Hancox

Interesting that if you go to the LondonLives website that David provided, and use the search function with "sawmaker" , then you get quite a few unfamiliar names of sawmakers from the 1700s

 

At least we now know who made Howell's saw screws.

Old Bailey Proceedings:
Old Bailey Proceedings: Accounts of Criminal Trials
27th October 1802
About this dataset

Currently Held: Harvard University Library

LL ref: t18021027-76

• < Previous
• Next >

823. ARMELL JONES was indicted for feloniously stealing, on the 14th of August , a saw-set, and eight dozen of brass saw-screws , the property of Joseph Howell .

JOSEPH HOWELL sworn. - I live at Chelsea , and am a saw-maker ; in consequence of suspicion, I went to the prisoner's house, and by his wife I saw the saw-set, which I knew to be my property; he turned his back to me, took up the saw-set, and carried it to the other end of the shop out of my sight, though he did not know I had seen it; after that I asked him if he had any screws; he said he had a sew small ones, which he shewed me; I said they are good screws, and if my man does not let me have some soon, I will get some of you; I left him; knowing they were mine, and went to the Police-Office, and got a search warrant; when I returned I opened the door, and said, Mr. Jones, I am come to see you twice in one day, but now I have a warrant; I looked over his bench, and he had returned the saw-set to the place; I told himhe must bring out the screws; he hesitated, but went and brought about a couple of gross of screws of a different make; I said they were not the same I had seen: he said he had no more; we opened a drawer, and I saw a paper with some screws in, which I knew to be mine: they are the same;(the officer produces the screws); I am enabled to say that they are different screws from what any body else used by the makes of them.

Cross-examined by Mr. Gurney. Q. You have sold saw-sets of different sorts? - A. Yes.

Q. Are you the only person who serves in your shop? - A. Me and my son; but that was stolen out of the window by my vise-bench.

Q. Are those screws of your own make? - A. No, they are made by one Watson, of Birmingham.

 

I just love it when a door accidentally opens and all this new information tumbles out. But, sadly, I assume Armell Jones was a sawmaker, too, as well as a thief.

 

Hardly accidentally, it looks like you did a lot of searching to find it.

Our sympathies should go to Simon. He may well have to re-write his book.

Fred

 

Actually, Fred, I just followed the Google trail, trying lots of different search words. Hardly research; more like obsession, with an element of fun.