Dutton & Co was incorporated in 1889 by an employee of McKenzie and Holland who wished to branch out. It is interesting to note that this was the first limited company formed to carry out signalling in the UK, the others like Saxby & Farmer and McKenzie, Clunes and Holland were basically trade partnerships. Dutton’s factory was also in Worcester.
Samuel Telford Dutton’s development was a form of catch handle actuation which was highly novel. His business was not hugely successful though, so he sold out to J F Pease & Co Ltd., general engineers of Darlington. Remaining as Manager of this business, Dutton employed a young assistant, Thomas E Haywood, who was later to run his own successful signalling company in Coulsdon, Surrey.
Dutton & Co appears to have continued to trade under its own name until 1901 when it became part of the federation which was the ‘The Pneumatic, Electric and General Engineering Co Ltd’ – later to become the ‘Consolidated Signal Com’, and Dutton & Co transferred to Chippenham. At this point it disappears in the normal sources of record!