DATING WHEELER & WILSON

DATING

WHEELER & WILSON SEWING MACHINES

In 1876, the new W&W No. 8 machine was introduced and a new series of serial numbers was initiated. It is, therefore, imperative to know that the machine is one of the earlier style machines before using the following list of serial numbers to date the machines, approximately as follows:

Serial Number Year

0 ..............................

1851

200 ..............................

1852

651 ..............................

+ 799 1853

1.450 ..............................

+ 756 1854

2.206 ..............................

+ 1.171 1855

3.377 ..............................

+ 2.210 1856

5.587 ..............................

+ 4.591 1857

10.178 ..............................

+ 7.978 1858

18.156 ..............................

+ 21.306 1859

39.462 ..............................

+ 25.102 1860

64.564 ..............................

+ 18.556 1861

83.120 ..............................

+ 28.202 1862

111.322 ..............................

+ 29.778 1863

141.100 ..............................

+ 40.062 1864

181.162 ..............................

+ 39.157 1865

220.319 ..............................

+ 50.132 1866

270.451 ..............................

+ 38.055 1867

308.506 ..............................

+ 49.350 (no data) 1868 (*)

357.856 ..............................

+ 78.866 1869

436.722 ..............................

+ 83.208 1870

519.930 ..............................

+ 128.526 1871

648.456 ..............................

+ 174.088 1872

822.544 ..............................

822.544 ..............................

+ 119.190 1873

941.734 ..............................

+ 92.827 1874

1.033.561 ..............................

+ 103.740 1875

1.137.301 ..............................

+ 108.997 1876

(*)

The No. 1 & 2 Machines

From 1852 about To 1900 c.

The No. 3 & 4 Machines

From 1860 c. To 1879-80 c.

The No. 5 Machine

From 1860 c. To 1887 c.

The No. 6 Machine

From 1873 to ... by 1905 (?)

The No. 7 Machine

From 1875 to ... by 1894 (?)

NEW SERIES OF SERIAL NUMBERS

In 1876, the new No. 8 machine was introduced and a new series of serial numbers was initiated.

Records of the second series of serial numbers dating from 1876 are not available.

The No. 8 Machine

From 1876 To 1887

The No. 9 & D 9 Machine

From 1888 To 1905 and beyond

The No. 10 & D 10 Machine

From 1882 To 1899 c.

The No. 11 Machine

From 1892(?) To 1905 and beyond

The No. 12 (A-B-C-D) Machine

From 1887 To 1905

The No. 15 Machine

From 1892 To ...

1905

...and beyond

to be continued

Sources:

The Invention of the Sewing Machine by Grace Rogers Cooper

The Sewing Machine Gazette and Journal of Domestic Appliances

ISMACS

NeedleBar

www.sewmuse.co.uk

Sewing Machinery by J. W. Urquhart (1881)

No.1 No.2 No.3 No.4 No.5 No.6 No.7 No.8

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1851 X LONDON EXHIBITION

1852 X X

1853 X X

1854 X X

1855 X X

1856 X X

1857 X X

1858 X X

1859 X X

1860 X X X X X

1861 X X X X X

1862 X X X X X

1863 X X X X X

1864 X X X X X

1865 X X X X X

1866 X X X X X

1867 X X X X X

1868 X X X X X

1869 X X X X X

1870 X X X X X

1871 X X X X X

1872 X X X X X

1873 X X X X X X

1874 X X X X X X

1875 X X X X X X X

1876 X X X X X X X X

1877 X X X X X X X X

1878 X X X X X X X X

1879 X X X X X X X X

1880 X X X X X X X X

1881 X X 0 0 X X X X

1882 X X 0 0 X X X X

1883 X X X X X X

1884 X X X X X X

1885 X X X X X X

1886 X X X X X X

1887 X X 0 0 X X X X

1888 X X X X

1889 X X X X

1890 X X X X

1891 X X X X

1892 X X X X

1893 X X X X

1894 X X X X

==============================================

1895 X X X

1896 X X X

1897 X X X

1898 X X X

1899 X X X

1900 X X X

1901 X

1902 X

1903 X

1904 X

1905 X

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No.1 No.2 No.3 No.4 No.5 No.6 No.7 No.8

X . machine advertised
X . unsure date

0 . not advertised

By 1894, the W&W Nos. 5, 7, 8 and 10 were no longer made, so customers would have been offered the:

No.1 (curved needle) and the New No. 4 for shirt manufacture;

No.6 and No.11 to special order;

No.9 and versions of the No.12 all basic work;

No. 10 Button-Hole version.

by John Langdon (ISMACS)

No.8 No.9 No.10 No.11 No.12 No.15

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1876 X

1877 X

1878 X

1879 X

1880 X

1881 X

1882 X X

1883 X X

1884 X X

1885 X X

1886 X X

1887 X X X

1888 X X X

1889 X X X

1890 X X X

1891 X X X

1892 X X X X X

1893 X X X X X

1894 X X X X X

==============================================

1895 X X X X X

1896 X X X X X

1897 X X X X X

1898 X X X X X

1899 X X X X X

1900 X X X X X

1901 X X X X

1902 X X X X

1903 X X X X

1904 X X X X

1905 X X X X

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No.8 No.9 No.10 No.11 No.12 No.15