Thomas Shemeld & Son started business in 1879, located at Prince Street, Moor. By 1884 there was a change of name - to Joseph Rodgers, Shemeld & Co. '1829' and the word 'Rocket' were their trademarks. By 1901 it had changed name again - back to Shemeld & Co. and was located at the Livingstone Razor Works. The last change of name was to T Shemeld & Sons, up to 1920 when they ceased operation.
Компания "Томас Шемельд и сын" начали свою деятельность в 1879. Вскоре у Thomas Shemeld родился сын, которого мудро назвали двойным именем Joseph Rodgers, и изменили в 1884 название на Joseph Rodgers, Shemeld & Co, надо сказать, что настоящий Джозеф Роджерс в то время был официальным поставщиком королевского двора. В 1901 вновь изменили название на SHEMELD & CO (). Последний раз упоминаются как T. Shemeld & Son в 1920 году, когда они прекратили свое существование.
Торговые марки "1829" и "Rocket".
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История о Joseph Rodgers от Нейла Миллера с SRP:
There were rather a lot of cutlers called Rodgers in Sheffield, some of who tried to trade of Joseph Rodgers & Sons repute and goodwill.
Thomas Shemeld & Son started business in 1879, located at Prince Street, Moor. By 1884 there was a change of name - to Joseph Rodgers, Shemeld & Co. '1829' and the word 'Rocket' were their trademarks. By 1901 it had changed name again - back to Shemeld & Co. and was located at the Livingstone Razor Works. The last change of name was to T Shemeld & Sons, up to 1920 when they ceased operation.
Apart from C. W. Roberts, George Rodgers, Geo Rodgers & Co, William Rodgers, Henry Rodgers Sons & Co and James Rodgers, there was also a John Rodgers & Sons, dating from before 1840. However, they were table knife makers. In a famous case, the firm of Nowill (of KrossKeys razor fame) were taken to court by the real Joseph Rodgers & Sons. Nowill's had encouraged (and obviously profited by) John Rodgers & Sons to style themselves as 'J Rodgers & Sons' and to controversially adopt the 'V Crown R' cypher of Joseph Rodgers & Sons. Although the case cost Joseph Rodgers & Sons £2000 (an enormous amount in the 1840s), they were able to obtain a court order to stop John Rodgers & sons using the offending trademark. In spite of this, the firm of John Rodgers & Sons was up and running again by 1853 - Joseph Rodgers & Sons again sought justice in the courts, but the ruling went against them. In 1861 one of the sons - Joseph - took over John Rodgers & Sons and re-named it Joseph Rodgers & Co.
Joseph Rodgers & Co pretends to hail back to 1800 (most Sheffield firms had a habit of pre-dating themselves!) but that was probably the year that their corporate mark - '3436' - was first granted. Although started in 1861 there is an advert in one of the Sheffield Directories (1871) that noted that Joseph Rodgers & Co, successor to John Rodgers & Sons, was situated in Norfolk Street. I expect that added insult to injury! By 1879 they had relocated to the Rio Works, and soon after they went bankrupt (1907) Joseph Rodgers & sons bought up their name to prevent others using it.
Interestingly, the person who started Joseph Rodgers & Sons was himself called John Rodgers - his son was called Joseph. He obtained the famous Star and Maltese Cross corporate marks in 1724. When John Rodgers died the business was at Sycamore Street, but it soon moved to No 6 Norfolk Street - the iconic address we associate with this company. Joseph Rodgers (d1821) himself had four sons.
Then there was another Joseph Rodgers & Sons - c1860 - but this firm seemed to be solely occupied with making scissors and spring knives.
Add to that R Rodgers and Son (note the singular Son). This firm arose out of C W Rodgers (1860) and the 'R' stands for Rhoda, wife of C W Rodgers. The son was called Joseph and to further muddy the waters, they called their works the Norfolk Works - to trade of the reputation of Joseph Rodgers & Son, no doubt. Joseph Rodgers & sons again sought relief from the Courts (1870) but lost the case. The corporate mark was a crossed Pick and Shovel, acquired by Joseph Rodgers & Sons sometime after the firm of R Rodgers & Son ceased to trade (1904).
We aren't quite out of the woods yet, though! There was also Richard Rodgers and Son (another singular Son) dating to around 1841 and ceasing to exist around 1872.
There was also another Joseph Rodgers, allegedly around the corner from Joseph Rodgers & sons works, but this company is shrouded in mystery, some claiming it to be run by the real Joseph Rodgers & Sons, but due to lack of verifiable information we shall draw a veil over this one1
In light of the above, I hesitate to ascribe either of your razors to the bona-fide Joseph Rodgers & Sons - no star and cross corporate marks, no No 6 Norfolk Street, no 'Cutllers to His/Her/Their Majesties and no clear marking of J Rodgers & Sons. However, they both look like fine razors.
There were rather a lot of cutlers called Rodgers in Sheffield, some of who tried to trade of Joseph Rodgers & Sons repute and goodwill.
Thomas Shemeld & Son started business in 1879, located at Prince Street, Moor. By 1884 there was a change of name - to Joseph Rodgers, Shemeld & Co. '1829' and the word 'Rocket' were their trademarks. By 1901 it had changed name again - back to Shemeld & Co. and was located at the Livingstone Razor Works. The last change of name was to T Shemeld & Sons, up to 1920 when they ceased operation.
Apart from C. W. Roberts, George Rodgers, Geo Rodgers & Co, William Rodgers, Henry Rodgers Sons & Co and James Rodgers, there was also a John Rodgers & Sons, dating from before 1840. However, they were table knife makers. In a famous case, the firm of Nowill (of KrossKeys razor fame) were taken to court by the real Joseph Rodgers & Sons. Nowill's had encouraged (and obviously profited by) John Rodgers & Sons to style themselves as 'J Rodgers & Sons' and to controversially adopt the 'V Crown R' cypher of Joseph Rodgers & Sons. Although the case cost Joseph Rodgers & Sons £2000 (an enormous amount in the 1840s), they were able to obtain a court order to stop John Rodgers & sons using the offending trademark. In spite of this, the firm of John Rodgers & Sons was up and running again by 1853 - Joseph Rodgers & Sons again sought justice in the courts, but the ruling went against them. In 1861 one of the sons - Joseph - took over John Rodgers & Sons and re-named it Joseph Rodgers & Co.
Joseph Rodgers & Co pretends to hail back to 1800 (most Sheffield firms had a habit of pre-dating themselves!) but that was probably the year that their corporate mark - '3436' - was first granted. Although started in 1861 there is an advert in one of the Sheffield Directories (1871) that noted that Joseph Rodgers & Co, successor to John Rodgers & Sons, was situated in Norfolk Street. I expect that added insult to injury! By 1879 they had relocated to the Rio Works, and soon after they went bankrupt (1907) Joseph Rodgers & sons bought up their name to prevent others using it.
Interestingly, the person who started Joseph Rodgers & Sons was himself called John Rodgers - his son was called Joseph. He obtained the famous Star and Maltese Cross corporate marks in 1724. When John Rodgers died the business was at Sycamore Street, but it soon moved to No 6 Norfolk Street - the iconic address we associate with this company. Joseph Rodgers (d1821) himself had four sons.
Then there was another Joseph Rodgers & Sons - c1860 - but this firm seemed to be solely occupied with making scissors and spring knives.
Add to that R Rodgers and Son (note the singular Son). This firm arose out of C W Rodgers (1860) and the 'R' stands for Rhoda, wife of C W Rodgers. The son was called Joseph and to further muddy the waters, they called their works the Norfolk Works - to trade of the reputation of Joseph Rodgers & Son, no doubt. Joseph Rodgers & sons again sought relief from the Courts (1870) but lost the case. The corporate mark was a crossed Pick and Shovel, acquired by Joseph Rodgers & Sons sometime after the firm of R Rodgers & Son ceased to trade (1904).
We aren't quite out of the woods yet, though! There was also Richard Rodgers and Son (another singular Son) dating to around 1841 and ceasing to exist around 1872.
There was also another Joseph Rodgers, allegedly around the corner from Joseph Rodgers & sons works, but this company is shrouded in mystery, some claiming it to be run by the real Joseph Rodgers & Sons, but due to lack of verifiable information we shall draw a veil over this one1
In light of the above, I hesitate to ascribe either of your razors to the bona-fide Joseph Rodgers & Sons - no star and cross corporate marks, no No 6 Norfolk Street, no 'Cutllers to His/Her/Their Majesties and no clear marking of J Rodgers & Sons. However, they both look like fine razors.
Shemeld Thomas, razorsmith, 43 St Philip's road, Broomhill From Whites Directory of Sheffield 1852
