1847 - engineer William George Armstrong founded Elswick works at Newcastle upon Tyne to produce hydraulic machinery, cranes and bridges, soon to be followed by artillery. 1882 - merged with shipbuilding firm of Charles Mitchell to form Sir WG Armstrong Mitchell & Company. 1897 - Armstrong Mitchell merged with the engineering firm of Joseph Whitworth, thus forming Sir WG Armstrong Whitworth & Company. The company expanded into the manufacture of cars and trucks in 1902, and created an "aerial department" in 1913, which became the Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft subsidiary in 1920. While this had been taking place, the company had become a Sulzer diesel engine licensee in 1919. 1927 - defence and engineering businesses merged with Vickers Limited to create a subsidiary company Vickers-Armstrongs. The aircraft and Armstrong Siddeley motors business were bought out by J. D. Siddeley and became a separate entity. 1927 - Armstrong Whitworth merged its heavy engineering interests with Vickers Limited to form Vickers-Armstrongs; ARMSTRONG WHITWORTH LIMITED: Company No. 00682388, Dissolved 16/08/1995