Fletcher, Jennings & Co. was founded in 1857, when John Wilson Fletcher bought the Lowca works near Whitehaven, Cumbria for his son. Henry Allason Fletcher became Managing Partner, alongside Daniel Jennings and Edward Waugh. The works had been the site of a general engineering foundry from the mid 18th century and the owners Tulk & Ley, who took over the works in 1837, constructed some twenty locomotives from 1840.

Fletcher, Jennings produced steam locomotives as well as general engineering products. Several of the locomotives produced by Fletcher, Jennings have survived into preservation, including the 2’ 3” gauge 0-4-2 saddle tank No. 42 ‘Talyllyn’ built in 1864 and the 2’ 3” gauge 0-4-0 well tank No. 63 ‘Dolgoch’ from 1866; which both operate on the Talyllyn Railway.

The company was put up for auction in 1884 due to the ill health of Henry Fletcher and was sold for £12,000 with £2,000 payable in cash, 100 shares at £20 and 80 debentures of £100. As a result the company was taken over and started operation under the name Lowca Engineering in February 1884.