William Allchin founded an engineering business at the 'Globe Works' by the River Nene in Northampton in 1847. By 1890 when the founder died, the firm had was well known for the manufacturer of steam engines and saw benches. The firm built its first steam engine in 1872. The firm became William Allchin (& sons) Ltd in 1900 when the firm became a limited company and they then specialised in steam wagons and traction engine manufacture. They stopped building steam engines by 1925. Having only built about 220 over the past 50 years !