Archival Service

Do you have an old lawnmower.

Do you need to know anything about it.

The Museum houses a complete collection of Lawn and Horticultural Patents (over 600) from 1799AD onwards, written on waxed paper. There is also a large collection of adverts and memorabilia from Victorian Times onward.

Click here to view Just a few of our Engine & Mower Manuals

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To enable the Museum to source this information there is a small administration fee for this service of £10.

Extract from Ransome Archive

RANSOMES, SIMMS & JEFFRIES OF IPSWICH

Ransomes started in 1789. They commenced producing lawnmowers from 1836, buying the patent off Edwin Budding, who invented the lawnmower (Mr. Budding originally used the 'mower' to remove knots of the top of cloth).

In 1867 they introduced a totally new design of Lawnmower, the Automaton, (remembering that the chain and petrol engine had not been invented yet) which became an instant success with over 1,000 machines being sold in the first season. This design was to put Ransomes above the two other producers Shanks of Arbroath in Scotland and Greens of Leeds & London at that time.

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