Topic: Ink Wells, Ink Bottles and Stands

[agincourt17]

Thank you for posting these new 'inky' RDs, Paul.

I think the Eliezer Edwards and Frederic Lewis designs have already been touched on in previous posts, but I will apply myself to sleuthing the Digby and Woods designs in depth tomorrow.

Fred.

[Anne]

Registered design number: 152426.
Proprietor: A W Digby and Company, London Ink Manufacturers.
Address: 8 Church Passage, London.
Subject: [Not given in BT 44/7].
Class 3: glass

Alfred Wyatt Digby, born 1831, Maldon Essex, son of George Wyatt Digby. Died 1901, Rochford Essex

In the 1851 Census Alfred W Digby was a lodger along with a George E Digby (b. 1829/30)  at 1 Forest Row, Saint Johns Hackney, Middlesex. Arthur is a Printer Apprentice and George is a Solicitor But Employed As A Solicitors Managing Clerk. Both are born Maldon, Essex.

In the 1861 Census he was listed at 90, Chancery Lane, Liberty of the Rolls, Strand, London as age 29, unmarried, a Stationer Employing 3 Men And 2 Boys, born Maldon, Essex.  He married later in 1861 - his wife was just 16, he was 29.

Presumably his Ink Manufacturer description on the RD entry ties in with this period of his life.  As a Stationer he would sell Ink, and presumably Ink Wells etc as well.

By the 1871 Census he was listed at 87 Chancery Lane, Liberty of the Rolls, Strand, London as aged 39, married with three children and now employed as a solicitors' articled clerk.

By the 1881 Census he was listed at Gentlemen's Row, Enfield, Edmonton, Middlesex and is a solicitor, aged 48 and a widower.

In the 1891 Census we find him at Ambleside, York Road, Prittlewell, Rochford, Essex aged 59, a solicitor,  and remarried to his housekeeper from the 1881 Census who 30 years younger than him.

And finally in 1901 he is at 51, Queens Road, Prittlewell, Rochford, Essex, aged 69, still a solicitor.

An entry in the London Gazette dated 21 Feb 1879 gives reference in a winding up petition for another firm to

"the offices of my Solicitors, Messrs. Digby and Jones, situate at Nos. 7 and 8, Church-passage, Chancery-lane, in the city of London". 

so the address on the Design registration is that of the solicitors' office it seems.

The bit below seems to refer to his father...

George Wyatt Digby of 7 and 8 Church Passage, Chancery Lane (Middlesex), gentleman [solicitor] ... described as "of the United States of America... late of Maldon";

Apparently George Wyatt Digby emigrated to the USA

"following the discovery of malpractice by his firm"

in a record which also mentions

A.W.Digby's share in the Milton Hall Estate

https://secureweb1.essexcc.gov.uk/SeaxPAM/ViewCatalogue.aspx?ID=752127

They sound like an interesting family...  I found more newspaper articles about them in the archive. One of them , another solicitor (I think the son of the aforementioned George E Digby) shot himself fatally in his Chambers!

From a glass point of view there is no indication of who made the inkwells for AW Digby.  He only seems to have registered this one design.

[agincourt17]

Thank you for the A.W. Digby genealogy details, Anne.

Definitely an 'interesting' family - stuffy, moralistic, middle class Victorians be blowed!  As a Victorian lady-in-waiting  is supposed to have said after watching a production of Shakespeare's 'Antony and Cleopatra' at the theatre -  "How very different from the home life of our own dear Queen".

Fred.

[agincourt17]

Re: Inkstand, RD 154589, registered on 9 September 1862 by Robert Woods (proprietor) of 6, Angel & Porter Court, Golden Lane, St Luke's, London [EC1]. Class 3: glass. 

This seems to have been Woods' only design registration.

Can't find any more info about Robert Woods at the moment. Angel & Porter Court no longer exists (the area suffered extensive damage in the Blitz). There was an Angel & Porter in Golden Lane (records between 1768 and 1809) presumably adjoining Angel & Porter Court.

Grace's Guide for 1929 records William Bernstein (Furriers) of 5-8 Angel and Porter Court, Golden Lane, London, EC1., "Manufacturers of the Mink-Marmot Coat, excellent numbers in Natural Musquash, Squirrel and Mole, good sellers in Beaver, Seal and Musquash Coney, Opossum, etc."

Fred.

[Paul S.]

thanks as always to Anne and Fred for their additional information which contributes to making these things so much more interesting.

[Paul S.]

continuing the saga...........

possibly some confusion regarding a company by the name of Mordan, which judging by the attached picture from the Kew Register, looks to be showing different initial letters of S and F, and possibly separate London addresses..............   that's assuming they are indeed one and the same - they may not be of course  -  possibly someone here will know.     

The Registration we're interested in is 160895 from 26th March 1863, for an 'Ornamental Design for Ink Bottle', and which according to the Register appears to show the initial as F  -  and this looks to be corroborated by the factory drawing which again appears to be an F.       The address being given as Albion Works, City Road, London.
Immediately above this item in the Register is Rd. 158402 although here the initial letter is an S, and the address is given more specifically as 22 City Road, but omits the Albion Works part.    The factory drawing taken from the Representation Register shows a cranberry coloured drawing of a 'Minature (sic) Scent Bottle', and the initial letter on this drawing looks to be an upper case F.............    I could of course be wrong with my interpretations of C19 copperplate.

I notice that in his book Ray Slack gives the initial letter as S, on page 149. 

Descriptions of the status of the owners of these Registrations is given variously as Proprietor, Inventors and Manufacturers - so they look to be covering every angle.   

Grateful for any positive help from anyone for these items.

[Anne]

The book, The International Exhibition of 1862 (Cambridge University Press) gives

"Mordan, Francis, Albion Works, 326 City Road - Gold pens, pencil-cases, sealing-wax, patent purses, inks &c."

Meanwhile, over on the Silver Forum I found a fab summary of the Mordan father and sons, along with various examples of adverts by the businesses. http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30091#p74929 and a very interesting topic here with more info about Sampson Mordan, which mentions a glass inkwell: http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=8569&p=58549&hilit=Mordan#p18413

[Paul S.]

many thanks for all of that Anne - very interesting, but...............   is there some sort of corruption with the second link?  --  all I'm getting is a page relating to something in Chinese??

[agincourt17]

Thank you, Paul for the Mordan RD pictures.

Thank you, Anne for the Mordan links. The first link works fine, but the second link just produces something in Chinese or Japanese  for me too.

TNA online summary for RD 158402 definitely cites the registrant as Sampson Mordan and Company.

There is a link to the Sampson Mordan Collector's Club at http://www.sampsonmordan.com/ with a brief history of the family with the following biographical details:

Sampson Mordan was born in 1790 however nothing is known about his parents or siblings. In his youth Mordan was an apprentice to Joseph Bramah, the inventor of patent locks. Other than that there is no other information available about Mordan's life between 1790 - 1822, though it has been reported that he actually started his business in 1815.
In 1822 Mordan and an associate John Isaac Hawkins filed a patent for the first ever mechanical pencil (ever-pointed or propelling).
In June 1823 Mordan registered his first silver mark alone.
Mordan bought out Hawkins and in October 1823 formed a partnership with Gabriel Riddle a wealthy stationer. Under the name of S. Mordan and Co they carried on business as Mechanists and Manufacturers of Patent and other articles, at 22 Castle street, Finsbury, London.
Following the new partnership Mordan entered a joint silver mark with Riddle in April 1824. SMGR
It has been recorded that by 1833 Mordan employed about 50 men.
On the 20th of December 1836 the partnership with Riddle was dissolved and Mordan continued trading as S. Mordan and Co.
Sampson Mordan died in 1843 and the business continued under the partnership of two of his son's, Sampson Jnr and Augustus.
So as can be seen from the dates above the work of Sampson Mordan spanned only 21 years, but those 21 years were enough for his name to be become associated with inventiveness, quality and beauty. Mordan's work is highly sort after and takes pride of place in many collections. His legacy continued with the company he had founded for a further 98 years after his death, when S. Mordan and Co Ltd ceased trading in 1941.
The Mordan family
Sampson mordan was married to Elizabeth (maiden name unknown). They had six children, daughter Elizabeth 1810, son Sampson junior 1814, son Francis 1817, son Augustus 1820, son Charles 1822 and finally daughter Emma in 1824.
Two of Mordan's sons, Sampson jnr and Augustus followed him in to the family business and took over the reigns of the company after their fathers death in 1843.
The third son, Francis, formed his own company. At first a partnership with Thomas Spencer Hyde under the name of Mordan and Hyde, later becoming F. Mordan and Co after Hyde retired, both companies specialising in making silver and gold pens and pen holders.

There is another link to Sampson Morgan and his family at http://www.silvercollection.it/ENGLASAMPSONMORDAN.html
and yet another at http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/S._Mordan_and_Co

It would thus appear that RD 158402 was registered at a time when Sampson Morgan Jnr and, presumably, Augustus Mordan  were partners in the company.

Just as a point of interest, I wonder if the portrait medallion on the cranberry glass miniature scent bottle depicts Prince Albert (who died on 14 December 1861, almost exactly a year before the registration date of RD 158402) - a memorial commemorative piece perhaps?

Fred.

[Anne]

Oops! Sorry folks, somehow the 2nd link had gone squiffy - I've had a word and it is now going to the correct destination.