W. T. French and Sons Ltd later Associated Sprayers Ltd 

Mysto Works

Browning Street

Ladywood

Birmingham 16 

W.T. French and Sons made garden syringes and sprayers, both Pneumatic and Knapsack. 

Packaging on a sprayer manufactured during the late 1950’s to early 1960’s records that production started in 1865. The Kelly directory of 1883 shows them as being at 59, Tindal Street Ladywood however the Kelly of 1890 shows them, albeit only apparently trading as W.T. French, the Sons was not added to the title until the 1904 Kelly; and manufacturing at 23 St Mary Street, Ladywood. The 1891 Census indicates that a William French and family lived at 22 St Mary Street, Ladywood; his occupation was that of Brass founder and that one of his sons, also William was a brass worker. Earlier censuses suggest that William French was born in Lighthorne, Warwickshire, his father before him was from Norfolk. 

Business is presumed to have grown since the 1916 Kelly shows them to be at 23 St Mary Street, also at Johnstone Street and at Mysto Works, Browning Street, Ladywood, where they remained until the late 1960’s. 

Towards the end of December 1935 two members of the family, Alfred Edward French and Alfred William French who had it appears been running the business together by way of a partnership agreed to sell the business. This resulted in an application being made on 16 August 1936 for the registration of the company of W.T. French and Son Ltd, the registered office being Mysto Works, Browning Street, Ladywood. The company was set up with a nominal capital of £40,000 divided into 40,000 £1 shares. Of the 40,000 shares, 15,000 were 6% Redeemable Cumulative Preference Shares, the remaining 25,000 were ordinary. Examination of the agreement indicates that as well as trading as W.T. French and Son, the business also traded as Ogilvy & Partridge and Mysto Aluminium Company. 

The purchase of the new company was completed on 21 September 1936 and resulted in Alfred Edward French retiring from the business leaving Alfred William French to run the new company as Managing Director with two other named directors, E.A. Barbour and A.S. Burr, who it is presumed provided some or all of the capital required for the purchase. The sale of the business resulted in A E French and A W French receiving some £51179 8s 4d between them.   

Some years prior to the sale of the company in 1936 documents reveal a number of leases entered into between the French brothers and a number of other parties that related to their premises in Browning Street. One lease dated 30 March 1928 was between the Governors of the Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham, the Lessors, and Alfred Edward French and Alfred William French, the Lessees for a period of 75 years from 25^th March 1928, the rent being £150 per annum for the first 10 years. The area comprised of an area of land of approximately 3556 square yards bounded by both St Vincent Street and Browning Street. Further leases saw the French brother lease another 5345 square yards of land from the Governors of King Edward VI in the same area together with offices in other buildings close by. 

August 1937 saw an increase in the nominal capital to £50,000; E.A. Barbour resigned and was replaced by a new director R. N Houston who was appointed as Assistant Managing Director and was allocated the additional 10,000 shares. A further increase in the nominal capital was made in April 1947 to £75,000. Documents submitted to Companies House in 1949 indicated that A W French was still with the business as he signed the returns. 

Documents recording an EGM held on 28 November 1951 mention a company called Warne, Wright & Rowland as purchasing some ¾ of the company. A share prospectus issued in 1970 states that in 1950 W. T. French and Sons Ltd became a subsidiary of Warne, Wright & Rowland. This company, WWR, was also involved with Carpenter and Allen, formerly Allen and Freeman, and eventually became part of the Benjamin Priest Group of Companies.  

A special resolution of 27 August 1963 records that the name of the company was changed to Associated Sprayers Ltd; this was subsequently approved by the Board of Trade on 4 September 1963. 

A document dated 30 August 1963 indicates that 6500 ordinary shares were allocated to Warne Wright & Rowland Ltd, of Warne-Wright House, Keeley Street, Birmingham 9. 

The 19^th December 1963 saw a further Extraordinary General Meeting during which a resolution was passed to increase the share capital from 75,000 ordinary shares of £1 each, these to be reclassified as ‘B’ shares, to acquire the whole of the issued capital of Testar & Swain Ltd, the authorised share capital of the company to be increased to a total of 155,000 shares by the creation of 40,000 15% Cumulative Convertible Preference Shares of £1 each and 40,000 ‘A’ ordinary shares also of £1 each. 

Around this time, December 1963, a number of changes were made to the operational structure of Associated Sprayers Ltd and a new board of directors were appointed to W. T. French (now Associated Sprayers Ltd); Apex Sprayers and Testar and Swain Ltd.

Although it would appear that Associated Sprayers Ltd took over Testar and Swain Ltd, the majority of the new directors appeared to be those from Testar and Swain Ltd, there is no mention made of A.W. French – but then at this time it is know that he had involvement with R Harris (Brassfounders) Ltd also latterly known as Spraygen Sprayers Ltd, now part of Hills Industries.

After the merger of the two companies production and administration were brought together under one roof at newly acquired premises in Eliot Street, B7. These were purchased from Linley Engineering Co Ltd. A programme of integration and product rationalisation was started, but in May 1965 a fire completely destroyed the factory. Until November 1965 the Company operated from temporary rented accommodation while the Eliot Street works were rebuilt. Within six months of the fire operations were resumed at the 39,400 square feet of single storey factory space and office accommodation in Eliot Street.

Share capital was increased again in 1968, following a special resolution held at an EGM on 19 July, from £155,000 to £195,000 by the creation of 40,000 18 ¾% Cumulative Preference Shares.

1969 saw the acquisition of further premises of 31,500 sq. feet in Plume Street, Aston, Birmingham 6, this comprised of warehouse accommodation used for storage and despatch and offices.

1970 saw a share issue take place with the issue of 1,000,000 shares of 2 shillings each at 10 shillings per share; this took place on Thursday 12 November.

Part of a letter written by the then Chairman of Associated Sprayers Ltd, Mr H.E. Newton-Mason, to Industrial and Commercial Finance Corporation Limited Papers issued by Associated Sprayers Ltd in November 1970 gives some insight into the history of the company and is detailed below:

History

The Company was incorporated on 13^th August 1936 to acquire a business of manufacturers of garden sprayers founded in 1864. The Company became a subsidiary of Warne, Wright & Rowland Limited in 1950, but became dormant in 1957 when its business was transferred to another subsidiary of that company. In 1963 a merger took place whereby the Company changed its original name of W.T. French & son Limited to its present name, acquired that part of Warne, Wright & Rowland group business that carried on the manufacture of sprayers, and also acquired the business of Testar & Swain Limited (“Testar & Swain”), manufacturers of insecticide sprayers which were increasingly being used in the garden. I joined Testar & Swain in 1944, and since 1968 the entire equity share capital of the Company has been held by ICFC, myself and my family.

Sprayers

Since the merger in 1963 the Company has been the leading manufacturer of garden sprayers in the United Kingdom and maintains its dominating position in an expanding market. The basis of its main range of sprayers is the “Killaspray”, which had been introduced to the market by Testar & Swain in 1960. The “Killaspray” was the first reliable garden sprayer made of light-weight materials, incorporating an external compression pump and marketed at an attractive price, and sales of this product continue to increase. The Company specialises in sprayers for use by the amateur gardener, and claims to be the largest manufacturer of garden sprayers in Europe.

Clothes Drying Aids

The range of products now includes the “Tidydry” indoor automatic clothes-line, and the “Tidyspin” and “Skyliner” ranges of outdoor rotary clothes lines. The “Tidydry” was manufactured and sold in small quantities by Testar & Swain, but in 1964 the first large-scale promotion was embarked upon and it has been well established in the market since 1968. ASL’s rotary clothes-lines were introduced in 1968 and the quality and competitive price of these products have quickly established them as brand leaders. 

On 2^nd March 1982 the company became a PLC while on the 1^st March 1983 saw the purchase of a number of shares by Hozelock Ltd.

The 1^st July 1990 saw the name of the company changed back to Associated Sprayers Limited and became a private company as Hozelock had be now acquired all the shares in Company.