1870s

This hand roller mower has no manufacturer's markings. The maker's name was most likely painted on the handles or on a cast iron badge mounted on the handles. As the handles on this machine are not original it is therefore impossible to tell who made it and when.

However, from the style of the design it is likely that this machine was made in the 1870s or just after. During this period many manufacturers decorated their mowers with intricate castings on the gear covers. Companies such as Samuelsons in the UK and Coldwell in the USA produced mowers like this and it is possible that this machine was made by one of these.

Narrow mowers like this were typically used on the narrow paths that were often found between ornamental flower beds in Victorian and Edwardian gardens. It is also possible that narrow machines were chosen for mowing between obstructions such as gravestones or for marking out tennis courts when line markers were not available.

Another theory is that smaller mowers were cheaper than larger mowers so people chose these when they could not afford full-size machines. This is unlikely because the price difference was not significant when considering that during this period mowers were generally bought by wealthy people who already  had lawns and gardens.