Thomas Smith and Sons of Saltley
Snail Brand tools of Saltley Mill, Birmingham, 8. Telephone: East 0173/4. Telegraphic Address: "Hammers, 'Phone, Birmingham". (1937)
1843 Business established, making harness
1880 '...Joseph Horlock Gann, of 63, Holborn Viaduct, in the city of London, Manager to Messrs. Thomas Smith and Son, of Adderley-road, Birmingham, Bicycle Manufacturers, has been appointed Trustee of the property of the debtor.....William John Boden, of 163, Waterloo-road, in the county of Surrey, Ironmonger.[1]
By 1871 the busines was engaged in edge tool manufacturer
By 1881 the business was also engaged in bicycle manufacturing
1882 One of the largest manufacturers of bicycle stampings and fittings; the “Viaduct" bicycles and tricycles
1886 Partnership dissolved. Thomas Smith of Hill Top House, Ward End, near Birmingham, William Smith of 21, Whittall-street, Birmingham, Thomas Smith the younger of The Laurels, Gravelly Hill, Birmingham, trading as Thomas Smith and Sons of Saltley Mill, Adderley-road, Saltley, near Birmingham, Warwickshire, and 21, Holborn Viaduct, Middlesex. Manufacturers of Tools, Bicycles, and Bicycle Fittings.[2]
1889 Produce castings and finished parts for cycles [3]
1896/7 Directory: Listed under cycles. More details [4]
1897 Smiths of Saltley Ltd was incorporated as a public company to acquire the iron and steel working business of Thomas Smith and Sons of Saltley. Claimed to be one of the largest stampers in the country; made parts for agricultural implement makers and other engineering firms; had supplied the cycle trade for many years and recently equipped works for manufacture of cycles[5]. Mr William Smith was to be managing director; no other members of the Smith family were on the board.
By 1901 the business was edge tool manufacture
1911 William Smith was managing director of a drop forging business.
1922 Drop forgers and cycle component manufacturers; death of William Smith, chairman and managing director[6]
1937 British Industries Fair Advert for Snail Brand Tools. Manufacturers of Drop forgings, in Carbon and alloy Steel, and Duralumin, for all purposes. Heat-treatment by modern plant. Spanners, Adjustable Wrenches, Hammers, and Hatchets of all descriptions. (Engineering/Metals/Quarry, Roads and Mining/Transport Section - Stand No. A.621) [7]
1957 Exhibited a range of hand tools
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ [1] Gazette Issue 24818 published on the 27 February 1880. Page 75 of 84
- ↑ [2] [3] Gazette Issue 25628 published on the 24 September 1886. Page 21 of 48
- ↑ Cycling. The Badminton Library. Viscount Bury and G. Lacy Hillier. 1889.
- ↑ Peck's Trades Directory of Birmingham, 1896-97: Cycles
- ↑ The Times, Apr 29, 1897
- ↑ The Times, Sep 14, 1922
- ↑ 1937 British Industries Fair Advert p657; and p415