LEO Company

1947, London UK

In October 1947, the directors of J. Lyons & Company, a British catering company famous for its teashops but with strong interests in new office management techniques, decided to take an active role in promoting the commercial development of computers.

In 1951 the LEO I computer was operational and ran the world's first regular routine office computer job.

The company LEO Computers Ltd was formed in 1954.

LEO I I computers were installed in many British offices, including Ford Motor Company, British Oxygen Company and the 'clerical factory' of the Ministry of Pensions at Newcastle. LEO l l l computers were installed in Customs & Excise, Inland Revenue, The Post Office and in Australia, South Africa and Czechoslovakia.

LEO Computers Ltd merged with the computer interests of English Electric in 1963 to form English Electric LEO, and later, English Electric Leo Marconi (EELM). Subsequent mergers eventually found LEO incorporated into ICL in 1968, whilst the Bureau operation, based at Hartree House, combined with Barclays to form Baric.

RECORD of LEO II INSTALLATIONS

Machine C o m p a n y Location Installed
LEO I I / 1 J. Lyons & Co. Ltd London May 1957
LEO I I / 2 W.D. & H.O. Wills Ltd Bristol Sep 1958
LEO I I / 3 Stewarts & Lloyds Ltd Corby Jun 1958
LEO I I / 4 Ford Motor Co.(parts) Aveley Dec 1958
LEO I I / 5 Leo Computers Ltd London Jul 1959
LEO I I / 6 Ministry of Pensions Newcastle Nov 1959
LEO I I / 7 British Oxygen Co. Edmonton Feb 1960
LEO I I / 8 Standard Motor Co. Coventry Jul 1960
LEO I I / 9 Ilford Limited (films) Ilford Nov 1960
LEO I I / 10 W.D. & H.O. Wills Ltd Bristol Apr 1961
LEO I I / 11 Ford Motor Co. (payroll) Dagenham Jan 1961

RECORD of LEO III INSTALLATIONS

Machine C o m p a n y Location Installed
LEO I I I / 1 Leo Computers Ltd., Bureau machine Hartree House, Queensway, London 1962-1972
LEO I I I / 2 Leo Computers Pty. Johannesburg, SA 1962-1972
LEO I I I / 3 Dunlop Rubber Co. Ltd Birmingham 1962-1966
LEO I I I / 4 London Boroughs Joint Computer Committee Greenwich 1963-1975
LEO I I I / 5 CAV Ltd London 1963-1971
LEO I I I / 6 SheIl-Mex & BP Ltd Hemel Hempstead / Manchester 1963-1972
LEO I I I / 7 J. Lyons & Co. Ltd Elms House, London 1963-1972
LEO I I I / 8 Tubemakers Pty. Ltd Sydney, Australia 1963-1976
LEO I I I / 9 HM Customs & Excise Southend 1963-1974
LEO I I I / 10 Board of Trade Eastcote 1963-1971
LEO I I I / 11 Smith & Nephew Ltd Birmingham 1963-1970
LEO I I I / 12 Leo Computers Ltd (experimental 326 machine) Minerva Road 1963-1967
LEO I I I / 13 BOC Ltd Manchester 1964-1975
LEO I I I / 14 Shell-Mex & BP Ltd Hemel Hempstead / Manchester 1964-1972
LEO I I I / 15 Shell Australia Melbourne 1964-1969
LEO I I I / 16 Kayser Bondor Ltd Baldock 1964-1971
LEO I I I / 17 Manchester Corporation Manchester 1963-1975
LEO I I I / 18 Cerebos Ltd London 1964-1978
LEO I I I / 19 DNS (GPO) then London Boroughs Lytham St Annes London 1964-1966 1967-1974
LEO I I I / 20 Colonial Mutual Life Melbourne, Australia 1964-1973
LEO I I I / 21 Tote Investors Ltd London 1964-1973
LEO I I I / 22 H. J. Heinz Co. Ltd then Renold Chains London Manchester 1964-1971 & 1971-1975
LEO I I I / 23 Dunlop Rubber Co. Ltd then Freemans Ltd Birmingham London 1965-1971 & 1971-1973
LEO I I I / 24 Allied Suppliers Ltd then Phoenix Insurance Co. London 1965-1970 1970-1973
LEO I I I / 25 Inland Revenue Worthing 1965-1974
LEO I I I / 26 NDPS(GPO) London 1965-1980
LEO I I I / 27 Freemans Ltd London 1965-1975
LEO I I I / 28 Coventry Corporation Coventry 1965-1972
LEO I I I / 29 Shell-Mex & BP Ltd Manchester / Hemel Hempstead 1965-1975
LEO I I I / 30 Royal Bank of Scotland Edinburgh 1965-1975
LEO I I I / 31 Shell Mex & BP Ltd Hemel Hempstead 1965-1975
LEO I I I / 32 Colvilles Ltd Motherwell 1965-1974
LEO I I I / 33 Phoenix Assurance Co. Croydon 1965-1973
LEO I I I / 34 NDPS (GPO) London 1965-1977
LEO I I I / 35 South Western Gas Board Bath 1965-1973
LEO I I I / 36 DNS (GPO) Lytham St Annes 1966-1975
LEO I I I / 37 British Insulated Callenders Cables Prescot 1965-1972
LEO I I I / 38 HM Dockyard Rosyth (originally at Portsmouth) 1965-1977
LEO I I I / 39 Ever Ready Co. London 1965-1973
LEO I I I / 40 Consolidated Glass Germiston, South Africa 1966-1973
LEO I I I / 41 NHKG Czechoslovakia 1966-1977
LEO I I I / 42 Renold Chains Ltd Manchester 1965-1974
LEO I I I / 43 HM Dockyard (replaced LEO III/38) Portsmouth 1966-1977
LEO I I I / 44 NDPS (GPO) Cardiff & London 1966-1981
LEO I I I / 45 Wedd Durlacher Mordaunt London 1966-19??
LEO I I I / 46 J. Lyons & Co. Ltd then NDPS (GPO) London 1966-1972
LEO I I I / 47 UDZ Czechoslovakia 1966-1980
LEO I I I / 48 HM Dockyards Devonport 1966-1977
LEO I I I / 49 Shell Australia Melbourne 1966-1972
LEO I I I / 51 NDPS (GPO) Edinburgh & London 1966-1981
LEO I I I / 55 NDPS (GPO) Portsmouth 1966-1981
LEO I I I / 56 HM Dockyard Chatham 1967-1977
LEO I I I / 58 NDPS (GPO) Derby 1966-1981
LEO I I I / 66 DNS (GPO) Glasgow & Bristol 1969-1977
LEO I I I / 67 NDPS (GPO) Derby 1969-1981
LEO I I I / 68 DNS (GPO) Glasgow & Edinburgh 1969-1981
LEO I I I / 69 NDPS (GPO) London 1969-1981
LEO I I I / 70 NDPS (GPO) Bristol 1969-1981
LEO I I I / 90 NDPS (GPO) London 1964-1965
LEO I I I / 93 VLD Czechoslovakia 1965-1979
LEO I I I / 94 London Boroughs Management Service Unit London 1967-1974

Last Updated on May 26, 2004

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