Booth Brothers - Irish Tool Makers
In honour of St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I would share a little about the only significant Irish tool making firm I know of. Booth Brothers.
The Booths produced and sold a huge range of tools for over 150 years. When I first learned they existed, general opinion by those who had heard of them, was that they largely resold tools. While many tools sold by the Booth’s were undoubtedly imported and resold, They had a dedicated plane manufacturing facility, made custom tools on demand, and had several registered tools. Their range included Planes, Circular Saws, Mitre Cutters & Clamps that they definitely manufactured themselves.
At some point in the early 1800’s James, Thomas, Richard & Obadiah Booth set out from Kilbeggan in Westmeath for Dublin. Richard & James became involved in a Timber Merchants & Artists Warehouse on Golden Lane, along with a Joseph Booth who I believe to be their Uncle. The first record of the Booth’s on Golden lane is in 1824, and only mentions Joseph. Subsequent records alternate between listing, Joseph & Richard, or James & Richard. Although “Booth Brothers Ltd” does not exist at this point. There are many planes stamped “Booth, Golden Lane” or “Booth Dublin” which seem to have been produced in this period.
In 1851 Joseph Booth wrote to the National Board for the promotion of Irish Manufacture, claiming his firm had been making planes for 50 years. If he is to be believed, The Booth’s had been making planes since 1801.
Around 1860 Richard and James set up Booth Brothers Ltd at 63 Upper Stephen Street. Joseph Booth would die just 5 years later. His remaining stock from Golden Lane was sold at auction including:
“tools etc. Instruments for Brushmakers, Builders, Carpenters, Carvers, Cabinetmakers, Clock makers, Cutlers, Coachmakers, Charmakers, Dentists, Engravers, Engineers, Gilders, Glaziers, Gunsmiths, Jewellers, Lithographers, Machinists, Masons, Millwrights, Opticians, Painters, Plasterers, Sawyers, Smiths, Turners, Watchmakers, Wheelwrights, Also a large quantity of Furnished Tool Chests. No 1 containing 17 tools, size 0 containing 8 tools.”
The firm would continue to operate from Stephens street for 95 years. The premises was destroyed by fire in 1935, at which point they moved to a King Street Address. Later the firm moved to Pembroke Street in the 1960s, before finally moving to Bluebell outside of the city in the 70s, and eventually going out of business in the 80s.
Information on the firms history is hard to find. Some of the more interesting details I have come across:
In 1882 the Ladies Land League, visited Charles Stewart Parnell. Parnell was a major figure in the Irish Home Rule Movement. The visit occurred while he was imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol. They presented him with a chest of Booth Brothers hand tools as a gift. I regard that chest as my holy grail and dream of tracking it down.
In 1889 Booth Brothers, who already were involved in the sale of bicycles, partnered with Dunlop to set up the first Pneumatic tyre factory in the world in Dublin. This would later lead to the setting up of the Booth Poole motor company which imported and assembled cars for sale in Ireland.
At various times Booth’s had premises in Belfast, Limerick & Cork. Its hard to clarify which of these where related to the tool business, and which to the car business.
Booths exhibited their tools at several International exhibitions and won exhibition medals.
In the pictures below you can see my own collection of Booth Tools. Ireland was part of the United Kingdom for most of their history and the Booth’s operated a mail order business. As a result, I have obtained far more of my booth tools from the UK than I have been able to find in Ireland.
As time allows I have been digging for information on the business and learning a little more every month. I have a single Booth Brothers catalogue. If anyone else out there has another, I would dearly love to see it. If you have any examples of Booth tools, please photograph them and share them with me!
I’d like to give a mention to Shrenik Savla-Shah, who has spent many evenings combing the internet for Booth material for me!
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
The Booth Brothers Premises in 1888. Note the dedicated Plane and Tool making sections. From The George Moore Collection, Volume 4.
Every tool on this bench bears the Booth Stamp
This is the entire collection I have managed to gather so far, bar the big one…
The big one. A 22 inch grinding wheel, that would have been treadle powered. Probably 24 inch when new. Some sections of the basin have rusted through. One of these days I’ll restore it to working order.
1891 advertisement for their mitre cutter, from Work Illustrated magazine.
The Booth mark on my Mitre Cutter
The only Plane Iron I have with a Booth mark. Note the Iron itself also says “Made in Sheffield”. All the other booth planes I own have unmarked Irons, or Irons from well known British makers.
The most common Booth stamp I see on Planes and Tools, this dates it to after the move to Stephen Street in 1860.
A slightly less common stamp I have several examples of
The only example I have of this stamp. I believe the omission of “Brothers” would place this in the Golden lane time period. I don’t own, but have seen several examples of tools stamped “Booth, Golden Lane” as well.
This Coffin Smoother bears not only The Booth Brothers, Makers stamp, but also the stamp of the Owner (N. Youngs) and the Hardware store that sold it, McQuillans of Capel Street. McQuillans still exists and sells tools today.
A Wide Moulding Plane
Sadly missing its Iron.
A Thinly disguised advertisement for Booth’s chamfer plane from Amateur Work, Volume 3, 1881.
My example with an Ibbotson Iron
Picture frame clamps. These where heavily advertised and are probably the easiest Booth tool to find. At any given moment there are generally one or two on ebay.
The only Booth Catalogue I have been able to find. Sadly undated, but by dating the listed Stanley planes I estimate it dates between 1915 and 1928.
Wooden planes from the catalogue
More Wooden planes from the catalogue
Ebony and Brass Level
Booth delivery van being stopped and inspected during the Irish Civil War, 1922.
1879 Advertisement for a Bandsaw from “The Irish Builder”
This Booth stamped saw, bearing the Lynx logo would definitely be an import. The Lynx saws being made by the Garlick Saw Company. Booths did advertise saw doctor services and claimed to have several dedicated staff for that purpose at one point, so it’s not out of the question that they made saws at some point.
Booth Treadle Lathe
Circular Saw advertisement that also lists many other services the firm provided
1892 advertisement for fretwork patterns. Booth’s had many registered designs.
Irish plane making is alive and Well. Front - Booth brothers Chamfer Plane, Rear- Cross Water Cottage Tools Chamfer Plane (Chris Byrne).
Irish plane making is alive and Well. Front - Booth brothers Coffin Smoother, Rear- Enda Ward Scrub Plane.