Massey-Ferguson (UK) Ltd Archive

The origins of Massey-Ferguson can be traced back to Daniel Massey, who set up a blacksmiths and farm implement shop in Newcastle, Ontario, Canada in 1847. In 1870 his Massey Manufacturing Company was incorporated as a private company. In 1891 it merged with Alanson Harris Son & Company Limited of Brantford, Canada to form the Massey-Harris Company Ltd. Massey-Harris became a full public corporation in 1927. In the 1930s Massey Harris bought the (H V Mackay) Sunshine Harvester Company Ltd of Australia (UK address Aldwych House, London WC2).

Harry Ferguson began production of the Ferguson system tractor in the UK in 1936. In 1933 Massey-Harris built their first rubber-tyred tractor and developed the first commercially available self-propelled combine harvester in 1938. The year 1953 saw the merger of the two companies, Massey-Harris and Harry Ferguson Ltd into Massey-Harris-Ferguson Ltd and the company changed its name to Massey-Ferguson Ltd in 1958.

Massey-Ferguson purchased other firms and by the 1970s Massey-Ferguson had also become the largest manufacturer of tractors in the western world. At its peak Massey-Ferguson employed over 68,000 people worldwide, and had 50 manufacturing plants in 12 countries. The company became part of the AGCO Corporation in 1994, and continues to sell its products in 140 countries. Massey-Ferguson sales still make up more than half of the AGCO group’s total sales.

The records chiefly consist of copy trade and technical publications, which were regularly deposited by Massey-Ferguson (UK) Limited between 1969 and 1985, subsequently by Massey-Ferguson (Export) Limited between April 1987 and 1994. Some of these were produced by the Stoneleigh Farm Training Centre and the MF training centres in North America.