This windlass was found in a small castle in Zeist in the Netherlands it was manufactured by Robert Roger & Co Engineers and General Iron Founders of Stockton on Tees. They made machinery in the 1850s. Photograph and information courtesy of Johnny Nuttin, Belgium. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Author urgently requires a copy of Robert Roger & Cos trade catalogue. Can anyone help?
Many thanks to all. I would be most interested in either purchasing an original Robert Roger & Co catalogue, or even a scanned copy…
Dear Alan,
I am an amateur photographer and Steam Boiler Inspector from Gothenburg in Sweden. Today walking along an old boat quayside I noticed an old piece of machinery properly placed along the quayway. I have seen it before but I took a closer look the first time. I noticed the nameplate of it stating Robert Roger & Co Ltd Manufacturers Stockton-on-Tees England. Well home searching the history of its origin on internet I noticed your request of pictures and history information. As I took a few pictures of the assembly I realized it very well could be the remains of a steam winch machinery.
I would gladly send you some pictures I took today at the site in case of any interest to you.
I would further be very glad for having your soonest response to this email.
Best regards,
Ake Nyberg
Hi Ake,
Sorry, but I have only just returned to this forum. Yes indeed, your photographs would be most welcome. Please send to my private email, contact Picture Stockton and they will pass it along to you.
Best Wishes,
Alan McEwen.
Dear Sirs,
I am an industrial historian and published author, currently gathering material and photographs for a book I am writing about the steam crane manufacturers of Northern England: Yorkshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, Cumbria and the North East.
I understand Roger & Co, built several locomotive steam cranes and therefore wondered if there are any photographs or engravings available that could be used to illustrate the book? To the person with the old Roger brochure, could I obtain a copy? Or is it for sale?
I would also welcome any information on the steam cranes built by Roger & Co. I am prepared to pay for this service.
Your assistance will be acknowledged within my book. Contact the site for my email address.
Happy Steamings!
Alan McEwen
I believe a copy of the 1871 Robert Roger illustrated catalogue is in the Science Museum. I think copies are available; the reference appears to be TRSCM P2/624.
I also have a downloaded copy of the 1925 catalogue entitled “Steam Cargo Winches”; it was downloaded a while back, but I can’t find the site now. The product range in 1925 was limited to winches – the end of the company was nigh as electricity superceded steam power.
Having checked on my reply yesterday, I have found that there are two Roger catalogues held in the Museum of English Rural Life:
the 1873 catalogue has the reference TR SCM P2/B624, and the 1871 version is reference TR SCM P2/B625.
This (long!) link lists them, but only tells you the they are not available in The National Archives, and how to contact the Museum of English Rural Life, in Reading. It does not appear possible to see them on-line.
http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/2d786623-a18a-4273-a106-ccd9b3be6db1?src=9&sK=%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23%23689
This is a photo of a Roger steam winch which ended up in New south Wales:-
http://tardus.net/steamWinch.html
Hope this helps.
(By the way, my wife is a direct descendant of Robert Roger.)
The TSS Earnslaw which was built in 1912 in Dunedin New Zealand and operates now as a tourist attraction on Lake Wakatipu Queenstown New Zealand. On the foredeck of the vessel there is a working steam winch manufactured by Rodgers & Co Stockton on Tees
We have a large windlass with R.Roger & Co. Stockton on the grounds of the Creque Marine Railway on Hassel Island in the harbor of St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. The marine railway was operated by a Bolton steam engine, and was constructed in the 1840s. The site is part of the Virgin Islands National Park and we are working to stabilize and preserve the artifacts, including this windlass. Any additional information on the company or how the windlass might have arrived here would be welcome.
According to the “Industries of Yorkshire” 1890, which has a section on Stockton-On-Tees,the Stockton Iron Foundry,West Row,Stockton-On-Tees dates back to 1791 and was owned by a Mr Jackson before being taken over by Robert Roger in 1844. By 1890 the company was run by Robert Roger Jnr., employing over 400 men, and also had a foundry in the Bowesfield Lane area of the town producing castings of up to 20 tons.
The engineering works in West Row manufactured a wide range of machinery including steam winches,steam steering gears, horizontal and vertical steam engines, winding and hoisting engines, patent locomotive steam cranes, yacht engines and ships machinery such as winches, capstans, windlasses, pumps and various bridge and screw steering apparatus. The company had a good export business with America especially.
We discovered a wreck in the channel islands containing pottery marked Savoy Hotel Cairo. The helm steering gear, a brass and wood wheel, was marked R Roger and Co Stockton on Tees – I would love to get any more information, this wreck has been a puzzle for many years.
Robert Roger b 13 March 1814, Scotland d. 1869 1851 Census resident in Stockton, occupation: Master Iron Founder, Employing 2 men & 2 boys 1861 Census resident in Stockton, occupation: Engineer and Iron foundry, employing 28 men & 12 boys. Does the catalogue give information on the successors to Robert Roger? He had 2 sons, John William Roger b 1849 and Robert Roger b 1854.
I have recently purchased an illustrated catalogue of Robert Roger Engineers and General Iron Founder, Stockton Iron Foundry, West Row, Stockton-On-Tees. The catalogue is dated 1876 have not decided what to do with it yet.
Any possibility of obtaining a scanned copy from you? We have a Roger & Co. windlass on national park property we would very much like to identify. Could send you a photo.
Thanks, Charles Consolvo
Dear Mr. Gash,
I am a published author currently requiring to purchase Robert Rogers & Cos trade catalogue. If your copy is for sale, or you would be prepared to scan the contents for me, then please contact me soonest. Please ask Picture Stockton for my email.
Alan McEwen.
I have a ships wheel, made of wood and brass which came off a ship shipwrecked off the Cape Town coast.I am trying to find out the name of the ship and the details of the wreckage. It was manufactured by this company. Any information would be great.
We found an unnamed wreck last year and were able to recover a steering pedestal marked R Roger & co along with pieces of pottery which have Spanish wording on them, I would be interested in any information as to the names of ships they fitted out.
Norman Kidd. I remember your uncle Fred”s company in Church Road. From about 1946 until 1963 I lived in Portrack and would frequently walk along Church Road to get to the High Street. During the period 1960 -63 I was working has an apprentice sheetmetalworker for John Green(Sheetmetalworkers) in Maritime Road, next to the mill and behind the Club. I think we may have done business with your uncle”s firm. Redundancy in 1963 was the reason for me moving away from Stockton and although I have made many visits over the years from my current home in Hampshire.
Mr.Johny Nuttin, I was very interested to see some work of Rogers of Stockton. Unfortunately the firm went out of business in the 1920″s during the Engineering slump. I understand they were a well respected company producing all kinds of equipment, mainly for the shipping industry which at that time played a big part in Stockton”s history. My Uncle Fred Kidd was the Engineering Workshop Foreman at that time, his son Thomas Dargue Kidd was a Draughtsman and they bought out Rogers. They founded Fred Kidd and Son Engineers & Brass Founders. Then in about 1937 they built a new factory in Church Road. This factory had its own Foundry for casting brass and Duralite alloys. To give you some idea of the respect and abilities of Rogers Fred Kidd would attend John Browns shipyard at Clydebank to supervise the fitting of ships steering gear supplied by Rogers to John Browns of shipping fame, before and during the 1914 war. Fred”s close association continued until at least 1958 when Uncle and I were shown around John Browns shipyard and we inspected the Transvaal Castle, the ship that preceeded the new Queen Elizabeth 2 on the stocks. I have no further knowledge of Rogers except to say that they went into Rose growing at Pickering North Yorkshire and were very successful in that project which is still in business. I suggest you try contacting Rogers in the hope that some of the family are still operative. I hope this is of some use to you.
I would like to know some more about the R. Roger Maker manufactory (foundry) of Stockton on Tees. They made machinery in the 1850″s. I”ve found an old complete windlass in a small castle at ZEIST in the Netherlands. Is there someone who can help me??