Priestman Brothers
Priestman Brothers was a Hull-based British engineering manufacturer known for dredging equipment, cranes, excavators, and early oil engines.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Priestman Brothers was an engineering company founded in 1870 in Kingston upon Hull, England. Its origins lay in the Holderness Foundry, acquired by William Dent Priestman with financial assistance from his father, a Leeds corn miller. William’s brother Samuel later joined the enterprise, establishing the Priestman family as the company’s early controlling force. The business developed during a period when British ports, docks, drainage systems, and industrial works required increasingly capable mechanical equipment. The company became associated with dredging machinery in the 1870s. According to the company’s historical account, Priestman Brothers was asked in 1876 to construct equipment for an attempt to recover lost gold from the sea off the Spanish coast. The recovery effort did not find gold, but the machinery demonstrated practical value for harbour and dock dredging. Priestman subsequently became an early specialist in steam-powered cranes fitted with grab, or clamshell, buckets. These machines could handle bulk materials and excavated spoil, giving the company a position in port construction and civil engineering equipment. Priestman Brothers also participated in the development of internal-combustion machinery. Between 1888 and 1904 it manufactured several versions of the Priestman Oil Engine, an early oil-fuelled engine design. The range included engines from approximately 2 horsepower to a 60-horsepower twin-cylinder model. In 1892 the company opened a factory in Philadelphia, extending production beyond Britain. A 20-horsepower, two-axle railway engine based on an earlier prototype was tested at Hull Docks in 1894, making Priestman an early participant in the use of internal-combustion power for rail movement. The family-controlled phase ended in financial difficulty. Bad debts and declining sales rendered the company insolvent in 1895. The business was reorganised and resumed trading, but William and Samuel Priestman lost their board positions. Thereafter Priestman Brothers operated under public ownership rather than direct Priestman family control. Its machinery continued to serve civil engineering and agricultural applications. After the First World War, Priestman equipment was used in the rebuilding of French villages, while a 1921 machine for digging field-drainage trenches received investment from the British Ministry of Agriculture. The company expanded its manufacturing footprint with a factory at Marfleet, Hull, built in 1950. The site eventually covered approximately 63 acres. In 1928, the company introduced excavators named after animals, including the Lion, Tiger, and Panther models, reflecting a product strategy centred on identifiable machine families. Its later portfolio included excavators, dredgers, cranes, and related industrial machinery. Corporate consolidation shaped the company’s final decades. Priestman Brothers merged with Coles Cranes of Sunderland in 1970. Two years later, the Steels Group, identified as Priestman’s parent, was acquired by the Acrow Group. The Priestman division was sold in 1984 and was eventually merged with Coles Cranes. The remaining assets and product interests passed through later ownership, with Gardner Denver owning remnants of the business and no longer supporting the Priestman product range. The Priestman Grab and VC Excavators divisions were sold to RB International, whose business has continued to receive support through Delden Cranes’ RB Cranes division. Priestman Brothers therefore survives principally as a historical engineering name and legacy product lineage rather than as an independently operating manufacturer.
History
Priestman Brothers began in 1870 when William Dent Priestman acquired the Holderness Foundry in Kingston upon Hull with financial support from his father. His brother Samuel joined the enterprise, and the family-controlled company developed machinery for the expanding industrial infrastructure of Victorian Britain. The firm entered dredging equipment during the 1870s. Machinery made in connection with an unsuccessful attempt to recover gold from the sea near Spain proved suitable for dredging harbours and docks. Priestman Brothers became associated with steam-powered cranes using grab buckets, equipment capable of lifting dredged material and handling bulk cargo. This work established the company as a specialist in port, dock, and civil-engineering machinery. From 1888 to 1904 the company manufactured the Priestman Oil Engine, an early oil-fuelled internal-combustion engine. Different versions ranged from about 2 horsepower to 60 horsepower, including a twin-cylinder design. A Philadelphia factory opened in 1892 and also produced engines. In 1894 a 20-horsepower, two-axle internal-combustion railway machine based on an 1888 prototype was tested at Hull Docks. Financial problems brought the family phase to an end in 1895. Bad debts and falling sales caused insolvency. The business was reorganised and resumed operations, but William and Samuel Priestman no longer held their board positions. Under public ownership, the company continued producing industrial machinery. Its equipment was used in post-First World War reconstruction in France, and the company produced a field-drainage machine in 1921 with investment from the Ministry of Agriculture. Priestman’s product identity broadened during the twentieth century. In 1928 it began producing excavators named Lion, Tiger, and Panther. A new Marfleet factory in Hull was constructed in 1950 and eventually covered approximately 63 acres. The company continued to manufacture excavators, dredgers, cranes, and other equipment for industrial and civil-engineering uses. The later history was defined by mergers and ownership changes. Priestman Brothers merged with Coles Cranes in 1970. The Steels Group, its parent company, was taken over by Acrow in 1972. The Priestman division was sold in 1984 and ultimately merged with Coles Cranes. Later remnants came under Gardner Denver, which no longer supported the Priestman range. The Priestman Grab and VC Excavators divisions were sold to RB International and continued to receive support through Delden Cranes’ RB Cranes division. The independent Priestman Brothers manufacturing business is therefore defunct, although its name and some product lines remain relevant in historical and specialist equipment contexts.
- 1984
Priestman division sold
[1]The Priestman division was sold and later merged with Coles Cranes.
- 1972
Steels Group acquired by Acrow
[1]Acrow took over the Steels Group, Priestman’s parent company at the time.
- 1970
Merger with Coles Cranes
[1]Priestman Brothers merged with Coles Cranes of Sunderland.
- 1950
Marfleet factory built
[1]A large manufacturing site was constructed at Marfleet, Hull, and later expanded substantially.
- 1928
Lion, Tiger, and Panther excavators introduced
[1]Priestman began naming excavator models after animals, creating a recognisable machine range.
- 1921
Field-drainage machine produced
[1]The company made a machine for digging field-drainage trenches with investment from the Ministry of Agriculture.
- 1895
Insolvency and reorganisation
[1]Bad debts and reduced sales caused insolvency, followed by reorganisation and the loss of the Priestman brothers’ board positions.
- 1894
Railway internal-combustion machine tested
[1]A 20-horsepower, two-axle machine based on an earlier prototype was tested at Hull Docks.
- 1892
Philadelphia production facility opens
[1]The company opened a United States factory in Philadelphia for oil-engine production.
- 1888
Oil-engine production begins
[1]Priestman Brothers began manufacturing its early oil-fuelled internal-combustion engines.
Products and positioning
Historically positioned as a British industrial-engineering manufacturer supplying machinery for ports, docks, dredging, civil engineering, agriculture, and material handling. Its distinctive technical associations were grab-bucket cranes, dredging equipment, excavators, and early oil-fuelled engines.
Internal-combustion engines · 1888
Priestman Oil Engine
An early oil-fuelled internal-combustion engine manufactured in several versions from 1888 to 1904. The range covered approximately 2 to 60 horsepower, including a double-cylinder model. Priestman also produced engines at its Philadelphia factory.
Cranes and dredging machinery
Steam-powered grab cranes
Cranes equipped with grab or clamshell buckets formed a central part of Priestman Brothers’ industrial identity. They were used to lift dredged material and handle bulk substances in harbours, docks, and related civil-engineering environments.
Construction equipment · 1928
Priestman excavators
The company’s excavator portfolio included animal-named models introduced from 1928, notably the Lion, Tiger, and Panther. These machines formed part of Priestman’s broader range for excavation and civil engineering.
Agricultural and civil-engineering machinery · 1921
Field-drainage machine
A machine produced in 1921 for digging field-drainage trenches. Its development received investment from the British Ministry of Agriculture, reflecting Priestman’s activity beyond ports and heavy industrial works.
Excavators and grabs
Priestman Grab and VC Excavators
These divisions represented later Priestman product interests. They were sold to RB International, with continuing support identified through Delden Cranes’ RB Cranes division.
Brand decisions
1984
Sale of the Priestman divisionM&ABackground
Following the merger with Coles Cranes and subsequent parent-company changes, the Priestman operation was separated from its prior ownership.
Action taken
The Priestman division was sold and eventually merged with Coles Cranes.
Aftermath
Later remnants were associated with Gardner Denver, while the Grab and VC Excavators divisions went to RB International.
1972
Acrow acquisition of the Steels GroupM&ABackground
The Steels Group was the parent company of Priestman Brothers.
Action taken
Acrow Group took over Steels Group.
Aftermath
Priestman continued within a changing corporate structure before its division was sold in 1984.
1970
Merger with Coles CranesM&ABackground
The company entered a period of industrial consolidation after decades of manufacturing cranes, dredgers, and excavators.
Action taken
Priestman Brothers merged with Coles Cranes of Sunderland.
Aftermath
The Priestman business later passed through further ownership changes and was ultimately associated again with Coles Cranes.
1895
Reorganisation after insolvencyOtherBackground
Bad debts and declining sales made the company insolvent, ending the period of direct Priestman family control.
Action taken
The business was reformed and resumed operations, while William and Samuel Priestman lost their board seats.
Aftermath
Priestman Brothers continued under public ownership and later expanded its machinery activities.
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