Brass Ships Wheel From Greenock Scotland John Hastie & Company Ltd.

John Hastie & Co. Ltd.

Ship Steering Wheel

Greenock, Scotland: 1st Half 20th Century

Brass or bronze with oak handles

25 inches diameter, approximate, including handles

Ship steering wheel of typical form with brass (or bronze) spokes radiating from central roundel (bearing maker’s name) ending beyond the steering wheel in oak handles.

John Hastie & Co. Ltd. was a steering gear manufacturer in Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland. The firm was founded by John Hastie, an engineer and millwright, in 1845.  Hastie patented the first self-holding steering gear in 1853, which the firm produced.  In 1870, the company added steam steering gears to their product line, and in the 1910s, electric hydraulic steering gear.  In 1898, the company added “Ltd.” to its name.  The company was acquired by The Weir Group and Lithgows Ltd. in 1972, and operated as an independent company until its dissolution in 1991.

Reference:

Leitch, Neil, ed. “Records of John Hastie & Co Ltd, steering gear manufacturers, Greenock, Inverclyde, Scotland.” University of Glasgow Archive Services.  13 April 2005.