Sagacious Galoots,

IF you go to http://www.galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_coppermi-
nevis&Itemid=2&place=thumbnails&album you will see three images of an
octagonal handled gouge made by one William Ash & Co. Does anyone have
any information about when & where William Ash & Co. made tools?

Thanks as always.

John

John M. Johnston, 42d Grenr. Compy.

"There is a fine line between hobby and mental illness." Dave Barry

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John asks about...

<http://www.galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperminevis&Itemid-
=2&p lace=thumbnails&album From Goodman's book, Appendix 4.
Plane iron makers. ASH, William, Norfolk Lane, Sheffield, 1833 Iron in a
John Green Planes.

Regards, Peter In Melbourne, VIC, Australia

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John Johnston wrote (in part)

>IF you go to http://www.galootcentral.com/index.php?option=com_copperm-
>inevis&Itemid=2&place=thumbnails&album> you will see three images of an
>octagonal handled gouge made by one William Ash & Co. Does anyone have
>any information about when & where William Ash & Co. made tools?

As far as I've been able to establish, the working dates for William Ash
& Co. were from about 1822 to about 1845, on Norfolk Lane. And, that may
be the most likely time frame for your gouge. But, that is not the
entire story.

The "WM. ASH & Co." mark continued to be used for quite some time after
these dates. We know, for certain, that it was one of the marks used by
BURYS & Co., 1863 to 1965, Regent Works, Penistone Road. Another mark
was "REGENT".

I have yet to establish who used the mark from 1845 to 1863, but it may
have been William H. Ash, 14 Norfolk Lane, whose working dates (as
established for now) were 1847 to 1852. For what it's worth, he was
listed as "manager, Regent Works" in 1857, which may point toward some
connection with the later Burys & Co.

Incidentally, the William Ash & Co. listings indicate that they were
successors to Roberts & Ash, indicating William Ash was likely one
of the partners in that edge tool making firm, operating from about
1814 to 1817.

Hope this helps.

Don McConnell Eureka Springs, AR
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Don wrote:

> As far as I've been able to establish, the working dates for William
> Ash & Co. were from about 1822 to about 1845, on Norfolk Lane. And,
> that may be the most likely time frame for your gouge.

Just to add a data point, on the cover of the 1865 Buck Brothers catalog 
it states that they were "Formerly in the employ of Messrs. Spear and 
Jacksons, Wm. Ash and Co., and other First-Class Manufacturers, of 
Sheffield, England." 

http://www.geocities.com/sawnutz/buck/1865catalog.jpg

The brothers Buck were born between 1826 and 1831 and came to the US 
between 1849 and 1853, so this timeframe works with Don's dates.
http://www.geocities.com/sawnutz/buck/index.htm

Brian Welch
Worcester, MA
who FINALLY has high speed internet at home and just might update his 
website on his new free web space

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