Info provided by 2Fresh (Timo), thanks again! :)

Here is a history briefing of the Elswick/Elswick Hopper company:

1880 Fred Hopper opens a Whitesmith’s shop in Brigg Road, Barton on Humber, England.
1896 Fred sells his business to an investment company A.B.C. Cycle Fittings Company Ltd.
1897 Fred sets up a new factory called the Hull and Barton Cycle Manufacturing Company.
1898 Fred and his partners buy back the original business F. Hopper & Co.
1910 Fred buys the patents, trademarks and goodwill of the bankrupt Elswick Cycle Company of Newcastle to market under the separate brands of Hopper and Elswick.
1913 The Elswick Hopper Cycle and Motor Company Ltd. is registered.
1925 Fred dies at the age of 66 and Fred Hopper Jr. takes over as Managing Director.
1930's Elswick Hopper struggles thru the First World War and the 30's depression.
1958 New management takes control and bring in an Italian design company to develop a new model range.
1960's Components are bought overseas for assembly at Barton, although frames were still built in house. 1970's Coventry Eagle moves in with Elswick-Hopper and the two operations continue side by side as competitors, with Coventry Eagle changing its name to Falcon in 1970.
1972 Elswick-Hopper and Falcon move part of their production out of Barton to a modern facility in Brigg.
1978 Elswick-Hopper acquires Falcon brand to build on its strength and so the Falcon brand emerges as the successor to the old Hopper companies. By mid 80's the production of Elswick-Hopper Cycles eventually ceases in Barton bringing to a close over 100 years of bicycle construction.


..and it is solely based on the text on this page:
http://www.geocities.com/elswick_hopper … istory.htm