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F. Smith 31 New Street Birmingham (1850s ?)

M

Matchboxhouse

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I am looking for information regarding an early metal match container. It was manufactured by F. Smith 31 New Street Birmingham (probably in the 1850s ?). Help in establishing the dates of this manufacturer.
 

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F Smith , chemists & druggists are listed in directories in 1839 and 1841 at no 10 and 31 New St. By 1845 they are Smith & Churchill, chemists and agents for Royal Navy, Army, East India, fire and Insurance. Perhaps the very fancy box is for one of these illustrious clients
 
Thank you for your details. I did not expect this level of information. So lovely to be able to add to my records these details about this "match / candle" steel container. The name F.Smith is not normally associated with matches. My "matchbox" collection started in 1966, and I like to research the items in my collection.

There was a "Birmingham Match Company". However, the details of this victorian company remain a mystery to reserchers of matchboxes. They made "congreve" matches according to what is stated on the pieces that remain on one matchbox label.
 
There was a firm of match manufacturers in Birmingham whose owner was David Bermingham. They were apparently on the corner of Aston Road North and Phillips St, giving the Aston Road North address in their earlier mentions and the Phillips st one later,

map 1886 showing position of David Bermingham's match factory.jpg

The firm seems to have started in the mid 1860s, there were a number of fires and they appear several times in the newpapers, but had one in
1888 and soon after were listed as tin box makers, under william Bermingham

Birm post.1.11.1888.jpgBirm Gaz.14.7.1863.jpgBirm post.17.1.1878.jpgBirmingham morning news.9.11.1871.jpgBirm post.30.10.1879.jpg
 
In trade directories from the 1830s–1850s, an F. (Frederick) Smith is indeed listed at 31 New Street, described variously as a “chemist,” “druggist,” “optician,” and “philosophical instrument maker.”
 
Pedrocut said:
In trade directories from the 1830s–1850s, an F. (Frederick) Smith is indeed listed at 31 New Street, described variously as a “chemist,” “druggist,” “optician,” and “philosophical instrument maker.”
Click to expand...
The notices in posts 9 and 10 name him as Francis.
 
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