Mower Production Ends in Stroud

Lawnmower production in Stroud ended in 1863 after James Ferrabee moved the centre of his operations to Port Mill, Brimscombe. The Phoenix Ironworks became the Phoenix Iron works Company and continued to produce lawnmowers for just one year.

Approximately 8500 lawnmowers were produced in Stroud between 1830 and 1863.

Around 4000 of these were the original Budding Patent design, manufactured between 1830 and 1851 by John Ferrabee and James Ferrabee. Two of these lawnmowers are known to survive and there is also a model used for demonstrations and exhibitions which was probably made before 1843. 

The remaining 4500 machines were made from 1852 onwards with the Registered Improvements (RN 3074) to the original Budding Patent design. Three of these machines are known to survive.

From the early 1850s, other companies were starting to manufacture lawnmowers with broadly the same design and configuration. These included Ransomes, which started to manufacture machines in 1853 to the Budding design before introducing their own improvements in the early 1860s. Three machines believed to be made by Ransomes to their own improved design are known to exist. A further example of the broad "Budding" design is a surviving Shanks lawnmower, also from the early 1860s.