Edward Allison

From time to time I’d like to highlight the works of lesser known manufacturers. These will be picture-heavy entries. Often, there’s just not much information to be found about these firms.

Edward Allison and his wife Mary had a daughter, Catherine, in September 1819. Catherine’s baptism record lists her father as a razorsmith, but he doesn’t appear in any of the business directories until late 1820 when Pigot lists him as a Razor manufacturer and operator of the tavern The Barrel. Both the tavern and the razor manufacturing were in Little Sheffield.

Edward Allison

The W (crown) R stamp above Allison indicates this was made during the reign of William IV (1830-1837). The scales are made from bone which has been drilled and filled in with several hundred tiny silver pins. This is called piqué work and suggests this was more of a luxury item than many razors.

He was listed again as a razor manufacturer in White’s 1833 directory. By May of 1834 he seems to have died. At the very least, his property was sold to someone else and a newspaper article lists that it was late of Edward Allison. Though the account does suggest it was an excellent and capacious workshop.

Edward Allison

I can’t find any other records of him after this point. Thanks to Leader’s History of the Cutler’s Company of Hallamshire, I can speculate a little about where he came from. There are three Edward Allisons listed in the rolls of apprentices. All three were apprenticed in the cutlery trade. The Edward Allison whose name adorns this razor was most likely the one apprenticed in 1813 to Charles Milnes, razorsmith. His father, Edward, was apprenticed to his father, also Edward.

Beyond that I can’t find anything, but I can think of worse things to leave behind than a razor as lovely as this.