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Scale Beam Maker

D

dolores

Guest
Could someone help please?
An ancestor's occupation is described as a SCALE BEAM MAKER, does anyone know what this was? Was it anything to do with wood? I have been using search engines to find a site that would tell me, all I've found out so far was that there were a lot of them, according to various trade directories & censuses

Thanks
Dolores
 
A maker of beams for Weighing Scales. A skilled Occupation

I will email you a fuller description
 
Thanks for the 2 answers., were either of you the person who emailed me at home?
 
I AM GUILTY

Its email from me if you look at the email address of the sender
 
sorry Rod

Rod I read your name at the end of the email, when I looked for the 2nd time - sorry

Your email address only really refers to Aston

Dolores
 
Hello Dolores, my Gt. Gt. Grandfather was also a scale beam maker and lived in Dudley Road, Birmingham during 1897. I wonder where the factory was that made these weighing scales or do you think there would be several. I thought the occupation was something to do with the Beam Engine, so I have learnt something. Birmingham was so well known at this time for its precision engineering. Rod could you email me also with more details of the trade.
cheers Pauline from Spain.
 
My Great Grand Father William LEE was also a scale beam maker, as in the 1861, 71 and 1881 censuses too (Living in and around Bell Barn Road), upon his death in 1889 his occupation was a scale beam filer, so this must have been a precision brass weighing instrument for maybe, bullion dealers and apothecaries etc?

Rod, would appreciate an e mail too regarding this occupation.

Cheers.

Dibs
 
Thank you Eric, but I have a feeling scale beams were smaller than those and made in brass and possibly hand held, I could be proved wrong though :)
 
Wow, those are BIGGGGGGGGGGGGG

25" high x 34" wide.

Wonderful workmanship though.

Thanks Wendy.
 
dib44 said:
Thank you Eric, but I have a feeling scale beams were smaller than those and made in brass and possibly hand held, I could be proved wrong though :)
Click to expand...

As it says in the Wiki link I posted they could be tiny things for weighing ounces or huge things for weighing fully loaded wagons. I used to have one about six inches long in brass that weighed in 'scruples' for an apothecary to sell his treatments.

Scruple = A unit of apothecary weight equal to 20 grains

E.
 
Many thanks for your invaluable information Eric, greatly appreciated, now there is a word "Scruples" never heard the word used as a measure of weights before, goodness me you live and learn, live and learn.

Thank You.
 
I Know this is an old thread, but if anyone can shed more light on scale beam makers in Birmingham, particularly the compant of T Bourne, or even a copy of Rods info I wouldbe really grateful.

Both my 2G Grandfather, and my 3G grandfather, both called John Heard, were scale beam makers in the 1800s, I know for sure one of them worked for T Bourne scale beam makers for 40 years.

I have a photocopy of an advert from Aris Gazzette, dated May 7 1810, in which John and 8 other Jouneyman scale beam makers, petition the master scale beam and steelyard makers of Birmingham, for a raise in pay.
I will be happy to email a copy to anyone interested.

There is also a connection with a shop in bell Barn Rd. but I'm not sure what it is. and sveral other Heards listed occupations as scale beam makers during the 1800s
 
Was there a relationship with T.Bourne and the attached, from the 1818 directory?
Mike
 
From the attached obituary, it would seem so, at least both were in Broad st.

I have also attached copy of petition. which includes other names for anyone interested.
 
col h said:
From the attached obituary, it would seem so, at least both were in Broad st.

I have also attached copy of petition. which includes other names for anyone interested.
Click to expand...

Hi Colin,

Thank you for the paper cutting of the obituary, my Gt. Gt. Grandfather Thomas Walker was indeed one of the names mentioned in the article.

I have saved it on my computer, thank you again Colin.

Kind regards,
Pauline
 
dib44 said:
My Great Grand Father William LEE was also a scale beam maker, as in the 1861, 71 and 1881 censuses too (Living in and around Bell Barn Road), upon his death in 1889 his occupation was a scale beam filer, so this must have been a precision brass weighing instrument for maybe, bullion dealers and apothecaries etc?

Rod, would appreciate an e mail too regarding this occupation.

Cheers.

Dibs
Click to expand...

Hi there.. Im looking for My great great grans family, I just got her daughter birth cert today and found that great great gran was Emily Lees, son of William Lees, the fathers occupation is listed as "scale maker"... could it be the same william lees? please get in touch if it is
 
Hi, I have a William Lees on my tree with a daughter named Emily. She was born about 1879. William is not a scale maker but ... I'll explain his link with the trade if this makes a connection. please reply, best regards alandpol
 
My William Lees was born circa 1849 and died March 1924. His daughter Emily was born 1879, one of nine children. William was a clockmaker and worked for many years for a William Gilbert and son (another William), mainly in Farm St. I have found a William Gilbert and son around 1841 who were scale beam makers. I have wondered if Wm Lees joined up with Gilbert first as scale beam manufacturers then moved to clocks. Both trades would have involved delicate craftsmanship, I reckon, as there could have been a link. That's my theory anyway. What's the mother's name on Emily's birth certificate and address? Good luck with your research, Alan
 
Could be a connection between the trades, My G G Grandfather was a Scale Beam Maker, seems to have run in the family, but in later years was a weighing machine manufacturer. Course it could have just been that he was feeling posh. lol But beam scales did die out at some time, and scales with dials caught on.
 
could be, yes... who knows maybe my william was just an earlier starter, perhaps also related to yours nespecially too with the family names following each other
 
dib44 said:
Many thanks for your invaluable information Eric, greatly appreciated, now there is a word "Scruples" never heard the word used as a measure of weights before, goodness me you live and learn, live and learn.

Thank You.
Click to expand...



If I recall correctly; a 'scruple' is an apothecaries measure/weight: 20 grains = one scruple. 3 scruples = one dram.

I was reminded of this recently by someone's posting of a pic, of the back-cover of a school excercise book, containing lots of interesting tables.
 
Truebrit.

Im not sure what you mean by family names following each other. But just noticed post #7 mentions Wm Lees in Bell barn Rd, I do know that my G G & my G Grandfathers had some connections in Bell Barn Rd, Possibly owning a shop there mid 1800s.

As My G G Grandfather also owned about half a dozen houses in Inge St/Hurst St, I'm wondering how lucrative a trade it might have been. Although they could possibly have been his wifes.

I did my research about 20 years ago, pre Internet, and pre PCs, so the details might take some fnding now, but I'll have a look when I get some time and get back to you if I find anything interesting..
 
by the names following, i meant us both having william lees who had daughters emily, both to do w the term scale makers etc etc lol
 
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