This dissertation takes as its subject matter the Leeds engineering industry of the later nineteenth century up to the First World War. This is a topic hitherto neglected by both local historians of Leeds and academic historians of engineering. The dissertation explains the rapid growth of the Leeds engineering industry after 1850 in terms of the diversification of engineering trades. The chapters, both in their narrative and thematic form, analyse the growth and variety in terms of the main drivers of this change, which included population growth to create a local market, growth and change in widening international and imperial markets, and the innovative energy of Leeds engineers in creating new products and methods which, in turn, created new customers and new markets. Within this, imperial markets, particularly the Indian market, were of vital importance for the Leeds Steam Locomotive builders. The growth of Leeds engineering is mapped across the latter part of the nineteenth century to demonstrate movement and change in the usage of premises in South Leeds. The key factor here was that engineering companies were initially located on smaller plots and relied on their proximity to water for power. But, as they became larger, they needed more land and newer rail access to connect them to customers in Britain and especially the British Empire.
The variety of engineering trades practiced in Leeds was recognised at the time as being distinctive of the city, hence I analyse the growth in engineering trades both in quantity of companies and in their diversity between 1850 and 1914. However, my analysis extends to 1918 in order to describe the contribution that this diversity of trades made to Leeds munitions production in the Great War, comparing it to the more specialist metalworking city of Birmingham. I also explain, for the first time, how Leeds engineering managers took charge of local munitions production and further analyse the very important and decisive policy influence they had on national munitions production at a critical point in British history.
Finally, I note that the history of Leeds engineering was, when contrasted with, for instance Manchester, remarkably unrecorded and uncelebrated. My dissertation analyses this lack of celebration and commemoration and suggests some reasons specific to Leeds why this was the case. This is particularly apparent when I compare the statuary in Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester in chapter 5, indicating each city’s elites’ different projection of their city and themselves.
