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"Grasshopper" Pictorial Trademark - Lewis Barnascone


Kalfred

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1477395500_1LEWISBARNASCONERAZORgrasshoppercompo.jpg.08975ece196b4e513492791b07b43d0d.jpg

Lewis  Barnascone, around the beginning of the 19th century , was possibly a trail blazer for other members of a Swiss family to come to Sheffield, to get involved in the cutlery business. Another family member, Henry Barnascone, also established a cutlery business at Sheffield although a little latter in the century.
The first reference I found for "Lewis Barnascone"  was for 1833

 Barnascone, Lewis (, optician & cutler).
                              Address: 23 Waingate, in 1833.                    Recorded in: Whites History & Directory of Sheffield

Considering that 1833 date, it was possibly surprising that the genealogy record I found  was a  record for a "Lewis Quirico Barnascone" born 1817, in Switzerland. Not bad progress to come from a different country and take just 26 years to set up a 2 pronged business by 1833? Unsurprisingly this was not the case. A "Quirico Barnascone" joined the established company of his uncle "Lewis Barnascone"  when the said uncle died in 1849. Taking on his uncle's Christian name must have made things go smoothly, if somewhat confusingly, for later researchers like me. "Quirico" is also suggested to have had a "Bernasconi" surname and compounded the confusion by dying himself in 1877, leaving sons John, Charles and another Lewis. The original "Lewis Barnascone" is said have started his business in the 1820's.

A few more of the early references for Sheffield "Waingate" follow. 
1834 Hardwareman  Barnascone Lewis, 23 Waingate
1837 Barnascone, Lewis (, optician and hardware dealer).
                                        Address: 23 Waingate.         Recorded in: Whites Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham 
1837 cutlery and hardware dealer 23 Waingate
1841  Barnascone, Lewis  **Wlsl. Dlr.** In Birmingham & Sheffield Goods.  (** ?Wholesale Dealer**)
                             Address: 19 Waingate.                   Recorded in: Henry & Thos. Rodgers Sheff & Roth Directory
1841 Barnascone Lewis, cutlery dealer, 16 and 19 Toy warehouse
                                            Waingate
1846 Barnascone, Lewis (, Hardwaremen).
                             Address: 19 Fargate, Sheffield .              Recorded in: Slaters 1846 Directory, Sheffield.
I am wondering if the address in this last entry with the "19 Fargate" instead of "19 Waingate" could be an error? Note that most of these early references indicate more in the "dealing" line for Lewis Barnascone rather than the manufacture of cutlery. The next reference has "cutlery manufacturer" stated.

1852 Barnascone, Lewis (Dealer in Sheffield and Birmingham goods, and cutlery manufacturer).
                              Address: 19 Waingate; h. 6 Spital Hill.       Recorded in: White's Gazetteer & General Directory of Sheffield 
1855 BARNASCONE, Lewis (Qualifying Property, House and shop).
                                  Address: Waingate, St Peters .          Recorded in: Sheffield Burgess Rolls.
1857 Barnascone Lewis, cutlery dealer 16 and 19 Waingate          Recorded in Whites Derbyshire 
1871 Barnascone, L (~, Cutlery Dlr.).
                              Address: 22 Castle Green                       Recorded in: White's Sheffield & Dist. Directory.
1871 Barnascone, L. (~, hardware dealer).
                             Address: 17 Waingate                 Recorded in: Whites Sheffield & District Directory.
Additionally I found an undated reference for  "Barnascone Lewis" in the  "Pen & Pocket Knife Trade" list at a 17 & 19 Waingate address


1701101380_2LEWISBARNASCONEKNIFEcomp.jpg.f7659aa9d4bc20a9639cd2ac604d201c.jpg

 

We know that "Lewis Quirico Barnascone" died 1877  and it seems the "family" firm moved to a site at Mulberry Street Sheffield and set up the "Mulberry Cutlery Company". Here are marks on knives from that period. The second image is not the crispest , but is an example of  the  "CombITITITITlination" semi pictorial trademark.

 

924430532_4MulberryMarks.jpg.547e75d2d12a26744da627b2376c1ac5.jpg

At the start of the 20th century we find references for new addresses for "Lewis Barnescone". 
Recorded in: Whites directory of Sheffield & Rotherham are

                                          1905 Barnascone, Lewis (, Cutlery Merchant).
                                          1911 Barnascone, Lewis (, Cutlery Merchant)             Address:  Arundel Street & Tudor Place
 There had been a  previous reference in a "List of Sheffield Spring Knife Cutlers".
                  "BARNASCONE, LEWIS. Arundel Street, Sheffield. Circa 1860"         The "1860" conjecture may well be some years adrift?


In the early 20th century period the "Quirico" sons John and Charles had the control of the company as their  brother "Lewis" left and took control of the a "Barnascone Paris" branch that sold "spécialités anglaises pour cycles et automobiles". That was in 1905 but "Barnascone Paris" had been set up in the  1880's and its trademark was a "cicada" and not a grasshopper. I will speculate that the branch also sold routine Barnascone wares. [By the way entomologically speaking the the original trade mark was definitely a "grasshopper" and not a cricket as crickets have very long antennae. Cicadas have legs all the same length unlike grasshoppers with their pair of extra long "jumpers".] 
Please view some alternate "grasshopper" Sheffield Lewis Barnascone marks.

532196144_11RussRazorcomp.jpg.89cf5b2f553c5f71f11f9719e6ba9313.jpg

 

1832893767_12FrLewisBarnascone.jpg.b6b65ebea2aa92a83fe7fa2c57b0d3d0.jpg

 

1222134972_13LBarnasconechissel.jpg.5d8cd748dd9f959e6cbd9f538aa53fb1.jpg

I was surprised to find the chisel image and the last image I have is the simple mark on a pewter teapot. and there is little dating evidence from it.

1946826289_14LEWISBARNASCONEPEWTERTEAPOTBASEa.jpg.ee0c3eb9c3c786d875935eac5fd47f2c.jpg

More in depth versions of the Lewis Barnascone family personnel in Sheffield can be found at

                                                                    https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/a-tired-old-sheffield-jack-with-swiss-heritage.1224965/ 
and  also on the new website "Name on a Knife Blade".
Kalfred 

(Thanks for help with IT problem) 

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