The business began in 1882 when Enoch Stephen Thompson purchased an old factory, dating from 1810, in Great Bridge Road, Bilston, alongside the BCN.

The factory was known as Bradley Boiler Works and produced boilers, galvanised baths, iron or steel pans and tanks, items for use in collieries, girders and iron boats.

In 1906 the business became a private limited company that was run by Enoch Thompson and his sons, Frederick Stephen Thompson and Howard James Thompson.

During the First World War, when the firm had to rely on government contracts for orders, an aviation department was formed to manufacture parts for aircraft.

The department was housed in three purpose built interconnected buildings with Belfast roofs, housing sheet metal shops, a wood mill and machine shops.

At this time the factory was called Bradley Engineering Works.


An advert from 1896.


Another advert from 1896.

The location of Thompson Brothers' factory on Great Bridge Road, before the building of the aviation department. The factory is between the canal and the Great Western Railway, where the Midland Metro now runs.
When the war ended, so did the Government contracts and the company was in deep trouble. At the time there was a cycle car boom and so Thompson Brothers decided to manufacture a three wheeled, open, two seater, cycle car. The design was entirely original in concept and combined the practise of aircraft engineering with motor engineering, using high standards of workmanship and carefully selected materials.

Development work was carried out over a period of 12 months and a prototype model completed a 2,000 mile test, during which no adjustments or alterations were necessary. One of the main features of the design was the engine, clutch and 3 speed gearbox, which were housed in a centrally mounted unit. It was coupled to the rear wheel drive by two universal joints. The drive operated the rear wheel through a set of bevel gears.

The patent tubular chassis was very strong and had a special rear portion which eliminated the 'roll', 'sway' and rear wheel canting that were often problems with this type of car. At the front was a dummy radiator that formed part of the petrol tank, which extended over the top of the air-cooled engine. The car was fitted with a 10hp., or 8hp. J.A.P. engine, Amac carburettor, M.L. magneto and a leather to metal clutch. The initial selling price was £200, which included a spare wheel, hood, screen, horn, lamps, tools, jack and air pump. The first models were put on display in November 1919 and deliveries commenced from early 1920.


An advert from 1919.

 Ample leg room was provided in the two-seater metal body, with low and well sprung seats. In 1921 T.B. won the gold medal in the London to Land's End race and one gold and one silver medal in the London-Exeter and Victory Cup Trials.

In 1921 an 8 to 10 hp. water-cooled version was launched using a conventional radiator. It had a 3 speed and reverse gear box, an Amac or B. & B. carburettor, Lucas magneto, and a sheet steel body. Wire wheels were now standard on all models.

The air-cooled version sold for £235, with and the water-cooled version selling for £250. By late 1922 these prices had fallen to £155 and £165.10s respectively.

The works were situated on the edge of a piece of disused land which was composed of small hillocks with a few rough and rutty paths. This area became the testing ground for the cars and enabled the designers to examine them working under extreme conditions. There was even a hill with a one in three gradient, up which the cars managed to climb. 
The testing and the subsequent modifications led to a very reliable and high performance vehicle which could run smoothly in the harshest of conditions.

The cars continued to be run in various competitions and trials, which were popular at the time. Partly because of the vigorous testing carried out on the disused land, they were extremely successful and won 36 gold medals during a period of two and a half years.

In 1923 production doubled and a good future seemed certain.


An advert from1921.


The T.B. Sports Model.

 Four models were produced in 1924. The water-cooled 'De Luxe Model' sold for £160, the water-cooled 'Family Model' sold for £162, the water-cooled 'Sports Model' sold for £170, and the air-cooled 'Standard Model' sold for £152. By 1924 Thompson Brothers had only produced about 150 T.B's. because of difficulties in obtaining parts from suppliers.

Cycle cars were initially popular because they were far cheaper than 4 wheeled cars and cost little to run. By the mid 1920s all this had changed because the cost of 4 wheeled cars had fallen to such an extent that they were only slightly more expensive than cycle cars.

Production of the cars ended in 1924. A prototype 4 wheel car was produced but never entered production. Around 750 cars were produced.

The firm then specialised in galvanising and annealing plant, which was supplied to the British and Foreign Admiralties, India Office, Crown Agents for the Colonies, the leading galvanisers in Great Britain and Ireland, and manufacturing centres in all parts of the world.

The galvanising baths were welded instead of riveted, which was first introduced and practised by TB. Welded Galvanising Baths rapidly superseded the riveted type. The baths varied in weight from half a ton to twenty-three tons, which were the largest galvanising bath made in this country at the time.

In 1925 the firm opened a London office at Aldwych House, Aldwych, London and by that time had agents in Canada, Australia, France, Belgium, Italy and Roumania.

Products included automatic machinery for the production of galvanised roofing sheets, corrugating, curving and stretching machines, annealing pots, used in the preparation of the black sheets for galvanising and Tinplate works. The firm also carried out case hardening.


An advert from 1929.


An advert from 1934.

By the late 1920s, the firm were also producing welded steel tanks for the storage and transport of petrol. This part of the business became increasingly important, and very rapid developments took place to cater for the growing demands of the petrol industry.

The firm became the largest manufacturer in the country of all sizes and classes of petrol tanks, both for storage and road vehicles which came with suitable coachwork and paintwork and left the factory ready for use. Transport tanks were also made for milk, beer, margarine, lubricating oils, acid etc.

In 1929 petrol storage tanks and equipment for the Middle East air route was produced for all the re-fuelling stations from Cairo to Karachi, for Imperial Airways Limited. In the same year the firm produced four large turbine casings for the Clyde Valley Hydro Electric Scheme, the first of their kind made in welded steel.

Another product was petrol pumps, for kerbside and garage use, of a patent design. This went on to become a large and important branch of the firm's production. On the 24th May, 1937 the business became a public limited company.

Products in 1937 included exhaust manifolds and petrol filling equipment.

During World War 2 the company produced parts for aircraft and  aircraft re-fuellers.

Other products included welded plate steel work, welded steel tanks for transport and the storage of petrol, oils, acids, alkalies and all liquids. Also chemical plant in mild steel, Staybrite stainless alloys and aluminium, as well as galvanising plant, annealing covers and heat treatment equipment.

In the late 1940s, Thompson Brothers had branch offices in Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Belfast, Manchester and Cardiff.

There were also offices abroad in USA, Jamaica, Lebanon, Pakistan, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Belgium and Malaya.


An advert from 1938.


An advert from 1950.


An advert from 1953.


Bradley Engineering Works.

In 1958/59, Thompson Brothers was taken over by the John Thompson Group and became their transporter division, producing road tanks, aircraft re-fuellers, articulated vans, containers, semi-trailers, pumping and measuring equipment, chemical plant, galvanising plant, heavy plate pressings, stainless steel tanks, road and rail transport tanks for all liquids and general engineering.

In 1968 Thompson Brothers produced four 3,100 gallon "Conway" refuellers and two 4,500 gallon trailers that were exported to China and launched the Thompson Stetter concrete truck mixer which was well received by a number of firms.

In 1970 the John Thompson Group was acquired by Clarke, Chapman and Company and became Clarke Chapman-John Thompson. Thompson Brothers were extremely busy, building, repairing and servicing tankers and producing around 250 tankers a year.

In 2004 the Thompson Group was closed down, including Thompson Brothers. The site of the Bradley factory, which covered around ten and a half acres was sold to Barratt Homes.


Another advert from 1953.


On of three aviation re-fuellers produced for the Concorde air liner in 1970.
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