Wm Congreaves/ Naylor and Co's Celebrated Steel

[sharptonn]

This 9/8 Congreve is marked WR and made with Naylor and Co's Celebrated steel. I have been trying my hand at Neil Miller's ability to know and find out about such things. I am afraid I am a dismal failure!
I have however learned some things. Perhaps Neil will come along and correct some of them!
I have found little about Congreve after searching other than they made fine cutlery in Sheffield from 1825 til 1865. More on them would be good to know.
It seems the Naylor name in steelmaking spanned at least 3 generations back when. Naylor and Sanderson was founded in 1776 by George Naylor, Thomas Sanderson, and a filemaker named Daniel Brammal. They imported most steel from suppliers such as Swallow of the Atterworks until 1822 when they aquired the Swallow Works and became the largest crucible steel makers in Sheffield.
It Seems a son, George, was born in 1769 and worked in the company until retiring in 1829. Stay with me!! HIS son, George Portis Naylor who was born in 1800 and apparantly was with the company as well, until his father's retirement, whereupon he left the company and it became Sanderson Bros. (another long story!)
Then George Portis Naylor joined with to form Naylor, Hutchinson, and Vickers (Vickers was Naylor's son in law who had a big steel-rolling operation). The only mention I have found for simply "Naylor and Co" is where Naylor, Hutchinson, and Vickers were petitioned by the Master Cutler over a bank failure and the company was named Naylor and Co in the proceedings.

Since William's Reign was from 1830-1837 it would seem this razor was made during the Naylor, Hutchinson, and Vicker's days. I suppose Naylor's name was synonomous with fine steel and would have represented the "steel" in the company. OR it was made later than William's reign by Naylor and Co after the bank failure of 1843 and marked WR (as I have heard they sometimes did).
Anyway it is a nice piece. The scales are obviously not original. I wonder what kind of horn/collar was on it originally. It would be nice to get it back close to what it was!
Tom