Dates

• Existence: 1850 - 1973

Biography

Savage Ltd was founded by Frederick Savage in 1850.

Frederick started his working life as a ten year old child in a farm making hurdles. He entered an apprenticeship under Thomas Cooper at Whitesmith and Machine Maker, a company based in East Dereham. This no doubt sparked his interest in mechanical engineering and by the time Frederick was twenty years old, he moved to King’s Lynn to work for Charles Willett, a brazier, tinplate worker, ironmonger, wholesale and retail dealer. Two years later upon his employer’s retirement, Frederick started his own business, Savages Works, making and repairing agricultural equipment.

The drainage of the Fens presented great opportunities for the firm and Savages expanded his products to cover carts, hoes, steam threshing machines and steam traction engines.

The business expanded through the 1860s and 1870s with the company occupying increasingly larger premises to accommodate more ambitious development projects and manufacture. At around this time Savage started to turn their attention to the travelling fairground and the needs of the showmen, as they presented a good market potential and an opportunity for the application of steam power to a different sector. Savage’s innovative rides soon achieved popularity among the showmen and the public alike to become one of the most sought after manufacturers in the British fairgrounds. Their products also reached the international market selling in America, Europe, Africa and Australia.

Upon Frederick's death in 1897, his sons took over the company and produced a very successful series of steam lorries. However, they could not avoid falling into financial difficulties and by 1910 the company went into liquidation and was subsequently rescued by a local consortium of businesses.

During World War One, Savages focused their efforts on the war building Voisin LA biplanes. The post war years brought about the advent of the internal combustion engine, which meant the rapid decline of steam power. The consortium continued to struggle financially and finally closed in 1973 one hundred and twenty three years after the establishment of the original company.

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