George Angus & Co. Limited

George Angus & Co. Limited can trace its history as far back as 1788. In this year Joseph Angus began a leather manufacturing business in Newcastle. His company would eventually grow into a vast organisation manufacturing oil seals, fire hose, belting, gears, rubber industrial products and protective clothing.

George Angus first entered the company as an apprentice in 1836 and was in sole charge by 1855. He oversaw the building of the St. John's Leather Works in Newcastle. In 1888 George Angus & Co. became a limited company.

George Angus died in 1890 and two of his sons, John and William, took control of the firm. The two brothers initiated the company's diversification into gear manufacture at a new factory built at Walker Road in 1915.

In the 1930s the company diversified further by manufacturing oil seals for the lubrication of high speed machinery.

A new factory was opened at Wallsend in 1956, which was the largest oil seal factory in Europe.

In the mid 1960s production was moved to a new industrial rubber plant in Cramlington, Northumberland. The plant manufactured a wide range of products based on rubber, from wellington boots to fire hoses.

In 1968 George Angus & Co Ltd. merged with Dunlop Ltd to form the Dunlop Angus Industrial Group. The site of the factory in Wallsend is now occupied by B & Q.

By Mark Matlach