show in August displaying a number of sprayers, a former employee of the FOSMC advised me that when WCG Ludford was returning home one evening on the train he came across the idea while toying with some corrugated card packing with him. He realised that if turned with the corrugations out then the central working barrel would be protected. Prices for these in 1911 ranged from 12s 6d for a No 9 which was one-and-one-eighth in. by 20 in., to a No 5, best quality, teak handled example 1+3/4” by 20 in., 32s! Also featured was The “Four Oaks” Patent Knapsack Sprayer, No 101. This was a sprayer, with a capacity of 3 +1/4 gallons, was carried on the back with an operating arm on one side and a lance at the end of a 3-foot best India-rubber tube, fitted with the “Four Oaks” Patent spraying Nozzle and short brass tube with a stop cock. This cost 45s and the advert advised that in addition to spraying fruit trees and trees of all kinds, vines, hops, Coffee, Tea and Cocoa, also Potatoes and other crops, could also be used for Limewashing. Limewashing not surprisingly featured heavily in their range of equipment, as this was a regular activity to be undertaken and often very laborious. The spraying machines sold ranged from their “Farmer” Pattern, a 4gallon limewasher, a bucket with a powerful brass stirrup pump built into it and could be used for spraying any liquid, including limewash, costing £3 2s6d; to eventually in the 1950’s a mechanized sprayer the “Self Propelled”. This featured a 25-gallon drum with horizontal spray bars and lances. Powered by a single cylinder 4-stroke Villiers industrial engine coupled to a three-speed Albion motorcycle gearbox and double reduction chain drive to the single axle, it required minimal effort to operate. The liquid was drawn simultaneously from both tanks and passed through a filter before entering a Brook pump driven via a V-belt directly off the engine and thence via an adjusting valve to the spray bars at the front of the machine. The liquid could be delivered either in a horizontal style across a 10 foot spread of the bars could be altered to deliver it vertically to bushes etc. In 1959 the cost was £135. In January 2007 I was lucky enough to purchase an example of this machine. It was purchased from a person who was employed early in his career by a company called H.M. Hutchinson, who it appears took over the business of Matthew Herrod when that business closed in the 1940's-50's. He recalled a new Four Oaks Self Propelled Machine being sold in the Wisbech area and some years later he was given the opportunity of acquiring an example which he feels was the one he saw being sold new. The range of machines they offered was to say the least extensive; many of the names given to their models had local connections; i.e. “Yenton”; “Weeford”, “Shenstone” and “Streetly” patterns were just a few. As one would expect the FOSMC produced a number of accessories that could be fitted to all of the machines they produced, as the thread used was standard throughout the range. A letter dated 19th September 1942 makes reference on the letterhead of a competition held by the Royal Horticultural Society at their Wisley grounds in July 1935, at which the FOSMC secured 5 out of 12 awards given for manually operated sprayers. Communication with the RHS resulted in full details of the competition being provided, lists of the competition classes, entrants and awards given. The trials that took place on Friday 12 July 1935 resulted in a total of 28 awards given in 9 classes. The FOSMC managed to be awarded a total of 11 awards in 8 of the 9 classes. The manufactory created by WCG Ludford was situated initially next door to his house Fernlea, photographs show a building with ivy or creeper growing up the front, the building had the name in large gold coloured letters just under the first floor windows. This was originally a four gabled building though photographs taken in the early 1970’s show a fifth gable over a garage door entrance with the addition of Ltd after the name. From the photographs can be made out the two gable ends of what would have been the main factory. Plans submitted to the Borough of Sutton Coldfield in 1911 for offices & 1912 for a warehouse, both on the north side of Belwell Lane and further plans for storage sheds on the south side submitted in 1918 & 1919 suggested that business was improving. Application to Companies House a while ago resulted in a microfiche of statutory documents supplied. This has revealed some of the history of the FOSMC after WWII. In 1950 a document was drawn up that resulted in the change of trading style of the company from being solely owned by WCG Ludford, to that of a Limited Company with the directors being WCG Ludford and his son Lawrance Ludford. At this time WCG was in his 83^rd year and given that he passed away early in 1951 this change may well have been him putting things in order while able to. He is buried with his wife who predeceased him in 1937, aged 77, in the graveyard at Canwell, Staffordshire. It appears as a consequence of his death that the day to day running of the business was taken over by his son Lawrance and the business continued onwards. Production of some sprayers was moved to Southern Ireland and a company called Sprayers Ltd was created in order to manufacture various models under licence. Outwardly the only difference to sprayers manufactured there was a different plate affixed to the sprayers. With the introduction of plastics into industry in the late 1950’s and throughout the 1960’s together with a more throwaway society developing this inevitably had a detrimental effect on the company. Added to this as many of the products were designed for large estates and country gardens, which too had seen a large decline after the war, the once profitable business appeared to falter. New companies were coming along, Hozelock appeared in 1959. The accounts of year ended 31 December, 1971 show the result with a net loss for the year of £1581.79 to which had to be added the cumulative loss from previous years of £21022.31, resulting in a debit balance of £22604.10 carried forward. The report also reported the impending sale of the freehold premises comprising of the works and offices of the Company, with a book value of £1719 for the sum of approximately £45,000. 1972 saw the trading situation appear to deteriorate further with a loss of £4569.27; 1974 saw the death of Lawrance Ludford and his son E.N. Ludford become a director. During 1975 the freeholds of some of the properties on the south side of Belwell Lane were sold, these included the remaining assembly shop and offices at 11 Belwell Lane. The 14^th January 1977 saw the effective closure of the FOSMC as a manufacturing concern as the Company’s stock in trade was sold to the purchaser of the company’s business for £7,750.00. Investigation has revealed that The Willcox Group purchased the business, they were manufacturers of machine tools with premises in Kings Road Tyseley, Birmingham. One of their subsidiaries was The Phillip B Waldron Co. Ltd, using the brand name Dronwal. This date also saw the cancellation of the Company’s VAT registration by H.M Customs and Excise. The only income then became that derived from the letting of certain of its remaining Freehold properties combined with ground rents receivable. This continued until 24^th March 1986 when the remaining freehold investment property was sold for the sum of £76,500, after selling expenses were deducted. This drew the line under what had been probably the most well known brand of spraying machines made in the Midlands, possibly the country maybe the world. This was confirmed in December 1986 when the directors recommended to the members that the company be placed into voluntary liquidation, this took place and the process was completed with the company being fully wound up on 15 September 1987. What remains is a wonderful heritage based upon the surviving examples of their products together with the detailed literature that was used in promoting the business while trading. A photograph of the Four Oaks factory taken in 1970 or thereabouts, below is one looking towards the island at Mere Green. This work is the copyright of Adrian Lanchester-Hale of Sutton Coldfield who collects Birmingham made garden sprayers. Adrian would be happy to answer any queries on sprayers, please contact him through Made in Birmingham on the contact page. Did you work for this company, or sell or use their products? Do you have any information at all about this company, please contact us if you do have information.