Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
British version of DAT?
John Aniano in NJ...
>Hello All,
I was trying to find out info on the maker "Eli Dewhurst" stamped on a ~mid-19th century adjustable metal die-plate (die-stock) I bought and couldn't find any listing for that name in the Directory of American Toolmakers (DAT). Thus, I'm assuming Mr. Dewhurst was probably British. My questions: 1) is there a British equivalent to the DAT and if so, how does one get a copy of it? and 2) anyone ever heard of "Eli Dewhurst"?
Thanks,
John
Re: British version of DAT? *LINK*
Pam Niedermayer - Austin, TX
>Have you checked on some of the UK fora?
Pam
UK Workshop
Re: British version of DAT? *LINK*
Don McConnell
>Hi John,
To the best of my knowledge, there is nothing remotely similar to the DAT for British tool makers. There are a few sources of limited scope, but most of these tend to be difficult to obtain at present. Here is a quick run-down, not meant to be exhaustive:
Roberts, Kenneth D. _Some 19th Century English Woodworking Tools_. Fitzwilliam NH: Ken Roberts Publishing Co., 1980. (Focuses primarily on Sheffield Saw, Edge Tool, Joiner's Tool and Brace & Bit makers. Out of print for about ten years.)
[Hawley, Ken]. _The Cutting Edge_. Sheffield: The Ruskin Gallery, 1992. (Published in conjunction with an exhibit at the Ruskin Gallery, this also focuses on Sheffield tool makers, with brief histories of some of the major firms. Again, out of print for some time.)
Goodman, William L. _British Planemakers from 1700_. Third Edition. Mendham NJ: Astragal Press, 1993. (Though the focus is on planemakers, the firms often made and/or sold other tools, so is often useful for researching tools other than planes. Covers all of the UK. Currently out of print, awaiting a fourth edition.)
Schaffer, Erwin L. & Don McConnell. _Hand-Saw Makers of Britain_. Rockford IL: Osage Press, 2005. (Obviously, the focus is on saw makers for the UK. As with the planemakers, though, saw makers often made and/or sold other tools, so can be useful for researching other types of tools. Still available!)
I've looked through these sources, and some others, and have come up empty regarding Eli Dewhurst in Britain. However, I'm including a link to information concerning an Eli Dewhurst of Bridgeport CT, who was a screw maker for the Wheeler and Wilson Manufacturing Company. As I read it, for quite some time, he worked as an independent contractor, with his own employees, supplying products to Wheeler and Wilson. Far from conclusive, but thought it might be of some interest?
Don McConnell
Eureka Springs, AR
http://genealogyfinds.com/cgi-bin/data.cgi?dewhursteli
Re: British version of DAT? *LINK*
Gary Roberts
>Hi
As Don mentioned, there is no British companion to the DAT, digital or print. One source that on occasion turns up a lead is A2A (Access to Archives), the United Kingdom master site for the archives of their various bits and parts. There wasn't anything for an Eli Dewhurst, but many hits for Dewhurst. You might start out by looking in the larger tool making centers such as Sheffield for leads. Play around with the Search functions and you'll turn up some fascinating stuff. Many of the Archives will answer questions for free, and supply copies of material for reasonable fees.
Best
Gary Roberts
www.toolemera.com
A2A - Access to Archives