Gorham Roster of Craftsmen

Shirley, John to Swain, Thomas

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Shirley, John; Room T, M-6
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
28 July 1844	born, Birmingham, England
7 Feb. 1881	employed, Gorham	16.00
1882	silversmith		bds. 14 Towner	PCD 363
1883	silversmith		h. 14 Towner	PCD 388
1890	silversmith		h. 1124 Eddy St.	PCD 504
6 Aug. 1894		0.40
1900	silversmith		h. 1124 Eddy St.	PCD 725
2 Nov. 1903		0.37
			1921 Broad St. Edgewood
1905	silversmith		h. 1124 Eddy St.	PCD 681
1910	silversmith		h. 1124 Eddy St.	PCD 578
1913	removed to Edgewood (Cranston)			PCD 620
1916	silversmith
15 May 1920	pensioned; Q. C. C.	39.30/mo.
1922/23	no occup.			CCD 206
1924/25	no occup.		res. Edgewood	CCD 119
1926/27	CCD*		1921 Broad St. Edgewood	emp. cd.
19 Mar. 1929	died?

Shirley, John Alfred
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1867?	born, son of John, silversmith
1883?	apprenticed
1890			h. 1124 Eddy St.	PCD 504
1890?	completed apprenticeship
7 Sept. 1893	married Lucy A. Stokes
1895	J. Alfred, silversmith		h. 59 Laura	PCD 638
1900	J. Alfred, silversmith		h. 388 Potter	PCD 724
1905	J. Alfred, silversmith		h. 388 Potter	PC~D 681
1910	John A., silversmith		h. 25 Lenox	PCD 578
1912	John A., silversmith		h. 25 Lenox	PCD
1915	John A., silversmith		h. 181 Melrose	PCD 648
1931	silversmith; wife Lucy A.		h. 181 Melrose	PCD 1244
1935	silversmith; wife Lucy A.		h. 181 Melrose	PCD 677
Dec.	'...the Making Room... here they put the hollowware together-- particularly hotel wares, platters, bar goods. Here we meet John Shirley, master craftsman, who has the longest record for service with Gorham. He entered the plant when a boy of 16, served his apprenticeship of 7 years, and has been 52 years with Gorham. 'I love my work,' he said, 'and I hope I shall always have it to do.'' The Hotel Monthly, Dec. 1935, p. 16
1941	silversmith; wife Lucy A.		h. 181 Melrose	PCD 682
1947	Lucy A.		h. 181 Melrose	PCD 647
1952			h. 181 Melrose	PCD 612
1954			h. 123 Elmwood Ave.	PCD 628
15 Sept. 1959	died			1960 PCD 884

Shurrocks, Thomas Henry
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
11 Aug. 1839	born, England, son of William & Margaret H.
1 Nov. 1863	hired
1880	silversmith, 12 Steeple St.		Eh. 75 Camp	PCD 332
1893	silversmith		h. 127 Pleasant	PCD 595
	foreman, room AA (4 men)	25.00		PBk N #16
1894	silversmith		h. 185 Pleasant	PCD 618
1900	foreman at Gorham's		h. 650 Broad	PCD 724
1 Nov. 1905	retired	45.00
12 Feb. 1906	died, age 66 years 6 months 1 day, nervous exhaustion, chronic asthma, emphysema, dilation of heart		650 Broad	PDR 22: 230

Sims, Charles
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
Sept. 1928	ad in House & Garden showing sandwich tray designed for Gorham by Sims			Archive

Singleton, Thomas S.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
14 Oct. 1886	born, England
2 Oct. 1902	apprentice silversmith
1908	silversmith		bds. 61 Bancroft	PCD 571
1914	silversmith		bds. 168 Eastwood Ave.	PCD 657
3 May 1919	left
	head silversmith for R. Wallace and Son for nine years
1926				PCD*
1930	Superintendent; wife Elizabeth		h. 173 Sumter	PCD 1251
1941-42			h. 127 Columbia Edgewd	CCD 236
1948	Assistant to the Executive Vice-President
1956	supt.		h. 682 Pontiac Eden Pk.	CCD 331
1957	supt.		h. 682 Pontiac Eden Pk.	CCD 406
1959	Elizabeth, widow of Thomas		h. 6a82 Pontiac Eden Pk.	CCD 514

Small, James
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
5 Aug. 1871	Polisher; from Birmingham	18.00		Indenture #58 (

Smart, George
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1935	'...the Making Room [of the Electroplate Department] George Smart is the foreman...' -- The Hotel Monthly, December 1935, p. 16.

Smith, Eugene C.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
19 Oct. 1868	born, Philadelphia, son of John Joseph Charles Smith (born in Germany), who sold die casting method to Gorham, & Caroline Staff of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; brother of Victor
6 Aug. 1896	hired at Gorham
1897			bds. 1 Carter	PCD 691
1900
1903	silversmith		bds. 1 Carter	PCD 773
3 May 1907	appointed foreman
			bds. 1 Carter	PCD
1910	silversmith		bds. 1 Carter	P'CD 586
1913	silversmith		bds. 158 Whitmarsh	PCD 628
1914	silversmith		bds. 14 Whitmarsh	PCD 662
1916	silversmith		bds. 14 Whitmarsh	PCD
29 June 1918	married Bertha H. Lang			RIMR 24: 416
	Bertha was a secretary, stenographer at E. A. Johnson Co., printers, Cady Moving and other firms.
1920/21	foreman; wife Bertha		h. Sea View Drive, Oakland Beach	WCD 148
1922	foreman; wife Bertha		h. Sea View Drive, Oakland Beach	WCD 306
1926	foreman Gorham's		h. 123 Sumter	PCD 119
1927	foreman Gorham's		h. 123 Sumter	PCD *1198
March	died			emp. card
1928	foreman Gorham's; wife Bertha L.		h. 123 Sumter	PCD 1258
1929				PCD*
1930				PCD*
24 Mar. 1934	died, age 65 years 5 months 5 days, pernicious anemia, chronic endocarditis, cardiovascular renal disease		473 Potters Ave.

Smith, Henry Thurston
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1865	born, Warren, Rhode Island
	educated in local public schools
	apprenticed as a silversmith at Gorham
1888	'...when he was only 23 years of age, he invented a process for making seamless wire...'-- obit., Mfg. Jeweler, Jan. 1925
Jan. 1925	died, age 60; obit. Manufacturing Jeweler, Jan. 1925, p. ?

Smith, Victor Edmund
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
3 July 1870	born, Somerville, Massachusetts, son of John J. Smith, a well known inventor
21 Aug. 1890	'He came to Providence with his brother Eugene C. Smith, for the purpose of installing and demonstrating the 'Smith Process' of casting, which the Gorham Company had purchased from his father.'
29 June 1896	married Margaret L. Saunders
1897			h. 489 Public St.	PCD 696
1901			25 Lillian	PCD
1904			25 Lillian	PCfD 678
2 Feb. 1914	Factory Supt. 'To salary list (did not accept)'
	1915 RI Census E. D. 317: father listed a U. S. citizen; son G[eorge] Farnum, age 17, born 30 May 1898; daughter Selma C., age 14; son Victor E. Jr., age 7; daughter Margaret M., age 6; servant Ella L. Shea, age 25, born Ireland
1916	foundry superintendent, Gorham		h. 25 Lillian	PCD 679
19 Mar. 1917	to salary list
1919	General Manager of the Bronze Division
	wife Margaret L. Saunders		25 Lillian St.
3 Jan. 1925	died; obit Silver Tongue 1: 2. 1, 1 April 1925; ProJo*
1929-1937	Margaret S., widow		125 Washington	PCD
1938				PCD*

Smith, William Folster
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
21 June 1847	born, Sheffield, England, son of Richard & Mary
1880	silversmith		h. 49 Thurber's	PCD 340
1893	silversmith		h. 49 Redwing	PCD 609
	foreman, room U (16 men)	30.00		PBk N #16
1900	foreman at Gorham		h. 94 Mitchell	PCD 739
1910	silversmith		h. 674 Public	PCD 653
1916	foreman, Gorham Mfg. Co.		h. 126 Atlantic	PCD 676
29 Mar. 1920,	died, age 72 years 9 months 8 days, cerebral hemorrhage, Providence; 'toolmaker, overseer'; wife A. E.			PDR: 207

Sorum, John Martin
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
14 Feb. 1863	born, Norway, son of Ole & Marn
11 Jan. 1898	hired; silversmith. 'He used to bring a jar of jam and some bread and his lunch was jam sandwiches' -- Charles Brandreth.
1910	silversmith		h. 404 Prairie Ave.	PCD 591
1929	silversmith; wife Ingeborg		h. 165 Porter	PCD 1279
1 Aug. 1931	pensioned
23 Jan. 1932	died, Providence, age 69 years 11 months 9 days

South, William J.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
2 Jan. 1882	apprentice	2.50
1 Jan. 1883	room 62	4.00
7 Jan. 1884		5.00
5 Jan. 1885		6.00
4 Jan. 1886		7.00

Southof see Sauthof

Spencer, W. C.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1838	born
1 Aug. 1906	pensioned	125.00/month
2 April 1922	died

Sperry, Edward Peck
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1850	born, New Haven, Connecticut, son of Peck Sperry, importer & distributor of musical instruments, & Caroline Augusta Lake Sperry
	educated in New Haven public schools
	employed by Skinner & Sperry
1875	entered the Yale School of Fine Ar~ts
1876	went abroad for study in Paris & Rome
ca. 1888	stained glass artist with Tiffany & Co. for 15 years
1903	MFA, Yale University
28 Jan. 1904	contract to supervise design of stained glass at Gorham
20 July 1906	terminated. Formed Church Glass & Decorating Company with artists Carol Coleman & Russell Foot
1922	retired to Stockbridge, Mass. because of health
19 Sept. 1925	died, age 75 years, Stockbridge, Massachusetts; obit NY Times 20 Sept. 7: 3

Staf, [Axel] Herman, sculptor, taught at RISD
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
2 Dec. 1869	born, Varmland, Sweden
	wife Hulda Amanda Danielson
1896-97	Herman, 'sculptor'		h. 43 Arthur Ave.	PCD
1898				PCD*
1899	A. Herman, modeler		h. 43 Oakland	PCD
1900-02	A. Herman, modeler		h. 43 Greenwich	PCD
1907	Herman, modeler at Gorham's		h. 25 Lenox	PCD
1915	designer at Gorham		h. 193 Lenox	PCD
	Henman [!], designer, age 45		193 Lenox	RI Census E.D. 314 p.
1920	designer at Gorham		h. 205 Lenox
1932-37	wife Hulda A.
	daughter Ella H., teacher, Gilbert Stuart Jr. High, r. 205 Lenox			PCD
	son Lawrence H., physical instructor, Kenyon St. School, r. 205 Lenox			PCD
1 Feb. 1941	died, age 71; obit. PJ Sunday 2 Feb. 1941, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church

Stark, Frederick W.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
4 Mar. 1885	born
14 May 1902	employed, apprentice
Feb. 1907		18.00
1910		26.00
1911		28.00
Aug. 1919		50.00
29 Sept. 1919	to salary roll
31 Mar. 1923	left; to International Silver; letter from Johnson in Archives

Stehr, Henry Bernard, chaser #29 in 1900
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
20 April 1870	born, New York City, son of German parents Bernard & Clara
5 Dec. 1895	employed
1900	chaser #29		h. 11 David	PCD 750
	with mother, Clara C. I., real estate worth $1,220			Tax records
	Census E. D. 61 sh. 10 l. 56: wife Bertha
1903	chaser		h. 11 David	PCD 674
30 Oct.	left
1904	chaser		h. 11 David	PCD 687
30 Oct.	died, age 34 years 5 months 10 days, diabetes coma			PDR 22: 90; 1905 PCD 705

Stevens, Hiram King
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1 July 1825	born, New York, son of Philip & Welthy B.
22 May 1860	hired by Gorham
1880	carpenter, 12 Steeple		h. 82 Burnside	PCD 346
	foreman, room DD	24.00		PBk N #16
1900	foreman, Gorham Mfg. Co.		h. 100 Burnside	PCD 751
	also coal & wood, 63 Bassett; see PCD 1432 for coal & wood company advert.
1 Feb. 1901	pensioned	45.00
30 Nov. 1904	died (Gorham card); 3 Dec., died (PDR), age 80 years 4 months 29 days at Quincy, Massachusetts; 'found' (p. 109); widower

Stevens, S.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
3 Jan. 1881- 2 Jan. 1882		16.00

Stone, Frank E.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
14 Jan. 1867- 4 Jan. 1869		24.00		3:
1870	silversmith		bds. 7 Davis	PCD 229
1 Jan. 1872		22.00		4:
1874	silversmith		h. 3 Barr's Lane	PCD 281
1878	silversmith		h. 3 Barr's Lane	PCD 313

Storre, William
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
14 Jan. 1867		6.00		3:

Straker, Herbert J., silversmith in die sinking room
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
	born, Providence, Rhode Island
21 April 1886	apprentice papers, #76, 5 yrs. 3.00; no co-signer; no place of origin
	'Straker Bros. of North Attleboro have opened a die cutting establishment at 77 Page St. Providence.' Manufacturing Jeweler Dec. 1900 p. 576.

Straker, J. Edward, silversm~ith
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
4 Aug. 1879	apprentice for five years	3.00		Indenture II: 26
3 Jan. 1881		4.00
2 Jan. 1882		5.00
1 Jan. 1883	room 62	6.00
7 Jan. 1884		7.00
5 Jan. 1885 - 4 Jan. 1886		15.00

Straker, Joseph Edward
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
26 Mar. 1843	born; source: Mt. Hope St. Cemetery, Attleborough, MA; Bruce Surrey, 699-2379
	married Elizabeth Otley; see chart
4 Dec. 1865	employed; silversmith; from London	22.00		Indenture #10 (2:
	signed indenture papers in London to work as silversmith; was advanced $101.45 to defray expenses, repaid at $3/week
1867			8 Church St.	PCD
1872	silver chaser		h. 76 Ocean	PCD
	in payroll books in Beckwith's Room
1895			110 Melrose	PCD
	with Adolf, clerk; Herbert J., diemaker; J. E., silversmith; S. J., silversmith
1898	real estate value $3,000			Tax book, p. 432
1900	Awarded Gold Medal at Paris Exposition.
1902	?			PCD
1 Aug. 1905	pensioned	80.00/month
1908			110 Melrose	PCD
1911	moved to North Attleboro, Massachusetts			PCD
2 Jan. 1912	died; Mt. Hope St. Cemetery, Attleboro, Mass.; Bruce Surtrey, 699-2379

Straker, L.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
2 Jan. 1882	room 63, apprentice	2.50
1 Jan. 1883	room 62	4.00
7 Jan. 1884		5.00
5 Jan. 1885		6.00
4 Jan. 1886		6.00

Strater, Henry
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1833	born, Westphalia, Prussia; father John, mother Catherine
	learned the silversmith's trade in Boston with Larforme Bros.
1857	employed by Gorham
1870	silversmith		h. 126 Carpenter	PCD 229
1880	silversmith		h. 11 Baxter	PCD 348
1887	silversmith		h. 11 Baxter	PCD 511
1893	silversmith		h. 11 Baxter	PCD 623
	'He was one of the company's best and most reliable workmen'-- Manufacturing Jeweler, 8 April 1897, p. 233
30 Mar. 1897	died; obit. Manufacturing Jeweler,' 8 April 1897, p. 233

Strater, Victor J.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1867?	born, son of Joseph & Hortense
1882				PCD*
1886			bds. 78 Ocean	PCD 448
1888	chased 720 Butter Dish			cost book 6: 172
1890	chaser		bds. 78 Ocean	PCD 533
1892	removed to Europe			PCD 592
26 May 1893	died, age 26, in Providence, Rhode Island			PDR

Stringer, Walter				card
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
18 April 1858	born, England
25 July 1881	hired
2 Jan. 1882		14.00
1 Jan. 1883	room 62, through 4 Jan. 1886	18.00
16 July 1906	hired
1925	chasers' photo: '35 years'			Silver Tongue
	'The Gorham Chess and Checker Club of twenty-five or thirty years ago. How many remember it? Our weekly meetings were very much enjoyed at the German Hall, Niagara Street, with the convivial glass, studying out problems and playing the Royal Game of Kings and Queens. A. Betteridge of the International-Meriden was our enthusiastic President. Walter Stringer of the Chasing Department could tell us a whole lot about it' -- Silver Tongue 1: 2. 4, 1 April 1925
18 April 1927	pensioned
25 Jan. 1932	died

Stursberg, Emil
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
4 Feb. 1873	born, Germany
7 Aug. 1899	employed			GPL S 19: 90/91
1900	chaser #42	22.00
	'Stusberg'		bds. 24 Rutland	PCD 756
17 July 1907	chaser #34
1913			h. 215 Greenwood	CCD
1921	chaser; wife Mary M.		h. 215 Greenwood	CCD 173
1925	RIC Bk. 97: 22 l. 24, m'film roll 34
1 April 1938	pensioned	43.95/mo.
1952			h. 215 Greenwood	CCD: 290
4 Feb. 1954	died

Sumner, H.
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1 Jan. 1872- 6 Jan. 1873		18.00		4:

Swain, George
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1847	born, England, son of Joseph & Susan			M-3 F. H.
8 Sept. 1892	employed
1893	silversmith		h. 99 David	PCD 630
5 Feb. 1900		35.00
11 Feb.		40.00
	foreman, Gorham Mfg. Co.		h. 129 Narragansett Av.	PCD 762
9 Feb. 1903		45.00
1905	foreman, Gorham Mfg. Co.		h. 138 Narragansett	PCD 715
14 July	died, age 58 years, meningitis			PDR 22: 170

Swain, John Field				no card
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
14 Aug. 1876	born, Birmingham, England
21 Dec. 1905	Founding member, British Club of Rhode Island (defunct 1965)			PCD*
13 June 1906	arrives New York City aboard SS Caronia; last English address Sheffield
18 June	begins work in O2 room			PBk. Z (0-1-U-8): 172 #17
1907	'John P. chaser'		h. 5 Algonquin	PCD 598
1910			h. 51 Burrington	PCD 606
19 Nov. 1915	wife Lillian died, age 38 years, at State Hospital			PDR
			h. 51 Burrington	PCD 679
8 July 1918	married Mary Bogan Lynch			PMR
1920, 1922, 1923			h. 803 Elmwood Ave.	PCD 761
1924	son John F. Jr. also at Gorham's		h. 79 Alger Ave.
1925			h. 79 Alger	PCD 1178
	chasers' photo: '20 years'			Silver Tongue
1928	worked on ETT set
1930	wife Mary		h. 79 Alger	PCD 1292
1931	chaser #24			PBk.
1935, 1939, 1945, 1950:	wife Mary		h. 79 Alger	PCD 704, 1036, 653, 638
5 Dec. 1952	John F. died, son of John & Lillian			PDR
20 Sept. 1958	Mary died			1959 PCD 801
1961	John & Mary listed		79 Alger	PCD
1962				PCD*

Swain, Thomas Edward, designer
Date	Event	Pay	Address	Source
1 Sept. 1887	born, New York City
1 Aug. 1905	employed
1928	assisted in design of ETT set
25 May 1929	'left A. position'; went to Watson in Attleboro, Mass.

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