Hinks Wells Co Birmingham

[Martyn123]

Good morning

I have a small brass KC general service button made by Hinks Wells Co Birmingham. It's the first that I've come across by this maker who made pens. Does anyone know of a probable date. Probably made during war time I would think but which one?

Regards

Martyn

[Rob Miller]

Hi Martyn

Here is a large one, I'm yet to find a small/medium one so its nice to know they existed, I suspect they date from WW1 when the British Army needed millions of buttons for all the new Battalions being formed and many smaller metal fabrication businesses were doing their bit, but I have no evidence to prove that.

Rob

[Martyn123]

Many thanks Rob. I myself suspect WW1. I read somewhere that they stopped making GS buttons in 1924 but that can't be correct as you can get ww2 plastic economy types.

[dognose]

Hi,

There is evidence that Hinks Wells were in the button-making business by at least the early 1860's.

Below is a rather sad account of the working conditions of children at the Hinks Wells factory gathered by the Children's Employment Commission in 1864:




Trev.

[Martyn123]

Thanks Trev. Interesting article. Things didn't really improve after the children's act of the 1840s when you look at evidence like that. I've seen similar reports of Birmingham button factories elsewhere on the net. Interesting to see that the company were making buttons as early as that.