Buttons
Limited was reportedly formed in 1907 in order that the amalgamating companies might be better able to compete in the home and
foreign markets1 .It was
not until 1909 that the individual companies, comprising Buttons
Limited: Thomas Carlyle Ltd.;
Harrison & Smith Ltd. ; Plant, Green & Manton Ltd.
advertised in the BME's. under their amalgamation name. Each of the
aforementioned companies were well established
in the trade and had taken over other companies premises and or
businesses in the course of their histories. The tree enclosed is intended
to shew the complex relationship, both confirmed and unconfirmed, of one
company to another, see: images/bmdump/bltdtree812.jpg
It
would appear from the following that the company were capable of making
all sorts of buttons
William
Aston's Birmingham CD's Speciality Listing: General 1849-1881 and took out
patents
Aston,William.
7/ 9 /1862: 2705;fabric/metal des.p62.
Aston,William.
1 /11/1864: 2703;fabric/metal des.shk.p80.
Aston,William.
9 /8 /1865: 2066;fabric/metal
Thomas Carlyle
In the London BME’s 1893-1894 lists: Mohair, Flexible, Metal & Ivory
buttons and in
Birmingham the speciality Listings are : Mohair,
Flexible ,Buffalo
Horn, Metal. 1881-1908; Ivory,1888-1908.
Patents:
Carlyle, T. & Carlyle, J. M.
25/6/1896: 14,060; glass or plastic. with E.& W's type shanks.
William
Elliott Birmingham Speciality
Listing: Gilt & Plated. 1816-1842
Silk
& Florentine.1835-1839.
Elliott,
William.
14/12/1837: 7508; faces of covd.with flexi/s.p51. see Aston,J.
& Elliott, W.
Elliott,
William.
4 /6 /1844: 10,217. covd. impr. p
Elliott,
William.
16/10/1845: 10,883. covd.impr. +comp.+shk.
Elliott,
William.
19/12/1851: 13,871; covd.‑serated b/p. p143.
Harrison
& Smith Birmingham CD's speciality Listings: Metal. 1881-1908;
Military, Naval, Railway, Police, Livery & Crest. 1886-1908;
Ivory, 1902-1908; Trouser, 1886-1908; Patentees, 1882 only.
H.
J. Iliffe, Patents:
Iliffe,
Henry Jeremiah & Newman, James. 31/8 /1853: 2023;covd.+shk
crimp. p164.
Iliffe,
Henry Jeremiah,
Newman, James. & Jenkins, Henry.29/9/1853: 2230; ball ++.
p166‑167.
Iliff,
Henry Jeremiah. & Brough. Nehemiah.30/1 /1854: 221,ppo. prongs. p171.
Iliffe,
Henry Jeremiah & Newman, James. 23/4 /1855: 909; covd. p186.
Iliffe,
Henry Jeremiah & Newman, James. 19/7 /1856: 1713ppo.;covd. front
securing skeleton blanks.
Charles
Iliffe patents:
Iliffe,
C. 9/1 /1859: 1639; covd. p33.
Iliffe,
C. 24/1 /1860: 175
J..S.Mantons'
Speciality Listings: Plated 1866‑ Silk,
Military, Gilt, Linen, Metal. 1880‑1900.
Manton,
J.S. & Islip, T. 26/11/1860: 2907; riveting & comp. p43.2
Watts,
R. & Manton, J.S. 23/12/1869: 3359; fabric 2 hole. p34.
Manton,J.S.
& Manison, W.12/1 /1884: 1360; covd. p3.
Patents:(for
checking).
Manton,A.
1886.see Figs.
Manton,A.&
Wheldon,W.
27/7 /1892:13,030; stud. p94.
Plant
and Green Patents:
(for checking.) Plant,
J. & Green, J.R. 3/10/1873:
3523; sew thru' linen. p
The
initial
entry for Buttons Limited Birmingham 1909 Reads;
`Manufacturers of all kinds of buttons including Linen,
Livery, Crest, Buffalo horn, Military, Naval, Railway, Police,
Ladies' Dress.
Recently
I found images of a sample book of fancy vest buttons at: http://people.smartchat.net.au/~greenwhat/BSwordbook/Samplebook.htm
Which shews Shell and real stone buttons not mentioned in the listings
above; the same site reports F1 & F4 on vegetable ivory; interestingly
a page of glass buttons is also mentioned.
I think the Book dates after 1903 because the picture of what looks like
the Wright Flyer 3 with which the first powered flight was made and
possibly even after WW1 because of the bathing suit on another button.
Opinions anyone?
1.
H.C.Marshall.BL's.27/14. 2. Military Button Makers &
Dealers. W.F.McGuinn & B.S.Bazelon Revised Ed.
1984 mentions the CS Navy large enlisted man's ,
mineral earth, coat button being marked `Manton's Patent'
