International Silver Company Records

Collection

Identifier: 1980-0008

Staff Only

Scope and Content

With only a few exceptions, the collection consists of bound volumes of financial records and other materials relating to the business of silver products manufacturing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The record is by no means complete. In addition to financial matters, researchers may find materials of interest to broader social history in the Rogers Manufacturing Company correspondence volumes, and the time records and advertisements of the Meriden Britannia Company.

Dates

Creation: 1853-1931

Restrictions on Use

Permission to publish from these Papers must be obtained in writing from the owner(s) of the copyright.

History

The International Silver Company was organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey on 19 November 1898. Immediately upon organization, the company bought the total capital stock of the following companies: Barbour Silver Company (Hartford), *Holmes & Edwards Silver Company (Bridgeport), *Manhattan Silver Plate, (Lyons, New York), *Meriden Britannia Company (Meriden), *Norwich Cutlery (Norwich), *William Rogers Manufacturing Company (Hartford), Rogers Cutlery (Hartford), Rogers and Brothers (Waterbury), Rogers and Hamilton (Waterbury), Wilcox Silver Plate (Meriden), Watrous Manufacturing Company (Wallingford), Standard Silver Company, Ltd. (Toronto, Canada).

During the first six months of 1899, an additional four companies were purchased. Derby Silver Company (Derby), Simpson, Hall, Miller & Company (Wallingford), Simpson Nickel Company (Wallingford), Middletown Plate Company (Middletown).

In January of 1903, the stock of the United States Silver Corporation was acquired, thereby gaining indirect ownership of: *C. Rogers & Brothers (Meriden).

Thus, in the space of a few years, there came into being a large industrial corporation, worth $20,000,000 at organization, which, with its operations centered at Meriden, Connecticut, would prove to be the major producer of silver products in the United States.

(*) indicates companies represented in this collection.

Extent

48 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The International Silver Company was organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey on November 19, 1898. Within the next year, seventeen companies were purchased. By the early 1900s, it had become a large industrial corporation. Its operations centered at Meriden, Connecticut, would prove to be the major producer of silver products in the United States.

Arrangement

Series I: Meriden Britannia Company (undated, 1853-1899) consists of 38 volumes including financial records (blotters, cashbooks, ledgers, and indices), time records, advertisements/catalogues, and memoranda. Although gaps appear in the cashbook collection, nonetheless, a reasonably complete record is provided in this category for the period 1853-1874, with an additional volume for 1893-1899.

Series II: Rogers Manufacturing Company (undated, 1885-1900), consists of 16 volumes of financial records (ledgers and journals), records of the New York store, correspondence, and one volume of electrotypes illustrating Rogers' products. As mentioned above, the correspondence is illustrative of the business conditions of the period and consists of copies of outgoing letters from the company officers.

Series III: Other ISC Predecessors (circa 1880-1901), consists of a few volumes from four companies which later became part of International Silver: Manhattan Silver Plate Company, (1 volume, cash book 1880s), Holmes and Edwards Silver Company, (1 volume, scrapbook, 1890s) Norwich Cutlery Company, (2 volumes, cashbook and daybook, 1890s), and C. Rogers and Brothers, (1 volume, private ledger, 1899-1901).

Series IV: International Silver Company (undated, 1899-1931), consists of 4 volumes from the early years of the company including order books and circulars.

Series V: Unidentified Volumes (undated, 1875-1906), consists of 8 volumes of material which cannot be identified as to origin. It appears that much of this may be from Meriden Britannia, but precise identification has not been possible.

Series VI: Non-ISC Volumes (undated, 1899-1916), consists of 5 volumes from silver manufacturing companies which do not appear to have been a part of International Silver Company. Represented here are Oneida Community Silver Company, (2 scrapbooks, 1910s, from the publications Jewelers Circular and Keystone), Maltby Henley Company, (2 volumes of financial records, 1900s), and E. G. Webster & Son, (1 volume of electrotypes, undated).