Some Birmingham Information and Advertisements

[dognose]

BROCKINGTON BROTHERS

250, New John Street West, Birmingham


Brockington Brothers - Birmingham - 1881

Trev.

[burnisherboy]

The 1823 advert for John Gilbert of 28 Legge St, Birmingham, Plater on Steel, refers to "Improved Forks with Silver Points and Spoons with Silver Edges" Has anybody ever seen an example of either of these useful features marked by Gilbert or anybody else? Burnisherboy

[dognose]

THOMAS J. JORDAN

48, Whittall Street, Birmingham


Thomas J. Jordan - Birmingham - 1828

As burnisherboy noted from a Gilbert advertisement, Thomas Jordan also made "spoons with improved silver edges, and forks with Silver Points"

Trev.

[dognose]

GEORGE SMITH & Co.

48, Whittall Street, Birmingham


George Smith & Co. - Birmingham - 1846

George Smith & Co. were the successors to Thomas J. Jordan (see above post).

Trev.

[dognose]

CHARLES EDKINS

Friday Bridge Works, Birmingham


Charles Edkins - Birmingham - 1888

Charles Edkins, Button Manufacturer, Thomas Greaves, Jeweller, and James Newman, Jeweller, all of Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, have given in the like notice in respect of the invention of "certain improvements in the construction of sleeve links, solitaires, and other looping or connecting articles of jewellery.

Source: London Gazette - 23rd December 1873

Trev.

[dognose]

ALLEN & MOORE

35, 36, Great Hampton Row, St. George's, Birmingham. 7, Montague Place, Little Britain, London


Allen & Moore - Birmingham and London - 1849

Allen & Moore entered their mark at the Birmingham Assay Office on the 9th June 1851.

MOORE, JOSEPH (1817-1892), medallist and die-sinker, born at Eastbourne, Sussex, in 1817, was the son of Edwin Moore, a builder of hothouses, who temporarily left his business during the Peninsular war and in a fit of enthusiasm joined the 10th hussars, with which he saw active service. A few weeks after Joseph Moore's birth his parents removed to Birmingham, where he continued to live all his life. He showed an early aptitude for drawing, and was apprenticed to Thomas Halliday, die-sinker, of Newhall Street, Birmingham. He also attended the drawing classes of Samuel Lines of Temple Row, Birmingham. For many years Moore was engaged in the production of dies for commercial uses, chiefly for buttons. In 1844 he entered into partnership with John Allen, a fellow-apprentice. The partners carried on business as Allen & Moore in Great Hampton Row, Birmingham, and manufactured articles of papier-mache, and also metal vases, cups, and boxes. These metal wares, produced by machines invented by Allen, were 'engine-cut on bodies coated with colour, and portions being cut away by the lathe, the patterns, chiefly designed by Moore, were left in colour in low relief. Partly owing to changes of fashion the works had to be closed, and Moore, after having lost all he had, began business for himself in 1856 as a die-sinker, first in Summer Lane and afterwards, and till his death, in Pitsford Street, Birmingham.
Moore's first medal, produced in 1846, was a large piece, nearly four inches in diameter, bearing the 'Salvator Mundi' of Da Vinci as the obverse, and the 'Christus Consolator' of Ary Scheffer as the reverse. Only a few copies of this medal, which was highly praised by Scheffer, were produced. From this time Moore had a large number of commissions for die-sinking and designing and executed numerous prize and commemorative medals. Many of these, made for English and colonial trading firms, do not bear Moore's name. He employed his son and other assistants in his business, but the best of his works were cut by his own hand. A selection of his medals was presented by Moore to the Corporation Art Gallery in Birmingham. Moore was an honourable and kind-hearted man, fond of music and art, and intensely devoted to his work. He was the first president of the Midland Art Club. In March 1892 he had a serious illness, and died, in his seventy-sixth year, on 7 Sept., in his house, which adjoined his workshops.

Moore married, on 27 August 1839, at Aston, Warwickshire, Miss Mary Ann Hodgkins, and had issue.
[Birmingham Weekly Post, 10 Sept 1892; information kindly given by Miss Moore, Mr. Whitwurth Wallis, F.S.A., and Mr. K. B. Prosser.]

Source: Dictionary of National Biography - Volume 13 - 1909

Allen & Moore were exhibitors at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Their entries were noted as:

Allen & Moore, 35 & 36 Great Hampton Row, Birmingham–Designers and Manufacturers.
Vesta match-boxes; cigar boxes. Taper-stands and lamps; and other fancy articles in metal.
Case of medals:–Head of Prince Albert, and view of the Exhibition building. Duke of Cambridge, and Governesses' Asylum. Frederick Von Schiller. Jenny Lind. Cavaignac. Louis Napoleon. Heads, from Da Vinci, Scheffer, &c.
Metal buttons:–Naval, military, livery, sporting, fancy, four-hole, and glove buttons.

A later advertisement from Joseph Moore, that appeared in the year of his demise, 1892, can be found under 'Joseph Moore' in this thread.


Some detail from the bankruptcy of Allen & Moore:

John Allen and Joseph Moore, were, at the time of their bankruptcy, possessed of two manufactories and premises communicating with each other, situate at Great Hampton Row and Tower Street, in Birmingham, each of which was held for the unexpired residue of a term of ninety-nine years, at annual ground-rents, subject, as to the old manufactory in Great Hampton Row, to a mortgage, effected by an indenture, dated the 6th of April 1852, to John Smith for £1,000, and subject, as to the new manufactory in Tower Street, to a mortgage, effected by an indenture, dated the 1st of January 1852, to John Fielding Empson, the defendant, for £800.

By an indenture, dated the 15th of June 1852, and made between Messrs. Allen & Moore, die-sinkers, medallists, and button-manufacturers, of the one part, and John Fielding Empson, of the other part, Messrs. Allen & Moore, in consideration of £700 then lent to them by J. F. Empson, assigned to him, his executors, administrators and assigns, all the articles, chattels, things and effects, particularly mentioned in the schedule thereunder written, then standing and being in the manufactories of Messrs. Allen & Moore, in Great Hampton Row, and all the right, &c. And it was provided that " in case Messrs. Allen & Moore, their executors or administrators, should and did pay unto J. F. Empson, his executors, administrators or assigns, the £700 on the 15th of June 1862, or at such earlier day or time as J. F. Empson, his executors, administrators or assigns, should appoint for payment thereof, and by notice in writing, to be given to Messrs. Allen & Moore, their executors or administrators, or left at their last usual place of business, at least a week before the day or time so to be appointed for payment, and did and should in the mean time until the repayment of the principal sum of 700/. at either of the periods aforesaid, well and truly pay to J. F. Empson, his executors, administrators or assigns, interest thereon at £5 per cent. per annum, by equal half-yearly payments, on the 15th of March and the 15th of September in every year, and also a proportionate part thereof to the expiration of the notice, to be paid immediately on the expiration of such notice, and such several payments as aforesaid to be made without any deduction or abatement whatsoever, then and in such case these presents, and every article, clause, and thing therein contained, should cease, determine, and be absolutely void." And it was declared, that after default should be made in payment of the £700 and interest, or any part thereof, contrary to the tenour and effect of the aforesaid proviso, and in respect of the said interest after notice should have been given requiring payment thereof, then it should be lawful for J. F. Empson, his executors, administrators and assigns, peaceably and quietly to receive and take into his or their possession, and hold and enjoy the articles, chattels, and premises thereby assigned, or intended so to be, and also to sell and dispose thereof at his or their discretion, and to receive the monies to arise by such sale, and thereout to retain all costs, charges and expenses of such sale, or in receipt or recovery of the £700 and interest respectively, and in the next place

to retain thereout the £700 and the interest thereof, or so much thereof as should then remain unpaid, and subject thereto to account for the surplus of the money arising from such sale unto Messrs. Allen & Moore, their executors, administrators or assigns. And it was further declared, that until default in payment of the principal turn, at the time thereinbefore appointed for payment thereof, contrary to the proviso thereinbefore contained, and until default should be made in payment of the interest, or some part thereof, as thereinbefore appointed for payment thereof, and until in respect of the interest notice should be given requiring the payment thereof, it should be lawful for Messrs. Allen & Moore, their executors, administrators and assigns, to hold, make use of, and possess the articles, chattels, and premises thereby assigned, without any manner of hindrance or disturbance of or by J. F. Empson, his executors, administrators or assigns.

The following was the schedule to the deed :–" Engine-house: horizontal steam-engine and boiler complete; draw bench and tools complete. Shop No. 6. new manufactory – twelve machines. Shop No. 5. old manufactory–twelve stamps, ditto 4, ditto two medal presses, two cutting-out presses."

All the machinery and effects mentioned in the schedule (except the twelve machines stated to be in the new manufactory in Tower Street) were, at the date of the bill of sale and up to the bankruptcy, in the old manufactory in Great Hampton Row, and were used by the bankrupts in their business ; they were affixed either to the walls or floors of the building to enable the same to be effectually worked, and constituted what are usually called trade fixtures. The twelve machines were "damask" or engine-cutting machines, and were not affixed but moveable at the will and pleasure of the bankrupts, and were moved by them between the date of the bill of sale and the bankruptcy from the Tower Street to the Hampton Row manufactory, where they continued, and were in use up to the bankruptcy.

On the 17th of May 1854 Messrs. Allen & Moore executed a further charge on the Tower Street manufactory, and agreed that the piece of land, manufactory, erections and premises, assigned by the indenture of the 1st of January 1852, should be charged with £400, in addition to the £800 secured by that deed.

On the 17th of September 1855 the bankrupts mortgaged their equity of redemption in the two manufactories as a further security for the £700 secured by the bill of sale, and assigned to J. F. Empson the several pieces of land on which the manufactories stood, with the manufactories, erections and buildings thereon, and also the shopping, warehouses, chimney stack, engine house and other buildings erected thereon. In the mortgage it was recited, that the additional security was not to affect or prejudice in any manner the security contained in or afforded by the bill of sale.

It was stated to be the common practice for manufacturers and others to let and hire steam-engines and boilers of the character and description mentioned in the schedule to the bill of sale. Machinery of the nature and description of the twelve stamps mentioned in the schedule were also at times let and hired.
Messrs. Allen & Moore continued in possession of the manufactories, machinery and effects up to their bankruptcy on the 19th of November 1855. The plaintiffs in this special case were their assignees.

Upon the bankruptcy the manufactories and the machines and effects mentioned in the schedule were sold, and realized the sum of £680 17s. 5d. This sum was deposited to await the determination of the questions whether all or any, and if any, which of the machinery and effects enumerated in the schedule were, after the bankruptcy, subject to the security created by the bill of sale and mortgages respectively, and whether all or any part, and if any, which of the same machinery and effects passed to the plaintiffs, as the assignees of the bankrupts, freed from the claims of the defendant under his several securities.

Source: The Law Journal Reports - E.B. Ince - 1857


Trev.

[dognose]

THOMAS KIRBY

44, Vyse Street, Birmingham


Thomas Kirby - Birmingham - 1858

Trev.

[dognose]

WILLIAM COOPER

25, Wrottesley Street, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham


William Cooper - Birmingham - 1858


W. Cooper - Birmingham - 1858

William Cooper entered his mark with the Birmingham Assay Office on the 14th July 1856.

Trev.

[dognose]

G.W.HARVEY & Co.

Frederick Street, Birmingham


G.W. Harvey & Co. - Birmingham - 1892


G.W. Harvey & Co. - Birmingham - 1894

Enlarged image of the maker's mark of G.W. Harvey & Co. taken from the above advertisement:




NOTICE is hereby given, that the Partnership heretofore subsisting between us, the undersigned, Ernest Edwin Tanner, John Arthur Tanner and Hedley Spital, carrying on business as Wholesale Jewellers, at 48, Frederick-street, Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, under the style or firm of G. W. HARVEY AND CO., was dissolved as and from the 30th day of November, 1914, by mutual consent, by the retirement of the said Hedley Spital therefrom. All debts will be received and paid by the said Ernest Edwin Tanner and John Arthur Tanner, by whom the said business will henceforth be continued.–Dated the 30th day of November, 1914.
ERNEST EDWIN TANNER.
JOHN ARTHUR TANNER.
HEDLEY SPITAL.

Source: The London Gazette - 4th December 1914

Trev.

[dognose]

WILLIAM VALE & SONS

Unett Works, Unett Street, Birmingham


William Vale & Sons - Birmingham - 1879

See: http://www.925-1000.com/bx_wVale_B.html

Trev.

[dognose]

HORTON & ALLDAY

195-196, Warstone Lane, Birmingham


Horton & Allday - Birmingham - 1893


Horton & Allday - Birmingham - 1893

The business of Horton & Allday is thought to have been established in the 1860's by Alfred George Horton and Harry Allday. Alfred Horton died in 1886 and the business was then carried on by Harry Allday alone. Their manufacturing base was at the Warstone Lane factory until 1931 when they moved to 58, Northampton Street, Birmingham. They also had London offices at 6, Arundell Street, Coventry Street, Leicester Square in 1893 and at 47, Poland Street, Soho in 1913.


Horton & Allday entered marks at the London, Birmingham, and Chester assay offices.


Notice is hereby given, that the partnership subsisting between Alfred George Horton and Harry Allday, in the business of manufacturing Jewellers, carried on by them at No. 195, Warstone-lane Birmingham, in the county of Warwick, under the style of Horton and Allday, was dissolved and determined on the 7th day of September last by the death of the said Alfred George Horton, since which date the said business has been carried on and will be continued by the said Harry Allday, on his own separate account, who will receive and discharge all debts due to or from the siad late partnership - As witness our hands this 10th day of April, 1886.
Edward Benjamin Day, Executor of Alfred George Horton.
Harry Allday.

Source: The London Gazette - 14th May 1886


Horton & Allday were exhibitors at the British Industries Fair in 1915 and 1920.


A Fortunate Recovery – The sample bag which was stolen on the 18th June from amongst the luggage of Mr. Healy, the representative of Messrs. Horton and Allday, Birmingham, on a journey from Liverpool to Leeds, has been recovered, and the possessor of the property committed for trial, through the instrumentality of Mr. McPhail, a Sheffield pawnbroker, to whom three of the lost articles were offered in pledge.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st August 1892


Novelties in Artistic Silver Goods - When comparison is made, it is surprising how much difference is found in the " finish " of various manufactures of silver goods. Good finish is requisite even in the plainest patterns, but in the case of those possessing artistic merit, richly engraved and delicately designed, it is, of course, everything. We have recently had an opportunity of inspecting goods coming under the latter description manufactured by Messrs. Horton and Allday, of Birmingham, and Arundell-street, Piccadilly Circus, W. On going over their Birmingham works we were struck by the somewhat numerous appliances invented by Mr. Allday for manufacturing solid parts of various articles, such, for instance, as the extinguisher of a silver candlestick, which is made out of one piece of sheet-silver, the only solder used being in fixing the little round knob at the top. It is in finished goods alone, however, that buyers are interested. Among many novelties and improved patterns, we noticed the firm's patent cigarette case. Externally it is finished in the highest style, and in place of the elastic band fixed across the inside of the case to keep the cigarettes in position, which causes oxidation and the gilt inside the case to blacken, thus necessitating re-gilding, Mr. Allday has a very finely-made flexible steel wire (gilt) band. This gives a uniform and rich appearance to the inside of the cases, and at the same time guarantees lasting wear. The firm's patent match box in silver is beautifully made, and although the lid is only of ordinary size it yet contains – secretly hid, as it were – a practically indestructible " V shaped " cigar-cutter, which is readily used, and at the same time its presence in no way interferes with the vestas or "lights" contained in the box. It is made in a variety of engraved, fluted, and chased designs, and forms a very attractive " line " in fairly good class as well as the more luxuriously stocked shops. Messrs. Horton and Allday, however, undoubtedly cater for the higher class establishments, although they compete successfully with manufacturers of the plainer descriptions of silver goods. Novelties recently registered by the firm are just about seeing their way into several London West End establishments. These are ash-trays got up in a most taking manner, representing various branches of sport. They are at present produced in four designs, and in each instance the tray contains a cigar-cutter neatly concealed although readily used. One is suitable for boating men, another for racing men, while those delighting in the pastimes of golf, cricket, etc., have been duly thought of. The boating tray is particularly attractive ; two sculls are placed across it and in the centre a miniature boating-hat of the true- Henley pattern is fixed upon the sculls. This hat contains the cigar-cutter, and to use it it is necessary only to squeeze the ends of the sculls together scissor-fashion, of course first of all inserting the end of the cigar in the crown of the hat. The tray itself resembles a life-buoy. The tray especially suitable for presents to racing and cross-country gentlemen, and for their clubs, and so forth, is made in horseshoe pattern with hunting-crop placed across it a la neglige. Another pattern, equally suitable in character, has golf irons laid across it. The cigar-cutter in each instance is used in a similar way. Each pattern is artistically designed and beautifully finished, and should be at once stocked by buyers in search of saleable season novelties. Another ashtray which engaged our attention consists of a jockey cap reversed, and across the hollow of the cap is a splinter bar, the centre of which contains the cigar-cutter, "V shaped" as in all other cases, and easily used by pressing the ends of the bar. Two cross whips, fixed each side of the cap, form the stand, and the whole production is suggestive of a particularly happy idea cleverly executed. Candlesticks finished in four styles, viz., in all silver, all silver-gilt, with mother-of-pearl bottom, and with tortoiseshell bottom, are worthy of special notice. The. work bestowed upon them is unusual in the matter of good tastes those with the mother-of-pearl and tortoise-shell bottom are real gems. High-class retailers will doubtless endorse our opinions after placing these novelties before their lady patrons. With respect to tortoise-shell silver-mounted combs, Messrs. Horton and Allday's new mountings will strike buyers as possessing much merit. Their hair brushes with silver backs are now being engraved in beautiful designs in such a way that they cannot be damaged, as the raised patterns are, by careless use or hasty packing into travelling bags, nor are they calculated to lose their attractive appearance by constant hard wear, the application of a sponge and water at once removing all traces of soil. Space will not permit us to deal with the firm's many other novelties. The goods should be seen by buyers to berightly appreciated, but we would mention one other attractive manufacture. This is a jockey cap pincushion, the crown of which has six divisions, three in silver and three in rich velvet of various colors, representing those of popular race-horse owners. In silver toilet goods throughout, also in registered designs in afternoon tea sets, Messrs. Horton and Allday undoubtedly excel. They maintain a large staff of competent designers, and we had submitted for our inspection a hundred or more most exquisite designs (hitherto not manufactured) of silver goods, ready for placing before buyers who may be on the look-out for absolute novelties of which they may hold the monopoly.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st June 1893

See: http://www.925-1000.com/bx_Horton&Allday.html


Trev.

[dognose]

C. PEMBROOK

15, Spencer Street, Birmingham


C. Prembrook - Birmingham - 1858

Trev.

[dognose]

BROWN & CLARK

11, Richard Street, Hockley, Birmingham


Brown & Clark - Birmingham - 1858


B&C - Birmingham - 1856

William Brown & John Cook Clark entered their mark with the Birmingham Assay Office on the 3rd November 1851.

William Brown and John Cook Clark dissolved their partnership on the 24th June 1862.

John Cook Clark was also noted as being in a partnership with George Macdonald Hazelton that was dissolved on the 1st January 1878.

He is perhaps the same John Cook Clark that registered with the Sheffield Assay Office.

John Cook Clark died on the 21st May 1892. His executors were noted as his wife, Susannah Clark, and the silversmiths, Henry Clark, and William Clark Manton.

This is perhaps the same William Brown who was part of a very short lived partnership with Bernard Wheelwright (see earlier post).

Trev.

[dognose]

JOHN SKINNER

Vittoria Street, Birmingham


John Skinner - Birmingham - 1888


John Skinner, Ltd. - Birmingham - 1907

Trev.

[dognose]

JAMES ANDREW RESTALL

2, St. Martin's Place, Broad Street, Birmingham


J.A. Restall - Birmingham - 1898

Last week we had the pleasure of viewing a grand silver challenge cup, manufactured by Mr. Restall, of 2, St. Martin's Place, Broad Street, Birmingham. It is true Rennaissance in style, the tablets illustrating the game of football, for which it is designed. The cup stands about 2 feet 6 inches high, has a figure on each side, seated in costume, at the base of each handle, and is surmounted by a figure 5 inches high, in the act of playing the ball. The modelling in each instance is full of vigour, and the anatomy perfect. This is the first specimen we have seen, and it assures us that Mr. Restall deserves a high place as an art worker in silver of this class. We are sorry that the weight had to be reduced to meet price, which is a sign of the times, but we are also pleased to find that the work throughout has not been allowed to suffer in this respect. We should have liked to have given our readers an illustration, but the commission was not given direct, Mr. Restall prefering to trade with tradesmen rather than clubs.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 5th December 1884



A Medallist that is coming to the front in Birmingham lately is Mr. James A. Restall, of St. Martin's Place, Broad Street. He was selected by the Cyclists' Touring Club to produce their new badge, of which he has produced several thousands. The club contains over 22,000 members, each of whom is supposed to possess one of the club badges in silver. He has also been successful in agricultural and poultry show work, and altogether is turning out a medallist of the very first order. He was an apprentice of Messrs. T. & J. Bragg, Vittoria Street, Birmingham.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st August 1888

Trev.

[dognose]

W. PENDLETON & SONS

19, Northampton Street, Birmingham


W. Pendleton and Sons - Birmingham - 1893

Trev.

[dognose]

MARK PERKS

76, Spencer Street (c.1856) and 43, Vyse Street, Birmingham (c.1858)


Mark Perks - Birmingham - 1858

Mark Perks entered his first mark at the Birmingham Assay Office on the 21st April 1856, and his second mark on the 24th July 1856. Both marks were 'M.P' without outline.

Trev.

[dognose]

A. APPLEBY & Co.

124, Vyse Street, Birmingham


A. Appleby & Co. - Birmingham - 1885

This was the partnership between Alfred Appleby and Edward Meredith Evans. The partnership was dissolved by mutual consent on the 31st December 1891, and Alfred Appleby continued the business on his own.


I hear that arrangements are completed under which Messrs. A. Appleby and Co., Limited, Vyse-street, will take over the old-established diamond-mounting business of Messrs. W. Spencer and Sons, Regent-place. The amalgamation will doubtless be beneficial to all concerned. Competition during the last few years has become so keen, and in many instances so disastrous, that one cannot but welcome any changes which tend to diminish it even in the slightest degree.

Source: The Watchmaker, Jeweller and Silversmith - 1st June 1894

Trev.

[dognose]

THOMAS HOBBINS

120, Pope Street, Birmingham


Thomas Hobbins - Birmingham - 1858

Trev.

[dognose]

J. HILL

88, Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham


J. Hill - Birmingham - 1840

Trev.