A Gazetteer of Lock and Key Makers

Jim Evans

this gazetteer is copyright Jim Evans, 2002

JAMES GIBBONS - IN 1897

The following account of this large and important company is taken from "Wolverhampton and South Staffordshire Illustrated, 1897", the text being verbatim.  Some notes have been added to the captions but the measurements of the shops appear in the original.

WITH a record of nearly a century and a half of good work accomplished, few can claim to have established a higher reputation for the all-round utility, artistic beauty, and perfect finish in this special branch of manufacture than Mr. James Gibbons, whose many-sided variety of productions include many patents and improvements of importance in the lock-making trade, general brassfounding, and builders' ironmongery.

Originally founded in 1750 by James Gibbons, great-grandfather of the present proprietor, the business has been steadily but progressively developed by four generations of the family, who in turn have taken the head of affairs.

Some four years ago the premises in Church Lane were considerably enlarged to meet the still-growing requirements of the business, and with the extensive improvements then effected the establishment now forms one of the most complete and best equipped works of the kind in the Wolverhampton district. By the courteous permission of the proprietor, our representative was allowed facilities for inspecting the various departments, of which the more prominent features of the organisation and arrangement are embodied in the following descriptive sketch :-

The exterior of the works - note the tactful way the text points out that they are large but ugly.  Many factories were built with more or less decorative frontages.  Gibbons appear not to have made the effort.  Contrary to some opinion this does not shown Nelson Street.  It is the left side of the main gate; the other side was the time office that was built later.

The exterior aspect of the premises is more remarkable from the point of extensiveness than for any particular claim to architectural elaboration, the frontage to the two thoroughfares of the site occupied having a length of about 300 feet. A part of this is occupied by the private and general offices, show and stock rooms, passing through which we enter the first of the works departments.

The Brass Casting Shop, 75ft x 12ft..  It seems to be in a lean-to.  With four furnaces going it must have been hell.  It was, no doubt, tidied up for the photographer.

This is the brass-casting shop, 75 feet long, fitted with four furnaces, from which we pass to the japanning shop, and next an apartment where the cores are prepared for the casters. Adjoining is the boiler shed, and a sand-mill and heavy grindstone for grinding parts of locks requiring this treatment. In the engine-house are erected two fine engines by Tangyes', these giving motive force for the large amount of power for the machinery in use in the several departments.

The Lock Shop, 170 ft x 21 ft.. This shop seems to be wider than usual - how was it lit on the right? There seems to be an indication of top lighting.  Usually youngsters were used as runarounds but on the left one appears to have graduated to a hand press operator.

The next in order comes the locksmiths' shop, a fine loft and well-lighted building, 120ft. long, giving bench accommodation for sixty highly-skilled work men, each having under his control machines of special type, and labour-saving appliances designed to further operations in each particular branch. Adjoining is the polishing shop, fitted with six pairs of spindles, the belting for which runs underneath the floor, a plan carried out as far as practicable throughout the works as a safeguard to the hands employed. In the next department we find a full complement of plant in the form of drilling, milling, planing, and turning tools, embodying all the latest improvements in these machines as applied to the purposes of the lock and brass-working trades.

Outside this shop we note a time clock for checking the workmen's hours of arrival and departure, and near by is the shop where fan-light gear and springs are produced by the most-improved appliances. The smiths' shop and forge is furnished with the usual accessories for this work, and here also we were shown a very fine press of the heaviest type.

The brass finishing shop, 80 ft x 30 ft, with a sawtooth roof with top-lighting. This shop is most likely to have been part of the new building of about 1894.

Passing the works' office and pattern shop, the latter containing several tons of casting models, we next come to the new building, a capacious structure of 80 ft. by 58 ft., of lofty elevation, and admirably lighted by roof and side windows all round. This provides accommodation for the brass finishing department, which is again sub-divided into different sections, each undertaking a distinct branch of work. Surrounding the interior are galleries 20 ft. wide, in which are placed light machinery, such as lathes, metal saw benches, and other appliances in use in brass-finishing; one end being occupied for saw-piercing, repousse, beaten, and other artistic metal work. Here we were invited to inspect some exquisite designs in elaborately wrought doorplates, knobs, handles, and other metal furnishings for builders, etc., well worthy of the world-wide repute of Wolverhampton's most artistic industries.

Here, also, we had an opportunity of inspecting some of the specialities of the firm, of which the first to come under notice are "geared" fanlight openers. These are made to suit all windows for buildings of any description, and are extensively used for institutions, mansions, hospitals, schools, conservatories, etc. Simple in principle and efficient in action the appliance, in both the "geared" and "amended" forms in brass, iron, or gunmetal, is a distinct improvement over any other make in the market. In the "Tom Jones" improved patent automatic panic-fittings for places of entertainment we have the practical outcome of a recent agitation on the part of the public for some adequate precaution against the madly fatal of a panic-stricken audience, which, as events have so frequently shown, result in the most awful of all catastrophes. By means of this appliance the simple rush of the crowd opens the doors with automatic certainty and celerity.

Other special manufactures at St. John's Works are Gibbons's "anti-friction" mortise locks, patent "roller" axle pulleys, the " Zenith" door springs, improved patent mortise night latches, patent gate locks; school specialities in door, window and fanlight furnishings, as adopted by the Manchester, Salford, Oldham, and other School Boards. Of assured reliability for the secure housing of the inmates of prisons and asylums are Gibbons's improved "asylum" locks and fittings, with master and grand master keys, which are still in successful use in numbers of the principal public institutions in the country.

The business may be designated as world-wide in its connections, Mr. Gibbons doing an export and shipping trade, in addition to supplying the home markets, for whose convenience we may state that offices and show rooms have been established in London, 9 Southampton Row, Holborn, W. C. ; Manchester, 3 Macdonald's Lane, Corporation St.; Dublin, 21Clare St.; and Liverpool, Central B'ldings, North John Street.