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BROOK & SON OF EDINBURGH

A topic for recording information regarding Brook & Son of Edinburgh.



Established in 1891 by William Brook (I) and his son, Alexander James Steel Brook (b.1856-d.1908). They were later joined by Alexander's son, William Brook (II) (d.1941). Brook & Son were the successors to William Marshall & Sons for whom William Brook (I), who is thought to have been with the firm since 1853, was the last partner (along with Thomas Smith). A.J.S. Brook had worked for William Marshall & Sons since 1873.

Thomas Smith, the other final partner in the firm of William Marshall & Sons, started another business, along with his sons, Thomas Bruce Smith and Stephen Smith, styled Thomas Smith & Sons. This firm was located at 28, Princes Street, Edinburgh.

Brook & Son were holders of a Royal Warrant as Goldsmiths to Queen Victoria and King George V and were also Goldsmiths to the King's Bodyguard for Scotland (Royal Company of Archers).

If you have any details of the above company, advertisements, examples of their work, markings, etc., anything that you are willing to share, then here's the place to post it.

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Brook & Son - Edinburgh - 1920

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EDINBURGH CHRYSANTHEMUM SHOW

The magnificent silver cup, presented by the magistrates and Council of the city to the Scottish Horticultural Association for competition at the Chrysanthemum Show recently held in the Waverley Market, and won by Mr. R. Parker, gardener to Mr. J. Corbett, M.P., Impney Hall, Droitwich, Worcester, is circular in form, with two massive handles. The body is fluted , and in the front and back there are shields bearing respectively the arms of the Association and the following inscription :-

" Presented by the Magistrates and Council of the City of Edinburgh to the Scottish Horticultural Association. The Right Honourable James Alexander Russell, Lord Provost. - November 1892." The cup was specially designed and manufactured by Messrs. Brook & Son, goldsmiths to the Queen, 87, George Street, Edinburgh.

Source: Journal of Horticulture and Cottage Gardener - 1st December 1892

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A tea caddie in the shape of a knife box by Brook & Son, assayed at Sheffield in 1909:




















B & S - Sheffield - 1909

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Brook & Son - Edinburgh - 1918

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Two Silver Flagons, designed and made by Messrs. Brook and Son, the well-known Edinburgh silversmiths, have been presented to Yester Parish Church. Each flagon bears on one side the design of the Burning Bush, with the Church's motto, Nec tamen consumebaiur; and on the other side the vine branch with leaves and clusters, and the words of our Lord, I am the vine, ye are the Branches. The chasing at the base of the flagons has been imitated from the oldest Communion cups of the parish, the date of which is 1683. Each flagon has on it the following inscription: "To the Glory of God, and in Pious Memory of James Hunter, Merchant, Edinburgh, these two Flagons are gifted to the Church of Yester, by R J. Hunter, in the Ministry of the Rev. P. Hay Hunter, 1895."

Source: The Church of Scotland Home and Foreign Mission Record - 1896

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Brook & Son - Edinburgh - 1917

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GENERAL NURSING COUNCIL FOR SCOTLAND

At a meeting of the General Nursing Council for Scotland, held at 13, Melville Street, Edinburgh, on July 6th, 1923, the recommendations of the Uniform Committee were considered. It was resolved that subject to the consent of the General Nursing Council for England and Wales, the Uniform to be adopted should be the same as that adopted in England, with the following exceptions : Buttons to be bone, plain black. Hat trimming to be navy blue ribbon without any woven badge. Details in regard to the supply of material, &c., will be published later.

The Council decided to adhere to their previous resolution in regard to the letters to be used to designate a Nurse on the different parts of the Register, namely : —

R.G.N. .. Registered General Nurse.
R.M.N. . . Registered Mental Nurse. *
R.N.M.D... Registered Nurse for Mental Defectives.
R.S.C.N. .. Registered Sick Children's Nurse.
R.F.N. .. Registered Fever Nurse.

The Council considered a proposal to adopt the letters proposed to be used in England to designate a Registered General Nurse (S.R.N.), but considered that these were not desirable as a Nurse on any supplementary part of the Register might be equally entitled to style herself a State Registered Nurse.

The following resolutions were adopted in regard to the issue of the Badge : —

(i) That the design previously decided on (a St. Andrew Cross in white on blue enamel with a silver border containing in raised letters the words " Registered General Nurse," " Registered Male Nurse," or as the case may be), be adhered to, with the addition of the word " Scotland " below.
(2) That the offer of Messrs. Brook & Son, Jewellers, 87, George Street, Edinburgh, to supply the Badges in Silver at a price of 4s. 6d. be accepted.
(3) That the Badge be obtainable from the above Firm by a Nurse on receipt of a voucher to be issued by the Registrar to each Registered Nurse.
(4) That on the back of the Badge there should be engraved the name and registered number of the Nurse.

Source: The British Journal of Nursing - 21st July 1923

* Possibly a misprint and may perhaps be " Registered Male Nurse," as mentioned further along the article?

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A pair of butter-spreader by Brook & Son, assayed at London in 1931:






B & S - London - 1931

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Brook & Son - Edinburgh - 1916

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TOO MANY TAXES, NOT ENOUGH STAFF - A FIRM DIES

Trading restrictions, especially purchase tax and recent ban on electro-plate- coupled with famine-scarcity of skilled craftsmen are forcing out of business a famous four-generation Scottish firm founded in 1836. They are Brook & Son "By appointment," silversmiths, engravers, watchmakers and jewellers, of George Street, Edinburgh. Premises and £30,000 of stock will be sold during the next few weeks.

This column makes the first public announcement of a decision repeated to me yesterday by the present owner, Miss Ann Byron Brook, who inherited the family business on her father's death in 1941. (She is a descendant, on her mother's side, of Lord Byron's family.)

Founded by her great, great-grandfather, William Brook, it passed in turn to her grandfather, Alexander J. S. Brook, and her father, William Brook II.

"It is no longer possible to carry on a business of this size under present conditions," she told me. "Parting with it will be sad wrench, but I see no alternative. Nowadays jewellery costs so much to make that it is unsalable and skilled craftsmen are not to be had. Pre-war we employed 52 of them; now I'm down to 12.

Miss Brook removed from her finger a pearl and diamond ring. Originally it cost £80 she told me "But with purchase tax one would be lucky today to get it for £400. And this small silver quaich made in our own workshops in 1937, it still bears the old price label - £6 17s 6d. Today a similar article costs 13 gns."

GOLDEN HORSESHOES

Wistfully she spoke of the "bad old days," when an American customer paid £300 for a set of solid gold horseshoes and nails for a mare. That was in 1877. The mare had won a race.

And now the Ministry of Works must find other experts to clean the Crown Jewels and Regalia at Edinburgh Castle. This has been an annual responsibility of the 115-year-old firm which the Board of Trade has helped to kill.

Source: Un-named Scottish newspaper - 1951

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A set of four menu-holders by Brook & Son, assayed at Edinburgh in 1939:






B & S - Edinburgh - 1939

BROOK & SON/87 GEORGE ST/EDINBURGH

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The decision of the arbiter called in to decide as to the quality of the diamonds for the Lord Provost’s new collar and jewel having been given, the Magistrates and Council have now placed the order in the hands of Messrs. Brook & Son, goldsmiths to the Queen, 87 George Street, Edinburgh. Both collar and jewel are to be completed by the beginning of July, and will be first used on the occasion of the Prince of Wales' approaching visit to Edinburgh. The Magistrates and Town Council have also placed with the same firm the order for the silver gilt casket which is to contain the Burgess ticket conferring the freedom of the city upon His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales.

Source: The Bombay Gazette - 2nd June 1899

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Brook & Son - Edinburgh - 1920

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A set of 6 sterling silver fruit knives with mother of pearl handles by Brook & Son, assayed at Sheffield in 1929:




B & S - Sheffield - 1929

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Brook & Son - Edinburgh - 1937

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A set of four menu-holders by Brook & Son, assayed at Edinburgh in 1938:








B & S - Edinburgh - 1938

BROOK & SON/87 GEORGE ST/EDINBURGH

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Royal Medical Society of Edinburgh. — The annual dinner took place in the Royal Hotel, Prince’s Street, Edinburgh, on Friday, 13th inst., Dr. Joseph E. Bowes, senior President, in the chair. These was a distinguished company, including Dr. Watson Cheyne, of London ; Professors Crum Brown, Rutherford, Greenfield, Chiene, and Simpson. In the course of the evening, Professor A. R. Simpson, M.D., in the name of the fellows and members of the Royal Medical Society, presented to Mr. J. R. Young, pharmaceutical chemist, 17, North Bridge, Edinburgh, a handsome silver bowl on ebony stand, in token of their high appreciation of the manner in which he had filled the position of honorary treasurer to the Society during the long period of twenty years. Mr. Young said Professor Simpson had been appointed as successor to the late J. F. Macfarlan. The splendid work he had done for the cause of education in connection with the Edinburgh Merchant Company was well known to them all. He was one of their best known and most honoured citizens, and for many years had filled the position of a Justice of the Peace for the City of Edinburgh. The bowl, which was specially designed and manufactured by Brook and Son, George Street, measures 11½ inches in height by 14 inches in diameter, and weighs about 90 ozs. There was also presented at the same time by the Society to Mrs. Young a handsome gold and diamond bracelet. Mr. Young, who, in his reply, exhibited much of his old eloquence and vigour, gave many interesting reminiscences of the history and progress of the Society during his tenure of office.

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal - 21st March 1896

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Brook & Son - Edinburgh - 1897

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A salt-spoon by Brook & Son, assayed at Edinburgh in 1920:






B & S - Edinburgh - 1920

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