Charles Burrell & Sons of Thetford, Norfolk were builders of steam traction engines, agricultural machinery, steam trucks and steam tram engines. The companies origin's went back to 1770. They were members of the Agricultural & General Engineers combine.
Burrell's operated out of St Nicholas Works in Thetford from their establishment as a foundry and agricultural machinery works by Joseph Burrell in 1803. Joseph's nephew Charles (1817 - 1906) built the company's first steam engine in 1846.
Charles Burrell & Sons employed over 350 people (date ?) and exported to all corners of the world. The company produced munitions during the First World War. The company closed in 1928.
The Charles Burrell Museum (Longshop museum) opened in 1991 and is housed in the former Paint Shop on Minstergate in Thetford. The collections include a Charles Burrell and Sons Ltd steam roller and traction engine, parts of several Burrell engines, factory machinery, and items linked to the Burrell Family.
Apparently Burrells only built 4094 engines, according to the factory build records. The last showmans engine built was Simplicity no. 4092 a 8 nhp machine which left the works in October 1930, this engine actually being finished by Garretts following Burrells demise.
The Burrell name is owned by a descendant of the Burrell family and his engineering company is to built a new Burrell Engine for a collector who owns several of there machines.
Please add any other known machines details to the list below.
Burrell no. 1144 Lord Burrell 1884 TE (agricultural) ? ton 7 nhp AD 8988 ?
Burrell no. 1432 1889 TE ? ton 6 nhp FX 6615 Owner ?
Burrell no. 1445 1889 PE ? ton 12 nhp - Owner ?
Burrell no. 1475 1890 PE ? ton 8 nhp - Owner ?
Burrell no. 1694 Auld Charlie 1893 TE ? ton 8 nhp MS 3089 Owner ?
Burrell no. 1840 Duke of Windsor 1895 TE 9 ton 6 nhp YA 2481 Owner ?
Burrell no. 1861 Billie 1895 TE weight 6 nhp CF 3302 Owner ?
/ The Griffin 1906 SRL 18 ton 8 nhp DH 2542 Owner ?
Burrell no. 2950 Little Mac 1907 TE 10 tons 5 nhp AF 3532 owner ?
Burrell no. 3159 The Gladiator 1909 SRL 14 ton 7 nhp CO 3823 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3244 Ironside 1910 RR 10 ton ? nhp TA 2141 owner ?
Burrell no. 3413 The Philadelphia 1912 Showmans Road Loco ? ton 6 nhp CR 5826 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3433 Peter Pan 1912 Showmans 5 ton 4 nhp AH 0108 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3443 Lord Nelson 1913 RL (converted from SRL) 18 1/2 ton 8 nhp CO 3822 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3497 May Queen 1913 GMT (Showmans) 5 ton 4 nhp AH 0150 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3509 Rajah 1913 Showman's road locomotive 12 ton 5 nhp G 6469 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3535 Old Ernie 1913 Roller 10 ton 5 nhp TB 2710 Owner ?
Same owner since 1953 !
Burrell no. 3555 The Busy Bee 1914 SRL 13 1/2 ton 5 nhp AO 6262 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3610 William V 1914 Showmans road loco ? ton 8 nhp J 6857 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3618 The Scout 1914 Tractor 5 ton 4 nhp TD 4276 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3665 - 1915 TE ? ton 6 nhp BP 6141 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3669 Nero 1915 Showman's road locomotive ? ton 5 nhp G 6470 J.W. Middlemiss, ?
Burrell no. 3686 Mephistopheles 1915 GP TE weight power AH 6208 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3737 The Laird 1916 Tractor ? ton 8 nhp SX 904 John White, ?
Burrell no. 3745 ? 1917 Tractor ? ton ? nhp Reg no. ? Owner ?
Burrell no. 3804 Indepenndence 1919 RL ? Ton 7 nap BP 5539 John White, ?
Burrell no. 3896 Earl Beatty 1921 Showman's road locomotive ? ton 8 nhp CO 4052 Robert Coles, Sons & Daughter, ?
Burrell no. 3902 Elizabeth 1921 TE ? ton 5 nhp MA 7503 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3903 Excelsior 1921 TE 9.5 ton 5 nhp TA 1871 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3906 Earl Beatty 1921 SRL ? ton 5 nhp CR 5830 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3909 Winston Churchill 1922 Showmans 14 ton 8 hp NR 965 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3910 Wait & See 1921 Showmans 14 ton 8 hp DH 3544 F. Landon, ?
Burrell no. 3912 Dragon 1921 Showman's road locomotive 18 ton 8 nhp CO 4485 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3931 Mollie 1921 TE (ex Roller) 10 ton 5 nhp WY 1563 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3933 Princess Mary 1922 Showman's road locomotive ? ton 7 nhp FJ 2041 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3935 Surprise 1922 TE 10 ton 7 nhp NK 4450 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3937 Janet 1922 TE 11 ton 6 nhp SU 1212 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3938 Quo Vadis 1922 Showman's road locomotive 20 ton 8 nhp XL 9086 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3941 The Badger 1923 Road Locomotive ? tons 5 nhp BP 9547 M. Shepherd, ?
Burrell no. 3942 Dauntless 1923 RR 10 ton 5 nhp TA 5563 Owner ?
(4028) Supreme 1923 / 1925 Showmans 7 ton 5 nhp RL 1978 Owner ?
Burrell no. ? Pride of the Road 1923 RR 8 ton power HT 8219 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3973 Fire Queen 1924 RR 8 ton 5 nhp BJ 9516 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3979 Earl Haig 1924 Showman's road locomotive ? ton 6 nhp YA 9138 ?
Burrell no. 3986 Socvis 1924 RR 10 ton 5 nhp AF 9293 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3987 Name 1924 RR 10 ton power AF 9294 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3991 Daffodil 1924 Steam Roller 10 ton 5 nhp AF 9803 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3996 Conqueror 1924 RL 11 ½ ton 5 nhp E 9597 Owner ?
Burrell no. 3999 Ernnie 1924 RR weight power RL 74 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4014 Pride of Devon 1925 Tractor ? ton 5 nhp TT 5615 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4028(ex 3591) Supreme 1925 Showman's road locomotive(originally) 7 ton 5 nhp RL 1978 ?
Burrell no. 4030 Dolphin/Diana 1925 SRL ?ton 8 nhp FA 2316 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4032 Firefly 1925 TE 12 ton 7 nhp PW 6287 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4037 - 1926 TE ? ton 5 nhp EW 4904 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4049 Daphne 1926 TE 11 ton 7 nhp TW 5228 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4055 Crimson Lady 1927 TE 10 ton 5 nhp VF 1273 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4058 Darby 1926 RR ? ton 8 nhp ? PX 5192 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4060 Pride of Newquay 1927 RR 10 ton 4 nhp RL 5549 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4061 - 1927 RR 8 ton ? nhp U 0945 Burrell Museum to add At Weeting Rally 2009, Donated by Tarmac Plc.
Burrell no. 4070 Charlie 1927 RR 10 ton 5 nhp WW 2181 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4071 Empress of Britain 1927 Steam Tractor 5 ton 4 nhp PH 1392 Owner ?
Burrell no. 4094 King George V 1932 (June) TE 12 ton 8 nhp EV 6560 Owner ?
Burrell no. ? Name date built type weight power Reg no. Owner ?
This private collection of steam engines is based at Weeting, Nr. Thetford and has several other makes of machines in the collection, many of which are exhibited at the Weeting Steam Engine Rally and Country Show, held in Weeting village each July. The Show is organised by Mr. Parrott and Friends and has grown over the years to be one of the larger steam events in the country with over 75 engines in 2009. Mr. Parrott is also a trustee of the Charles Burrell Museum, which with the Saunders collection and Strumpshaw Hall Steam Museum exhibit a number of engines each year (predominantly Burrell's).
"Century" of 1877 - Works No. 748, the oldest known Burrell in the world.
"Dreadnought" 8 hp engine of 1907 - Works No. 2948.
3-speed engine of 1905 - Works No. 2764, which resides in New Zealand.
A number of engines await restoration (probably only possible if they can be repatriated from various wartorn countries).
Burrell no. 3563 is one survivor not rotting outside.
A number are also resident in South Africa.
Burrell no. 3846 was exported from the UK by a collector in Holland.
A number of engines are listed in The Traction Engine Register in the ROI. some of these visit the UK for Events like Great Dorset Steam Fair. Others can be seen at the Irish steam rallies.
Several Burrell machines reside in New Zealand.
2804 "White Rose of York" - 2877 His Majesty - 2879 Lord Nelson - 2894 "Pride of Worcester"
2933 "Wait'n'See" - 2948 "Dreadnought" - 2950 "Little Mac" - 2963 "Prince Charles"
3509 Rajah - 3526 Lightning II - 3545 Little Topper - 3555 The Busy Bee - 3563 ?