Budding Patent Retailer - Cottam & Hallen of London
Cottam & Hallen was a prominent 19th-century British engineering firm, ironfounder, and smithing business based in London. The business was started in around 1818 by George Cottam and George Hallen who were brothers-in-law. It manufactured and sold a wide range of agricultural and horticultural products during the Victorian era.
The first known mention of the business selling lawnmowers is found in a Cottam & Hallen Advertisement in the Gardeners Chronicle on 29 May 1841. Several advertisements mentioning mowing machines can be found from the following years, including in 1849. These advertisements rare, if ever, included an illustration of the mowers on offer.
However, after the original Budding's Patent design had been superseded by the Ferrabee Improved in Spring 1852, the company used engravings in various advertisements in the Gardeners Chronicle including on 9 March 1853 and 10 May 1853 which feature slightly differing engravings.
In both of these examples, the lawnmower is featured prominently in the overall illustration which is clearly intended to highlight the breadth of the company's product range. However, in both examples the lawnmower is shown without any front castors, which should date the machines to before 1852. It is unclear whether the engraver was using the previous model as the basis of the illustration, the business was in fact still offering the earlier design of machine, or there was some other reason for the discrepancy.
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE.
A STAMPED NEWSPAPER OF RURAL ECONOMY AND GENERAL NEWS.
THE HORTICULTURAL PART EDITED BY PROFESSOR LINDLEY.
No. 22. SATURDAY, MAY 29, 1841. Price 6d.
COTTAM and HALLEN, ENGINEERS and IRON-FOUNDERS, 2, WINSLEY-STREET, OXFORD-STREET, continue to warm Hothouses, Vineries, Pineries, &c., by Hot Water (upon the circulation of air, or by any other means,) with COTTAM'S PATENT BOILER, which has proved to be most economical in fuel, and most effectual in durability, upwards of 1200 having been in use for many years. Also Conical Hot-water Boilers; Iron Conservatories and Forcing-houses built; Stages and Stands for Greenhouses and Lawns; Iron Dahlia-sticks and Trainers; Cast-iron Bordering; Cucumber Hand-lights; Tallies, with and without numbers; Cast-iron Numbers for Dahlia Roots in the winter; Garden Engines, Cast-iron Rollers, Mowing Machines, Syringes, Fumigators, Rakes, Hoes, Spades, Shovels; Garden Tools in chests complete; Garden Chairs and Stools for one or more persons; Ornamental Vases, Wire Basket-work and Trainers, Fruit-gatherers, Garden-pots, Shears and Pruning-knives, Scythes, Daisy Rakes, Transplanters, Watering-pots, &c. &c. Improved Running Fencing, Hurdles, Strained Wire Fencing; also Hare and Rabbit-proof Fencing, Pheasantries, Wire Arches, and every description of Fancy Wirework, Agricultural Machines, and Furnishing Ironmongery: Dr. Arnott's Stoves, Anglo-Belgic Cooking Stoves, &c. - Show Rooms at their MANUFACTORY, 2, WINSLEY-Street, OXFORD-STREET.
PublicationGardeners ChronicleDateSourceBiodiversity Heritage Library/Gardeners ChronicleLink