Glass Message Board
Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => British & Irish Glass => Topic started by: Paul S. on January 06, 2017, 08:05:25 PM
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Occurs to me that always possible it might be of interest to have a section on these things - just an idea, although appreciate there may not be more than two or three dozen in total............. I don't know if we have any Board members who specialize in collecting these designs.
The earliest dated Registered example I can see appears to be March 1848, but as we know from experience on occasions the original factory drawing doesn't always carry a worded description, and certainly one of these four (Rd. 75988) nearly escaped the net. Fortunately, when I checked the Register for this item there was a description, which removed any doubt - there are many blank lines in the Register and it's not easy to be certain of the intended use of some small bottle shaped designs.
With regard to these particular ink related designs, the names of some Registrants turn up more frequently than others, and although this may imply coincidence only, I suppose there's always the possibility that those individuals had a particular reason for specialising in ink wells/stands etc., either as manufacturers or wholesale agents.
Rd. 79180, which is the most recent of these four Registrations, was allocated to Henry David Green Truscott, of London, which is well outside the normal area of glass production, and this may indicate they were not manufacturers - perhaps Fred can shed light on that side of the subject.
Anyway, hope of interest - there will be others to trickle in over the coming days/weeks. :)
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Thank you, Paul.
The Henry Pershouse designs have already been discussed on the GMB at
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,58216.msg329826.html#msg329826
and already added to the GMB RD database, but I attach some photos of RD 50988 as permanent references here.
I will see if I can find out any more about RDs 75988 and 79180 before I add the design representations to the GMB RD database in turn.
Fred.
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In addition to the glass ink box RD 75988, registered by Eliezer Edwards, Birmingham on 15 January 1851 - Parcel, I have so far found another five of his glass design registrations so far by searching TNA online design registration summaries:
RD 109830, registered 30 April 1857- Parcel 4. Subject: Flower trainer or support. Class 3: glass
RD 155257, registered 1 October 1862 - Parcel 3. Description: Inkstand. Class 3: glass.
RD 164138, registered 9 July 1863 - Parcel 8. Subject: Inkstand. Class 3: glass
RD 197154, registered May 8 1866 - Parcel 2 (with registrant's address given as 49 St. Paul's Square, Birmingham). No description of item given. Class 3 : glass.
RD 221520, registered 12 September 1868 - Parcel 2 (with registrant given as E Edwards, with address as 49 St. Paul's Square, Birmingham). No description of item given. Class 3: glass.
St Paul’s Square, is a Georgian square in the Jewellery Quarter of Birmingham, and named after the church which still stands in its centre. It is the last remaining Georgian square in the city. Built 1777–79 on the Newhall estate of the Colmore family, it was an elegant and desirable location in the mid-nineteenth century. At the end of the nineteenth century the square was swallowed by workshops and factories, with the fronts of some buildings being pulled down to make shop fronts or factory entrances. Much restoration was done in the 1970s and many of the buildings are Grade II listed.
No. 49 no longer seems to exist in its mid-Victorian form, but it seems unlikely that the address would have been a factory or manufacturing base at that time. I've done a few quick Birmingham directory and genealogy searches but, unfortunately, I haven't been able to find Eliezer Edwards so far.
TNA also has the following (non-glass) design registration records with Eliezer Edwards as registrant:
RD 72305, registered 3 October 1850. Description: Tray for Inkstand. Class 1: metal.
Useful Registered Design Number: 2973, registered 7 October 1851. Subject: Inkstand. Category: Drawing, Geometrical and Mathematical Instruments, Pen, Holder, Pencil, Writing Materials, Inkstands, Desks, Colours and Sketch Boxes.
Useful Registered Design Number: 3826 registered April 10 1856. Subject: Insect trap. Category: Traps for Birds, Vermin, Insects. (Class I, Metal). Remarks: 699 provisional registration.
RD 136881, registered 21 December 1860. Subject: Cover for an inkstand. Class 1: metal.
RD 157526, registered 17 November 1862. Description: Perforated Metallic Box. Class 1: metal.
Provisional registered design number 626, registered 22 November 1862. Subject: Perforated metallic box.
Provisional registered design number 627, registered 22 November 1862. Subject: Perforated metallic box.
Provisional registered design number 628, registered 22 November 1862. Subject: Perforated metallic box.
RD 158049, registered 3 December 1862. Description: Writing Tablet and Linen Stretcher. Class 1: metal.
RD 191168, registered 20 October 1865. No description of item. Class 1: metal.
RD 191243, registered 23 October 1865. Subject: [Rod bracket ? With bird and tendril detail]. Class 1: metal
RD 197153, registered May 8 1866. Subject: [Posy or buttonhole pin]. Class 4: earthenware
RD 197297, registered May 10 1866. Subject: [Metal ornamental design ?]. Class 1: metal
RD 209857, registered July 30 1867. No description. Class 1: metal.
RD 218325, registered 22 April 1862. Subject: [Buckle]. Class 1: metal
RD 227613, registered 3 March 1869. Description: Steel pen or match box.
From the nature and variety of these registrations I think it is most likely that Eliezer Edwards was a retailer, wholesaler or manufacturer's agent for small ornamental domestic effects or stationery items.
Fred.
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yes, I think you're right about Edwards being a non-manufacturer Fred. I do have pix of Regs. 164138 and 155257, and will post these in the coming days.
As to missing descriptions of 197154 and 221520.................. There is nothing in the way of text on the original factory drawing for 197154, and the Register is equally quiet ....... just a blank line - but the drawing is of a circular, very shallow flat-based plate-like shape, with a low up-turned gallery cut round entirely on its rim with scallops, as though to act possibly as indents for cigarettes or cigars, or of course dip-pens. In the centre of the piece is a raised well-shaped structure which flares toward its base - could be for the fag ash, or possibly ink.
I'll post this in the coming days and people can make up their minds as to what this item was intended for.
Regarding 221520 - the original drawing states CLASS III, and shows what appears to be an ornamental draw knob, the stub of which has been given a threaded profile - so presumably you could screw it into a draw front ?? - I can't imagine it's a decanter related piece. Again, both the original drawing and the Register lack any text description, but as you'll see when I do get to post this picture, it does look to be a glass draw knob......... I think. :)
thanks for your very comprehensive input on this one, much appreciated, and adds masses to our knowledge of Eliezer Edwards etc., and makes the thread really interesting. Obviously, I wouldn't intend to add any Reg. images etc. of those CLASS I or IV items, and will confine my pix to CLASS III glass.
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RD 79180 glass ink bottle, registered 10 June 1851 - Parcel 4 by Henry David Green Truscott of 7 Coburg (sic.) Road, Old Kent Road, London. Class 3: glass.
The design representation seems to show a metallic cap or closure.
TNA's online registration design search does not record any other designs by this registrant.
Google Maps' Street View shows that 7 Cobourg Road still stands as a smart Georgian or early Victorian terraced property only a few yards from the junction with the Old Kent Road. No sign of it having been retail or wholesale premises, though I suppose that it could have served as an office address.
Fred.
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re 79180 - yes, it does look to have a metallic cap/top of some sort - but then I think I've seen ink wells/bottles in the past somewhere that had brass top fitments/caps - early inks were corrosive, and dip pens originally had steel nibs which presumably didn't last too long, so brass used where there might have been contact with the ink. Quite likely one of the reasons for the introduction of 14 ct. gold nibs (18 ct. is/was the standard minimum carat in France I think) - gold being unaffected by the ink and aesthetically pleasing at the same time.
no doubt the Register clerk getting confused with the Dukes of the House of Saxe-Coburg who were big cheeses in Bavaria around the middle of the C19 - I have checked the Kew Register page and the word is spelled Coburg - as I hope you can see in the attachment - although apologies as it's a very poor quality image. You can blow the thing up, which might help - I tried using Picasa and IrfanView, and although I can get the page to come up really great on my screen, for some reason I'm not clever enough to manage to save the magnified result - will have to speak to sons to see if they can educate me.
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Henry David Green Truscott was born in London on 24 Oct 1812.
On 1851 Census he was shown as resident at Coburg Road, Camberwell, Surrey, and occupation given as Ink Maker
On 1861 Census he was shown as resident at 13, Wellington Place, St Mary Newington, Newington, London, and occupation given as Appraiser & Writing Ink Manufacturer
On 13 April 1866 in the Probate for the Will of his aunt he was described as a "Writing Ink Manufacturer".
On the 1871 Census he was shown as resident at East Street, St Mary Newington, St Saviour Southwark, London, and occupation given as Writing Ink Manufacturer.
On 19 April 1876 in the Probate for the Will of William Girling he was described as "Ink Manufacturer".
On the 1881 Census he was shown as resident at 192, East Street, Newington, St Saviour Southwark, London, and occupation given as retired from business, aged 67.
On the 1891 Census he is shown as resident at Surrey Square, Newington, St Saviour Southwark, London, and occupation given as Living On Own Means, aged 78.
In 1895 in the Probate for the Will of his dau. Lucy he was described as a "gentleman".
Died 26 Mar 1899, St. Saviour, Southwark.
I think that explains why he registered a design for an inkwell. :)
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Eliezer Edwards, b. 1816, on 1861 Census at 23, Reservoir Road, Edgbaston, Kings Norton, Worcestershire, occupation Glass ink stand manufacturer.
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thanks for your input on Eliezer Edwards, Anne, very informative and adds much of interest. His Christian name is apparently from old testament Hebrew - although that doesn't necessarily mean he was Jewish........ in the C19 it was commonplace to give biblical fore names to children.
So it seems we have two addresses for Mr. Edwards - both overlapping in date ............. one in B'ham and the other in Worcestershire - the former being a business address and Kings Norton his domestic residence, perhaps.
But can we rely on the accuracy of the 1861 census showing that he was a manufacturer - and not simply a wholesaler/agent - perhaps he thought it gave him better status to say he was a manufacturer.
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Thank you, Paul, for the pic of the entry for RD 79180 in the register.
Thank you, Anne, for your diligent and valuable genealogical input. I wonder when Coburg Road officially morphed into Cobourg Road?
Fred.
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have to say I'd assumed that Cobourg had always been the correct spelling, and bearing in mind the proximity of this SE5 area to the centre of the city and the age of much of that part of south London bordering the Thames, then I thought it likely to have been a late Georgian origin rather than later. My comments about the possibility of a clerical error in the spelling seen in the Archives Register, prompted possibly by the Bavarian issue, was not intended to be taken too seriously, although there's an outside chance it may have been true. Having checked the London A - Z there doesn't appear to have ever been a Coburg St. remotely near the Old Kent Road, and I'm of the opinion it was simply a typo when the Register entry was made.
Phonetically, the pronunciation for both spellings is the same, so not difficult to imagine the clerk getting it wrong. :)
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It is shown as Coburg Road on the original 1861 census sheet, Paul, which matches your Nat.Archives phot of the RD Register.It was also shown as Coburg Road on subsequent Census up to and including 1891. I've not checked 1901 or 1911 yet. That he was shown on the Census at that address means it was his home address not his work one (although he may well have worked from home as so many small business people did.) He may have had a works somewhere else though - that's one to check in the Trade Directories next.
Interestingly, the 1891 Census street list shows two roads with different spellings: http://www.census1891.com/streets-c.php...
There is Coburg Road, Old Kent Road, CAMBERWELL and a Cobourg Road, St George, CAMBERWELL plus several others with the Coburg spelling.
Edited to add:
1851 PO Directory London
7 Cobourg Road (note alternate spelling here!) has 3 names listed for it (multiple occupancy of houses was common)
Munday Richard, grocer & baker
Trump Benjamin, tailor
Truscott Henry, auctioneer
Incidentally, there is a stationer and printer of 24 Nelson Square, Blackfriars Road, by the name of James Truscott, so given that Henry David Green Truscott is listed as an auctioneer and appraiser perhaps the ink making was a sideline with a relative?
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thanks for your input on Eliezer Edwards, Anne, very informative and adds much of interest. His Christian name is apparently from old testament Hebrew - although that doesn't necessarily mean he was Jewish........ in the C19 it was commonplace to give biblical fore names to children.
So it seems we have two addresses for Mr. Edwards - both overlapping in date ............. one in B'ham and the other in Worcestershire - the former being a business address and Kings Norton his domestic residence, perhaps.
But can we rely on the accuracy of the 1861 census showing that he was a manufacturer - and not simply a wholesaler/agent - perhaps he thought it gave him better status to say he was a manufacturer.
I realised that about Eliezer being a biblical name, Paul, as several of my family had them too. :)
I also found another RD by him to add to Fred's list:
Reference: BT 43/61/104379
Description:
Registered design number: 104379.
Proprietor: Eliezer Edwards.
Address: Birmingham, Warwickshire.
Subject: Wasp and insect trap.
Class 3: glass
Note: Description created from this document and the register in BT 44/7
Date: 1856 Apr 17
(I wondered if this was the same item as Fred's listed one below but in glass?
Useful Registered Design Number: 3826 registered April 10 1856. Subject: Insect trap. Category: Traps for Birds, Vermin, Insects. (Class I, Metal). Remarks: 699 provisional registration.)
And a reference in other Nat.Archive documents DR 149/126 & DR 149/127 "Tenancy agreements between John Lord's executors and his tenants in St Paul's Square" to his being "Eliezer Edwards of Birmingham, wholesale perfumer" and "Assignment of leasehold messuages in St. Paul's Square, Birmingham, from the executors of John Lord to Eliezer Edwards of Birmingham, manufacturer, 24 June 1851," so he seemed to have been an archetypal entrepreneurial businessman! In addition to his RD's he also registered several patents.
Yes the Kings Norton address would be Mr. Edwards' home address in 1861. I hadn't found him in 1851 but have done so tonight with a bit of sideways thinking. He has been mis-indexed as Eliza, female, a "Retired Mansas" (whatever that might be! ::)) but looking at the original sheet it's clearly a transcription error as he is actually listed as Eliezer Edwards, aged 35, of 49 St Paul's Square, Birmingham, an inkstand manufacturer employing 10 men.
In 1871 he is again listed at the Reservoir Road, Edgbaston, Kings Norton, Worcestershire address, this time described as, "Glass manufacturer, employing 15 men, 9 boys, 20 females". I've had a look at Reservoir Road and it's a mix of older and modern houses but no indication of a glassworks of any kind there. The residents in the Census are almost all merchants or manufacturers of some kind, so clearly a prosperous neighbourhood. The addresses on the Census are always residential addresses (including hotel, inn, club, institution or vessel etc.), so he may well have had (as many big industrialists did) two houses and it would depend on where the family were on each Census night which address they appear on.
In the Birmingham Daily Post 31 August 1871 there was an article about the failure of Eliezer Edwards' glass manufacturing business, which was wound up with debts of over £3,000.
Incidentally, by the 1881 Census he was listed as an "Author general literature", which is perhaps an understatement, as he was the author of several books, and the magazine Edgbastonia, as well as writing columns for the Birmingham Post and Birmingham Daily Mail newspapers! According to his brief obituary in the Birmingham Daily Post Feb 23, 1891, he began writing in 1876.
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your research is very impressive Anne, and in comparison my input is rather meagre but............. as far as the spelling of this south London road is concerned it would seem that there is a constant difference between what is seen on maps and the spelling used on the various census returns.
It's a well known fact that one of the main reasons for errors in non-fiction literature and related material is due simply to the copying from an earlier work (which already carried an error) - this type of continuation or repetition of mistakes happens in publications where subsequent authors rely on previous records and for whatever reason don't do their own research.
When I wrote my notes, above, have to say that I had looked only at an early 1970s A to Z for London, plus a Bartholomew's road map of London, which although undated, was probably printed somewhere around the very late C19 or possibly very early C20.
Both these maps show the spelling as COBOURG.
Anyway, it's a bit academic for us since we all know exactly what it is we're talking about, but goes to show how mistakes come down to us through the centuries.
I'd assumed this area of London/SE5 - Walworth and Peckham - was down market, having as it does the odd workhouse, asylum and various gas works near to hand, plus a canal or two.
Some of the nearby Streets have names like Trafalgar and Victory, so perhaps not as old as I had first thought. Another road name is Ossory, which might be a corruption of Ossuary - a charnel house or where bones are stored. :o
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I presume that the following extract refers to the same Eliezer Edwards:
According to
https://billdargue.jimdo.com/placenames-gazetteer-a-to-y/places-d/digbeth/
In 1837 Eliezer Edwards came from Kent as a young journalist to work on the Birmingham Daily Mail. In his book of personal recollections, First Impressions, Edwards describes his arrival in the town.
On . . . until at length the coachman, as the sun declines to the west, points out, amid a gloomy cloud in front of us, the dim outlines of the steeples and factory chimneys of Birmingham. On still; down the wide open roadway of Deritend; past the many-gabled 'Old Crown House;' through the only really picturesque street in Birmingham - Digbeth; up the Bull Ring, the guard merrily trolling out upon the bugle, 'See the Conquering Hero Comes;' round the corner into New Street where we pull up - the horses covered with foam - at the doors of 'The Swan.' (The Swan was a coaching inn at the junction of the High Street with New Street.)
Also, for the full text of "PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF
BIRMINGHAM AND BIRMINGHAM MEN." REPRINTED FROM THE "BIRMINGHAM DAILY MAIL," WITH REVISIONS, CORRECTIONS, AND ADDITIONS. By E. EDWARDS. BIRMINGHAM: MIDLAND EDUCATIONAL TRADING COMPANY LIMITED. 1877.
see: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/18821/18821-h/18821-h.htm
Fred.
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quick question to the Mods. please....... I can add more Kew inky related pix to this thread which would probably mean that this subject heading will need amending to remove the four Rd. Nos. shown at present - or I can start a completely new thread with similar heading but four new Nos.
No panic for answer but just wondered which way the Board would prefer me to jump. :)
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I've still not managed to locate where Eliezer Edwards' works was, but will keep looking for clues. Genealogy and old newspaper resources are a real treasure trove of information even for glass! :)
The Directories show the spelling as Cobourg too Paul. It's not uncommon to see variants though.
Paul, I'm happy for the RD's all to be continued in this topic to keep them all together for now. If it gets lengthy we can split into separate topics at a later date if felt necessary. Let me know what changes you want making to the Subject when you are ready. 8)
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thanks Anne - I think there are something like 30 ink related items. My suggestion might be to simply delete the Rd. Nos. from the subject heading, leaving just the words 'Re: Ink Wells/Bottles/Stands' - but if you have better idea then leave it up to you.
Here are another four Registrations............. Walsh was a manufacturer........ Blackwood appear not to be perhaps as they're shown as 'proprietors' ............ likewise William Blamire Tate of London. (Seward St.). In Ray Slack's book, he shows the company name as BLANURE - but looking at the Kew image and the Register page I'm fairly certain the correct spelling is BLAMIRE. I've tried resizing and watermarking the Register page, but the end result is less than clear, so I've not bothered showing this, but am fairly certain my reading of the name is correct.
Hope of interest, and if there are any of these pieces out there it would be good to see a picture. :)
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I read it as Blamire too Paul.
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thanks Anne - It's possible I suppose that if you looked at the Register page only - with smaller handwriting - then you could be forgiven for getting the spelling wrong - have a look at page 96 in Jenny Thompson and you'll see what I mean - and it may well be that Ray Slack did use only the Register. Anyway, we now know what the correct spelling is.
As a matter of interest I had a look in Colin Lattimore's book 'English 19th-Century Press-Moulded Glass' - to see what spelling he might have used - in fact I needn't have bothered. Lattimore's book includes an Appendix A - REGISTERED DESIGNS, which details ........
'A List of all Registered Designs in Pressed Glass, 1842 - 1883' ................ this is a book that I bought many years ago -might even have been my first book on British pressed glass, and which I now rarely look at - preferring Slack or Thompson, and now I realize why!
Despite the rather grand title of 'A List of All Registered Designs etc.' - in fact there are a fraction only of all CLASS III Registrations - and his list omits some years entirely. How did this happen - probably a 'pot boiler' published at a time when there was greater interest in pressed glass, and seen as a quick gap filler, possibly. Anyway, by way of a warning - the List of Registered Designs lacks as many, or more, than it includes, and would be an unreliable source. I think mine should go into the bin :)
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Fascinating, well-illustrated article about Blackwood & Co. at
http://www.thepalimpsest.co.uk/2014/11/ink-day-blackwood-co-ink-wherein-scant.html
which shows, among others, a patented ink bottle looking remarkably similiar to their RD 91764.
Fred.
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thanks for that Fred - very interesting. Surprising perhaps that in view of the amount of information the link contains, that the author's research overlooked The National Archive Registration records - from whence of course our details are derived. Would agree with you re your comments about Rd. 91764.
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Paul's first post, last image, rang a bell so had a rummage and found these out, the one on the right says 'Free Sample' the two on the left have 'HW' and 'H' on the base.
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Thank you for showing the 4 latest 'inky' design representations, Paul. I will add them to the GMB RD database (with a link to this GMB topic) shortly.
I'm still not sure who actually manufactured the glassware for Blackwood & Co.
Have checked for info. about John Walsh Walsh's RD 90767 in Eric Reynolds' "The Glass of John Walsh Walsh 1850-1951" to no avail, although the design representation for JWW's RD 99882 ink stand of 18 April 1855 is shown alongside a photo of an actual example of the design on page 8.
The design representations for JWW's RD 90767 and 99882 are both shown on page 278 of Mervyn Gulliver's "Victorian Decorative Glass".
Fred.
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thanks Fred - If you wanted to point to a reliable author I think Mr. Gulliver might take first prize - he does appear to have done much research and his book seems to be very accurate - I remember Bernard eulogizing frequently.
Eric Reynolds also appears to have done his research for the id of Rd. 99882, since it appears he didn't have the domed cover (which is shown in TNA drawing on the same page) when producing the photo for his book, although as he says his piece does carry a diamond lozenge ............... and possibly unique the way he captions his picture with the lozenge data of 18 H E.......... which would probably confuse anyone not familiar with such details. For those people who don't have Reynolds book, I will show TNA drawing of Rd. 99882, probably in the next batch of ink wells.
However, unfortunate that Reynolds appears to have been unaware of the other early Walsh Rd. 90767 from 12th April 1853, since Ray Slack's book - which does include Rd. 90767 in the numerical list - was published some twelve years before the publication of Eric Reynolds book - but I agree that this earlier Rd. from Walsh doesn't seem to be in Reynolds book.
It's possible that since most of these items were 'utility pieces' and probably had a hard life, then most have long since gone to the rubbish tip.
Keith - thanks for showing your ink wells - these 'bottle green' sort of cheap pieces were probably produced in profusion - very few of them I'd imagine were ever protected with a Board of Trade Registration and I've seen many such pieces at boot sales over the years. Stoppers were almost certainly just a piece of cork, and I'd suggest that the first two with sharp and irregular top rims are possibly the oldest. Will need to look on that 'bottle' site that we occasionally link on the Board, to see if we can provide an idea of date, but at the moment regret unable to suggest what the upper case letters might indicate.
P.S. sorry, can't seem to add the web link, but name is ... Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website - there is a section on ink wells. [Mod: See separate reply below for url of the website and the section on inkwells.]
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Thanks Paul, only really added them out of interest might give the site a look one of the days, cheers ;D ;D
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But it must be remembered that other inkstands had ink bottles wherein the stand itself was not glass but the ink bottle is. I have a lovely example in stirling silver (heirloom of my mother's family) with the most exquisite glass bulb for the ink. I'll post pictures later today. I live in fear of the glass breaking as I have no idea how I would get another copy made.
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quote from Carolyn ........... "I have a lovely example in stirling silver ........." gosh - that sounds unique Carolyn, and should be mine I guess ;D ;D
Really look forward to seeing your pix - presumably the glass part is not a Registered Design. It has really only been my intention to show those inventions that we know to have been Registered British Designs - otherwise we might be here all night ;)
Thanks for joining in with this thread.
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Re. William Blamire Tate ink holder, RD 95155, registered 22 February 1854.
Shown in the 1871 census as 'Ink Maker', aged 59, living with his family in Islington, London.
Fred.
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thanks for all your additional information Fred and m - really does add so much more of interest and brings these things alive. It's good that some folk take the time to publish these mini biographies etc.
Don't want to overwork Fred, so after the four more items attached to this note, I'll pause for a few days, but hope these latest items of interest....
the Walsh Rd. we've already spoken about - the others are completely new I think, although always possible someone has actually posted before - and apologies the quality of images not always as good as I'd like.
I like the reference to 'crinoline' in the Benton & Stone description, and unusual to have a 'proprietor' from Dublin for the Frederic (yes, it's the correct spelling) Lewis design.
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quote .............. "That'll learn me" ... gosh, dahling, such a working class expression ;D ;D ;D ;D must be all that west country air Maureen ;) ;)
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Arrr, that be I, working class ;D and proud of it. Both grandparents in the mills.
Sorry, the Frederic Lewis ink bottle design has made me laugh out loud - the picture of the registration is very 'self-important' in it's colours and presentation, then your eyes are drawn to what I expected to be a very elaborate design but is in fact ... a bottle-shaped bottle lol.
m
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In reply #24, Paul said ...
P.S. sorry, can't seem to add the web link, but name is ... Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website - there is a section on ink wells.
The main site address is: https://sha.org/bottle/index.htm
For the section on ink wells, use: https://sha.org/bottle/household.htm and then scroll down to the internal links for details on Ink Wells (the internal links include a space character, which does not work with withing a general url).
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quote from Carolyn ........... "I have a lovely example in stirling silver ........." gosh - that sounds unique Carolyn, and should be mine I guess ;D ;D
Not on your Nellie, Paul. :-) Here is the very tarnished truth...
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thanks Kevin - obviously the gremlins at work on that occasion - I have added that link in its correct form previously.
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Hi Carolyn - it's a great looking piece, and surprised really that the glass ink container should be rather fragile looking - as you can see from most of the ink well designs here, they are of a more robust appearance usually.
I'd imagine that STERLING :) base to be of some reasonable weight, so might keep the family from the workhouse for a few hours if penury beckons. ;D
As a matter of interest, what are the hall marks - is the date letter C19??
P.S. This I would never have believed - the expression 'Not on your Nellie' is apparently derived from ................ "cockney rhyming slang for not on your life. nelly rhymes with smelly, which leads to smelly breath, breath leads to breathing to keep alive, leading to not on your life"
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In anticipation of a move of the 'inky' RDs to the 'correct' thread:
George Bell & Co., RD 107070, registered 15 November 1856 - Parcel 2. Registrant's address given as 2 Wellington Street in the Parish of St. Lukes, Middlesex. "An ammended design for an improvement in the shape or configuration of a glass ink bottle as shown". Class 3: glass.
This seems to be the only online record at TNA for a glass registered design by this registrant.
Fred.
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Benton & Stone "Improved Crinoline Ink Bottle with pen rack in glass attached to bottle", RD 135384, registered 10 November 1860 - Parcel 7. Registrants given as George Benton of Birmingham and James Henry Stone of Birmingham trading as Benton and Stone.
There is a birth record for James Henry Stone, born 1829 in Gt. Brook Street, Aston, christened 26 December 1829 at St. Philip, Birmingham. Then a marriage record on 14 December 1853 between James Henry Stone and Elizabeth BENTON in Aston Juxta Birmingham - perhaps Elizabeth Benton is a relative of George Benton.
The only 'Benton & Stone' I can find in the Birmingham trade directories so far is at
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Benton_and_Stone
with a company founding date of 1814. An 1892 trade advert gives a company address as Bracebridge Street, Aston, manufacturing address of Tube Mills, Aston Brook Street, Birmingham, where they are stated to be 'manufacturers of brass, copper and German silver tubes...for lamps, burners, scientific and musical instruments, electrical apparatus, steam gauges, &c., &c. ..."
Fred.
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Frederic Lewis ink bottle RD 142814, registered on 21 August 1861 - Parcel 3. Registrant's address given as 6 Fleet Street, Dublin, and occupation as 'proprietor'.
Thoms Almanac and Official Directory for 1862 lists the occupant of 6 Fleet Street Dublin as: "Lewis, Fred. wholes. perfumer, and refined soap manufactur. and 41 Leinster road, Rathmines", the whole street being replete with merchants, traders, agents, jewellers, solicitors and the like.
http://www.libraryireland.com/Dublin-Street-Directory-1862/548.php
In 1850, The Dublin City Directory lists F. Lewis (wholesale perfumer) as being at 45 Fleet Street.
Fleet Street is in the heart of the Temple Bar area of Central Dublin, and is now much modernised and altered since the 1860s.
The probate of the will of Frederic Lewis gives his date of death as 29 April 1880.
A quick online search at TNA also reveals the following Frederic Lewis design registrations (all with the same address of 6 Fleet Street for the registrant):
RD 140188, registered 24 April 1861 - Parcel 2; pomade bottle; Class 3: glass
RD 142815, registered on 21 August 1861 - Parcel 3; ink bottle; Class 3: glass
RD 174479, registered on 11 May 1864 - Parcel 6; bottle for perfumes or other materials; Class 3: glass.
Fred.
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I'm related to the Bentons of Birmingham - I'm going to have to check now if it's the same ones...!
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looks like replies Nos. 7 to 15 need to be re-positioned, Anne, please.............. but if not possible then no doubt we can copy and paste those items over to the proper ink well thread. :)
Fred ........... provided I make the appropriate note for myself, then in the coming weeks I'll try to post the three other Frederic Lewis designs you've mentioned.
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Good heavens, what a whole bunch of information about a whole bunch of stuff!
Hallmarks. Not sure where my little book is, but what we've got on the inkstand is...
HE Crown N Lion Head
& C? (with 3 points) (on 3 legs, facing left) (facing left)
Can't tell if the head is male or female.
Carolyn
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the only town mark Carolyn, that consist of a crown only, is Sheffield - which is probably the origin of your Silver, although from whence the glass comes is anyone's guess............ but Sheffield isn't that far from some of the C19 glass factories.
The maker's mark is almost certainly Hawkesworth, Eyre & Co., active in the C19, and first in business somewhere around the mid 1830s - the monarch is of course Victoria.
Date letters need a little caution with interpretation, since all letters - both lower and upper case - are used on a rotation basis, with some showing serifs and others sans-serif, so if your upper case N is with serifs then should be 1856/57, and without serifs then 1880/81......... upper case N appears again in the mid 1950s, but that won't be yours............... the town mark and left facing head will be the same for both.
Unfortunately, old silver hallmarks tend to become worn, and not always easy to see whether serifs or not.
my earlier droning on about Sterling was a bit cheeky, and was my way of pointing to your use of Stirling for the standard for silver rather than with the 'e'.
hope of some interest and use. :)
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many thanks Anne - all and any help appreciated. :)
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Some examples of HC&E hallmarks here if it helps till you find your wee book. http://www.silvercollection.it/englishsilvermarksXH3.html
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many thanks Anne - all and any help appreciated. :)
All fettled now Paul. :)
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To follow on from the Bentons of Birmingham, I am almost certainly related (3x great grandmother Sarah Benton of Birmingham / Aston). Virtually all male members of the extended family were involved in metalworking. In the 18th century, more so with silver, but in the 19th century more so with brass working, with other family members being involved with iron moulding and electroplating in the Birmingham / Aston areas.
Lower achieving Bentons remained in the Birmingham area, but those reaching higher achievements moved to Sheffield and ran a company called Benton Brothers.
There are no connections with the glass industry so bottom line is that George Benton may have been able to make a mould and in terms of a registration may have paired up with somebody able to design the mould, and together they registered it.
For your interest, here is the oldest photo I have of the Benton family, Thomas Benton, b1866
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I do like the Benton and Walsh designs, they are fab. I'd give both those house room in an instant!
Neil, how exciting to find the connection, and thank you for sharing it and your photo with us. I love their expressions!
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Sorry for the typo, Paul. My dad's middle name was Stirling, so that tends to be my go to spelling :-) There are definitely serif's floating about the N so 1856/57 it is. Sheffield, you say. I have friends now from Sheffield.
Hawksworth, Eyre and Company for sure!
HE over & Co into a quatrefoil
"Hawksworth, Eyre & Co -Charles Hawksworth & John Eyre-
Sheffield 1850 c. hallmark
Founded in 1833 by Charles Hawksworth and John Eyre as successors of Blagden, Hodgson & Co. The partnership was dissolved in 1869 and the business was continued by James Kebberling Bembridge, Thomas Hall and George Woofhouse. In the 1870s the firm was converted into a limited liability company under the style Hawksworth, Eyre & Co Ltd. The firm went into liquidation in the 1930s."
Apparently, back in the day when they were actually successfully. Which means it has been moved from Sheffield, possibly to Austria, back to Scotland, to various locations in Canada to currently reside in Calgary. And yet the glass lives! I'm truly impressed.
Carolyn
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here are a few more inky items for the Board's archives - Frederic Lewis and Eliezer Edwards popping up again, but don't think I've seen Digby or Woods before - hope the images clear enough for details to be seen.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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thanks as always to Anne and Fred for their additional information which contributes to making these things so much more interesting. :)
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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. :)
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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 (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 (http://925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=8569&p=58549&hilit=Mordan#p18413)
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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??
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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.
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Oops! Sorry folks, somehow the 2nd link had gone squiffy - I've had a word and it is now going to the correct destination. :)
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thanks Anne :)
Fred - I also looked at the portrait and wondered if there had been an intention to represent Prince Albert, although probably never know now.
As always, very much appreciate your interesting contributions in the way of company histories and information.
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Two more Registrations from Eliezer Edwards of B'ham, and one from W. B. Tate of London. I've made the assumption that 197154 is an ink related item - it may not be of course - but couldn't really come up with a likely alternative purpose, so if people think I'm wrong in suggesting this is an ink well or stand then please shout.
Goes without saying that I have looked at Register BT 44/7 - which details Registrants names and addresses and some of the time provides a description of the item - but on this occasion the Register is silent on the intended use of Rd. 197154. Neither can I see any words on the original factory drawing - hope I haven't missed anything.
Just had a thought - perhaps it's an ashtray ?
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Thank you, Paul, for posting this latest batch of RDs.
I will add them to the GMB RD database this evening.
As for RD 197154, I'm afraid that TNA online summary too fails to give a description of the item.
Fred.
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thanks Fred .... bearing in mind our new found knowledge regarding the sort of items that Messrs. Eliezer Edwards are known for having made, and combining this with the shape of 197154, then I think this adds weight to my thoughts that this also stands a good chance of being an ink related design.
I suppose though that it will always remain officially unconfirmed. :)
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The only thing I think it could be in that shape, if not an ink well, might be a candle holder? (Sealing wax and all that!)
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there is some way to go yet to complete the examples I have, so to prevent the moss from growing under our feet, here a few more for the archives ;)
Two new companies amongst these I believe. There is a comment on the drawing for Registration 215150 which reads - 'There is no utility resulting from the shape of this design' - and don't think I really understand what is meant by this. Something perhaps to do with a suggestion that the image is lacks proper 3D ?? - am sure someone else will know the real meaning.
Obviously some of these designs aren't intended solely to contain ink, but I've worked along the lines that if the word 'ink' occurs, then I've made a point of including the item.
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Thank you for showing theses latest design representations, Paul.
Some snippets re. beehive ink bottle RD 199959, registered on 15 August 1866 - Parcel 8 by Joseph Perkins Teagle & Edward Martin (proprietor) of 3 John Street, Cornwall Road, Lambeth, London. Class 3: glass.
From a seach of the online registration summaries at TNA, this appears to be their sole design registration.
From:
http://www.bottledigging.org.uk/forum/Topic374008.aspx (http://www.bottledigging.org.uk/forum/Topic374008.aspx)
The design was registered on August 15th 1866 by Joseph Teagle & Edwin Martin who were bottle manufacturers in London. They were declared bankrupts in 1868, so these inks can be dated quite accurately. Here's the announcement in The London Gazette :
"Joseph Perkins Teagle and Edwin Martin, formerly of No.3, John Street, Commercial Road, Lambeth, in the County of Surrey, Glass Bottle Manufacturers, and afterwards of the same place and of the Eclipse Glass Works, Artillery Street, Bermondsey, in the County of Surrey, Glass Bottle Manufacturers, and now of the Eclipse Glass Works, Artillery Street, Bermondsey aforesaid, Glass Bottle Manufacturers and Co-partners in Trade, having been adjudged bankrupts under a Petition for adjudication of Bankruptcy, filed in Her Majesty's Court of Bankruptcy in London, on the 21st day of May, 1868."
In the same link, the informant shows three pictures of two transparent glass "side lying diamond registration barrel inks" (one in clear glass and one in pale blue glass) mbossed with a diamond registry date mark and supposedly from Teagle & Martin's RD 199959 but, to me, they have little resemblance to the 'beehive' design shown on the design representation. The details on the registry date marks are difficult to read , but they should read Q - 15 - 8 - R if correctly identified.
John Street was, apparently, renamed Johnson Street (postcode E1 0AQ), and has now been completely redeveloped.
Artillery Street, Bermondsey, is now Artillery Lane (postcode E1 7LS), which runs between Spitalfields and Bishopsgate. Although some redevelopment has taken place, there are still some fine examples of 18th and 19th century premises there.
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol27/pp226-236 (http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol27/pp226-236)
There is record of a marriage of Joseph Perkins Teagle to Amelia Martin on 14 April 1861 at Spitalfields Christ Church, Stepney, London. Was Amelia Martin related to Teagle's co-proprietor Edward Martin?
Fred.
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thanks for bringing these pieces of history to life Fred - your additions with details of company information always appreciated.
four more items are now attached.
One................... 216632 - Molineaux Webb ......... As you'd expect, Neil has already investigated this one, although no image is included on his Molineaux Webb pressed glass site. He comments that this Registration consists of two pieces and has a pressed star pattern - I think Neil is almost certainly correct regarding his suggestion that a stopper forms part of this design.
Two................... 242642 - Registered in the name of James Hickisson, although as you can see on the drawing it's described as "Bond's Ornamental Design for Crystal Palace Writing Ink Bottle" - perhaps Bond were big time ink well designers. Although there's no mention of Hickisson on the drawing, I've checked the Register and Hickisson is shown as the Registrant.
James Bond (as you'll see on the next item) did in fact Registered designs in their own name - well, at least one design - so quite what the tie up with Hickisson was I don't presently know. Why the design reference to Crystal Palace? - it might possibly be that the cross section profile of the design has some similarity to that of the original Crystal Palace? - will need to look further into that aspect.
Three .................... 243267 - this appears to be James Bond Registering their own design - perhaps the shape was popular with clerical authorities, and just possible that the guttering below the roof was shaped appropriately in which a pen could be laid. Whether this had a lid or stopper of any sort isn't very clear from the drawing.
Four ............. 288863 - I've no knowledge of John Short Downing of B'ham - they may well be makers in view of their location - the other three companies I'm sure were all London based.
Regret to say that I forgot to check before typing the above whether or not we already have any of these items on the Board's archive.
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Thank you for this latest batch of design representations, Paul - the James Bond ' church' looks particularly interesting.
Snippets re. ink bottle RD 215150, registered by Edward Jackson Hollidge, Symond's Inn, Chancery Lane London, on 21 December 1867 - Parcel 6. Class 3; glass.
From a seach of the online registration summaries at TNA, this appears to be his sole design registration (though there are certainly glass ink bottles, presumably unregistered designs, bearing his name (see later).
Symond's Inn was one of the original 13 Inns of Court ( Lincoln's Inn; Temple; Gray's Inn; Furnival's Inn; Staple Inn; Sergeant's Inn; Clifford's Inn; Clement's Inn; New Inn; Lyon's Inn; Symond's Inn Barnard's Inn; Thavies Inn), a sizable number of buildings or precincts where barristers traditionally lodged, trained and carried on their profession.
Mr Vholes in Dickens' Bleak House has chambers in Symond’s Inn:
The name of Mr. Vholes, preceded by the legend Ground-Floor, is inscribed upon a door-post in Symond's Inn, Chancery Lane--a little, pale, wall-eyed, woebegone inn like a large dust-binn of two compartments and a sifter. It looks as if Symond were a sparing man in his way and constructed his inn of old building materials which took kindly to the dry rot and to dirt and all things decaying and dismal, and perpetuated Symond's memory with congenial shabbiness. Quartered in this dingy hatchment commemorative of Symond are the legal bearings of Mr. Vholes.
From:
http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications5/prisons-04.htm (http://www.victorianlondon.org/publications5/prisons-04.htm)
The Inns of Court are themselves sufficiently peculiar to give a strong distinctive mark to the locality in which they exist; for here are seen broad open squares like huge court-yards, paved and treeless, and flanked with grubby mansions - as big and cheerless-looking as barracks - every one of them being destitute of doors, and having a string of names painted in stripes upon the door-posts, that reminds one of the lists displayed at an estate-agent's office and there is generally a chapel-like edifice called the "hall," that is devoted to feeding rather than praying, and where the lawyerlings "qualify" for the bar by eating so many dinners, and become at length - gastronomically - learned in the law. Then how peculiar are the tidy legal gardens attached to the principal Inns, with their close-shaven grass-plots looking as sleek and bright as so much green plush, and the clean-swept gravel walks thronged with children, and nursemaids, and law-students. How odd, too, are the desolate-looking legal alleys or courts adjoining these Inns, with nothing but a pump or a cane-bearing street-keeper to be seen in the midst of them, and occasionally at one corner, beside a crypt-like passage, a stray dark and dingy barber's shop, with its seedy display of powdered horsehair wigs of the same dirty-white hue as London snow. Who, moreover, has not noted the windows of the legal fruiterers and law stationers hereabouts, stuck over with small announcements of clerkships wanted, each penned, in the well-known formidable straight-up-and-down three-and-fourpenny hand, and beginning-with a "This-Indenture"-like flourish of German text - "The Writer Hereof" &c. Who, too, while threading his way through the monastic- like byways of such places, has not been startled to find himself suddenly light upon a small enclosure, comprising a tree or two, and a little circular pool, hardly bigger than a lawyer's inkstand, with a so-called fountain in the centre, squirting up the water in one long thick thread, as if it were the nozzle of a fire-engine.
[Over the centuries the number of active Inns of Court was reduced to the present four: Lincoln's Inn; Inner Temple; Middle Temple; Gray's Inn].
It would appear, therefore that the registrant for RD 215150 was probably working in some capacity in the legal profession, although whether he was acting on his own behalf or for a client is not clear.
Edward Jackson Hollidge was a Yorkshireman, born 1831 (christened 8 November 1831, Holy Trinity, Hull); his father is Edward Hollidge (b. 16 March 1807, Cheshunt, Hertfordshire), and his mother's name is Ann. He died in the third quarter of 1891 in Hackney.
In the 1851 cenus, he is a merchant's clerk (aged 19, unmarried), living in Wright Street, Sculcoates, Yorkshire, with his father, Edward (head of household, aged 44, b. Chesham, Hertfordshire), Mary Elizabeth Masterman (Edward Snrs. daughter-in-law, aged 28) and 2 servants.
Edward Jackson Hollidge married Elizabeth Pinder on 18 May 1853 in Holy Trinty, Hull. Father of the groom - Edward Hollidge; father of the bride - Charles Pinder
Children: James Edward (M., chr. 3 April 1854, Holy Trinity, Hull); Charles (M., Chr. 18 August 1855, Holy Trinity, Hull); John (M., Chr. 29 October 1856, Holy Trinity, Hull); William (M., chr. 2 October 1857, Holy Trinity, Hull); Frederick (M., Chr. 28 April 1858, Holy Trinity, Hull); Mary Elizabeth (F., chr. 11 June 1861, St. Luke, Hull); Alice Maud (F., Chr. 30 June 1862, Hull); Arthur (M., b. about 1866 in Wakefield, Yorkshire).
In the 1871 census, he is aged 39, living in Hammersmith, London, with his wife, Elizabeth (aged 37, born in Horner?, Lincolnshire), and his son, James Edward (aged 17). Occupation - ink maker.
In the 1881 census, he is living in Canonbury Grove, Islington (head of household, aged 49), with his wife Elizabeth ( aged 47, described as being born in Horncastle, Lincolnshire) his sons, Edward, Frederick, and Arthur (Arthur aged 15, b. in Wakefield, Yorks.), and his father, Edward (aged 74, b. Cheshunt, Hertfordshire). Edward Jackson Hollidge is described as a 'silk manufacturer, employing 6 hands') - perhaps this is a mistranscription of 'ink manufacturer' ?. Quite a smart address.
In the 1891 census, (aged 59, b. Yorkshire). he was living at 34 Devonshire Road, Hackney, with his wife, Elizabeth, (aged 57, b. Lincolnshire), his son, Arthur (aged 25, b. Yorkshire), and his father, Edward (84, b. Hertfordshire). He is described as an 'ink manufacturer'. Another smart address by the looks of the Victorian houses still surviving.
There is a death record for Edward Jackson Hollidge (aged 60) of Hackney in the 3rd quarter of 1891, and for Elizabeth Hollidge (aged 65) of Hackney in the first quarter of 1898.
Glass pen rest ink bottle marked 'Hollinge, London' on the shoulder at
http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/inkwell-pen-rest-hollidge-ink-bottle-105189804 (http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/inkwell-pen-rest-hollidge-ink-bottle-105189804)
quite similar to Hollidge's RD 215150 bottle. I gather that this shape is also known as a 'rectangular cabin' or 'boat' ink
E.J. Hollidge Ltd 'Eureka Bright Blue Ink' branded stoneware ink bottle at
https://www.ebth.com/items/112501-eureka-vintage-inkwell (https://www.ebth.com/items/112501-eureka-vintage-inkwell)
There is a Hollidge stoneware 'penny ink' bottle on the bottom middle row of the section at
http://www.antiquebottles.co.za/pages/categories/Ink.htm (http://www.antiquebottles.co.za/pages/categories/Ink.htm)
Stoneware ink bottle, including one with a label for
‘HOLLIDGE’S WRITTING FLUID // MANUFACTURED BY E.J. HOLLIDGE LTD // KING HENRY’S WALK, LONDON // ESTABLISHED 1861 (or 1851?)’ at
http://www.khwgarden.org.uk/about-the-garden/history/ (http://www.khwgarden.org.uk/about-the-garden/history/)
King Henry's Walk, London is at postcode NI 4NX, and is less than a mile from Edward Jackson Hollidge's Canonbury Grove address (postcode N1 2HR) residential address of 1881.
Fred.
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Snippets re. 'clerical inkstand' RD 243267, registered by James Bond, proprietor, Works, 75 Southgate Road, London, on July 18 1870 - Parcel 4. Class 3: glass.
Oddly, the registrant's name details seem to have been erased from the design representation for some reason (I think the reason possibly being that 'Bond's' may have been acquired by James Hickisson - see below).
Notice dated May 26, 1852, from 'The Globe and Traveller':
CAUTION.—TO TRADESMEN,
MERCHANTS, SHIPPERS OUTFITTERS, &c.
Whereas; it has lately come to my knowledge that some unprincipled person or persons have for some time past been imposing upon the public by selling to the Trade and others a spurious article under the name of BOND'S PERMANENT MARKING INK: This is to give notice, that I am the Original and Sole Proprietor and Manufacturer of the said article, and do not employ any traveller, or authorise any person to represent themselves as coming from my Establishment for the purpose of selling the said Ink, This Caution is published by me to prevent further imposition upon the public, and serious injury to myself.
E. R. BOND, Sole Executrix and Widow of the late John Bond, 28, Long lane, West Smithfield, London.
See:
http://www.londonancestor.com/globe/adv-caution.htm (http://www.londonancestor.com/globe/adv-caution.htm)
From the 'Great Britain Royal Commission for the Chicago Exhibition 1893 - British Section':
Bond, John (now J. Hickisson), 75 Southgate Road, London, N. Crystal Palace. John Bond's marking ink and appliances for marking linen, cotton, and other textiles, writing and copying inks of every description, rubber stamps and stencil plates, cement for mending china and glass, patent disinfecting pen, patent disinfecting inks.
A magazine advert published in 1896 for 'John Bond's Daughter's Rubber Stamps. Crystal Palace, John Bond's Daughter's Gold Medal Marking Ink Works'. See:
http://www.sensationpress.com/victorianrubberstamps.htm (http://www.sensationpress.com/victorianrubberstamps.htm)
From the British Journal of Nursing, August 30, 1913:
John Bond's " Crystal Palace " Marking Ink is a household word for excellence, and we there- fore assume this to be taken for granted, and direct our readers' attentcon fortliwitli to the cendy-introduced " John Bond's ' Crystal Palace ' Marking Ink Cabinet." This comprises a red leatherette hinged box, a square bottle of non- heat marking ink, a new perfected metallic marking pen and holder, and a linen stretcher- also a voucher entitling purchasers to their name or monogram. rubber stamp, with pad and brush, for 7:Id. The marking of linen, desirable in the case of private individuals, is essential in public institutions, to minimise mistakes, theft and loss. Private nurses also who are constantly moving from one case to another realise the necessity of having their linen legibly marked if they are not to lose many small articles in the wash. To them this compact and convenient little cabinet will be a veritable boon, and we unhesitatingly recommend it. The ink can be obtained in bottles for 6d. or IS., from all chemists, stationers, or stores, or direct on receipt of stamps from the manufactory, 75, Southgate Road, London, N. Bond's Marking Ink has now been on the market for a century, and during this period the proprietors have been honoured with Royal appoint ments, Government contracts, and gold medals from all parts of the world.
See:
http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUME051-1913/page178-volume51-30thaugust1913.pdf (http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUME051-1913/page178-volume51-30thaugust1913.pdf)
1929 advert for John Bond's marking ink
http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUME077-1929/page309-volume77-november1929.pdf (http://rcnarchive.rcn.org.uk/data/VOLUME077-1929/page309-volume77-november1929.pdf)
A selection of adverts for Bond's Marking Ink from between 1859 and 1936 shown at:
http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Bond (http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/John_Bond)
John Bond Crystal Palace Pen nib:
http://www.thepalimpsest.co.uk/2013/08/john-bond-crystal-palace-pen-nib.html (http://www.thepalimpsest.co.uk/2013/08/john-bond-crystal-palace-pen-nib.html)
Explanation of Bond's use of the 'Crystal Palace' brand name, from:
http://www.studygroup.org.uk/Articles/Content/91/James%20Bond.htm (http://www.studygroup.org.uk/Articles/Content/91/James%20Bond.htm)
The Name is Bond, John Bond, Licensed to Quill.
by
Fred Peskett
The firework company C.T. Brock was well known in adopting the name “Crystal Palace” and the image of the building as their trade mark for many years. However, there was another company using both the name and image of the Crystal Palace, John Bond who manufactured Marking Inks to identify laundry. These were made from the early 1800’s right through to the 1950’s when it was the custom to mark linens with a name or some other identification prior to sending to the laundry or bag-wash. When John Bond, who had a factory in North London’s Balls Pond Road area first started using the “Crystal Palace” and image of the building as a trade mark is uncertain, the establishment of the firm was in 1806, and it has been suggested that they exhibited at the Great Exhibition in 1851 and later supplied their Marking Kits to the Crystal Palace Company from 1854, hence using the Palace connection as a trade mark was given as a favour.
The Marking Kits in the early 1800’s comprised a small bottle of permanent marking ink, a short quill pen, and a linen stretcher or writing tablet made in two wooden parts. A central disc with tapered sides and a matching annulus with the internal tapered diameter a little larger than that of the disc. The method was to place the piece of linen to be marked over the disc and press the annulus over the cloth and disc, thus providing a taut surface to write upon. From about 1890 to the 1950's the guill pen was replaced by a conventional steel nib pen.
The 1860's design of the Linen Stretcher/Writing Tablet was 2 5/8" diameter by 5/8" thick, the annulus is 2 7/8" diameter by 3/8" thick, a blue label covers the tablet and is marked “CRYSTAL PALACE” BOND’S CABINET. LINEN STRETCHER. 1/6. This design was changed in the early 1900’s to a 2 1/4" diameter by 1/2" thick disc with the annulus 2 3/8" diameter by 3/8" thick, now with printed labels in red, which range from light red to orange red, and from deep red to scarlet, all are now marked, JOHN BOND’S “CRYSTAL PALACE” WRITING TABLET, and have a view of the Palace and Terraces. There is a minor difference on some whereby the quotation marks of “CRYSTAL PALACE” are sometimes reversed.
These tablets were given free with the 1/- kit. There is also a “Presentation Linen Stretcher” which comes in two sizes of disc, 1 7/8" and 2 1/8" diameter with orange-red or deep red labels. The larger size has a view of the Crystal Palace without the Terrace in front. These were also given free with the enlarged 1/- kit. Finally the Linen Stretchers from the 1950's are made of tin-plate, 1 3/8" diameter by 3/8" thick with a metal circlip instead of the annulus and no longer having the “CRYSTAL PALACE” words or view.
The “Kit” and ink bottle packaging boxes also reflect the Crystal Palace trade mark and did so right up to early 1950’s. The John Bond “Crystal Palace” Marking Ink products make an unusual and cheap theme to collect in respect of Palace memorabilia, there are probably more variations yet to be found. There was of course another Bond associated with writing, Basildon Bond, however, he was a man of “Letters”.
It appears that, some time between 1859 and 23 June 1870, the 'John Bond' brand was acquired by J[ames] Hickisson and run by him as a proprietor from 75 Southgate Road, Islington, London, and because 'John Bond' and Hickisson are so intertwined I will give more details about James Hickisson in a subsequent post.
75-84 Southgate Road still exists as a substantial block of large Victorian houses (some now converted) - postcode N1 3JS.
Fred.
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Snippets re. ' Bond's... Crystal Palace writing ink bottle' RD 242642, , registered by James Hickisson, proprietor, of 75 Southgate Road, London on 23 June 1870 - Parcel 2. Class 3: glass.
From my previous post, it is obvious that James Hickisson has the same design registration address as James Bond, and that Hickisson seems to have become the proprietor of John Bond / Bond of 75 Southgate Road, London, before 23 June 1870 (and retains the Bond company name).
The use of the Crystal Palace brand name by Bond is dealt with in my previous post.
In the London Gazette of 18 December 1877, Mrs. M.A. Hickisson, 75-84 Southgate Road, was exhibiting marking ink. She is presumably James Hickisson's wife.
75-84 Southgate Road still exists as a substantial block of large Victorian houses (some now converted) - postcode N1 3JS.
1891 census: James Hickisson, ink maker, living at Essex Road, Islington. Head of household (aged 64, b.about 1827 in London), married.
Roll of electors 1891 and 1892 - James Hickisson living at 75 Southgate Road (dwelling house).
I can't find any death record or will details for James Hickisson so far.
Fred.
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quote ............. "The Name is Bond, John Bond, Licensed to Quill." .... don't you just love it ..... stunning punning..
Marvellous stuff and very many thanks as always Fred for the time you put into these things - I will read and digest a little later.
Needless to say I have more, but will give you a break for a few days. :)
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Stunning being the operative word there! ;D
Carolyn
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Snippets re. glass inkstand RD 288863, registered by John Short Downing, Crown Works, 104 Irving Street, Birmingham, on 29 January 1875 - Parcel 2. Class 3: Glass.
According to TNA online summary of design registrations, John Short Downing also registered:
RD 282577 on 26 May 1874 - ornamental design for glass inkstand; Class 1: metal !!
RD 284581 on 25 August 1874 - Class 3: glass, but no description of item
RD 289799 on 8 March 1875 - inkstand
RD 290101 on 30 March 1875 - glass pen and tray
RD 290192 on 30 March 1875 - [glass] inkstand
RD 301266 on 15 June 1876 - [glass] inkstand; Crown Works address given as Commercial Road, Birmingham
RD 379826 on 24 April 1882 - [glass] pen tray; Commercial Road, Birmingham again.
It is thought that Irving Street was named after Washington Irving, the American author of `Rip Van Winkle', who had connections with Birmingham.
Irving Street (postcode now B1 1DH) seems, until at least the early 20th century, to have run parallel to Holloway Head (now part of the B4127) for a long distance but now there's only a small part of the street left (even that completely redeveloped) , running from Bristol Street at the side of the Catholic Church.
John Short Downing, b. 1st qtr. 1846, Birmingham.
1851 census, at Hill Street, Birmingham: John Downing (5, b. 1846, Birmingham, scholar), is living with his father, Joseph (31, head of household), his mother, Caroline (31, b. Kidderminster), his sister, Rebecca (3), and his paternal aunt, Rose Bodgers (21, b. Bewdley).
1871 census, John Short Downing, MANUFACTURER, (aged 25, b. 1846) is living in Edgbaston with his father, Joseph (aged 51), his mother, Caroline (aged 51), and his siblings, Mary H. (18), Sarah M. (16), Emily Caroline (13), Joseph H. (11), and William.
Marriage record for John Short Downing to Ellen Setten, 1st qtr 1871, at St. Thomas, Devon.
1881 census, at Pershore Road, Edgbaston: John Short Downing, BRASS FOUNDER (EMPLOYING 100) , John Shorter Downing (35, head of household)), with his wife, Ellen (35, b. Exmouth, Devon)), his 5 children - John H. (7), Alice (5), Caroline(3), Ernest S. (2), and Marie (0) [all born in Birmingham] - his brother-in-law, Robert Setten (33, b. Exmouth, Devon), plus 2 female servants.
1891 census, at Raddle Barn Lane, Northfield, Kings Norton: John Short Downing, MANUFACTURER OF STATIONERY SUNDRIES, (45, head of household), with his wife, Ellen (45, born Devonshire), his 3 children - John H. (17), Ernest L. (12), and Marie (10), plus 3 servants (2 female + 1 male).
1901 census (31 March), at Sir Harry's Road, Edgbaston: John Short Downing, STATIONERS SUNDRIES MANUFTR. ,(55, head), with his wife Ellen (55, b. Exmouth), with 4 children - Alice (25), Caroline (23), Ernest S.? (22), and Marie (20) - plus 3 female servants.
I've not been able to find any information about the Crown Works at either Irving Street or Commercial Street so far.
Fred.
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just to comment briefly on Fred's notes yesterday regarding the following.....................
""RD 282577 on 26 May 1874 - ornamental design for glass inkstand; Class 1: metal !!
RD 284581 on 25 August 1874 - Class 3: glass, but no description of item
RD 289799 on 8 March 1875 - inkstand
RD 290101 on 30 March 1875 - glass pen and tray
RD 290192 on 30 March 1875 - [glass] inkstand
RD 301266 on 15 June 1876 - [glass] inkstand; Crown Works address given as Commercial Road, Birmingham
RD 379826 on 24 April 1882 - [glass] pen tray; Commercial Road, Birmingham again."
Would appear from my records that I'm missing Regs. 282577 and 284581 - so will need to visit Kew for these - hopefully some time quite soon. I've looked at the Register, but this lacks any description for 284581, so may well turn out not to be ink related.
However, I do have pix of the subsequent five Regs. and will add these in the coming day or two as I reach these higher numbers.
I think Fred that your 290101 should read 290101 - at least the Kew picture does show a pen tray under this Rd. Nol., although not the pen itself, despite the comments in the Register of "glass pen and tray". I haven't been aware of seeing any Registered designs for pens - at least not prior to c. 1900.
Although technically a fountain pen of sorts was invented by Waterman, I think, some time in the early 1880s, most pens prior to WW I were eye droppers and dip pens, and quality was a bit hit and miss and a variety of methods of filling, and nib fitments, were tried before arriving at the designs we now know which were reliable.
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Just to confirm that 'my' RD 290101 of 30 March 1875 should read RD 290191 of 30 March 1875 (glass pen and tray).
TNA reference BT 43/62/290191.
Fred.
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thanks Fred. When I started clicking my shutter at Kew some several years back, and in my keenness to photograph those items that I thought would be of interest to collectors and folk on the GMB, I obviously used too much discretion and omitted anything that didn't meet with my approval ............. hence the few items that I now don't have in my own records.
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and no - they haven't finished yet ;)
Couple more for John Short Downing, so your recent notes Fred will adequate for these further Regs. of theirs. Reg. 300519 for Charles Harris of B'ham can be found correctly in Jenny Thompson as her records are simply photos of the Kew archive Representation pages - poor and faint quality at times with some of the text unreadable as those folk who have Thompson's book will know, but nothing missing in the sequence sense.
However, understandably in view of the poor legibility of this particular No. in the original Board of Trade Register (the volume that contains names and addresses etc. of all Registrants from the 'lozenge' period), Ray slack has mis-read the No. as 300619, and it appears as such in his book. This would suggest that he appears to have used the Register only from which to extract his 'list', and possibly not looked at the design images in the Representations book. I could be wrong - hope I'm not maligning you Ray. :)
I'm not entirely sure how the design for 300519 is intended to function - it appears there might be a lid, but not sure - and which part is supposed to be the pen rack is unclear.
Occurs to me that this outline shape is similar Eliezer Edwards Reg. 197154 which I listed some days back, which was also circular and the suggestion was made then of a possible candle holder - since there was nothing in either the Register of Representations book to say what its use might have been. Since we know that the round 'lemon squeezer' shape of 300519 is an inky item, might this lend support to my thoughts that 197154 was also intended for the same purpose?? :)
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Thank you posting this latest batch of design representations, Paul.
I will try and add the John Short Downing RDs to the GMB RD database tomorrow, then try and research the other two over the weekend.
Fred.
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Snippets re. ink bottle RD 247945, registered by Henry Thacker and Company, New Street Square, London, on 22 November 1870 - Parcel 4; Class 3: glass.
New Street Square is on New Fetter Lane between Fleet Street and High Holborn in central London (postcode EC4 3LX), now completely redeveloped.
Photos below of a Thacker's Ink bottle bearing the registry date lozenge for 22 November 1870 - Parcel 4 (RD 247945), complete with original label, cork stopper, and dried remains of the original ink contents. (Permission to re-use these images on the GMB granted by kadok14). The bottle itself seems to be of clear glass, and I believe the type of bottle is often described as a 'tent' bottle.
Also photo of an empty very pale blue-green bottle (which the owner describes as 'aqua') which bears the registry date lozenge, and an empty cobalt example (the base simply embossed 'THACKER | LONDON). (Permission to re-use these images on the GMB granted by cockscomb).
There is a Thacker's Ink porcelain sign shown at
http://www.porcelainsigns.com/image-galleries/other-signs-t-z/thackers-ink-tablets-porcelain-sign/ (http://www.porcelainsigns.com/image-galleries/other-signs-t-z/thackers-ink-tablets-porcelain-sign/)
and photos of a lithographed Thacker's Ink Tiger Brand ink tablets tin at
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Thackers-Ink-Tablets-Ad-Tiger-Brand-Litho-Tin-Box/361842392345 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Thackers-Ink-Tablets-Ad-Tiger-Brand-Litho-Tin-Box/361842392345)
It bears the instructions: "Important - Clean the ink pot thoroughly before use. Do not mix with any other ink. | Dissolve the tablet in an inkpot of water. About 144 tablets. | | Does not scratch the paper. Does not corrode the pen. Very smooth in writing. Very easily soluble. About 144 tablets."
1841 census: at John's Row, St Luke, Middlesex - Henry Thacker (5, b. Middlesex)), living with his mother, Jane Thacker (30-34, head of household), and his siblings - Hannah (11), Thomas (10), Robert (4) and Emma (2).
1851 census; at John's Row, St Luke, Middlesex -Henry Thacker, junior clerk bookseller (15), still living with his mother (born Bromley, Kent) + 3 siblings, - Hannah(b. Bloomsbury), Thomas, and Emma.
1861 census: at Hemingford Road, Heminford Place, Islington - Henry Thacker (25, b. St Luke, Middlesex, about 1836, bookseller, unmarried) living with his mother, Jane (head of household, 54, b. Kent) and sister, Emma (22, b. St Luke, Middlesex).
1871 census: at New Barnet, Chipping Barnet, Middlesex - Henry Thacker, INK MANUFACTURER (34, head of household), living with his wife, Margaret A. Thacker (20, b. Corsham, Wiltshire) and his daughter, Fanny M. Thacker (0, b. Barnet, Hertfordshire).
Charles Henry Thacker, son of Henry Thacker and Margaret Anne Thacker, christened 5 November 1874, in the Parish of Holy Trinty, Lyonsdown, Hertfordshire.
Lilian Thyra Thacker, daughter of Henry Thacker and Margaret Anne Thacker, christened 5 November 1874, in the Parish of Holy Trinty, Lyonsdown, Hertfordshire.
1881 census: at Leicester Road, Chipping Barnet (Herts.), Middlesex - Henry Thacker, INK MANUFACTURER, (45, head of household, b. St Luke, Middlesex), living with his wife, Margaret A. Thacker (38, b. Corsham, Wiltshire), his 4 children - Fanny M. (10), Lilian T. ,8, Charles H., (7), and Hilda K. (1) - all born in New Barnet, Hertfordshire, plus 1 female servant.
1891 census: at Ferme Park Road, Hornsey, Middlesex - Henry Thacker, INK MANUFACTURER (55, head of household), living with his wife, Margaret A. Thacker - and his 3 children - Fanny M. (20), Lilian T., (18), and Charles H. (17).
1901 census: at Ferme Park Road, Hornsey, Middlesex - Henry Thacker, WHOLESALE STATIONER, (62, head of household), living with his wife, Margaret A. Thatcher (50), his son, Charles H Thacker (27), plus 3 male boarders.
Fred.
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Photos of a lithographed Thacker's Ink No. 606 ink tablets tin complete with original contents. The lid is colour lithographed with a view of a small sail boat in the shadow of an erupting Mount Vesuvius, and the sides have views of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, the Pyramids, Egypt, and Niagra Falls, America. (Permission to re-use these images on the GMB granted by tinmanrsa).
Fred.
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Glass ink with pen (sic.) RD 300519, registered by Charles Harris, Ford Street, Hockley, Birmingham, Warwickshire, on 13 May 1876 - Parcel 3. Class 3 : glass.
The design representation clearly describes the design as for a 'glass ink with pen rack combined'.
Ford Street, Hockley, Birmingham (postcode B18 5PL) has been completely redeveloped with modern housing.
"Ford Street consisted of a row of houses on one side and factories on the other side. The houses were 2 up and 2 down [back-to-back terraces] and the toilet was outside. At the top end of the street was the tram station. During the war, Birmingham was repeatedly bombed by the Germans ... and there were several direct hits by bombs on Ford Street."
http://www.francisfrith.com/birmingham/2up-and-2down_memory-162861 (http://www.francisfrith.com/birmingham/2up-and-2down_memory-162861)
No glaringly obvious genealogical match to Charles Harris, but this may be a lead:
1871 census: at Birmingham - Charles Harris , GLASS MOULDER, (34, head of household, b. Yardley, Worcestershire), with his wife, Eliza (28, b. Wordsley, Staffs.), his sister -in law, Harriet Hanke (30, b. Wordsley), and Francis Hanke (0, b. Wordsley - Harriet Hanke's son).
Interestingly, Charles' wife was born in Wordsley, in the heart of the Stourbridge glass industry.
Christening of Albert Harris, son of Charles and Eliza Harris, 18 June 1876, Birmingham.
Christening of Herbert Harris, son of Charles and Eliza Harris, 23 February 1879, Birmingham.
Christening of William Harris, son of Charles and Eliza Harris, 16 October 1887, Birmingham.
Fred.
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thanks for the additional information Fred, very interesting and a good glimpse back into the past. The Thacker's ink tablets shown in your link etc. appear to have been intended for use only with relevant ink bottle, and of course water, an effective way to make up ink as and when you need it.
In my fountain pen collection I have an example of a Thomas De Le Rue (London) 'The Pelletink Pen' made for use on active service I believe, possibly a little prior to WW II................ this has a two compartment barrel, one to contain water and the other for a supply of ink pellets. The cavity nearest the nib was filled with water and a single ink pellet added - when mixed and ready to go this would then allow the ink to run through the feed and up into the nib. No idea as to efficiency or whether it leaked, and if you were stuck in the desert then a source of water might be difficult.
I think some of the early inks were on the acidic side and bad news for steel nibs, so 14 ct. gold nibs a good idea - which most of them were.
Here a few more ink items which I hope are of interest.
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Thank you for this latest batch of design representation, Paul. I hope to add them to the GMB RD database shortly.
Re:RD 282882, registered by Toy & Jones [Toy & Frederick Jones] of 38 Howard Street, Birmingham on 10 June 1874 - Parcel 4. Class 3 : glass. No description of item given in summary.
RD 283567, registered by Toy and Jones [Toy & Frederick Jones] of 38 Howard Street, Birmingham, Warwickshire on 13 July 1874 - Parcel 3. Class 3: glass. No description of item given in summary.
Bit of a mystery really.
The designs certainly seem to resemble ink wells or inkstands, but without a reasonable description with the design registrations I suppose they could be paperweights, for example.
A search of TNA online summary of design registrations fails to reveal any additional design registrations by the registrant.
Howard Street, Birmingham, (current postcode B19 3HH) is near St. George's Church and Hockley, just outside the north-eastern boundary of Birmingham's famous Jewellery Quarter. Now occupied purely as an inner city industrial location (mostly 20th century redevelopment with a few factory remnants from the late 19th century), but in the mid- to late-1800s it was a mixed area of residential terraced houses (dating from c. 1820-1840) with rear and side 'courts' intermingled with many small workshops and factories - jewellers, silversmiths, gun parts manufacturers, brass founders, light engineering and general metalworking, etc. - typical of the type for which Birmingham was justifiaby industrially renowned. at the time.
http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/2853/
http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/2857/
http://epapers.bham.ac.uk/2856/
I've drawn a blank with my genealogical researches so far. There are a few males with the surname Toy associated with area from the 1830 through to 1900 but most seem to be simply tradesmen or labourers, and none seem to fit the profile for a registrant of a glass design. Frederick Jones is a very common name in the district at the time and I can't find a likely fit as such either.
Fred.
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quote................. "The designs certainly seem to resemble ink wells or inkstands, but without a reasonable description with the design registrations I suppose they could be paperweights, for example" ....
You're quite right of course Fred - I've become so paranoid about thinking I'm seeing these things ... Is this an ink well I see before me ......
I might well be inventing them now......... and there's nothing in the Register for either of these two., but the shape looked promising :-[
If you'd like to delete them, we can.
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Let them stand, Paul. All grist to the mill.
Fred.
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this is possibly the last few I have for the time being - others may surface in due course, but it looks as though I have exhausted examples from the lozenge period - but if people do find some more please let me know. :)
The John Short Downing pen tray shown below is similar to another design form them which was posted a few days back, No. 290191 - one has a curved shape to the end whilst the other is a square ended tray.
Always good to see these things in the flesh, should anyone have an example to show. :)
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back a few posts, Fred mentioned Registration No. 282577 dated 26 May 1874 - "ornamental design for glass inkstand; Class 1: metal !!"................ this was another item Registered by John Short Downing - this is Kew reference BT 44/3.
I requested this Representation book from the desk, but regret to say it's presently unavailable due to extremely poor condition, and awaiting conservation.......... suffering from mould I believe. Not that it matters too much since it's metal and not glass, but I would have posted a picture just out of curiosity to complete the Downing list. Anyway this is just to say we won't now see this one.
Not quite sure how this one is described as 'glass inkstand' if it's a CLASS I Registration (for Metal) ?? -
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Just to put into perspective how many ink well designs may be out there, the Percival Vickers 1881 catalog has 28 unregistered inkwell designs, and a further 5 plain ink well pots, and that's just one company!
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thanks Neil - yes appreciate there must be millions of them out there, so the few Registered designs that I've shown are just the tip of the iceberg so to speak, and as I hope has been very obvious, it was never my intention to show unregistered designs for that very reason. :)
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seems I overlooked this one which I collected whilst at Kew on Tuesday....... but I think this is the final item - I hope ;)
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Thank you for showing these last few 'inky design representations, Paul.
Snippets re:
Blackwood & Co. ink bottle RD 250430 of 16 February 1871 - Parcel 5; registrant's address 18 Bread Street Hill, City EC.
and
Blackwood & Co.RD 250600 ink bottle of 24 February 1871 - Parcel 8; registrant's address 18 Bread Street Hill, City EC.
From
http://www.thepalimpsest.co.uk/2014/11/ink-day-blackwood-co-ink-wherein-scant.html (http://www.thepalimpsest.co.uk/2014/11/ink-day-blackwood-co-ink-wherein-scant.html)
London ink manufacturer Blackwood & Co departed from the pantheon of ink makers without leaving many traces behind.
An advertisement in The Times attests Blackwood's existence already in 1851. Their "steel pen, copying, writing and other inks" are "contained in the clean registered stone and glass bottles with durable cork" and are "superior to all others in use." At that date Blackwood was based at 26 Long Acre (Covent Garden) and continued to do so three years later in 1854.
In May 1856, Blackwood & Co had their ink bottles patented and again in 1871.
In 1861, another advertisement in The Times gives a different address: the manufacture is now at 18 Bread Street Hill in the City. In 1878, they take part in the Paris exhibition and although no awards were taken back home, Blackwood must have done well for themselves becoming writing ink suppliers to the H.M Stationery Office.
Palimpsest's research in the National Archives, British History online, Archive. org and Newspapers.com did not yield any more fruits. This is work in progress.
I think I will try to email 'Palimpsest' with links to these posts.
I attach a couple of photos of a ribbed ink bottle with integral pen rests that is very similar in design to Balckwood & Co.'s RD 250530, though this particular example appears to lack any identifying marks.
I also attach a couple of photos of an 'as dug' ink bottle embossed 'Blackwood & Co. | London' that must surely be from their RD 250600 even though it lacks the registry date lozenge. (Permission for the re-use of these images on the GMB granted by bottlemaster).
Fred.
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Re. reply#87, John Short Downing pen tray RD 379826, registered 24 April 1882 - Parcel 2:
Anne E.B. has photos of this pen tray and its registry date lozenge on the Glass Queries Gallery at:
http://www.yobunny.org.uk/glassgallery/displayimage.php?pos=-8567
and
http://www.yobunny.org.uk/glassgallery/displayimage.php?pos=-8566
Fred.
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Re. glass inkstand RD 270525, registered by Henry Herbert of 2 Charterhouse Building, [Goswell Road], London, EC., on 17 February 1873 - Parcel 8.
This is the only design registered by Henry Herbert revealed by an online summary search at TNA.
From the London Gazette of 12 July, 1872:
NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore existing between us the undersigned, Henry Herbert and Thomas Higgins, carrying on business at 2, Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Rroad, in the county of Middlesex, as Merchants and Manufacturers, under the style of Herbert and Higgins, has been this day dissolved by mutual consent. All debts due and owing to and from the late concern will be received and paid by the said Henry Herbert, who will continue to carry on the said business on his own account.—As witness our hands this 5th day of July, 1872.
Henry Herbert.
Thomas Higgins
Derived from:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp385-406#h3-0005
Charterhouse Buildings stood on what is now the southern corner of Clerkenwell Road and Goswell Road. The stimulus for building them was the departure of Charterhouse School to Godalming and the sale of the old premises at the Charterhouse to the Merchant Taylors' Company as a new home for its own school. Part of the attraction was the spaciousness of the grounds. But given the Merchant Taylors' limited funds, and the need for alterations and extensive new building, a substantial part of the site, mostly playground and including the valuable frontages to Wilderness Row and Goswell Road, had to be let or sold for development. The property was conveyed to the Merchant Taylors in two lots, the intended building ground in 1868 and the remainder a few years later. In 1869 a small piece fronting Goswell Road was bought by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for building two adjoining vicarages: one for St Thomas's Charterhouse, immediately to the south of the plot, the other for St Mary's Charterhouse, in Playhouse Yard, between Golden Lane and Whitecross Street. At the same time, a deal was struck with two City warehousemen, Henry Thomas Tubbs and Joseph Lewis, for the development of the rest of the building ground. Tubbs and Lewis built up most of the ground themselves, initially taking leases of the new buildings and subsequently exercising their option to buy the freeholds of both built-up and still-vacant plots. Their buildings were designed by the architect John Collier.
Of the original development by Tubbs and Lewis of 1870–4 only a fragment survives: Nos 4–7 Charterhouse Buildings in Goswell Road, erected in 1870. Many of the buildings were destroyed by fire in 1885. In this conflagration, reportedly the biggest London had seen since the Tooley Street blaze of 1861, the warehouses were reduced to rubble, their walls burst apart by the expansion of the iron floor-beams. Their replacements, and several more of the buildings, including Foresters' Hall and the two vicarages (Nos 27 and 27A Goswell Road) suffered heavy bomb-damage in the Second World War and had to be demolished. Much of the vacant land was acquired by St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College for building on, but remained vacant for many years, used only as parking space. Redevelopment of this site, which extends from Clerkenwell Road behind Charterhouse Buildings to Goswell Street, began in 2006. The new buildings, collectively called Charterhouse the Square, comprise flats and some commercial spaces, together with a cardiac and cancer research centre for Bart's Hospital
Fred.
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Re. glass inkstand RD 318467, registered by Widmore Hyatt of 5 Newhall Street, Dudley, on 9 February 1878 - Parcel 14.
I was particularly curious about this design because I was brought up on the outskirts of Dudley and went to the Grammar School in the town itself.
Although there are records of several glassworks operating in Dudley town in the mid-19th century, all but two seem to have ceased production by 1875. The two remaining were:
The Eve Hill Glassworks, whose main production under the Lane family concentrated on lamp glasses and fancy globes and shades for various types of lighting, though they also made confectionery glass and stationer's equipment. This glassworks was operational until its closure in 1932 - the last of the Dudley glassworks, thereby ending a 200 year old tradition.
The Castle Foot Glassworks (situated, as its name suggests, at the foot of Dudley Castle hill opposite the end of the present Tower Street, and in the area of the present Dudley Zoo offices). Founded in the 1780s, by the 1870's it was run by John Renaud and produced mainly heavy cut and engraved table glass. It was operational until 1900 as Renaud & Son, and the main glasshouse was demolished in 1902.
In neither case can I find any mention of Widmore Hyatt in their records.
A brief genealogical search has also failed to yield any results (which surprises me somewhat as both 'Widmore' and 'Hyatt' are unusual names, especially in the Dudley area).
Unfortunately, Newhall Street, Dudley, seems to have disappeared now, probably as a result of the extensive development of much of the town centre post-WW2.
If Widmore & Hyatt were retailers or merchants there were, of course, numerous glass bottle works and other glass works in the nearby Stourbridge area (or not much further away, in Birmingham) perfectly capable of producing ink bottles, ink stands, and the like on their behalf.
Fred
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1901 census: at Ferme Park Road, Hornsey, Middlesex - Henry Thacker, WHOLESALE STATIONER, (62, head of household), living with his wife, Margaret A. Thatcher (50), his son, Charles H Thacker (27), plus 3 male boarders.
Fred.
;D irrelevant to thread but made me laugh
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obviously people who rented rooms 116 years ago were satisfied with a lot less in life - on the other hand Mrs. Thatcher (typo ??) may well have been a very popular and amenable lady ;) ;)
good job it was the 1901 census that Fred wanted............. I was doing some research last year regarding my own forbears and needed details from the 1932 census. Being a bit thick, and not realizing there was a statutory 100 year wait before census details were released, I made enquiries only to discover that the entire collected data for that particular census were destroyed by fire on the night of Saturday 19th December 1941. Enemy bombing, I hear you say, quite understandable since all the paperwork was stored in a warehouse in Hayes, Middlesex, and there was a war on ............ but no, apparently no enemy action that night. It turned out it was in all probability caused by a cigarette thrown down by one of the 'fire watchers' :o
So, if you want anything from the 1932 census, forget it.
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Just for accuracy, Paul, it was the 1931 Census not 1932. There was a national register taken in 1939 at the outbreak of war, which effectively fills the gap between the 1921 census (which hasn't yet been released under the 100 year closure rule) and the 1951 post war census, and which may be consulted on one website only (at a cost). 1941 census didn't happen due to the war, of course.
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you're quite right Anne - heavens knows what possessed me to write '32 - so thanks for the correction. I suppose we might now find this a slightly humorous loss of information, but I'd imagine they were beside themselves with grief at the time.
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Re. glass inkstand RD 318467, registered by Widmore Hyatt of 5 Newhall Street, Dudley, on 9 February 1878 - Parcel 14.
In neither case can I find any mention of Widmore Hyatt in their records.
A brief genealogical search has also failed to yield any results (which surprises me somewhat as both 'Widmore' and 'Hyatt' are unusual names, especially in the Dudley area).
Unfortunately, Newhall Street, Dudley, seems to have disappeared now, probably as a result of the extensive development of much of the town centre post-WW2.
If Widmore & Hyatt were retailers or merchants there were, of course, numerous glass bottle works and other glass works in the nearby Stourbridge area (or not much further away, in Birmingham) perfectly capable of producing ink bottles, ink stands, and the like on their behalf.
Fred
Hi Fred, My genealogy hunting was a bit more fruitful as I did find Widmore Hyatt...
Widmore Hyatt, born 18.12.1818 in Chesham, Buckinghamshire. married twice (1) Maria Perkes (born 1811) on 4.3.1838 in Wolverhampton - she died in 1886 in Dudley, aged 75; (2) Sarah Ann Poultney in Dudley in 1888. Widmore Hyatt died in 1906 in Dudley, aged 87.
He appears on the census as follows:
1841 Widmore Hyatt, shop keeper, with Maria, both in Dudley
1851 Skidmore Hyatt, clerk, with Maria both at Fletcher Square, Dudley
1861 Widmore Hyatt, printer's cl[erk], with Maria and their niece Elizabeth Poultney, all at Dixons Green, Dudley
1871 Richard Hyatt, printer stationer, with Maria, both at 5 New Hall St., Dudley
1881 Widmore Hyatt, printer & stationer, with Maria and their niece Sarah A Poultney, all at Tansley Hill, Dudley
1891 Widmore Hyatt, retired printer, with Sarah A Hyatt, both at 12 Bennetts Hill, Dudley
1901 Widmore Hyatt, retired printer, with Sarah A Hyatt, both at Dixons Green, Dudley
Note the variants in first names given, they appear thus on the census sheets but may have been misheard or be earlier transcription errors.
So, his interest in ink bottles etc would appear to be from his being a printer and stationer. The "glass inkstand RD 318467" relates to the address given in the 1871 census, so confirms he is the same person.
There is a Newhall St in Tipton (https://goo.gl/maps/3yEaBaEcRNR2) - is that the same place - I seem to recall Tipton and Dudley were close to each other?
Hope this helps. :)
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Thank you very much, Anne.
Tipton and Dudley, although fairly close together, are certainly regarded as separate towns by locals nowadays, but they may have been possibly regarded as a single entity by the Census officials.
Fred.
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Re. glass inkstand RD 270525
I have come to this discussion a bit late and I am not a glass buff. However I am interested in the history of Charterhouse Buildings (at the corner of Clerkenwell Road / Goswell Road) which is mentioned in the thread on this topic
I am particularly interested in the references to Henry Herbert (2 Charterhouse Buildings), and especially the design that is referenced at TNA. All my records indicate that Henry Herbert was a publisher of guide books. However, another tenant of 2 Charterhouse Buildings at the same time (the 1870 / 1880s) was Chapman Son and Co (Oliver Chapman was the father, succeeded by his son Middleton Chapman the late 1870s). As I say, I know nothing about glass but I have seen reference to the work of the Chapmans as manufacturers of silver scent bottles, and silver vanity boxes. There is also reference to Henry Herbert, at his bankruptcy hearing in 1884 as a "manufacturer of fancy articles".
From this I am beginning to conclude that: there was some commercial relationship between Chapman Son & Co and Henry Herbert (I had previously assumed they were distinct businesses); Chapman Son & Co manufactured glass items; and Henry Herbert was primarily a publisher of guide books but had some interest in the same type of glass items as the Chapmans
I hope this is helpful and I'd be glad to provide more information if anyone is interested
Peter
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Manufacturer didn't always mean manufacturer in the 1800s trade lists we have found. Quite often it meant wholesaler or someone who got stuff made for them. You said the Chapmans made silver items in one breath and glass in the next. What's more likely is that they bought in glass and trimmed it with silver.
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You are right but the point I was attempting to make was that Henry Herbert, was (probably primarily) a publisher of guide books (such as “The Hotels of Europe” published in 1873, “Herbert’s Metropolitan Hand-book for Railways, Tramways, Omnibuses, River Steamboats and Cab Fares” in 1876, a Parliamentary handbook published in 1880 etc). Thus the registered design for “An ornamental design for a glass inkstand” is unexpected. And maybe Chapman Son & Co should be the focus when it comes to glass.
Peter
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It's not uncommon for people to have registered glass designs that seem totally disconnected from their day jobs. Chapman and Son seems a bit of a red herring in this case
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I have several examples of the work of Middleton Chapman - see attached example (at least I hope it's attached, I can't see if it is). This suggests that Henry Herbert is more likely to be the red herring
Peter
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No, Henry Herbert's name and address are on the design registration at the National Archives
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Hi Peter - welcome to the GMB, and yes, we can see your pictures - good quality. :)
In an effort to avoid any confusion as to which item Christine (Lustrousstone) is referring to, when discussing Henry Herbert as the Registrant - as shown in the Kew archives - it is to the 'glass ink stand' Rd. 270525 dated 17.02.1873, and not Peter's very attractive pair of scents.
I say this as when I first read these most recent posts I did wonder if there was a connection being made with Peter's scents - attributed by the seller to Middleton Chapman - rather than Henry Herbert.
The seller of this pair of scents seems to have been reluctant for whatever reason to include details of the hallmarks, though I suspect that it is from the hallmarks that the date of 1887, and the name of Middleton Chapman, have originated. It doesn't follow that the glass is of the same date, and it's unlikely as Christine has said that the maker of the silver and glass are one and the same - in fact in the absence of a backstamp and or Rd. No. on the glass, it's unlikely we shall ever know who made the glass, though speculation isn't always without its value.
And this is the limit of my knowledge about these things - I just take the pix - am sure both Peter and Christine know a lot more. :)
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Thank you all for being so welcoming.
And my apologies for blundering about your forum with big boots on. I am looking at all the businesses that were affected by the Great Fire of Clerkenwell (8 October 1885). There were at least 30 businesses and I keep coming up with more, ranging from bicycle manufacturers through toy wholesalers to boot makers. I'm trying to get a sense of what each business did, hence my interest in Henry Hebert and Chapman Son & Co (also trading as Middleton Chapman) both of whom took leases on parts of 2 Charterhouse Buildings, a three floor building (with floor area 30ft by 45 ft).
I have many references to Henry Herbert as a publisher of handbooks and "United States and Canadian Commercial Enquiry Office. Subscription £1/1/- for 4 enquiries, £2/2/- for 12 enquiries etc". I have many examples of advertisements from Chapman Son & Co stating they were "Wholesale and Export manufacturers and patentees of Travelling bags, Dressing cases. The Royal Cabinet of Games, Liqueur Cabinets and all kinds of Leather and Fancy cabinet Goods" as well as examples of the kind of glass containers that I posted earlier. Additionally, there are quite a number of advertisements from Chapman Son & Co seeking people with jobs such as "Dressing case makers", "Polishers (good French)", "A lad used to French polishing", "Apprentice to Dressing Case lining" etc
Form this I deduce that Chapman Son & Co made dressing cases (like the attached example). These would appear to be lined wooden boxes containing various items - glass bottles, combs etc. Further, from the evidence above I assume that Chapman Son & Co made the cases themselves and perhaps bought in the other items although the hall-marked silver parts of the glass bottles would suggest that the company also made up some of the contents of the cases
Anyway all I'm trying to do is to sort all that out in light of the record unearthed at The National Archives. That's all! Thanks for all your help
Peter
Mod: Click here for a Google Image search result (https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fi.pinimg.com%2F474x%2F68%2F1e%2F6f%2F681e6f2b0f99efb03c464df4f49e7caf--the-swing-the-container.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pinterest.co.uk%2Fpin%2F469711436126495427%2F&docid=39WsbbQHMzn1hM&tbnid=KAmUy8UBVpUuVM%3A&vet=10ahUKEwjc_7ndsMTZAhVpLcAKHbD7DmgQMwhOKBEwEQ..i&w=474&h=355&itg=1&hl=en&bih=738&biw=1021&q=middleton%20chapman%20toiletry%20cabinet&ved=0ahUKEwjc_7ndsMTZAhVpLcAKHbD7DmgQMwhOKBEwEQ&iact=mrc&uact=8) for a Vanity Box with a Middleton Chapman connection. It is a Pinterest image which may not display for all readers, so the Google Image result is given instead. Peter's copy of one of the actual souce images has been removed because of Board Policy on use of 3rd party images.
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now that is one very attractive kit. Unsure of your location Peter, but if you were within an hour or so travelling time from London, you might like to consider joining The National Archives - the records kept at Kew are staggering to put it mildly and am sure you'd find their resources of interest.
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Paul
Thanks. I have spent many happy hours at Kew - a short journey for me
Peter
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Hi Peter, welcome to the board. It sounds like an interesting research project you are doing. I presume you have seen the entry on Charterhouse Buildings with an engraving of the aftermath of the fire here? http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vol46/pp385-406#h3-0005
You are correct that Chapman Son & Co appear to have made Dressing Cases. Oliver Chapman (1816-1880) was a cabinet maker by trade (1841 census), who is shown on all subsequent census up to and including 1871 as a dressing case manufacturer.
In 1861 Oliver's older sister was listed as a jewel case liner, his son William O Chapman was a jeweller, son Oliver a surgical instruments maker. Middleton was shown as a traveller in 1861 and by 1871 he was a dressing case manufacturer, by 1881 as a merchant of fancy goods he was employing 18 men, 7 women and 4 boys. There is no trace of him or his wife in the 1891 census, but in 1901 he was shown as a dressing case manufacturer and in 1911 a merchant dressing cases.
Another of Oliver's sons Frederick J Chapman is shown on the 1871 with him as a dressing case manufacturer, and a daughter Hannah E Chapman as a dressing case liner. Middleton living elsewhere in 1871 has living with him and his wife, his 16 year old brother in law, William J Noyes (1855-1924), a silversmith apprentice. Middleton's daughter married Thomas A Milo, who was manager to a manufacturer in 1901 and later a marble seller in 1911.
So, to my eyes it looks like many of the family may have worked within the business. The glass was either commissioned from a glassmaker or maybe they used standard designs, and added silver trim, lids etc.... which was not uncommon.
Having worked through all of the above, I then found the following information, which you may already have, but if not, it supplements the census info...
Grace's Guide: https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/M._Chapman,_Son_and_Co
M. Chapman, Son and Co
of 2 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London, EC1. (1922)
("Chasoco") Ditto Address. Telephone: Clerkenwell 5868, Cables: "Tantalus-Barb, London". (1929)
1798 Company established.
1922 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Manufacturers of Automatic Tables and Cabinets for Writing, Smoking, Liqueurs, Work, etc.; Dressing Cases, Leather Goods, Mounted Glass. (Stand No. E.25) [1] Ref. 1922 British Industries Fair p16
1929 British Industries Fair Advert for 'High-Class Fancy Cabinet Goods', and various folding tables. Surprise Spriit, Cocktail, Smoking, Writing, Tea Tables, Self-closing action. Tantalus Spirit Stands, Smokers' Cabinets. Writing Cabinets. Work Tables. Cigar and Cigarette Boxes. Chapman's Patent Lock Bottles. (Jewellery Section - Stand No. J.76) [2] Ref. 1929 British Industries Fair Advert 65; and p38
Image showing one of the dressing cases.... https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/File:Im1929BIF-Chapman.jpg
Silver Marks:
M.C was registered as a silver mark by M Chapman, Son & Co Ltd (Middleton Chapman) 1903..1919 (registered Feb 1892 & 1901, 1909, 1910) https://www.silvermakersmarks.co.uk/Makers/London-MA-MC.html
Cabinet Maker:
"... in December 1900, Nat signed a five year indenture as an apprentice cabinet maker with M. Chapman, Son & Co., a ‘top of the range’, furniture manufacturer, who operated from premises at, 2 Charterhouse Buildings, Goswell Road, London, EC1."
https://www.78rpmcommunity.com/beta/78rpmcataloger/charles-nat-star-a-life-in-music/
Finally, going back to Henry Herbert as a publisher of handbooks etc, publishers were often stationers as well, and we have examples of stationers having glass inkwells registered in their name, again they would have commissioned a glassworks to make them for them.
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Anne
Thank you for all your information.
And also: Middleton was involved in politics, becoming Mayor of Finsbury in 1903. Plus, he had an uncle and grandfather also called Middleton
Your most useful comment from my point of view is your last one, about Henry Herbert - this really helps to clarify what he probably did ie he was (possibly foremostly) a publisher, and a stationer - and had an interest in "fancy goods" (see my earlier post) which could have covered a multitude of things but seems to have included sub-contracting glass items (such as inkstands). And from other evidence that I have, Henry Herbert occupied 2 Charterhouse Buildings from 1872 (maybe from 1869 when the building was first occupied). He was initially in partnership with a Mr Higgins but shortly on his own account). He was declared bankrupt in 1884.
Meanwhile Chapman Son & Co occupied Charterhouse Buildings from 1869 until at least 1891. And your evidence confirms that they made high class wooden cases (and supplied their contents - probably buying them in rather than making them)
Thank you
Peter
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Peter, yes I think that Chapman's were primarily cabinet and furniture makers is quite clear. They were clearly a company of note at the time.
Re Henry Herbert, it might be worth checking the Stationers Company archives to see if he was a member. It might give you some more info on him if he was. https://stationers.org/library-archives/archives.html
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Just trawling through a few old photos, thought I would upload a couple of photos of a Benton & Stone Crinoline Glass Inkwell related to the one shown in the National Archive drawing in reply 29. I have taken the liberty of including Paul's NTA drawing below, just for completeness. The inkwell is marked in moulded relief very faintly 'Reg. 30 August 1860'.
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Here are the inks shown in my copy of the 1928 Army Navy Stores Catalogue