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James
Edward Allen Gibbs was a farmer
from just outside Raphine in Rockbridge County, Virginia. He rarely
saw the outside world. When he came across a picture of a Grover
& Baker machine in a newspaper he decided to try and copy it. Mainly with a
penknife a few farm tools and some wood. Keen
or what!
James Edward Allen
Gibb's wooden patent model
Because he had
only seen the top half of the machine he had to imagine how the
bottom would work. What he had not realised was that he had
invented a completely new method of sewing, the chain stitch. In
fact he did not even patent it for a while.
In 1856, Gibb
spotted a Singer model A in a shop and examined it carefully.
Realising that his idea was completely different to any other
machine he knew he was on to a winner.
In metal his machine
would be half the price half the size and half the threading.
James Edward Allen
Gibb was known by many as Allen Gibb. Allen patented the
first chain-stitch single-thread sewing machine on June 2, 1857,
after an earlier patent for part of a sewing machine in
1856. He
was awarded patent number 17,427 on his machine.
Though I have to say that on his machines there are at
least five patent dates that pre-date this one. One as early as
1846! So was he working on the idea of a sewing machine for a lot
longer than we think? Farming is busy one second and waiting the
next, so we can guess that he spent his spare time fiddling with
his invention then shelving it when busy. Oh for a time machine to help my research!
Anyway, Allen Gibb, in partnership with
James and Charles Willcox, who were manufacturers of new fangled
ideas, became a principal in the
Wilcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine Company. Gibbs
apparently worked with Willcoxs' son, Charles, to build the first
proper patent model.
J E A Gibb a very 1860's look!
He later recounted, "I
was in
Philadelphia
in 1857 selling the first of my first two inventions in the office
of Emery, Houghton and Company, when James Willcox came in. He
remarked that he was a dealer in new inventions, and he asked me
to come to his shop in a Masonic Hall and build a model of my
machine for him".
The design of the
W&G machines were based on the two main patents taken out by Gibbs in 1856
and 1857. The patents related to the formation of a chain stitch
by a rotating hook and straight eye-pointed needle.
In
1858, Willcox & Gibbs engaged the firm of J. R. Brown and
Sharpe of Providence, Rhode Island, to produce the sewing
machines. The first ones were finished in November 1858. Willcox,
who was in charge of production had little problem with Brown
& Sharp because at the time were makers of clocks, watches and
measuring instruments.
Among those who
worked on Willcox and Gibbs machines at the Brown and Sharpe
factory was one Henry Leland who was in charge of the
sewing-machine department from 1878 until 1890. See a little note
of interest I have added at the bottom.
And so in 1858, the company had finally began the manufacture of a chainstitch sewing
machine which gained popularity at once. While Grover & Baker
and Wheeler & Wilson sewing machines were selling for around
$100, the Willcox & Gibbs machine sold for $50.
Don't
forget the weekly wage was little more than a few dollars in 1858,
two years before the American Civil War.
To
market their machine, Willcox and Gibbs opened an office at 658
Broadway in
New York City
the following year.
The machines were a
great success as they were half the price of competitors and
generally regarded as the most reliable of any single thread or chainstitch
machines. Gibb advertised his machines as having an elastic
chain stitch and they certainly handled many different
fabrics with ease.
Early
Machines have a wealth of patent info on them. This one is very unusual
as having an 1846 date. In fact there are five pre-1857 dates!
Note how, if
you look at the back of a W&G machine, the profile/outline of the machine
is a perfect G, a clever little idea Gibb had so that you always
recognized his machine. Between
Charles & James Willcox, Allen Gibb made one of the most famous
sewing machines in the world.
One
of the best things about the W&G machines is that all the
components were checked with very accurate watch and clock gauges to ensure that all parts were
easily interchangeable. This was truly mass production on a superb
quality and scale.
Their machines were much lighter and smoother
than the competitions and were ideal for such difficult tasks as
hat making.
With sales flourishing, Willcox & Gibbs had their
impressive main
offices on Broadway in New York and established themselves as major players in
the sewing field.
Due to the weight of shipping the
machines to England, the firm had special hand wheels cast,
originally in
Coalbrookdale, England. Been there it's great.
These hand wheel versions were
completely different to the large cast iron treadle ones that sold
in the States and have proved a great favourite with collectors.
Coalbrookdale
Coalbrookdale has been referred to
as the one of the most extraordinary places in the world. It was
where the industrial revolution all started in the 18th century. A
steep valley with the fast flowing River Severn cutting through
its middle it was the perfect place. It had all the mineral
resources in abundance and pioneers like Abraham Darby and Thomas
Telford concocted their magical potions. They made miracles come
true and changed our world forever. If you ever have the chance to
visit this beautiful place you will be inspired. Early
Coalbrookdale iron and steel is highly collectible today.
Willcox &Gibbs
went on to advertise their superb machines in many ways.
If
one thread will do, why bother with two,
To break, to confuse, and to tangle?
There is not a sound when my looper goes round,
No shuttles or bobbins to jangle.
I am quick, yet I make not a single mistake,
You have only to keep me a-going.
And never will I shirk the least bit of work.
But do all the family sewing.
All have confessed, that I am best
For fine robes for dear baby I prepare;
While the boisterous boy will fail to destroy
My work with the roughest of Wear.
And when the fair maid is for bridal arrayed
I make with the neatest of seams,
The elegant trousseau, that gratifies you so,
And fills the fond lover with sweat dreams.
An article praising The W&G machine appeared in an 1859
issue of Scientific American.
It concluded that-- one cannot but admire the beauty and accuracy
of the machine's movements, and the entire absence of all noise,
even when it is running at the rate of two-thousand stitches and
upwards per minute. the machine was a hit and sold like hot cakes.
In
Britain, orders we initially taken by a Miss Headdon of Fleet
Street as can be seen from the advert below.
The
company set up at 37 Moorgate Street 150 Cheapside and 135 Regent's Street, London, Willcox
& Gibbs later had their head offices in Fore Street, London, in the
same road as Frister & Rossmann and several other major
manufacturers and importers like The American Sewing Machine
Co. They must have all known each other and been in
competition with each other.
W&G
protected their machines as well as possible and advertised
strenuously to put people of from buying similar models. For
example it is well known that Frister & Rossmann bought out an
almost identical chainstitch to the W&G.
They in turn sold these models to The American Sewing Machine Co
(A British firm funnily connected in some way with the importers
E. Todd). Also Meyers of Leipzig and Clemens Muller had similar machines as
well as several others like the
National Sewing Machine Company in Fetter Lane, London. 
A super rare W&G copy, Frister & Rossmann's Berlin Chainstitch
now in my collection
Due to the superb engineering of these
chainstitch machines they were popular for many decades and remained almost
unchanged except for minor feed modifications since the introduction of the Automatic Tension in 1874.
The pre 1874 models had a
glass tensioner models and are now extremely rare.
  
Standard threading, oiling and parts for the Willcox &
Gibbs machine
The pre-1875 non-automatic
tensioned W&G machines are similar but different. Below
is a picture from one in my collection. They rarely survive in
this condition and it is worth looking at your normal machine and comparing
the differences, there are many. 
An early 1872 model Glass tensioned Willcox & Gibbs
machine. Some came on deeper wooden bases.
In
1887 a Willcox & Gibbs Automatic machine was selling in the UK
for £6 with its box and bits. Now, with the average wage at under
ten shillings a week this represented a sum of 12 weeks wages!
What would that be today. Average wage £300 a week times that by
12. Now you see why they are such good buys on Ebay. Grab one
while you can before they rocket again! You
can understand why these beauties have survived, they were built
with no expense spared and were little masterpieces of Victorian
engineering. Today technology has marched on but you will never
beat this model for sheer quality. 
James Gibb did not only make the
usual models this is from an 1877 patent application.
And now for my final little fact:
Leland, one of the men at the Brown and Sharpe factory went on to
devote the skills that he had learned on sewing machines to good
use, forming the prestigious Cadillac Car Company. How about that
for a cracker!
The End
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