272 
The  late  Joseph  Shuttleworth. 
Company,  of  Birmingham,  was  shown  by  Messrs.  Ransomes,  of 
Ipswich  ; and  in  October  of  the  same  year  a 6-horse  portable 
engine,  made  by  Messrs.  Howden,  of  Boston,  was  exhibited  at 
the  Show  of  the  Lincolnshire  Agricultural  Society.  Four  years 
later,  in  September  1845,  Messrs.  Clayton  and  Shuttleworth 
produced  their  first  portable  engine  (8-horse  power).  In  the 
next  year  they  turned  out  two  engines,  each  of  2-horse  power, 
and  in  the  following  year  eight  engines  of  the  aggregate  power 
of  seventy-three  horses. 
Messrs.  Clayton  and  Shuttleworth  exhibited  in  the  Showyard 
of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society  for  the  first  time  at  Norwich, 
in  1849  ; and  they  succeeded  in  carrying  off  the  highest  awards 
— a position  which  they  retained  at  most  of  the  subsequent 
competitions  in  which  they  participated.  At  the  last-men- 
tioned date,  however,  the  portable  engine  had  still  to  undergo 
manifold  improvements  before  it  could  find  favour  in  the  eyes  of 
farmers.  As  a matter  of  historical  interest,  it  is  worth  while  to 
give  here  some  further  figures,  which  will  serve  to  indicate  the 
progressive  demand  for  the  portable  steam-engine.  Up  to  1847, 
as  has  been  already  stated,  the  number  manufactured  by  the 
Stamp  End  firm  could  almost  be  represented  by  the  fingers  of  both 
hands ; but  so  rapidly  did  their  utility  become  recognised,  that 
in  1851  this  firm  alone  sold  no  less  than  140  of  these  machines. 
In  the  following  year  the  sales  numbered  243  ; in  1853  they 
had  grown  to  293,  next  year  to  363,  and  in  1855  to  491.  At 
the  present  time  Clayton  and  Shuttleworth  have  sent  out  from 
their  works  upwards  of  19,000  portable  steam-engines,  an 
average  of  close  upon  600  per  annum  for  the  whole  thirty-three 
years  during  which  they  have  been  engaged  in  their  manu- 
facture. Mr.  Shuttleworth’s  firm,  however,  did  not  by  any 
means  confine  their  attention  to  the  construction  of  steam- 
engines,  their  name  being  equally  well  and  widely  known  as 
manufacturers  of  threshing-machines,  of  which  their  total  output 
is  stated  at  no  less  than  17,000  since  1849,  when  this  addition 
to  the  work  of  their  factory  was  entered  upon.  It  should  also 
be  noted  that  to  Clayton  and  Shuttleworth  belongs  the  credit  of 
introducing  a machine  for  finishing  grain  for  market,  they 
having  exhibited  one  at  Lewes,  in  1852,  before  a prize  had  been 
offered.  They  have  also  earned  a just  reputation  for  their 
portable  grinding-mills,  straw  and  hay  elevators,  self-feeding 
apparatus,  and  drum-guards,  all  of  which  have  been  rewarded 
with  “ Royal  ” honours. 
Their  works  at  Lincoln  are  admitted  by  qualified  judges  to 
be  most  perfectly  organised  ; and  the  rule  with  which  the  firm 
started  on  their  commercial  career,  to  employ  only  the  best 
material  and  secure  the  most  perfect  workmanship,  has  been 
