Llewellins Machine Company

Photograph of William Maberly Llewellin (1849-1930)

William Maberly Llewellin (1849-1930) was born in Bristol, England. He studied at Glasgow University and gained a certificate in Engineering Science in 1872. His grandfather, Peter Llewellin owned a brass foundry in Bristol from 1832, which his father, John Llewellin and brother, John Llewellin Jr. were also involved with. William patented his first workers’ time recorder in the UK in 1881, a design based on a time check machine which had previously been invented and patented in 1855 by John Adams.

Llewellins Machine Company time check posters
Very early posters, advertising different versions of Llewellin’s early time check machine. The poster on the left shows what appears to be a very early autograph recorder. Note the misspelling of Llewellin on the right, as ‘Llewellen’!

William Llewellin founded Llewellin’s Machine Company in Bristol in 1883 to manufacture time recorders, mechanisms, and other clocks, including watchman’s clocks as shown in the photo below. He presumably retained a connection to Glasgow, as the company maintained a Glasgow branch. An 1883 patent lists his residence at the time with a Glasgow address, suggesting that this connection is likely through property ownership. The company went on to specialise in the design and manufacture of various types of gears, which continues today from the same premises in Bristol.

Llewellins Machine Company patent drawings
A drawing of one of William Llewellin’s first time checking machines, taken from his 1883 USA patent

Llewellin appears to have also specialised in the business of patent application, management, and sales. The company may have been temporarily known as Llewellin’s Patent Machine Company at one time, based on the above brochure and the name stamped on  and the time check pictured below. He subsequently ‘re-invented’ and patented various types of time recorders until the 1920s. Please see the Patents page for more information.

Llewellins Machine Company workers time check
A worker’s check, made by Llewellin’s Patent Machine Company.
Llewellins Machine Company workers time check
Each worker was allocated a numbered check, which they inserted into the machine on arrival at work.
Llewellins Machine Company watchman's clock
A watchman’s clock, displaying Llewellin’s company name on the clock face.

Photos