And now for something old...

**camoz** · 19th July 2015, 06:32 PM

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

it has a H.P.Gregory bronze badge as the importer, this is a company I would like to know more about ..

Melbourne Matty.

Matty,

Doing a bit of research for you today, a google search revealed a few catalogue cuts:

My question then became is there any association between H.P Gregory & Co in Sydney Australia and H.P Gregory & Co San Francisco.

The earliest I have found so far in Australia (please note I have not done an exhaustive search) of the Mention of H.P. Gregory & Co relates to an exhibition by the San Francisco company in February 1877

In 1888 they appear to do another exhibition and are first prize winners

In October 1878, there is an article talking about the Paris Exhibition and how impressed everyone was with J.A. Fay & Co machinery. In the article, it mentions that there are already J.A. Fay & Co machines in Australia, thanks to H.P. Gregory & Co who have done a large trade since their arrival in Sydney, and that they are agents for J.A. Fay & Co. This is a good step towards confirming a connection, but unfortunately it doesn't definitively make a connection as San Francisco is not mentioned.

In July 1888 there is a meeting in which presumable a director or managers name is mentioned Mr R. W. Finlayson (this may help for later research)

In 1880, I finally find a Sydney address (11 Pitt St Sydney), under American Machinery Depot H.P. Gregory & Co

As always with this kind of research, the answer is found in the most unusual way. An article published in January 1889 describes the recover of believe it or not a box of gold and silver belonging to H.P. Gregory & Co of this city (being Sydney), which had finally been recovered after being dropped during loading into the harbour of Neutral Bay on the 22nd December (someone had a very bad Christmas that year

, I have not yet found the associated jobs vacant advert

). The important point for this research is it says it was being transported by Mr H. Shaw Smith (manager) to the firm in San Francisco.

So I think this answers my question.

Cheers,

Camo

P.S. Some other addresses to work with:

Bourke Street West (1888)

**anglesmith** · 19th July 2015, 06:33 PM

I have a very early Gregory's "Machinery and Findings" (?) 253 page catalogue. (I'd date it somewhere in 1890s?) Your machine and maker are not in it. It appears that they started in San Francisco and Portland and had an office in 17 Pitt street Sydney.
Graeme

**sion.dovey** · 20th July 2015, 05:44 PM

That is such a beautiful machine, machinery from the US in that period is often so elegant. What a dream find, and still a very relevant machine today, very much looking forward to seeing more of it.

**L.S.Barker1970** · 21st July 2015, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by anglesmith

I have a very early Gregory's "Machinery and Findings" (?) 253 page catalogue. (I'd date it somewhere in 1890s?) Your machine and maker are not in it. It appears that they started in San Francisco and Portland and had an office in 17 Pitt street Sydney.
Graeme

Graeme, what I would do to see that catalog of yours.

I am wondering if it has any J.A.Fay & Co machinery advertised within its pages ?

Melbourne Matty.

**L.S.Barker1970** · 21st July 2015, 03:26 PM

Originally Posted by sion.dovey

That is such a beautiful machine, machinery from the US in that period is often so elegant. What a dream find, and still a very relevant machine today, very much looking forward to seeing more of it.

Hi Sion, nice to see you in this neck of the woods !
Thanks for your comments, I hope I can do the machine justice.
Looking forward to actually making belting for the machine and running.

Melbourne Matty.

**L.S.Barker1970** · 21st July 2015, 04:24 PM

Cam, last but not least, thank you for your amazing research into this firm, once again you seem to get that little bit more out of the subject than I ever can, amazing !
My Research began years ago out of curiosity as to who was the importer of J.A.Fay & Co machinery in to Australia.
The first lucky break was a 1893 catalog gave me a list of agencies, it was something to go of and gave a good indication of agencies world wide at least.

Look Closely and you can make out the H.P. Gregory building in Burke St Melbourne

Agencies 1893 J.A.Fay Catalog, last catalog before the merger with the Egan Co.

Agencies 1900 series L catalog J.A.Fay & Egan.

The H.P.Gregory badge on my 1880's J.A.Fay & Co Bandsaw.

The H.P.Gregory Badge on the "Sweepstakes" moulder.

The H.P.Gregory (San-Francisco) Badge on an early J.A.Fay & Co Jointer.

Melbourne Matty.

**Oldbikerider** · 21st July 2015, 05:26 PM

By no means as early as the references already quoted, but I have a couple of older machines that came from H.P. Gregory last century. My Speedax bandsaw from 1932, and my Hyco tablesaw from I think the 1950s both have H.P.Gregory brass badges. I guess a badge of this age is nothing new to you guys.

Sadly there is no evidence of 74 Clarence Street left, but it appears to have once been between these two buildings. https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-33....!6m1!1e1?hl=en

IMG_5498.jpg

Graham.

**anglesmith** · 21st July 2015, 06:11 PM

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Graeme, what I would do to see that catalog of yours.

I am wondering if it has any J.A.Fay & Co machinery advertised within its pages ?

Melbourne Matty.

Matty I'm now thinking the catalogue is older, the youngest patent date I've found so far is 1880.
J A Fay.. head their list of sole agencies and at least (roughly counted) 128 pages are about Fay's machines.

Graeme

**hiroller** · 21st July 2015, 08:32 PM

There is a copy of the 1890 H.P. Gregory catalog in the National Library in Canberra.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/3088858...ionId=37472869
Could have dropped in on the way back from collecting the machine!

**L.S.Barker1970** · 22nd July 2015, 12:34 PM

Originally Posted by Oldbikerider

By no means as early as the references already quoted, but I have a couple of older machines that came from H.P. Gregory last century. My Speedax bandsaw from 1932, and my Hyco tablesaw from I think the 1950s both have H.P.Gregory brass badges. I guess a badge of this age is nothing new to you guys.

Sadly there is no evidence of 74 Clarence Street left, but it appears to have once been between these two buildings.

Graham.

Graham, Thanks for your input here, its the great little pic's and comments that really make a post like this interesting.
I have seen Later H.P.Gregory Badges (only just recently) as well, and now I'm curious now to find out when they shut down operations in Australia.
It would seem that H.P.Gregory at a certain stage 40's to 50's were concentrating on turning over more smaller machines at a Local level perhaps.
Any thoughts ?

Melbourne Matty.

**L.S.Barker1970** · 22nd July 2015, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by anglesmith

Matty I'm now thinking the catalogue is older, the youngest patent date I've found so far is 1880.
J A Fay.. head their list of sole agencies and at least (roughly counted) 128 pages are about Fay's machines.

Graeme

Hi Graeme, sorry to be cheeky, but I have to ask, are the any Bandsaws that look like this in your catalog ?
If its any help I could probably date you catalog exactly, as I have quite a few early J.A.Fay & Co catalogs ..

Melbourne Matty.

**L.S.Barker1970** · 22nd July 2015, 12:50 PM

Originally Posted by hiroller

There is a copy of the 1890 H.P. Gregory catalog in the National Library in Canberra.
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/3088858...ionId=37472869
Could have dropped in on the way back from collecting the machine!

We really messed up there didn't we !
Might be a trip for another day perhaps ..
Thanks for the heads up Hiroller !

Melbourne Matty.

**DaveTTC** · 22nd July 2015, 02:12 PM

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Hi Graeme, sorry to be cheeky, but I have to ask, are the any Bandsaws that look like this in your catalog ?
If its any help I could probably date you catalog exactly, as I have quite a few early J.A.Fay & Co catalogs ..

Melbourne Matty.

First glance i thought that was my bandsaw. Phew ... mine is still on the front veranda back in NSW. Might pick it up in a couple of weeks

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

**anglesmith** · 22nd July 2015, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by L.S.Barker1970

Hi Graeme, sorry to be cheeky, but I have to ask, are the any Bandsaws that look like this in your catalog ?
If its any help I could probably date you catalog exactly, as I have quite a few early J.A.Fay & Co catalogs ..

Melbourne Matty.

How about this one?
Graeme

**anglesmith** · 22nd July 2015, 02:26 PM

Well that seemed to work ! (haven't uploaded before!)

There are 9 Bandsaw in cat.. 4 with top wheels like yours (00, 0 1 and 2) I think No2 looks the same as yours?
BTW Most of the cat... is set out like this with a full page engraving and a page of description.
Graeme

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