Made from late Victorian times until just before the second World War the "Relm" series of lathes was manufactured originally by the Relm Machine Co. Ltd. of 86, Acre lane, Brixton, London. At some point immediately after the First world War, in 1918, the firm's name changed to the "Cheltenham Works Co. Ltd." - but at the same address. However, some lathes have been found with Atlas Engineering, Leeds cast into their beds - though how this came about is unknown. Relm lathes were often to be found advertised as the RelMac in both technical and non-technical magazines with most having a 4.25-inch centre height, either 15 or 24-inches between centres and available as a complete, working lathe or as a kit of parts, semi-finished, for home assembly. Numerous variations on a basic model were all offered, consisting of plain-turning, backgeared and backgeared and screwcutting types. In 1913 the screwcutting (but not backgeared) 4.5-inch centre height gap-bed "Relmac" was advertised at £5 : 10s : 0d for bench mounting or at £8 : 10s : 0d with a self-contained stand and treadle assembly. The 4-inch "Super Relm" was the company's most advanced machine and, for an inexpensive lathe, well built and finished. Its production appears to have spanned the 1914-1918 "Great War" and, judging by the numbers surviving, must have been popular.
In 1923 the "Cheltenham Works Co. Ltd. announced the new RelMinor, an inexpensive but remarkably robust small lathe with a 3-inch centre height, 12-inches between centres and a 10.5-inch swing in the gaps. Although the option was offered of backgear and screwcutting the few surviving examples tend to be just simple, plain-turning types. During 1924 what was probably the company's last new model, the much smaller and lighter 2-inch centre height RelmBee was introduced. However, as competition in the model-engineering field increased and more makers, including Patrick, Portass, ETA, Ideal, Granville, Pools, Grayson, EXE, Randa,  Zyto and others made for an overcrowded and very competitive market with thin profit margins. In addition, as well-established makers such as Drummond continued to develop and refine their small lathes the Relm Machine Company failed to respond and gradually vanished from the scene.
If you have a Relm lathe of any kind, or any literature about them, the writer would be pleased to hear from you.