| Alt Ref No | DD379 |
| Acc No | 3472 |
| Title | Jones Sewing Machine Company Limited |
| Description | Various documents and photographs |
| Date | 1800s-1900s |
| Extent | 5 boxes, 2 volumes |
| AdminHistory | Jones Sewing Machines was established in 1859 by William Jones. He was interested in developing and improving the design and manufacture of the sewing machine. He successfully developed special tools to benefit large-scale production and as a result he was able to offer excellent machines at an affordable price. The business expanded rapidly and in June 1889 Jones Sewing Machines became a Limited liability company with William Jones as the Chairman of Directors and John Jones as Managing Director until his death in 1903.
The business developed from three or four men to over 1,800 hands, and representatives in many countries by the time of William Jones' death in 1911. Jones had a reputation of quality and were the only British company to produce reliable machines in both the domestic and industrial fields.
During the Second World War production came to a standstill, but Jones Sewing Machines continued to trade from the site at Guide Bridge, Audenshaw until the late 1950s early 1960s when the company started to suffer a decline because of the competition with foreign manufacturers. In 1968 Jones was bought by Brother and in 1976 the trading name Jones + Brother was adopted to continue the reputation built up by Jones. |
| Related Material | For Jones Sewing Machine receipt dated 1952, archives reference DD200/2/3. |
| CustodialHistory | Previously held by Brother UK Limited, Audenshaw. Transferred on loan to Tameside Local Studies and Archives in 2008. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| Type | Archive |
| Ref No | GB131.3472 |
