John Maxwell seems to have started as a bucklecutter as he (or his father ) is shown in 1779 as
"John Maxwell Gold and Silver Buckle Cutter at 22 Eagle Street, Red Lyon Square," with an Insured Value of £200 in the Fire Insurance Policy Register, 1777-1786 - 1779 SUN 1 276 18\07\79 BN Policy Number 417875 .
31th October 1782 - John Maxwell entered mark as bucklemaker at 10, Brook Street, Holborn .
The premises at 10, Brook Street had been briefly used by Samuel Nash from early 1782 before his move to Kirby Street, Covent Garden in October ot that year .
On 8 December 1789 he took out Patent No 1715 for "Spring fastenings for shoe -buckles"
Described in the patent as John Maxwell of Brook Street Holborn, buckle maker.
Examples of these patent chapes, marked MAXWELLS PATENT survive. They are a close copy of Eley's , with one minor element changed. The finger operating lever moves inwards on the Eley version, the Maxwell works horizontally. In the writers opinion the Maxwell is the superior, but would have been more expensive to produce.
MAXWELL, John (Grimwade p.398)
Moderators: buckler, MCB, silverly
Re: MAXWELL, John (Grimwade p.398)
It would appear that John Maxwell may have diversified when the use of shoe buckles declined drastically in the early 1790’s , although at least one “A” datelettered pair of 1796 has been seen.
An advertisement in the Morning Chronicle of Saturday, 28 March , 1795 states that he had bought the rights to
“Dr DANIEL JOHNTENCO’s original Spanish Aromatic Dentifrice “
from a “ Mr Charles Angibaud, Surgeon, Nephew to the Doctor , and the only Proprietor of the Pectoral Lozenges Of Blois “
It claims to cure virtually all ailments of the gum and teeth and purifies the breath.
“This Dentifrice, which is made up in boxes at 1s 6d. and 2s 6d. is prepared only by John Maxwell of Brook Street, Holborn, from the original Receipt [sic] “ and that “ to prevent mistakes and counterfeits, every box will be signed by John Maxwell ,in his own handwriting “
The advertisement then gives a list of outlets through which the dentifrice was to be sold in London “and at most Medical Warehouses and Perfumers [sic] in Town"
An advertisement in the Morning Chronicle of Saturday, 28 March , 1795 states that he had bought the rights to
“Dr DANIEL JOHNTENCO’s original Spanish Aromatic Dentifrice “
from a “ Mr Charles Angibaud, Surgeon, Nephew to the Doctor , and the only Proprietor of the Pectoral Lozenges Of Blois “
It claims to cure virtually all ailments of the gum and teeth and purifies the breath.
“This Dentifrice, which is made up in boxes at 1s 6d. and 2s 6d. is prepared only by John Maxwell of Brook Street, Holborn, from the original Receipt [sic] “ and that “ to prevent mistakes and counterfeits, every box will be signed by John Maxwell ,in his own handwriting “
The advertisement then gives a list of outlets through which the dentifrice was to be sold in London “and at most Medical Warehouses and Perfumers [sic] in Town"
Re: MAXWELL, John (Grimwade p.398)
Thanks to Mike we now have the probate and administration documents of John Maxwell, and many details of his widow’s family. The facts and research given below are his. Any errors are undoubtedly mine!
1790
Trade directory entry for John Maxwell as a buckle maker at 10 Brook Street
4 June 1796
John Maxwell makes and signs his will.
” I John Maxwell of Brook Street do ordain this to be my last Will and Testament
And first I do hereby direct that all my just debts may be fully paid if my effects are found sufficient for that end and if not sufficient for the whole that they be Paid in due proportion
But if there remain any residue then I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Isabella Elizabeth daughter of the late Richard Ewings of Peckam in Surry [sic] the whole Residue of every description to her own Sole use and behalf
And I hereby name constitute and appoint my beloved Wife Isabella Elizabeth to be my whole and Sole Executrix to this my Will
And do hereby revoke and disallow every former Will by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this to be my last will and Testament
In witness thereof I the said John Maxwell do now Sign and Seal the same written with my own hand this 4th day of June 1796
John Maxwell
In the presence of
John Roberts and Oliver Ewings - Witnesses "
There are elements in the wording and signatures to the will which appear unsatisfactory and are sufficient to cast some doubt on its authenticity. There is none of the usual religious preamble almost universal at the time and the handwriting of the will itself, and the signatures of both the testator and the witness John Roberts, all look rather similar.
? August 1796
Death of John Maxwell. His widow told the Consistory Court Of London on 7 September that he had “ departed this life in the Month of August Last “
5 September 1796
A John Maxwell was buried at St Giles, Camberwell, which was the parish of the Ewings family.
7 September 1796
Consistory Court of London
Notary's document states inter alia ".....for the appearer his widow and relict sole Executrix and residuary legatee but that for divers[e] Good Causes and Considerations for thereunto especially moving have and hereby expressly renounced the probate and execution of the said Will". If the estate was insolvent, as the will suggests, Maxwell’s widow had good reason to decline to act. She would be involved in unpaid work and possible expense for no reward. One of the creditors of John Maxwell, an Ann Dove, at this stage applied to the Court for administration of the Estate. She may well have been pressing the widow for settlement of Maxwell’s debt ever since his death.
Bond for six hundred pounds was signed by
Ann Dove of Princes Square in the Parish of St George [in the East] in the County of Middlesex, Widow
John Clement[s] of Ratcliffe Highway in the same parish , Gentleman
Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell of Brook Street, Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Widow
In consequence Ann Dove, widow and creditor and Administrator with Will attached, was bound over to make an inventory by the end of December, and to deal properly with the estate and render an account to the Court, Maxwells’s widow having renounced her executorship rights.
Usually the bond was set at twice the estimated net value of the estate.
There follows a curious delay until
28 October 1796
Consistory Court of London grants Administration with Will attached to Ann Dove , widow and Creditor of the deceased….. , Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell …. having first renounced the probate and execution thereof .
Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell is stated in the will to be the daughter of Richard Ewings of Peckham [Camberwell and Peckham are adjacent ]. Richard is probably the man whose will was proved at PCC on 14 September 1771 as Richard Ewings otherwise Ewing of Saint Giles, Camberwell , Surrey .(PROB 11/971/20).
She may be the Isabella christened 1749 at St Giles, Camberwell, the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Ewings.,
One of the witness to the will, Oliver Ewings, was probably the son of Richard and SARAH Ewings christened at the same church in 1761 and thus probably Isabella's half-brother. He could well be the Oliver Ewings, of Rupert Street, St James, Piccadilly Street, Saddle Tree Maker who is recorded as voting for Fox in the 1784 election.
As a John Maxwell was buried at St Giles, Camberwell it is likely we have the correct family, if not the full details.
23 January 1797
George Ewings entered a mark as bucklemaker at 10, Brook Street, Holborn
He is probably the George christened 1747 at St Giles, Camberwell, the son of Richard and Elizabeth Ewings, and hence sister to Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell.
1790
Trade directory entry for John Maxwell as a buckle maker at 10 Brook Street
4 June 1796
John Maxwell makes and signs his will.
” I John Maxwell of Brook Street do ordain this to be my last Will and Testament
And first I do hereby direct that all my just debts may be fully paid if my effects are found sufficient for that end and if not sufficient for the whole that they be Paid in due proportion
But if there remain any residue then I give and bequeath to my beloved Wife Isabella Elizabeth daughter of the late Richard Ewings of Peckam in Surry [sic] the whole Residue of every description to her own Sole use and behalf
And I hereby name constitute and appoint my beloved Wife Isabella Elizabeth to be my whole and Sole Executrix to this my Will
And do hereby revoke and disallow every former Will by me at any time heretofore made and do declare this to be my last will and Testament
In witness thereof I the said John Maxwell do now Sign and Seal the same written with my own hand this 4th day of June 1796
John Maxwell
In the presence of
John Roberts and Oliver Ewings - Witnesses "
There are elements in the wording and signatures to the will which appear unsatisfactory and are sufficient to cast some doubt on its authenticity. There is none of the usual religious preamble almost universal at the time and the handwriting of the will itself, and the signatures of both the testator and the witness John Roberts, all look rather similar.
? August 1796
Death of John Maxwell. His widow told the Consistory Court Of London on 7 September that he had “ departed this life in the Month of August Last “
5 September 1796
A John Maxwell was buried at St Giles, Camberwell, which was the parish of the Ewings family.
7 September 1796
Consistory Court of London
Notary's document states inter alia ".....for the appearer his widow and relict sole Executrix and residuary legatee but that for divers[e] Good Causes and Considerations for thereunto especially moving have and hereby expressly renounced the probate and execution of the said Will". If the estate was insolvent, as the will suggests, Maxwell’s widow had good reason to decline to act. She would be involved in unpaid work and possible expense for no reward. One of the creditors of John Maxwell, an Ann Dove, at this stage applied to the Court for administration of the Estate. She may well have been pressing the widow for settlement of Maxwell’s debt ever since his death.
Bond for six hundred pounds was signed by
Ann Dove of Princes Square in the Parish of St George [in the East] in the County of Middlesex, Widow
John Clement[s] of Ratcliffe Highway in the same parish , Gentleman
Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell of Brook Street, Holborn in the County of Middlesex, Widow
In consequence Ann Dove, widow and creditor and Administrator with Will attached, was bound over to make an inventory by the end of December, and to deal properly with the estate and render an account to the Court, Maxwells’s widow having renounced her executorship rights.
Usually the bond was set at twice the estimated net value of the estate.
There follows a curious delay until
28 October 1796
Consistory Court of London grants Administration with Will attached to Ann Dove , widow and Creditor of the deceased….. , Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell …. having first renounced the probate and execution thereof .
Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell is stated in the will to be the daughter of Richard Ewings of Peckham [Camberwell and Peckham are adjacent ]. Richard is probably the man whose will was proved at PCC on 14 September 1771 as Richard Ewings otherwise Ewing of Saint Giles, Camberwell , Surrey .(PROB 11/971/20).
She may be the Isabella christened 1749 at St Giles, Camberwell, the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Ewings.,
One of the witness to the will, Oliver Ewings, was probably the son of Richard and SARAH Ewings christened at the same church in 1761 and thus probably Isabella's half-brother. He could well be the Oliver Ewings, of Rupert Street, St James, Piccadilly Street, Saddle Tree Maker who is recorded as voting for Fox in the 1784 election.
As a John Maxwell was buried at St Giles, Camberwell it is likely we have the correct family, if not the full details.
23 January 1797
George Ewings entered a mark as bucklemaker at 10, Brook Street, Holborn
He is probably the George christened 1747 at St Giles, Camberwell, the son of Richard and Elizabeth Ewings, and hence sister to Isabella Elizabeth Maxwell.