The company was founded at Northfleet in Kent in 1847 by Alfred Horlock. He leased land formerly owned by his uncle on which the Poynder & Medlicott "Lime Works" factory stood and built a new foundry, named the Northfleet Ironworks.[2] The company mainly manufactured marine equipment[3] and steam engines.[4]
In 1848, the Dinorwic Quarry in North Wales ordered two Шаблон:TrackGauge gauge steam locomotives from Horlock. These were amongst the earliest Crampton locomotives built and were the only locomotives built by Horlock. They were named Fire Queen and Jenny Lind.[5] In 1850, the company produced a schooner for the Channel Islands and France Steam Navigation Company. The boat was powered by two 20 hp steam engines and was made primarily of malleable iron.[6]
Alfred Horlock testified at the 1849 Parliamentary commission inquiring into the application of iron for railway bridges and other structures.[7] A. Horlock and Co suffered a series of robberies in 1851.[8] The company was declared bankrupt in July 1853[9] and the factory was auctioned to shipbuilders Bell, Wells & Co, who resold it in 1857.[10]