Thread: Original 1837 White's Directory from Thomas Heiffor

I picked this one up a while ago but forgot to post. It's an original White's Directory from 1837, but is special because it has an Ex Libris card in the front from Thomas Heiffor. I'm not sure if it was a personal or firm copy - maybe someone can weigh in on that?

Very Cool Indeed! Great Find! :

I hope that some of the members who are historians can chime in on it.

Again, Great Find.

That super cool. Right up your alley too.

That book is a potential gold mine of cutlery history. For example: take a look at the the right hand column of page 201 and you'll see an entry for Jonathan Badger, listed as a maker of Garden and Tailor's shears. His son William Badger also made scissors in Copper Street until his death in 1868 and he made at least one razor (under the Elite brand) because I have it! William's brother, also a scissor maker, married Elizabeth Wostenholme, sister of Joseph Wostenholme, a minor razor maker who was probably related to the much more famous George Wostenholm.

Just to top it off, William Badger's daughter Eliza married a John Heiffor, grandson of the well known razor maker of the same name.

I haven't placed Thomas Heiffor in the family tree yet but I'll let you know if I find anything - the address is certainly enough to start with.

Thomas Heiffor was John's son.

John Heiffor was born around 1780 and died in 1849.

Thomas was born in 1820 and died in 1886. He was almost certainly working for the firm at the date of this directory, and since the card lists Paradise Square as the address, that strongly implies the book did indeed belong to the firm.

According to Tweedale's the business moved to 3 paradise Square after John death in 1849, Thomas was 16-17 years old when the book was written. Without Provenance it is what it is, nevertheless not to take anything from this great find.