Quote:
"LEONARD : In reading pages 114 and 115 of this book, unless we bear in mind that there were two contemporary families of Fox in Westbar, we may get into confusion or jump to too hasty conclusions. Both were manufacturers, and their workshops, though not many yards from one another, were on opposite sides of the street. John Fox and Co., later Fox and Norris, were on the north, or Spring street side. This family descends from Stephen Fox, whose daughter Catherine married, November 19th, 1739, Matthew Norris, cutler and razor smith, of Westbar. He had sons, John, Stephen and William, born respectively in 1714, 1716 and 1719, and I presume it was the son of one of these who, in 1781, was in partnership with Samuel Norris, under the style of John Fox and Co. This John Fox died in 1793. The firm seem to have struck three different marks—P with a star (*) over it ; MATAS within a border, a heart at the side ; ROOM or ROME, with a Greek cross over it. The other family of Foxes, of West court, are descended from Joshua Fox, who having finished his apprenticeship to his father William, in 1723, was admitted to the Freedom of the Cutlers' Company, John Smith being Master Cutler. He would be a contemporary of Stephen Fox over the way—could they be brothers or cousins ? This was the man who, if family tradition may be trusted, took the celebrated journey to London, described on page 115. He too, like Stephen, had a son William, who took out his freedom in 1749. Their trade mark was the word FOX, beneath a reversed dagger (†), the blade being twisted like a cork-screw. William Fox died in 1791, and a valuation made by Mr. William Fairbank, May 11th, 1792, of his properties in Westbar, Scargill croft, " Gibralter," and Spring croft, still exists, and confirms my statement that Mr. Fox lived next door to Samuel Fowler. The annual rent of the one house is set down at £24, and the other at £17. The property was valued at a total of £2,346. 3s., and it, or some of it, still remains in the possession of the family. Two of William Fox's sons were apprenticed to him—Joshua, who took out his freedom in 1780, and whose trade mark was I. F—X. ; and Samuel, admitted 1789, his trade mark being W. FOX. Joshua must have died early, as, after the father's death, we find Samuel acting as head of the family and carrying on the business in partnership with his sister Ann, until her death in 1799, when she left all she possessed to him. The business seems to have died with him about the year 1815, but the workshops between New street and Westbar and West court still exist—most of them unoccupied."
