User:Harlsbottom/Elswick Ordnance Company

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The Elswick Ordnance Company was an armaments company founded by William Armstrong in 1859. It was orginally set up to manufacture Armstrong guns for the British army in the aftermath of the Crimean War, and later expanded into producing naval guns for the Royal Navy and many other navies thoroughout the world.

[edit] History

William Armstrong had had much success in marketing guns of his own invention to the British government from his company, Sir W.G. Armstrong & Co. Since his company was at the time mainly a manufacturer of hydraulic and metal goods, on 25 January 1859 he set up in partnership the Elswick Ordnance Company to manufacture and develop guns. He had no financial interest in the firm, and had a manager deal with the running of it. In 1860 Sir Alfred Noble, later head of the company, joined. After producing thousands of guns for the government, support was suddenly withdrawn and the company went into financial crisis.