The Old Lawnmower Club
Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers

Ransome's Automaton of 1855 !!!!!

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Mowing Wurzel

Yes, 1855 is far too early for a Ransome's  Automaton Lawnmower of c.1867, even too early for Ransome's first "own design mower" their

 1861 New Improved.....

This is an advert I stumbled on in The Gardeners Chronicle in 1855,  A water purifier of the same name,  by Frederick Ransome!         Is this what inspired R & S's    to call their 1867 Mowers "AUTOMATON?!"

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stonethemows Sun, 16/03/2025

 Frederick Ransome and Co. was an entirely separate company although the same family. Frederick  (1817 - 1893 ) was one of the grandsons of Robert Ransome who started his better known company in 1774, though this didn't become Ransome and Co until 1784.

As was not uncommon in the day Robert Ransome had twelve children so there was plenty of potential to carry on the family business. James Ransome was Frederick's father. Frederick was a partner in J.R. and A. Ransome until 1844 when he left to start his own company, eventually moving to what was then Surrey.

I think it is coincidental that Automaton was used as a mower model name as well. At the time it would have been regarded as a ' trendy ', catchy name with particular associations that  the target customers would appreciate. Similar to the later ' Acme '  and probably many others that I can't think of on the spur of the moment.