Thread: Another piece in the GB puzzle

Forgive me if I was not thorough in my research and this brand has been noted before. I was at a flea market and, regrettably, did not pick this one up, but I did snap a picture of it. I've personally seen a number of razors with the familiar GB and maltese cross, but this is the first I've really seen with a manufacturer name as well (Laycock Brothers, Sheffield).





I didn't have time to thoroughly investigate, and don't know if maybe this was a trademark that was bought and reused later, or if it was completely unrelated to George Brittain / whatever the older ones were. The Sheffield Indexers have these listings for "Laycock" and "Razor", and the style of razor is certainly consistent with late 1800s:

Laycock, Jno. (~, Razor Mnfr.).
Residing at 23 Netherthorpe Street, in 1871.
Recorded in: Whites Shefffield & District Directory - 1871.

Laycock, Samuel (~, Razorsmith).
Residing at ~ Bramall Lane, in 1871.
Recorded in: Whites Shefffield & District Directory - 1871.

They are not listed as brothers, but they are operating at the same time, so I guess it's conceivable, though the addresses are across town from each other. Anyway, an interesting piece in the GB history. Just wanted to get it out there if it is helpful to anyone or spurs more research. I'd love to hear if anyone has more information on this company.

See here - post #8

The Laycocks were originally brothers - they can be traced back at least as early as 1825 at Mill Sands, where we have Samuel, Joseph, James, Thomas and W. E. Laycock, Hair seating and curled hair manufacturers.

They moved around a bit

1825 - S & J Laycock, hair seating and curled hair manufacturers, Millsands
1825-29 Millsands
1833 Gell Street/Bridge Street/15 Arundel Street
1837 - 40 Arundel Street (as Laycock Brothers, Hair Seating and Curled Hair Manufacturers)
1841 137 Arundel Street

The firm gave rise to Samuel Laycock and Sons:

Laycock, Samuel & Sons Limited (Manufacturers of Hair-seating & Curled Hair & Dressers of Brushmakers' Materials).
Residing at Portobello Place, 203 Portobello Street & Owlerton Works; also at Lavenham & Long Melford, Suffolk, Sheffield in 1905.

The fact of the matter is that Laycock Bros never made cutlery, knives or razors, but were involved in the upholstery business - 'hair seating' and 'curled hair' were used as stuffing for furniture.

So - they never owned the mark. The razors were made for them. Who by? See the post linked to above.

Regards,
Neil

Ah thanks Neil! I had seen those entries but had ruled them out because they were in upholstery. Only problem is your link goes to this same thread - could you edit to the intended link?

I think I have edited the link correctly, now, thanks!

The firm was certainly a giant - it came to serve the government, the railway, had branches in Suffolk and London, so I suppose the razors were commissioned as gifts to the workforce.



Here is an interesting piece from "Remininscences of Old Sheffield, It's Streets and It's People, edited by the egregious Robert Eadon Leader, 1875:

"...Wragg : Near to the premises of Messrs. John Sellers
and Sons, partly occupied by Mr. Richard Elliott, in Arundel
street, were the works of the Messrs. Laycock, manufacturers
of hair seating. Their father was a journeyman to Mr. Wild-
smith, in Bridge street, a carpet weaver, and then hair weaver.
Mr. Laycock left him and began for himself. His family was
noted for its industry, and success was the result. Mr. Lay-
cock gave up business in favour of his sons, and retired into
Gell street, to the house now occupied by Mr. George Deakin,
and died at a great age in 1836. On his right and on his
left he could see the residences of two of his sons, one at the
corner of Leavy greave, and the other at the corner of Glossop
road. The mayor of Sheffield in 1865, Mr. W. E. Laycock,
of Stumperlow grange and Portobello works, was one of his
grandsons. On the opposite side to Messrs. Laycock, in
Arundel street, and further on, were the works of Mr. Dew-
snap, whose son, Mr. Thomas Dewsnap, of Clarke House,
died in 1864, leaving a remarkable will.

Everard : I forget its provisions ?

Twiss : After various charitable and other bequests, he
left all his real and leasehold estates, and all the residue of
his personal estates, to his executors, declaring it to be his
earnest wish and desire that they should devote the whole of
it to building and endowing churches, chapels, and schools, or
to any other charitable purposes..."

Regards,
Neil

Not to throw a wrench in the running thread but in the Sheffield Commercial book from 1877, shows Samuel Laycock And Son as razor manufacturers. Also note that its "Son" not "Sons".

So if it was a razor made by the Brothers' upholstery business as a side for workers, why would they bother buying the GB trademark?

I wonder if it is possible that there was more than one Laycock family, and that they may not have been related ? Bet you wish you had bought that razor ......

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I wonder if it is possible that there was more than one Laycock family, and that they may not have been related ? Bet you wish you had bought that razor ......

Yeah, it was $10 and at the end of the day and I really didn't feel like buying anything else with a bad edge. Wish I'd gone back for it...

Not really a spanner, Martin, more a mind-bender! - there were at least two S. Laycock & Son/s - one in the railroad business (as a Limited Company, Portobello Road) and also in upholstery (from the same premises, so one and the same firm) - and another it seems, making razors.

Anyway, we aren't talking about Samuel Laycock & Son/s, but Laycock Bros. You can follow most of Laycock Bros personnel to Millsands (they are listed as John Laycock & Sons, Millsands in an 1818 Directory, with a sub-entry for the two sons - brothers - Samuel and James, in Bridge Street, who by at least 1837 were calling themselves Laycock Brothers) then to Arundel Street, so it is clear that they are one and the same.

Most of the directories give house/residence/place of work addresses, and these tally-up with respect to Laycock Bros too.



No-where in the above does it say that Samuel Laycock & Son ever traded as Laycock Brothers.

In the 1851 census, Samuel Laycock, born 1825/26, razor smith, is recorded as living in Eldon Street with his wife Emma, daughter Selina and his brother, John - also a razor smith. At this time the Brownell's owned the GB mark, and the 'Laycock Brothers' name was already taken. However, these two Laycocks - Samuel and John, aged 25 and 26, were brothers and razor makers - so they look like contenders. I only wish there was some evidence to support them as being Laycock Brothers, but everything points to the contrary.

In the 1841 census there was Samuel Laycock, born in 1821, a spring knife maker from Sheffield. He is also in the 1871 census, spring knife maker, living in Colliers Row.

Also in the 1841 census is John Laycock, born 1806, hair cushion manufacturer with wife Elizabeth, daughters Mary and Eliza and son Samuel, 2 yrs old, born 1839.

Also in the 1841 census is 55 yr old Samuel Laycock, born 1786, hair cushion manufacturer, with with Hannah and daughters Eliza, Isabella and Ann.

That's not to mention Samuel J Laycock, Samuel Isaac Laycock, Samuel Laycock Jnr., Samuel Laycock the cotton weaving poet from Stalybridge,

The other Samuel belonged to this family: Samuel, Joseph, James, Thomas and W. E. Laycock.

I have come to the conclusion THERE ARE TOO MANY SAMUEL LAYCOCK'S!

However, I have only come across one istance of Laycock Brothers.

Scienceguy - that's just it - they did not buy the mark! It was stamped on the tang by the maker. The marked was owned by:

1774 - George Brittain
1776 - George Brittain and apprentice Peter Brownell
1812 - Verdon and Bernard Brittain, and Peter Brownell, now a Freeman of the Cutlers Guild
1843 - Brownell family (we suppose - see link in previous post)
1861 - Stacey, Pease & Co (bought the mark)
sometime after 1861 - Edward Gem & Co (bought Stacey, Peach & Co and GB mark)
1890 - Alfred Field & Co (bought Edward Gem & Co. and the GB mark)

Presumably the mark remained the property of Alfred Field & Co until they ceased trading, which was in 1933.

This leaves no time frame for Laycock Brothers to 'own' or 'buy' the mark.

Regards,
Neil.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Scienceguy - that's just it - they did not buy the mark! It was stamped on the tang by the maker.

Ah, so was it made by the firm which owned the GB mark and then stamped and sold / given out by the Laycock firm?