The Work of Birmingham Jewellers

EDMUND BURKE'S saying, "Birmingham is the toyshop of Europe," is true to a greater extent to-day than it was in his time. As we find that in Birmingham toys originally meant buttons, buckles, clasps, and various trinkets, we begin to have a glimpse of how ~ if we cannot say exactly when ~ the making of jewelry began to develop into a distinctly recognised trade, now become so peculiarly identified with that centre of all kinds of human industry. There is nothing really definite in Hutton, or in any of the old writers on Birmingham, as to when the toy trades first made their appearance then; so we may as well be satisfied in the knowledge that the dress of the seventeenth to the middle of last century necessitated the almost general use of fancy buttons buckles, and clasps, which for the greater part of that time were made, mostly of steel, in Wolverhampton and Birmingham, and also of the precious metals to some extent in the latter place, although Derby, Dublin, and Edinburgh were then particularly identified with the more costly work outside the metropolis. Ornamental and often really artistic steel examples of these, and chains and chatelaines, had at that time become a great industry of Wolverhampton. Wedgwood blue and white jasper imitation camel were in due course set in this work, and painted enamels, of a sort, from Bilston and Battersea. Put really excellent enamels done in Paris were mounted in sword hilts and sent back there. The trade with Paris ended at the scattering and thinning down of the noblesse during the Revolution. Intaglio heads and entire figure work sunk in steel were done at both Wolverhampton and Birmingham many years before then; but with the establishment of the famous Soho Works under Boulton (Watts did not join him in partnership until eleven pears after the works were started) Birmingham was in the ascendant with this superior class of production, including medals, coins, general steel toy manufacture, and the allied trades, As most of her industrial success has resulted from the "World of Soho," some reference to it is due to the proper consideration of our subject, and we think it will at the same time interest the reader.

Matthew Boulton was a toy maker of Snow Hill, Birmingham, which is about a mile and a half from "the barren heath and rabbit warren" of Soho, whereon he first erected workshops for one thousand pair of hands A fair idea may be gathered of the multiform kinds of articles made then, by quoting from a letter written by Dr. Darwin to a friend in I768 five years after the works were built. "Here are toys and utensils of various kinds in gold, copper and tortoiseshell, enamels, and many vitreous and metallic composition with gilt, plated and inlaid works all wrought up to the highest elegance of taste and perfection of execution." The faculty of invention seemed ever awake at Soho. It was there the "bloodless revolutionist," the steam-engine,* was perfected; there that gas was first used, and then were discovered and first put into working completeness numerous mechanical appliances in use at the present time, all more or less intended for the allying of Art with productiveness.

The growth of the jewelry industry of Birmingham may be best indicated by a few figures showing the quantities of silver and gold assayed there since the beginning of the century: Silver; 1801, less than 30,000 oz.; 1839-40, 103,869 oz.; 1891-92, 1,347,275 oz. Gold, during the two latter periods, 1839-40, 1,997 oz.; 1891-92, 228,008 oz. The quantities of metal and other materials used in the common jewelry and similar trades during the corresponding periods are much in excess of our means of reckoning.

Before and during Boulton's reign toy-making, and particularly button-making, meant, as it yet means but in more marked degree, production of large quantities at a given price in a given time. Metal of all kinds, from the most precious# to the common, and even softer materials, were used in the stamp and press. Hand labour was reduced to a minimum when hundreds of grosses became the order of the day. The constant handling of such quantities naturally resulted in the habit of quickness and deftness of touch in every branch of the general business. From the making of the toy or button to the making of the brooch or locket, or such similar articles, was not a very difficult task. The mechanical appliances for each and all of these were to a great extent identical. Hence we may reasonably infer that the early inception of what was required of the skilled maker of toys, when directing his attention to jewelry proper, has carried with it, to the

* The steam-engine, however revolutionary in other manufactures, never became of general necessity in the production of jewelry.

# The term metal, in the trade, is seldom applied to silver or gold.