Established in about 1865 as John Hannan and becoming Hannan & Buchanan by 1869, this Glasgow firm manufactured steam-engine accessories including various gauges and counters, plus whistles, telegraphs, salinometers, etc.

In around 1884 Hannan & Buchanan took over the exclusive right to manufacture the Richards patent steam engine indicator from Elliott Brothers of London; they realized that although Elliott Bros. was paying the inventor a 10% royalty, that arrangement was not written down and Hannan & Buchanan refused to pay any royalties at all.

Information Sources

• 1866 Glasgow Post Office Directory, under "Steam engine indicator maker": "Hannan, John, 75 Robertson st"
• 1869-70 Glasgow Post Office Directory page 173: "Hannan & Buchanan, manufacturers of engine indicators and steam gauges, 75 Robertson street and 45 Robertson lane."
• 1872 The international guide to British and foreign merchants and manufacturers, page 427: "Hannan & Buchanan, 75 Robertson st, Glasgow, manufrs of "Hannan's Improved Indicator" for quick speed engines, Bourdon's pressure, vacuum and compound gauges, reducing pulleys for oscillating and horizontal engines, &c."
• 1880 The Export merchant shippers of London, page 771: "Glasgow. Hannan & Buchanan, 75, Robertson Street, Richards' Patent, Sole Manufacturer in Scotland; also Makers of Bourdon's PatentPressure Vacuum and Compound Gauges, Engine Counters, Engine Telegraph, &c."
• 1888 Wyman's Commercial Encyclopædia page 255, article on this firm. See the Publications tab for a PDF of this article.
• 1902-03 The Scottish Commercial List for Glasgow, Greenock etc., page 29: "Hannan and Buchanan.—Glasgow, steam engine indicator mnfrs. John Buchanan, Robt. Buchanan, Duncan Buchanan. As regards J. Buchanan. Business by the remaining partners, under the old style. 27 April 1900." On page 13, in a table of Private Firms, is "Hannan and Buchanan / Engineers / 75 Robertson-street / (established) 1869 / John Hannan 1860".
• Bruce L. Babcock's The Story of the Steam Engine Indicator .

  About 1870 Porter sold the patent rights, and, much to his dismay, the new owner, upon realizing that Porter had no written agreement with Richards regarding the 10% agreement, never paid Richards another dollar for his invention.