| Further notes on
Birmingham, England [click here to return to "A Brief History"] |
| It is a city
of nearly three million people, having been continuously inhabited for
over 1.3 millenia. Although its early residents were farmers, craftsmen,
and merchants, such nearby and plentiful resources as iron ore, coal, and
water provided ample "planting ground" for the seeds of industrialization
(in the form of small factories) as early as the 1500's. These took root
and developed into the full-blown Industrial Revolution by the mid-18th
century, prompting Dr. Eric Hopkins' title, Birmingham: The First
Manufacturing Town in theWorld 1760-1840.
It is no wonder, then, in this "hub"bub of manufacturing--which (may have?) numbered in the thousands of factories, small and large--that Mr. John Mitchell in 1822 was able to give birth to the steel pen industry, which was nurtured, before the decade was out, by his brother William, their soon-to-be brother-in-law, Mr. Joseph Gillott, and the partners Mr. James Perry and Mr. Josiah Mason. Mr. Michael Woods sent me an amazing list of ninety (90!) early Birmingham penmakers, and I quote from his accompanying letter of 28 May 1996: "You may also find interesting a copy of a handmade chart I was given by the curator of the Birmingham Museum of Science and Industry. It records known makers of nibs [in Birmingham] between the years 1821-1902. It may not be accurate!" Indeed, there do seem to be a few minor discrepancies, and I've added a section in which to comment on them--and post your comments, when you have any observations or find any discrepancies I haven't. Nevertheless, it's fascinating research, and I have reproduced that chart for you--click here. In addition, Birmingham's University of Aston and the City of Birmingham itself have prepared a most interesting page on Industry in Birmingham (c. 1850-1914), in their website; do go have a look at it. In the future, I plan to copy here some of John T. Bunce's (1890) autobiography of Josiah Mason which contains fascinating sketches of Birmingham and its steel pen industry. [Click here to return to "A Brief History".] |