BENNET TARBUCK, 118 BLOXWICH ROAD, WILLENHALL
Cupboard, chest, till, press and padlock makers. In 1881 there
was a Bennet Tarbuck, aged 43, living at 28 Little London, who was a
cabinet lock maker. He had a son, also Bennet, who was born in
1874. They were in existence in 1914 and 1953, but not 1970.
TARBUCK AND SQUIRE, 24 NEW RAILWAY STREET, WILLENHALL
 |
Key makers. Existing in 1914. In 1949
they purchased keys from A Hough and Sons, when the proprietor
was B Squire. Existing in 1953 but not 1970. Nothing
else known. |
JOB TARBUCK, LEVESON STREET, WILLENHALL (1885-c1960)
| Manufacturers of brass and iron cabinet locks, latches and
keys. Founded in 1885. George Austin and three of his sons:
Jack, George and Arthur, set up the workshop and the machinery
for lock making. At that time there were only six employees -
Courtesy of David Parsons.
Mr. Job Tarbuck was one of the last traditional key makers to work in
Willenhall, until he died c1960.
Nothing else is known.
|
An advert from 1954. |
JOS TAYLOR, SPRING COTTAGE, WOLVERHAMPTON
An advert from 1851.
TAYLOR LOCK CO. LTD. CONNAUGHT ROAD, BOURNEMOUTH
Set up in the 1960s by Mr Jack Taylor, an ex Yale employee, to
specialise in the design and manufacture of high security locks.
In 1999 changed their name to Telco Security Lock Ltd. and added the
design and production of electronic locks and access controls to their
range.
ABRAHAM THOMPSON, 28 TEMPLE BAR, WILLENHALL
|
An advert from 1851. |
Tony Beck writes: This firm was established in 1831 for the
manufacture of all kinds of padlocks and night latches for home and
export. Thompson seems to have sold his locks to the United
States, as a number appear for sale there. From 1851 to 1861 they
were located at 28 Temple Bar, Willenhall.
They remained there until 1912 when they merged with Jonah
Banks & Sons, padlock manufacturers, of Clothier Street,
Willenhall. Banks went into receivership on 5th January 1993 and
their factory closed shortly after. |
An advert from 1861.
 |
A double bitted key padlock, with a ward plate
inside (which requires the key to be quarter-turned to get
inside to the mechanism). |
| A padlock of about 1850 with "Mickey Mouse" ears,
with Thompson's name on the brass plate. |
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A screw padlock, bearing Thompson's name on the
rather worn brass plate. The kite Registered Design Mark dates
it as 1843. |
E. J. TONKS & CO.
An advert from 1861.
EDWIN JAMES TONKS. NEW ROAD, WILLENHALL
Edwin James Tonks, born in 1833 was a lock manufacturer
based at 92 New Road Willenhall. He is listed in the 1881 census as
employing five men, one woman, and four boys.
 |
A fine Tonks padlock.
Courtesy of
|
Details of the registered design for the above
padlock. Courtesy of
Edwin was at one time in partnership with Josiah and William Parkes,
trading as E. J. Tonks & Company, as can be seen from the dissolution
notice below:
| From the Birmingham Journal, 4th
April, 1863. Courtesy of
|
 |
A fine example of Edwin's craftsmanship.
Courtesy of
The back of the above padlock. Courtesy of
A final view of the padlock. Courtesy of
Edwin married Ann, a year younger than him, they had a
son, Arthur, born around 1872, and a domestic servant, Fanny Burrows. In
the 1881 census, a visitor, B. Fowler is listed. He was an agent for a
company of East Indian merchants, so Edwin possibly exported locks to
that part of the world. Edwin died in 1906.
I must thank
ENOCH TONKS & SONS LTD. TEMPLE WORKS, TEMPLE
BAR, WILLENHALL
TRIO LOCK CO. NORTH STREET, WEDNESFIELD
 |
Cabinet lock makers. Run by Randle Burrows
and Enoch Tonks. Existing in 1953. Not existing in
1970. Nothing else known. |
THOMAS TUCKLEY, HALEY STREET, LANE HEAD,
WILLENHALL
 |
Read the story of Thomas Tuckley and
the Tuckley family of locksmiths |
ALBERT TURNER, LISTER STREET, WILLENHALL
Key Maker. Existing in 1936 and 1953. Not
existing in 1921 or 1970. Nothing else known.
THOMAS TURNER AND CO. PHOENIX WORKS, GREAT BRICKKILN STREET, WOLVERHAMPTON
This firm was originally listed here by Jim Evans as:
"Cabinet lock makers. Existing in 1936 and 1974. Nothing
else known." But there is now solid evidence that they were in
existence well before 1880 and possibly further back than 1840. It
is also known that they made safes and a variety of locks. Perhaps
later in their existence they specialised in the cabinet locks Jim
refers to.
|
The 1914 Wolverhampton Red Book lists the company at
1 Great Brickkiln Street and their listing continues until 1960.
The town
centre end of Great Brickkiln Street was renamed as Pitt Street
after the ring road was built. Their premises are the blue
building shown in the photo.
|
 |
 |
Steve Cannon has provided this photo of his miniature safe
(note the size of the WD40 can).
The safe is "The Premier Safe" by Thomas Turner. |
Tony Beck (the Editor of the Lock Collectors Newsletter) has
also written to say that Thomas Turner "made some fine locks" and that he
understands that they made locks for Milners' before they set up making
their own locks.
| Tony adds that they made what might be called a poor
man's Chubb see-saw detector lock, circa 1840.
His photo (right) shows the interior of such a lock in his
collection. The brass front plate has Turner's name and a
"V.R." mark. |
 |
 |
They also made a fine bottle lock. This one,
also from Tony's collection, gives the date of Burns's patent as
January 1881. |
 |
Mr. L. Davies also has such a lock. It seems to
be identical except that the words "Dated Jny 1881" do not appear on
the top.
Here it shown in use - it was like a tantalus for a single bottle
and stopped the servants getting at the drink. |
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