Jones Sewing Machine Company

Jones Sewing Machine Company was a British manufacturer of domestic and specialist sewing machines. Its origins date to 1860, when master machinists William Jones and Thomas Chadwick formed a partnership called Chadwick and Jones. The partners initially manufactured machines in Ashton-under-Lyne, using licensed designs associated with Elias Howe and Wilson. Chadwick later moved to Bradbury & Co., while William Jones continued the enterprise with his brother. The business expanded with the opening of a factory at Guide Bridge, Manchester, in 1869. By the late nineteenth century, Jones had become a substantial specialist producer. An 1893 advertising sheet described the Guide Bridge works as the largest factory in England devoted exclusively to the manufacture of first-class sewing machines, although that claim is best understood as period advertising rather than an independently verified ranking. Jones developed a varied product range for household sewing, leather work, and other applications. Its best-known nineteenth-century design was the Serpent Neck, also called the Cat-Back or Serpentine model. Covered by a Jones patent appearing in 1879, the machine used a reciprocating boat shuttle to form a lock stitch and remained in production until 1909. Later Jones machines adopted vibrating-shuttle mechanisms. The B model was recognized at the 1884 Northampton Leather Exhibition for work involving boot uppers and general leather manufacture, illustrating the company's reach beyond domestic sewing. The company also produced long-running family models, including the CS Family. Jones machines were often highly ornamented, and surviving examples are collected both as engineering artifacts and as decorative objects. Some machines carried references to Queen Alexandra, including wording stating that they were supplied to Her Majesty. Contemporary accounts also associate Princess Alexandra with the use of a Jones machine while she was at technical school, though this association functioned partly as a prestige marketing theme. A distinctive commercial practice was Jones's willingness to manufacture machines under customer-specified or retailer names for sufficiently large orders. As a result, machines based on Jones designs appeared under names including CWS, Federation, Whiteley's Universal, Kenbar, and Martlet. The Cat-Back design was also marketed as the Eclipse and the Favourite. This private-label activity broadened distribution and means that the Jones manufacturing connection is not always obvious from surviving machine badges. The company was eventually incorporated as Jones Sewing Machine Co. Ltd. Brother Industries of Japan acquired the business in 1968. The Jones name continued to appear on machines into the late 1980s, but the acquisition ended the company's independent historical identity as a major British sewing-machine manufacturer. Today, Jones machines are principally encountered through vintage-machine collecting, restoration, sewing history, and the secondary market rather than as an active standalone brand.

William Jones began making sewing machines as a master machinist in 1859. In 1860 he formed a partnership with Thomas Chadwick, another master machinist and his fellow lodger, establishing Chadwick and Jones. The partners manufactured machines at Ashton-under-Lyne until 1863. Their early products incorporated designs associated with Howe and Wilson under licence, placing the firm within the rapidly developing British sewing-machine industry of the period. Chadwick subsequently joined Bradbury & Co., while William Jones continued the business with his brother. In 1869 the enterprise opened a factory at Guide Bridge in Manchester. The new works became the principal base of the company and supported its development into a significant specialist manufacturer. A Jones advertising sheet from 1893 promoted the factory as the largest in England devoted exclusively to making first-class sewing machines. The business later adopted the corporate name Jones Sewing Machine Co. Ltd. Jones's product history included both domestic machines and equipment for more demanding work. The Serpent Neck model, also known as the Cat-Back or Serpentine, was associated with a Jones patent that appeared in 1879 and remained in manufacture until 1909. Its lockstitch mechanism used a reciprocating boat shuttle. Subsequent Jones models used vibrating shuttles, reflecting the continuing evolution of sewing-machine mechanisms. The B model demonstrated the company's interest in industrial and trade applications when it received the prize for the best machine for closing boot uppers and general leather work at the 1884 Northampton Leather Exhibition. The company maintained production of the CS Family model for many years. Some versions carried wording connecting them with Queen Alexandra, including the statement that they had been supplied to Her Majesty. Jones advertising also used references to Princess Alexandra and Queen Alexandra. A documented account states that Alexandra used a Jones machine while attending technical school, giving the brand a royal association that was used in product presentation and promotion. Jones also operated as a flexible contract and private-label manufacturer. Unlike some competitors that insisted on placing their own name on every machine, Jones accepted orders for machines bearing other names when order quantities were sufficiently large. The resulting products included CWS and Federation machines associated with the Co-operative Wholesale Society, as well as Whiteley's Universal, Kenbar, and Martlet examples. The Cat-Back design appeared under names such as Eclipse and Favourite. This practice helped distribute Jones mechanisms through different commercial channels while making the company's historical output more difficult to identify solely from surviving badges. After almost a century of manufacturing, Jones was acquired by Brother Industries of Japan in 1968. The acquisition brought the company into Brother's ownership and marked the end of its independent existence. Jones branding remained visible on machines into the late 1980s, but the historic British company no longer operated as a separate major manufacturer. Its surviving machines are now valued primarily by collectors, restorers, sewing historians, and users of vintage mechanical equipment.

• 1968

  Acquisition by Brother Industries

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Brother Industries acquired Jones Sewing Machine Company. Jones branding remained on some machines into the late 1980s.

• 1909

  Serpent Neck production ends

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The Serpent Neck family, including Cat-Back and Serpentine variants, was manufactured through 1909.

• 1893

  Guide Bridge factory promoted as a major specialist works

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A Jones advertising sheet described the Guide Bridge factory as the largest factory in England devoted exclusively to first-class sewing-machine production.

• 1884

  B Model receives leather-working prize

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The B Model received the Northampton Leather Exhibition prize for the best machine for closing boot uppers and general leather work.

• 1879

  Serpent Neck patent appears

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A Jones patent associated with the Serpent Neck, Cat-Back, or Serpentine machine appeared.

• 1869

  Guide Bridge factory opens

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  William Jones and his brother opened a new factory at Guide Bridge near Manchester, which became the company's principal manufacturing site.

• 1863

  Early Ashton-under-Lyne production ends

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The partnership's initial manufacturing period at Ashton-under-Lyne came to an end; Chadwick later moved to Bradbury & Co.

• 1860

  Chadwick and Jones partnership established

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  William Jones and Thomas Chadwick formed Chadwick and Jones and began manufacturing sewing machines at Ashton-under-Lyne.

• 1859

  William Jones begins making sewing machines

  [1]Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Master machinist William Jones began producing sewing machines before formally entering partnership with Thomas Chadwick.

A British engineering and sewing-machine brand positioned around durable household machines, specialist leather-working capability, ornate construction, and flexible private-label production.

• Mechanical sewing machine · 1879

  Serpent Neck

  The Serpent Neck, also called the Cat-Back or Serpentine, was Jones's signature nineteenth-century design. Its distinctive curved form contributed to its collector appeal, while its mechanism formed a lock stitch using a reciprocating boat shuttle. A Jones patent associated with the model appeared in 1879, and the design remained in production until 1909. It was also sold under names including Eclipse and Favourite.

• Leather-working sewing machine

  B Model

  The B Model represented Jones's capability in trade and leather-working applications rather than only household sewing. It was recognized at the 1884 Northampton Leather Exhibition as the best machine for closing boot uppers and for general leather work. The award provides evidence of the model's position in specialist sewing-machine applications during the Victorian period.

• Domestic sewing machine

  Jones Family CS

  The Family CS was a long-running Jones model family for domestic sewing. Surviving versions are often noted for elaborate ornamental decoration, and some carried wording referring to supply to Queen Alexandra. Related machines also appeared under private-label names, including CWS, Federation, Whiteley's Universal, Kenbar, and Martlet, reflecting Jones's willingness to manufacture for other distributors.

• Domestic sewing machine

  Jones Medium TS

  The Medium TS was one of the named Jones domestic-machine models. Available references identify it as part of the company's broader range of household sewing machines, but do not provide enough detail to establish a precise launch date, mechanism specification, or complete production history.

• Domestic sewing machine

  Jones 35

  Jones 35 was a named model in the company's later sewing-machine range. The available reference material confirms the model name but does not establish detailed technical specifications or an exact introduction date.

• Domestic sewing machine

  Jones Family D53A

  The Family D53A was one of the models associated with the Jones brand. It formed part of the company's domestic sewing-machine output, although the available source does not provide a sufficiently detailed model history or launch chronology.

• Domestic sewing machine

  Jones Popular

  Jones Popular was a named Jones household sewing-machine model. It is documented among the company's model range, but detailed information about its mechanism, production period, and distribution is not established by the supplied reference.

• Private-label sewing machine

  Federation

  Federation-badged machines were produced by Jones for the Co-operative Wholesale Society. The name illustrates the company's private-label manufacturing practice, in which substantially Jones-based machines could be sold through another organization's retail or distribution identity.

• 1968

  Brother Industries acquires JonesM&A

  Background

  After nearly a century as a British sewing-machine manufacturer, Jones entered a new ownership phase through acquisition by Brother Industries of Japan.

  Action taken

  Brother Industries acquired the Jones Sewing Machine Company.

  Aftermath

  The company ceased to operate as an independent historic manufacturer, although Jones branding continued to appear on machines into the late 1980s.

  Source

1. 1Jones Sewing Machine Companyen.wikipedia.org