Papers relating to the education and career of William Owen, 1890-1955, including training certificates from the Royal Technical Institute, Salford, and blueprints and photographs of Owen’s work as a mechanical engineer and chief draughtsman at William Muir & Co and as Head of Research & Development at Craven Brothers.

The collection relates to the training and subsequent employment of a mechanical engineer at a period when heavy industry was a major employer, and Salford and Manchester’s export market was supported by access to the Manchester Ship Canal. The first gear hobbing machine was patented in 1856 by the German engineer Christian Schiele, who was working in Lancaster at time. By the early 20th century, gear hobbing machines were in common use and helped improve the efficiency and accuracy of cutting gear teeth at a lower cost. Owen’s work aimed to further improve the efficiency of the machinery and he published extensively on his research. In 1924, he travelled to Japan as a representative of the company in meetings with the Imperial Japanese Navy, demonstrating the international reach of his work on behalf of William Muir & Co Ltd. In 1927, Owen joined Craven Brothers Ltd as the head of research and development, where he specialised in gear hobbing machines for turbine reduction gearing. Owen continued to publish his research and gave lectures on the subject.

The collection supplements holdings relating to both William Muir & Co Ltd and Craven Brothers Ltd, providing detail for the specialist work of one employee at each company. It particularly complements a collection from a slightly later period relating to the training and employment of an engineer from Gorton who also worked at Craven Brothers Ltd (ref. YA2010.11).