Parrott Hydraulic Pump

Hydraulic pump made by James Parrott, Salford, 1876. Used until 1987 to power hydraulic presses which made paper rolls for the wallpaper printing industry.

Hydraulic pumps provided the power for all kinds of machinery to operate. Small pumps would provide pressure to operate lifts, hoists, capstans and presses. They would be driven by hand or steam engine and later by electric motors. This one was made by James Parrott of Salford and was used until 1985. Manchester's hydraulic power system operated from the late nineteenth century, finally being switched off completely in the 1970s. It consisted of a network of thick cast iron pipes which carried water at a high pressure beneath the city streets.