On Wednesday 14th May we celebrated our 250th anniversary with the opening of our exhibition room.

The exhibition includes some of our company's amazing history including order records from the early 1800's and photos from our Bromborough factory in the 1950's. Some of the photos are so old they are on glass plates!

Key Facts:

1758 - Company established by Abraham Darby

1784 - William Fawcett joined the management team

1817 - The Etna was launched, the first steamer to be built on Merseyside and to operate on the Mersey. Her engines were built by Fawcett's.

1822 - Fawcett's engined the John Randolph, the first commercially successful iron steamboat in American Waters.

1826 - The first P&O steamer was launched, the William Fawcett (engines built by Fawcett's)

1837 - Engines built for the first steamship to make a direct crossing from Liverpool to New York, the Royal

1861 - The first shot from Fort Sumter on the day the American Civil War Broke out was reputed to have been fired by a Fawcett gun.

1863 - Fawcett's exported it's first bailing press to Bombay

1897 - The Fawcett Fowler steam car was engineered but unfortunately did not catch on

1914 - World War I broke out and Fawcett's built engines, shells and high explosives to support the war effort

1935 - Fawcett's moved to Bromborough after 177 years at the Phoenix Foundry

1941 - A bomb damages the factory roof but work is barely disrupted

1987 - Fawcett's move to Sandycroft and become Fawcett Christie Hydraulics.

2002 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is launched, Fawcett Christie supplied accumulators for the flying car special effects in the film

2006 - Casino Royale is launched, Fawcett accumulators are used for the special effects during the sinking building scene set in Venice