William Brockeden

William Brockeden was born on 13th October 1787 in Totnes, Devon, the son of a watchmaker. He too trained as a watchmaker but also earned money as an author and artist.  He worked with Sampson Mordan in 1831 on the development of a pen nib with an oblique form.  
However is was later as an artist that he made the discovery that was to revolutionise not only pencil making but also the preparation of medicines and enabled apothecaries to replace laborious pill-rolling with efficient and reliable tablet making machines.
Pencil making was in difficulty the late 1830's. The sources of real lead, such as the highly-valued Cumberland Plumbago, had become rarer and more expensive. As high-quality graphite got more expensive, cheap imitations with sulphur or clay added as additives became common.
Brockeden was frustrated that he could not obtain drawing pencils which were free from grit and he had the idea of compressing pure, powdered graphite in a die between two punches. Brockeden exhibited at the Crystal Palace showing how powdered graphite could be reformed into a block without binder. Powder was poured into a tube, and then compressed with a mallet until solid. Realising that his invention could have other uses, he then took out a patent for a device for 'Shaping of pills, lozenges and black lead by pressure in a die'.
In 1844, just a few months after Brockeden's patent was granted, the Pharmaceutical Journal in Britain recorded that: 'We have received a specimen of bicarbonate of potash compressed into the form of a pill by a process invented by Mr Brockeden and for which he has taken out a patent. We understand the process is applicable to the compression of a variety of other substances into a solid mass, without the intervention of gum or other adhesive material”.

Mordan Compass

During the First World War S. Mordan & Co manufactured compasses for the UK Ministry of Defence. They made mainly Verner’s pattern compasses during this period. Called mirror compasses, they were a variation on a model designed and produced for the U.S. Corps of Engineers by Cruchon & Emons and PLAN Ltd. in Switzerland.
Typically they are 54mm diameter and weigh about 150 grams. The case inside contains radium paint.

The range of Mordan’s Products

I have written elsewhere of the wide range of Mordan’s output. This is clearly demonstrated in an advertisement in the The Literary Gazette and Journal of Belles Letters, Arts, Sciences and Co., No. 1043, January 14th 1837.  This was before Sampson Mordan the elder’s retirement. It is interesting to note the caution at the bottom  refers to “S. Mordan and Co. Makers” This is much earlier than the 1844 date which is usually stated as the beginning of the use of the “"S. Mordan and Co. Makers” mark.
"To the trade.
S Mordan and Co. beg to call attention of the Trade to the following Articles of their Manufacture, viz;-
Patent Ever-pointed Pencils and Leads
Patent Locks, with seven guards
Patent Oblique and counter Oblique Steel Pens
Patent Triple Pointed Steel Pens
Patent Portable Quill Pencils
Patent Joint Penholders for Do. in Silver and in Gold
A New Guide Penholder in Silver, much approved of
Patent Styloxynoe (sic), or Pencil Sharpener
Patent Parisian Spring Penholder, and Short Pen for Do.
Gold Pens with Perpetual Points
Cedar Drawing Pencils, pure Cumberland Lead
Fire-Proof Deed Boxes etc
Iron Chest and Bookcases
Iron Doors for Strong Rooms
Patent Spherical- Stoppered Bottles for Scents, Aether (Sic), etc. mounted in Gold and Silver
Patent Inkstands for Travelling Desks, Pocket Etc.
New Fountain Inks of Superior Construction
Portable inkstands in Wood and Leather, etc.
Lump Ink, Cone Ink, and Glass Inkstands of every description
Toilet Bottles, Pastille Burners, Rose Water Bottles Etc.
Smelling Bottles, mounted in Silver and Gold, with S. M. and Co.'s Improved Conical Stopper
Preston Salts, Vingrettes, etc. etc
Soda Water Machines etc., etc,
And to inform them that they have now, in the course of manufacture, several entirely new and useful articles which will be laid out before them with all possible dispatch.
Caution – As imitations have been made of many of their articles, observe, that each bears the name S. Mordan and Co. Makers London.
Manufactory, 22 Castle Street, Finsbury, London
N.B. S. Mordan will be happy to advise Persons taking out Patents for New Inventions, as to the best mode of manufacturing and laying the same before the trade."

Clara Mordan

Clara Mordan, 1844 – 1915, the daughter of Augustus Mordan, was born in South Kensington. A supporter of women's suffrage after attending with her father a speech on the subject given by John Stuart Mill,  she joined the Manchester National Society for Women's Suffrage in 1888.

At a meeting of a feminist society in London in 1896 a paper was presented by Annie Rogers on "The Present Position of Women at Oxford” and Clara became interested in the position of Oxford women's colleges. In 1901 she visited Oxford with her friend Mary Gray Allen, and decided St Hugh's was the college most in need of help. She sent a cheque for £1000 to found a scholarship bearing her name on condition that no student should practise vivisection while holding the scholarship.

In 1900 Clara Mordan became a member of the executive committee of the Central Society for Women's Suffrage. Following a speech in 1906 by Annie Kenney, having been until then a loyal supporter of the policies of the National Union of Suffrage Societies, she joined the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU). She went on to give several speeches on behalf of the WSPU including in 1908 in Bristol and Plymouth.  On her release from prison in January 1909 Emmeline Pankhurst was presented by Clara with an amethyst, pearl and emerald necklace.

Clara Mordan, who never married, died on 22nd January 1915 at 18 Marine Mansions, Bexhill, East Sussex. She left a bequest of £11,000 to St Hugh’s College, Oxford.

Kate Greenaway scent bottles

Kate Greenaway was a prolific illustrator of children’s’ books, born in Hoxton in 1846, the daughter of an daughter of a draughtsman and engraver, John Greenaway. She popularised a style of drawing that is instantly recognisable as hers - delicate watercolours of children with animals and birds in the English countryside. Kate Greenaway died of cancer in 1901.

Between 1882 – 1884 Greenaway pictures appeared on Mordan scent bottles almost always with children in the foreground and a house or church in the background.

The scent bottles are generally silver with a gilt interior, just over 20 mm diameter and 50 mm tall they are hallmarked on the base and on the inside of the lid.

Dating Mordan Postal Scales

In the last post I wrote about Mordan Scales, and how the letter rates are often engraved on the letter pan. These letter rates can be of great help in dating the scales. This table has the postage Rate for Great Britain from 1839 up to 1940

5th December 1839 – 9th October 1840
½ oz. 4d
1 oz. 8d
2 oz. 1s 4d
3 oz. 2s 0d
Then 8d per oz. up to 16 oz.

10th October 1840 – 31st March 1865
½ oz. 1d
1 oz. 2d
2 oz. 4d
3 oz. 6d
Then 2d per oz. up to 16 oz.

1st April 1865 – 4th October 1871
½ oz. 1d
1 oz. 2d
1 ½ oz. 3d
2 oz. 4d
3 oz. 6d
Then 1d per ½ oz.

5th October 1871 – 30th June 1885
1 oz. 1d
2 oz. 1 ½d
4 oz. 2d
6 oz. 2 ½d
Then ½ d per 2 oz. upto 12 oz., then 1d per oz.

1st July 1885 – 21st June 1897
1 oz. 1d
2 oz. 1 ½d
4 oz. 2d
6 oz. 2 ½d
Then ½ d per 2 oz.

22nd June 1897 – 30th October 1915
4 oz. 1d
6 oz. 1 ½d
8 oz. 2d
10 oz. 2 ½d
Then ½ d per 2 oz.

1st November 1915 – 2nd June 1918
1 oz. 1d
2 oz. 2d
4 oz. 2½d
6 oz. 3d
Then ½ d per 2 oz.

3rd June 1918 – 31st May 1920
3 oz. 2d
4 oz. 2½d
5 oz. 3d
6 oz. 3 ½d
Then ½ d per 2 oz

1st June 1920 – 28th May 1922
1 oz. 1½d
3 oz. 2d
4 oz. 2½d
5 oz. 3d
Then ½ d per 2 oz.

29th May 1922 – 13th May 1923
1 oz. 1 ½d
3 oz. 2d
4 oz. 2 ½d
5 oz. 3d
Then ½ d per 2 oz.

14th May 1923 – 1st May 1940
3 oz. 2d
4 oz. 2½d
5 oz. 3d
6 oz. 3 ½d
Then ½ d per 2 oz.

Source: Handbook of Old Weighing Instruments by Michael Crawford published by the International Society of Antique Scale Collectors in 1984

Mordan Postal Scales

Postal scales were introduced in the mid-19th Century after the founder of the postage stamp Rowland Hill's campainging led to the Uniform Postal Act of 1840. This implemented payment for UK postage by weight rather than number of pages. The resulting demand for weighing machines from the Victorian gentry and industrialists opened the door for many craftsmen to manufacture postal scales and balances. After this, most well-heeled homes had their own set on the master's desk. The prime maker of the day was Sampson Mordan & Co, London.

Typically Mordan scales are made from very thick gauge brass, using a Roberval system, with the maker’s mark “S. MORDAN & CO.” on the top left bar and “London” is on the top right. Often they have the British postal rates marked on the right hand plate, and the frame is commonly secured to a solid oak base supported on four bun feet, but the bases were also made with much more expensive materials such as inlaid with ceramic plaques. Classic design made by many firms from 1840 to around 1940. Many variations in decorative style including, the exotic wood coromandel, filigree brass bases, china bases, Wedgwood plaques set into the plates, enameled patterns, inlaid stone flowers, etc, etc. However the plain style shown is much the most common.

Weights were commonly flat, round, stacking. Weights over 2 oz were often lead cased in brass. "Bottle" weights or square knobbed weights were also used. The weights manufactured by Mordan are characterised by having the "OZ" stamp above the numeral.

Inland parcel post was first introduced in Britain in August 1883 having a maximum weight limit of 7lbs and this was extended to 11lbs in May 1886.

Sampson Mordan Senior

Sampson Mordan Senior, who was born in 1790, is reputed to have been the favourite apprentice and assistant of the mechanic Joseph Bramah (1748-1814), inventor of patent locks. While I have not been able to find direct evidence of the apprenticeship there is a lot of circumstantial evidence to suggest that he did at least work with Bramah. Although he established his own business in 1815, it is not clear what he was producing between 1815 and 1823. Mordan did not patent his ever-pointed or propelling pencil until the 20th December 1822.

"To John Isaac Hawkins, of Pentonville, civil engineer, and Sampson Mordan, of Union-street, City Road, portable pen maker, for improvements on pencil holders or port-crayons, and on pens for the purpose of facilitating writing and drawing by rendering the frequent cutting or mending of the points or nibs unnecessary."
Patent Description 1823

Mordan only entered his first silver mark alone on 26th June the following year, followed by another with his partner, Gabriel Riddle, on 30th April 1824. This partnership between Sampson Mordan and Gabriel Riddle, under the firm of S. Mordan and Co., was formed by virtue of an indenture made in October 1823, "to carry out business as Mechanists and Manufacturers of Patent and other articles, at No. 22, Castle Street, Finsbury, London". Research suggests that Riddle provided the capital necessary for Mordan to expand his hitherto small scale craft production.

Mordan Internet Resources

There are many entries on the web for Mordan – often with items for sale but I will pick out a few which have more historical details of the firm.
The otherwise accurate Wikipedia entry for Sampson Mordan, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sampson_Mordan  is marred in that it has merged the dates of Sampson Mordan the elder and his son Sampson the younger - "Sampson Mordan (1790 - May 9, 1881)" . Sampson Mordan the elder was born around 1790 and died in 1843.
There is also a useful entry in Mark Hill's blog on Mordan,
http://markhillcollects.blogspot.com/2009/04/sampson-mordan-pencils.html
with further details to be found on Wheathill's "A List of Silversmiths' Hallmarks & Silver Makers' Marks",  http://www.wheathills.com/pages/silversmith-hallmarks_2.aspx this is complemented by an entry on the silvercollection.it site with specific examples of Mordan hallmarks
http://www.silvercollection.it/ENGLISHSILVERMARKSXS3.html
Even more detailed accounts can be found on the Koopman Rare Art, http://www.koopmanrareart.com/Mordan-Sampson-DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=45&tabindex=44&artistid=8563 and the Heirlooms Antiques sites http://www.heirloomsantiques.com.au/sampson-mordan-a-47.html

Perhaps one of the most useful sites for general information about the company and their products, and for specific information on individual items is the Silver Forums, http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=8569

John Isaac Hawkins

Sampson Mordan jointly obtained the patent for the propelling pencil in December 1822 with John Isaac Hawkins. The inventive partner was Hawkins. John Isaac Hawkins was born on the 14th March 1772 in Hillfarrance, a small parish four miles west of Taunton in Sommerset. The son of a clockmaker, also called John Isaac, the family was closely involved in the early days of the non-conformist movement and Methodism. There are records showing that John Welsey visited the village and stayed with the Hawkins family. Wesley's Journal shows that he visited the homes of other members of his Taunton Society who lived in outlying villages and which were used for preaching.

The younger John Isaac Hawkins studied to become a civil engineer; he travelled to America as a young man, where he corresponded with other inventors, such as Thomas Jefferson, returning to England in 1803. For the next 45 years he worked as an inventor, museum proprietor, civil engineer, and patent agent, travelling at home and abroad. In 1848 he returned to the United States, where he sought to re-establish himself, but instead died in relative obscurity in 1854 (not 1855 as widely reported).

Early Mordan Pen Pencils Combinations

One of the most sort after Mordan items is are early examples of pen pencil combination with a J Bramah style pen holder for quill slips. These came in both ornate and plainer forms. The sliders of the earlier examples are often more substantial and engraved with the terminal ends for the double open ended holder are also engraved.

The end of the Mordan and Riddle partnership December 1836

Not much seems to be known about the ending of the partnership between Sampson Mordan and Gabriel Riddle. It has been established to last for fourteen years from 1823 to provide the capital  for Sampson Mordan to be able to buy out John Isaac Hawkins from his part of their joint patent for the propelling pencil. These two advertisments from the Literary Gazette and Journal suggest the parting may not have been that easy!

Notice – Advertisements having appeared within these last few days calculated to, and which may, mislead the Trade, S Mordan and Co., in justice to themselves and the Public, beg to inform their Friends, and the Trade generally, that their Business is conducted as usual at 22 Castle Street, Finsbury, London.

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The partnership which has subsisted for the past fourteen years between S. Mordan and G. Riddle under the firm of S. Mordan and Co. Mechanists, and Manufacturers of Patent and other Articles, having expired this day, G Riddle therefore deems this a suitable opportunity for returning his grateful thanks to his Friends, and the Public at large, for the encouragement the Firm has received, and begs to inform them that he will continue to Manufacture the Patent and other Articles, at no 172 Blackfriar’s Road, to which address he respectfully requests that Orders and Communications may be in future address

London Dec 20th 1836

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The Literary gazette and journal of the belles lettres, arts, sciences for the Year 1837

Mordan Marks

Mordan pieces are often marked with both a hallmark and a makers stamp. These stamps were changed over time so are particularly usefull in dating item when the date letter of the hallmark is rubbed or there is no hallmark present.

Hallmark Sponsors Mark

Pre 1824               SM

1825-1836            SM.GR

After 1837           SM

Makers Stamp

1823-1824            Mordan & Co Patent

1824-1830            S. Mordan and Co’s Patent

1830-1845            S. Mordan and Co Makers & Patentee

1845-1852            S. Mordan and Co Makers

Post 1852             S. Mordan and Co.

Sampson Mordan and Co.

Sampson Mordan and Co were the company that introduced the first propelling pencil. Sampson Mordan with John Isaac Hawkins patented their invention in 1822. The company thrived from their base in London for well over a century. This blog is intended to look, from a collectors point of view, at the history of the company and their diverse range of products.