A web site dedicated to whistles, research and collecting whistles. by Avner Strauss
Fire Brigade Whistles In British Catalogues. (19th Century)
A. Strauss Underconstruction
Merryweather & Sons established 1692 and Shand Mason & Co. were two of the larger retailers of Fire Brigade accoutrements, whistles were just one of the products they retailed, they manufactured others, but our interest is in whistles. I will bring some of their whistle pages from19th century catalogues., and share two very rare whistles identified by using the catalogs. When I started writing I found many more Fire Brigade whistles from these catalogues and I share some of mine and some from archive.
Figure 11. THE SIREN WHISTLE, In Shand Mason’s 1899 Catalogue.
Round whistle stamped C.F.B by Hudson
Govan Fire Brigade Round Pea whistle with Pignose Fipple by R. Livingstone Maker Glasgow.
Govan Fire Brigade Pignose Fipple Whistle
R. Livingstone Maker Glasgow
TNT whistles type by Hudson & P.O.F – Police or Fire Whistles
Fire Brigade REGISTERED TNT whistle with apple mouthpiece whistle c 1884 Made by J. Hudson for Merryweather & sons London
Shand Mason early Fire Brigade whistle-w.
apple shaped mouthpiece By Hudson & Co.
Shand Mason early Fire Brigade whistle-w. apple shaped mouthpiece By Hudson & Co. Above a view of Two Metropolitan whistles for Fire Brigade Retailers, and there were hundreds variations made from the 1880s to 1940 Named Fire Brigades are rarer. . Dowler & Sons Birmingham Fire Brigade B.F.B whistles 1890s
B.F.B Birmingham Fire Brigade by J. Hudson Metropolitan
1885 to early 1890s Handsworth Fire Brigade Metropolitan whistle by J. Hudson & Co.
The City Police or Firewhistle Made by H.A.Ward retailed by Quife Brothers & Lilley (Est. 1893 Birmingham). P.O.F Police or fire, with City incorporated in the stamp or without shows on well over 100 variations by different makers, It is a theme for another article, Some were discussed here years ago being a favorite niche. Some P.O.F are very common and some very rare ones. While most have a Loop Ring top the next one has a bubble top.
Quife Brothers & Lilley Birmingham City Police or Fire whistle, by H.A. Ward
Some Fire Brigade Button Whistles
Bradford Fire Brigade Button Whistle Darlington Corporation Fire Brigade
One of my first Fire Brigade Button whistles, (This time with a tag) attributed to Pringle & Sons c. 1900
4 Fire Brigade Button whistles, Upper right is the oldest of these it has a partition that creates two sound chambers, and a filling to strengthen the beak which make it look similar to Glasgow type escargots, the top left is M.F.B. for Metropolitan Fire Brigade. Five Fire Brigade Button whistles, Including the previous quartet, The 2nd from top has an applied wire toot – grip, The Lower Button has MFB for Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
Two Double End Models as seen in Catalogs
J. Morris & Sons a Fire Brigade retailer From Manchester with a Double end Hybrid whistle one end a Round Pea the other a TNT with Bubble – ball knop which was used on early and higher grade variations by J. Hudson & Co.
Shand Mason Double end with reed whistle to one side and a TNT at the other J. Hudson & Co. Model 512 if I remember.
The King’s Model Large Two Note conical whistle with added Mouthpiece and Acorn top, one of Hudson’s most Prestigious models.
Harborne Fire Brigade # 5 c 1882 -3 made by J. Hudson & Co. a Two notes Conical whistle with Acorn top & added Mouthpiece. whistle museum The photo was send to me in the 2000s after a post on Fire Brigades whistles, The man was an ex. fireman from New England, He did go to a seminar-course in London in the 1970s and it was given to him by the Fire Brigade Chief. Shand Mason & Co. Merryweather & Sons Fire Engines Makers Adv.
Police Or Fire Whistles were mostly using the TNT -Two note tube whistles we know of two makers using the Two Note Conical Whistle (Beaufort type ) Here is one, another has a one line stamp around the body, and one stamped towards top.
I tried to keep the post short, but more and more whistles came up, I did not even touch the vast theme of whistles stamped – Police or Fire – P.O.F theme of which there are well over 100 variations.
So I shall devote more posts to Fire Brigade whistles.
If you have or seen any of these or others please let us know, and send photos to straussav@gmail.com All rights for photos and article reserved to Avner Strauss