WEIR'S

1866 - 1891 ?

office in

Featherstone Buildings, High Holborn

and later in

2, Carlisle Street, Soho Square, London

PREFACE

1866. The Year of Black Friday

... Very similar in size, form and action was the '"Raymond" machine built in Canada and introduced into this country by Mr. James Galloway Weir, who sold it under his own name as the " Weir '' machine. This was an exceedingly well-made little thing, and getting introduced to one or two of the aristocracy, who considered it quite sufficient for the use of their maids, it spread, particularly among ladies of rank, to a perfectly astonishing degree.

The business of Mr. Weir was conducted under a veil of something like secrecy, commencing with a small office in Featherstone Buildings, High Holborn, afterwards removing to premises very little more commodius in Carlisle Street, Soho Square. Here it was maintained for many years with great success, sufficiently so at least to enable Mr. Weir to retire some years ago with a fortune estimated at £ 60.000. He was in it long enough to witness its rise, its culmination and its decline; for like many other machines it passed through all those stages and when he retired the machines had become utterly unsaleable.

He was almost the only Englishman (and he was a Scotchman) who was able permanently to retire on a fortune. Instead of wasting the profits already made, like so many unfortunately have done in vain attempts to resuscitate a falling business, he withdrew from the trade and its conflicts and devoted his energies to the public service. In the second County Council election of March, 1892, he was returned as one of the representatives for East Islington and at the General Election the July following he was returned to Parliament as member for the Ross and Cromartie division in the Gladstonian interest. He has been well known since as one of the most inveterate and pertinacious questioners in the House of Commons, where, let us hope, he will long continue to render good service to his Country...

extract from The Sewing Machine Gazette 1894

JOTTINGS

Mr. T. Columbine, for many years manager for Mr. Weir, recently committed suicide. He has for the past four or five years continued Weir's sewing machine business in Soho on his own account. We understand that Mr. Columbine jr. will continue this business.

extract from The Sewing Machine Gazette 1891 (July)

Parliament and the S. M. Trade

The sewing machine trade has at last a representative in the House of Commons. Two gentlemen who have made fortunes out of the trade solicited the suffrages of the electors, Mr. John G. Murdoch unsuccessfully wooing the free and enlightened of East Renfrewshire and Mr. J. G. Weir, with better results, seeking the honour of representing the wishes of Ross and Cromarty at Westminster. Both the above, it will be observed, aspired to sit for Scotch constituencies; further, both are supporters of Mr. Gladstone.

Mr. J. G. Weir has good cause to be pleased with the result of the poll, which was as follows :

J. G. Weir (L.) 3.181

Provost Maclean (L.U.) 2.413

Majority 768

1885 election, (L.) 2.017; 1886, (L.) 3.066.

The Daily News, in its biographies of new members, makes the following remarks:

"James Galloway Weir (Ross and Cromarty) (L.), of Hampstead, was born in 1839, and was formerly in business, but has now retired.

He is said to have patented the first English sewing machine in 1864.*

He unsuccessfully contested the Falkirk Burghs in 1885."

We need scarcely say that The Daily News is in error. The first sewing machine patented in this country was some three-quarters of a century anterior to 1864. Mr. Weir commenced business, we believe, in Carlisle Street, Soho, London, in 1866 as an importer of a small chainstitch machine made by Raymond, of Guelph, Canada. During his career he applied for four patents, two onlv of which went beyond the provisional stage; the first, dated 1872, being for a tension device to the Raymond, which he then called the " Weir". We believe we are right in stating that Mr. Weir made more money out of sewing machines than any other English dealer and that when he retired from business, which was just before his first patent ran out, he was worth about £150.000, all made out of selling the " Weir " machine. The success he met with was quite phenomenal. The retail price of his machine was 55s. and its actual cost was 26s. when made in Canada, 16s. when subsequently made in France and when made in London 12s. Most of Mr. Weir's trade was at first retail and, as he sold mostly for cash, his profits were enormous. The craze for "Weir" machines was extraordinary until the advent of the "Express" another chain-stitch machine, which was sold at one-half the price. It was nothing unusual in the palmy days of the "Weir" for a dozen carriages to stand outside the warehouse, whilst their owners were pressing for Mr. Weir to let them have machines which had been paid for some time previously. As many as 18.000 "Weir" machines per annum were sold for several years at a retail profit of from 30s. to 40s. each.

extract from The Sewing Machine Gazette 1892

Raymond's Machines were sold in England by Mr Weir and Mr P. Frank

* Mr. Frank was Raymond's appointed Agent since 1863

CHRONOLOGY

1861

The Raymond lock-stitch sewing machine

with a "walking pressure foot"

The Raymond chain-stitch sewing machine

with a "walking pressure foot"

1866

According to The Story of the Sewing Machine "With Reminiscences, Personal and General", by Newton Wilson published in the Sewing Machine Gazette in the year 1894, Raymond's machine built in Canada, was introduced into England by Mr. James G. Weir since 1866, who sold it under his own name as the " Weir '' machine.

1867

1868

1869

1870

55s AMERICAN HAND SEWING MACHINE

by RAYMOND'S,

sold in England by Mr Weir and Mr P. Frank

and in Ireland by Mr Moore

Glasgow Evening Citizen - 25 January 1870

1871

With Latest Improvements

1872

February 23, 1872 - GB 580/1872

To James Galloway Weir, of Carlisle Street, Soho, in the county of Middlesex, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for the invention of improvements in sewing machines and in sewing machine needles.

French Patent, March 27, 1872 No. 94.702

Belgium Patent, March 29, 1872 No. 30.309

from 1872 after Weir patent improvements

James G. Weir's chain stitch sewing machine, model no. 55/S of 1872. The machine was called the "55/S" because on its introduction it was sold for 55 shillings.

This small, inexpensive chain-stitch sewing machine was manufactured in London by James Galloway Weir from 1872, the date of his patent for certain improvements to its design (February 23, 1872 - GB 580/1872).

Weir's improved machine featured a redesigned thread tension device, needle bar, and new spiral gears. The looper used to form the stitch was, however, patented by Frederick W Parker of Sheffield in 1859.

CREDIT : Jones, Constance E., Lady

1873

August 19, 1873 - GB 2.738/1873

To James Galloway Weir, of Carlisle Street, Soho, in the county of Middlesex, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for an invention of improvements in sewing machines.

1874

The original 55s, Machine, as sold by Weir during many years, is still manufactured by him and now known and sold at the reduced price of Two Guineas (£2 2s.) complete,

as THE GLOBE £2 2s. FAMILY SEWING MACHINE.

1875

May 21, 1875 - GB 1871/1875

To James Galloway Weir, of Carlisle Street, Soho, in the county of Middlesex, Sewing Machine Manufacturer, for an invention of improvements in sewing machines.

1878

"THE COMET"

1881

From 1881 circa, James G. Weir is no longer supplied with Raymond' machines

According to the Raymond SM Company, James G. Weir imported sewing machines from them (Canada) since 1874 circa.

A Raymond (or Weir in the UK), "New England" design, first imported from Canada by James Galloway Weir, a Scotsman. The original was patented by Charles Raymond and made in Ontario. This is a simple chain-stitch with a looper but models after 1870 were lock-stitch so it is probably an early model.

J. G. Weir's patent improvements consiste of

"The Intermedial Tension"

(No detached Nuts, Cones, Springs, &c.)

The Silent Spiral Gears, The Silent Stitch Regulator,

Improved Needle Slide, Oiling hole and other Specialties.

This is a Raymond New England design and was sold as the Weir 55s because it cost 55 shillings. They were originally made by Charles Raymond in Canada but James Weir resold them under his own name. For a time Weir did have a business arrangement with Raymond and patented some improvements to the original design.

This one has a looper producing a simple chain stitch. The bed has a printed shield with the words James G Weir Patent London and the needle-plate is stamped with James W Columbine, 2 Carlisle Street, Soho, London.

Columbine was an associate and possibly an in-law of Weir. Beveled gears were one of Weirs improvements and this has the usual variety going straight across the width of the cog so this is probably not one of the later models. It is possibly 1875 circa.

1886

...Sewing machines generally may conveniently be divided into two classes, viz., lock stitch and chain stitch, and each class again separated into several distinct divisions.

Thus in the first-class we have shuttle and curved needle, as in the original Howe and Florence, shuttle and straight needle as in the Singer and Thomas and rotary hook and spool, with curved needle, as in the Wheeler & Wilson machine

In the second-class we have the double-thread chain with curved needle, as the Grover & Baker double thread and stronger needle, as the Whight and Lancashire and lastly the single thread and plain chain of the Weir and the single thread twisted stitch of the Wilcox & Gibbs...

extract from The Sewing Machine Gazette 1886

WEIR'S SEWING MACHINES

1869 - Weir' 55s, American Hand Sewing Machine, sold at 55s.(£2 15s.)

1870 - J. G. Weir' 55s, American Hand Sewing Machine, sold at £ 2 15s.

1871 - J. G. Weir' 55s, with latest improvements, sold at 55s. (£2 15s.)

1872 - J. G. Weir's machine with the New Patent Intermedial Tension.

1874 - The original 55s, Machine, sold at 2 Guineas (42s. or £2 2s.)

1874 - THE GLOBE sold at £2 2s.

1878 - Weir's 42s or Globe Machine for Dressmakers, sold at £ 2 2s.

1878 - Comet Weir's Patent Shuttle Lock Stitch, sold at 84s. (£4 4s.)

1878 - Zephyr Weir's Patent Shuttle Lock Stitch, sold at 84s. (£4 4s.)

1878 - GLOBE sold at £2 2s.

1881 - Weir is no longer supplied with Raymond's machines

1882 - J. G. Weir, manufacturer of Weir's celebrated 55s sewing machines, lock, chain & twisted loop stitch, 2 Carlisle St. Soho Square.

1884 - J. G. Weir, manufacturer of Weir's celebrated 55s sewing machines, lock, chain & twisted loop stitch, 2 Carlisle St. Soho Square.

1891 - (July) Mr. T. Columbine, for many years manager for Mr. Weir, recently committed suicide. He has for the past four or five years continued Weir's sewing machine business in Soho on his own account. We understand that Mr. Columbine, junior, will continue this business.

1895 - Weir James Galloway, M.P. 4 Frognal, Hampstead NW & National Liberal club SW

American (Hand Sewing Machine) 1867 1870

The Lady's 1867 1877 (?) see above advertisement

Victoria 1870

Jackson 1870

Zephyr 1874 1879

Argus 1877

Comet 1877 1878

Aurora 1878 1879

1 guinea = £ 1 1s.

2 guineas = £ 2 2s.

20 shillings = £ 1