This firm was created in 1880 by a partnership of Peter Willans and Mark Robinson in steam engine manufacture, initially for river launches, based at Thames Ditton. It became a public limited company in 1893. New works were opened at Rugby in 1897, and the firm moved into electric power generation. By 1918 it had come under the control of Dick, Kerr and Company Ltd. which was acquired by the English Electric Company shortly after the latter's foundation, thus becoming part of English Electric.