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WATSON WILLIAM C.
sold by Jones & Lee, New York (1850)
The earliest Watson machines were two-thread lockstitch machines, as described in the Scientific American, August 10, 1850. Although the magazine reported that the inventor had applied for a patent, the earliest lockstitch patent issued to William C. Watson was on March 11, 1856. A few of his machines were made in 1850, the article continued, “several of these machines are nearly finished ... persons desirous of seeing them can be gratified by calling upon Messrs. Jones & Lee”.
In 1850 a Watson Sewing Machine was exhibited by Jones & Lee at the Sixth Exhibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Assoc. held in Boston.
In 1853 another Watson Machine was exhibited at the New York Industry of All Nations Exhibition. This was a single-looping machine; Watson received a patent for this single-thread machine on November 25, 1856.
WATSON, WOOSTER & Co.
1856 - 1858-60 c.
Manufactory: Bristol, Connecticut
Main office: 449 Broadway, New York
About the 20th day of August, 1856, Joel Chase was employed by Messrs Watson, Wooster & Co., composed of William. C. Watson, Morris Knight and Geo. H. Wooster, to manufacture sewing machines, which were known as the "Watson Ten Dollar Sewing Machine". Thereafter Joel Chase received a notice from the counsel of O.B. Potter and N. Wheeler. It was an injunction, informing him that those machines were an infringement upon Letters Patent which they owned. Then Joel Chase ceased to make the machines.
WATSON'S FAMILY SEWING MACHINE
or
WATSON'S TEN DOLLAR PATENT
or
WATSON'S TEN DOLLAR SEWING MACHINE
In the December 13, 1856 issue of Scientific American a machine called Watson’s Family Sewing Machine was illustrated and described. It was a small machine (only 8 by 5 inches) manufactured by Watson & Wooster and selling for $10. Goodell & Prall, sole agents, No.1 Cortlandt Street, New York. References to the Watson single-thread machine occur as late as 1860, but no examples are known to have survived.
1857
1858
WATSON'S IMPROVED $12 DOLLAR SEWING MACHINE
Herron's or Boyd's improvement... or not?
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US 17.930 Abial C. Herron
Sewing Machine
August 4, 1857
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US 19.171 Amos H. Boyd
Sewing Machine
Assignor to Oliver D. Boyd
January 19, 1858
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HERRON'S PATENT SEWING MACHINE
The manufacturer of this machine is not known, but the machine was based on the patent of Abial C. Herron issued August 4, 1857. All the machines carry a small heart-shaped plate just above the needle descent bearing the patentee’s name and the patent date. The patent covered an improvement in the method of making the chainstitch. The machines were provided with a hand crank, but were also meant to be operated by a belt and treadle. No records of the extent of manufacture of this machine have been found. This machine head measures 14 inches in width, about standard size.
Smithsonian Institution US National Museum
This is a rare and desirable American patent sewing machine. The patent for this sewing machine was issued in 1857 to Abial C. Herron. The only one I know of in this country is pictured in Grace Coopers book "The Invention of the Sewing Machine" picturing and describing the example in the Smithsonian's collection. (see above)
This early patented sewing machine is not mentioned or pictured in the other major book on the subject of early patented sewing machines by Carter Bays which is now in its third or fourth printing, meaning he has not been able to acquire one in all those years since his first edition came out in the early 90's Carter is recognized by many as the top collector and expert in the US and for one of these to be missing from his collection is indicative of the scarcity of this sewing machine. In speaking with the former leading American dealer in antique sewing machines, he indicated that over the years he had one just one and that he sold it to an European collector.
The design looks somewhat like a Watson, but closer examination shows it to be quite different in setup and operation. It has several distinct differences from those also rare machines. This sewing machine is marked with the patentees name Herron and the 1857 date on a heart shaped brass plaque on the front of the machine above the needle.
The condition is OK. There is about 50-60% of the paint and decoration remaining. Cooper describes these machines as being provided with a handcrank or adapted to use as a treadle machine. A previous owner has made a small table for this one so it would display properly. It is unknown what an original set-up would look like or what the treadle looked like. There are no other examples to compare this too, and the one Cooper shows is just the head. This machine has one minor condition problem in the casting. There is a crack in the casting holding the main drive rod. It is a weak point in the casting, and the piece you see was broken loose. It was drilled and pinned and is now solid & stable although you can still see the crack. The machine turns over freely, and its operation can be observed and demonstrated.
The small, hand-turned, sewing machines some of which were called Common Sense, were manufactured by at least three companies and possibly more.
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WATSON'S PATENTS
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US 14.433 William C. Watson
Shuttle Sewing Machine
My invention consists, principally, of the following improvements: first, in a spring pressure plate located beneath the table in line with and so as to spring against the needle on the side opposite to the bobbin of the shuttle, the use of which is to prevent the formation of the loop on that side of the needle and thereby escape the shuttle; secondly, in the arrangement of the tension-clamp through which the thread passes to stop the feed and thereby take up the slack of the stitch.
Assignor to Ira W. Gregory
March 11, 1856
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US 16.136 William C. Watson
Sewing Machine
My invention consists in an improvement in the method of constructing and operating the hook which takes up the loops formed beneath the table in single-thread sewing machines. There has always been great uncertainty in the operation of that part of a single-thread sewing machine which is to take off the loop and retain it until the needle shall have passed through in the succeeding stitch and almost all of the various plans (such as hooks, loopers, &c.) proposed have been designed to remedy that uncertainty.
Assignor to Watson, Wooster & Knight
November 25, 1856
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US 18.000 William C. Watson
Sewing Machine
My invention consists of an improved loop er for single-thread, or what is more commonly known as chain-stitch machines. The great defect in these machines has been the want of certainty in seizing the loop and in holding it in proper position for the passage of the needle through it. By my improvement the loop is, in the first instance, caught, as the needle retreats, upon an advancing hook which enters it and having affixed to the shank of said hook a gripping finger, which is made immediately to close over the loop, whereby that is held firmly in place during the retreat of the hook to the position it must necessarily have in order that the needle may pass through when that again descends, immediately after which passing the gripping-finger opens and the loop slips off, the stitch being thereby finished, as usual.
Assignor to himself, George H. Wooster and Ira W. Gregory
August 11, 1857
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US 18.371 William C. Watson
Sewing Machine
The nature of my invention consists in the making of an improved looper for single thread or chain-stitch sewing machines, the object aimed at being the obtaining of greater certainty of action with simplicity of parts. The principle of my looper lies in a peculiar combination of two hooks, one of which is stationary and the other movable, which latter I call the “loop-carrying hook and which is to catch and carry the loop to one side, where it is held open for the passage of the needle by the combined action of both hooks.
Assignor to himself, George H. Wooster and Ira W. Gregory
October 6, 1857
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US 18.834 William C. Watson
Sewing Machine
This invention consists in the employment, in a sewing machine, of a stationary needle combined in such a manner with a reciprocating table or cloth-holder that the protrusion of the needle through the cloth or material being sewed is caused by the movement of the said material, by which means several advantages are obtained over the use of a reciprocating needle and stationary table or cloth-holder.
Assignor to himself and George H. Wooster
December 8, 1857
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sources:
The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Grace Rogers Cooper
Maggie's Old Sewing Machines by Maggie Snell
Smithsonian Institution United States National Museum