What is a "comb manufacturer"?

[J. P. Gilliver]

I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming object,
as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851) who is one
at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb" some piece of
machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the word definitely is
comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he still is later, where
it is clear.)

[Roger Mills]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming object,
as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851) who is one
at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb" some piece of
machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the word definitely is
comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he still is later, where
it is clear.)

Something used in the spinning or weaving industry?

[Colin Bignell]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming object,
as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851) who is one
at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb" some piece of
machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the word definitely is
comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he still is later, where
it is clear.)

In mediaeval times, a comber was a person who pulled a comb through wool
to straighten it, ready for spinning into yarn.

[john]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming object,
as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851) who is one
at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb" some piece of
machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the word definitely is
comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he still is later, where
it is clear.)

I have several Lancashire reedmakers in my tree.

from
http://web.archive.org/web/20080907010140/http://users.bigpond.net.au/bunter/reedmakers.htm

Reedmaking: A reed was like a metal comb whose teeth are secured top and
bottom, used to hold the weft apart on a weavers loom. The reed, with
its to and fro movement, 'beats' the weft thread into place (like a
comb) as it is placed by the shuttle passing across the full width of
the loom.

Reed makers would have been self-employed artisans, with probably an
apprentice or two. In 1828 and earlier they would have supplied the
local wool and cotton mills directly, later as things became more
centralized, they would have supplied a Reed manufacturer who would then
have sold them on to Mills all over Lancashire, and beyond.

and a lot more detail
https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/read/45904504/reedmaker-index-manchester-and-lancashire-family-history-society

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by john

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming
object, as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851)
who is one at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb"
some piece of machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the
word definitely is comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he
still is later, where it is clear.)

I have several Lancashire reedmakers in my tree.
from
http://web.archive.org/web/20080907010140/http://users.bigpond.net.au/bu
nter/reedmakers.htm
Reedmaking: A reed was like a metal comb whose teeth are secured top
and bottom, used to hold the weft apart on a weavers loom. The reed,
with its to and fro movement, 'beats' the weft thread into place (like
a comb) as it is placed by the shuttle passing across the full width of
the loom.

Thanks. So, quite a complex piece of kit ...

Post by john
Reed makers would have been self-employed artisans, with probably an
apprentice or two. In 1828 and earlier they would have supplied the
local wool and cotton mills directly, later as things became more
centralized, they would have supplied a Reed manufacturer who would
then have sold them on to Mills all over Lancashire, and beyond.

[]
... though I'm still surprised there would be enough involved in making
them to employ 60 people. But maybe.

[Ian Goddard]

Post by john

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming
object, as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851)
who is one at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb"
some piece of machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the
word definitely is comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he
still is later, where it is clear.)

I have several Lancashire reedmakers in my tree.
from
http://web.archive.org/web/20080907010140/http://users.bigpond.net.au/bunter/reedmakers.htm
Reedmaking: A reed was like a metal comb whose teeth are secured top and
bottom, used to hold the weft apart on a weavers loom. The reed, with
its to and fro movement, 'beats' the weft thread into place (like a
comb) as it is placed by the shuttle passing across the full width of
the loom.

Latterly metal but originally split cane, I believe.

In the part of the industry I had experience of when I was young reeds
came in a variety of spacings to cope with the different weaves a
factory would make. That would increase the demand for manufacture of
reeds.

[BrightsideS9]

On Sat, 26 Aug 2023 22:04:47 +0100, "J. P. Gilliver"

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming object,
as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851) who is one
at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb" some piece of
machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the word definitely is
comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he still is later, where
it is clear.)

Combing cotton is an optional process in making cotton yarn. I suggest
that as a Liverpudlian he is involved someway with the cotton industry
and its machinery.

see
https://www.visionlinens.com/blog/cotton-fabric-manufacturing-part-2-carding-and-combing-the-cotton

[john]

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming object,
as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851) who is one
at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb" some piece of
machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the word definitely is
comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he still is later, where
it is clear.)

Not a reed maker!

From a search in FindMyPast newspapers

10 January 1853, Liverpool Albion, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
advertisement

THE ONLY WHOLESALE COMB MANUFACTORY IN LIVERPOOL JONATHAN W. FAIRCLOUGH,
(DAGNALL AND CO.,) IVORY, TORTOISESHELL, & COMB MANUFACTURER, No. 3,
ROSE-STREET, (NEAR ST. GEORGE'S-HALL.)

[Ian Goddard]

Post by john

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming
object, as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851)
who is one at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb"
some piece of machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the
word definitely is comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he
still is later, where it is clear.)

Not a reed maker!
From a search in FindMyPast newspapers
10 January 1853, Liverpool Albion, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
advertisement
THE ONLY WHOLESALE COMB MANUFACTORY IN LIVERPOOL JONATHAN W. FAIRCLOUGH,
(DAGNALL AND CO.,) IVORY, TORTOISESHELL, & COMB MANUFACTURER, No. 3,
ROSE-STREET, (NEAR ST. GEORGE'S-HALL.)

Comb making was laborious. All the slots between teeth had to be cut.
It's not like knocking out plastic mouldings. A town such as Viking
Jorvik had several individual comb makers and they'd only be supplying a
local market.

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by john

Post by J. P. Gilliver
I presume this relates to something other than the hair-grooming
object, as I have someone (Jon.n Fairclough of Liverpool in the 1851)
who is one at age 27, and is employing 60 men & Women. Is a "comb"
some piece of machinery or something? (Though not clear there, the
word definitely is comb, as his father-in-law is one earlier, and he
still is later, where it is clear.)

Not a reed maker!
From a search in FindMyPast newspapers
10 January 1853, Liverpool Albion, Liverpool, Lancashire, England
advertisement
THE ONLY WHOLESALE COMB MANUFACTORY IN LIVERPOOL JONATHAN W.
FAIRCLOUGH, (DAGNALL AND CO.,) IVORY, TORTOISESHELL, & COMB
MANUFACTURER, No. 3, ROSE-STREET, (NEAR ST. GEORGE'S-HALL.)

Thanks! Wow, so he really was employing 60 people to make hair combs! I
suppose ones made out of those materials would break more often than
modern plastics, and genuinely the only maker in Liverpool, the demand
could be that big. Definitely is our guy - I know he's Jonathan W..

[Ian Goddard]

and genuinely the only maker in Liverpool, the demand could be that big.

Where a trade uses imported materials they're often located in port
cities. A manufacturer using imported materials such as ivory and
tortoiseshell is likely to be supplying to a much wider market than the
city. He may well, for instance, have had customers in Birmingham who
were silver-mounting his combs and incorporating them in dressing cases
along with matching silver-mounted brushes, toiletry bottles and jars
etc. with the end product ending up on Bond Street.

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by Ian Goddard

and genuinely the only maker in Liverpool, the demand could be that big.

Where a trade uses imported materials they're often located in port
cities. A manufacturer using imported materials such as ivory and
tortoiseshell is likely to be supplying to a much wider market than the
city. He may well, for instance, have had customers in Birmingham who
were silver-mounting his combs and incorporating them in dressing cases
along with matching silver-mounted brushes, toiletry bottles and jars
etc. with the end product ending up on Bond Street.

I'm blown away with the amount of help/info coming back from this query!
Thanks, guys.

[J. P. Gilliver]

Post by Ian Goddard

and genuinely the only maker in Liverpool, the demand could be that big.

Where a trade uses imported materials they're often located in port
cities. A manufacturer using imported materials such as ivory and
tortoiseshell is likely to be supplying to a much wider market than the
city. He may well, for instance, have had customers in Birmingham who
were silver-mounting his combs and incorporating them in dressing cases
along with matching silver-mounted brushes, toiletry bottles and jars
etc. with the end product ending up on Bond Street.

I've just had a look at the newspaper ad. you found - and others. It
seems that the comb manufacturing company that Jonathan Walsh Fairclough
was involved with was quite big - it was big enough to be paying a
dividend in January 1854; it also unfortunately went bankrupt in 1853 (?
- maybe it reformed). JWF died in 1863 at only 38, so maybe it drove him
to an early grave!