Basically , registered designs come under two series, firstly those registered between 1842 and 1883, and secondly, the Registered Number series which commenced in 1884 and continues to this day. The registers of each are divided into sets of registers and representations, the former giving details on the persons registering articles with the date of registration, and the latter comprising a drawing or photograph of the article (or part of article) being registered. Sometimes, actual samples were supplied, particularly if a textile.All of these records, up to 1950, are at the public record office in Kew and a personal visit is strongly advised if wishing to consult these records. A reader's ticket is necessary and so if coming for the first time do come with some identification !
The diamond registration mark consisted of a clever series of panels containing numbers and letters, the whole forming a code by which the date of registration of the manufactured article can be determined. From 1842 to 1867 the year letter appears in the top panel, below the class number, and from 1868 to the end of 1883 the year letter appears in the right hand panel
Items of glass will fall into Class III (top panel) and items made of earthenware/clay into Class IV. Three years protection was given to the proprietor of the designs in these classes whereby people copying such designs could (and were) taken to to court. Of course, there were many other classes of goods but we are not concerned with them here.
The representations for the ornamental diamond registration series (BT43 in the Public Record Office) are divided by class of goods, so all articles of a particular substance are found together within a small number of volumes. Each item registered was given a number which allows for easier reference. The registers (BT44) are also divided into
classes , which again makes consultation of for example glass or ceramic objects much easier. Some bottles may come under the non-ornamental or useful design representations (BT45) and registers (BT46) for which more detailed written information was given. Microfilms of these latter records are available in the Science Reference Library in Holborn.
A further Designs Act in 1850 made it possible to register provisionally for one year any design that could be registered under the 1842 and 1843 Acts without prejudice to their later registration. The representations (BT47) and registers (BT47) were divided into ornamental and non-ornamental series but their use was discontinued when diamond registrations ceased in 1883.
As already mentioned, the volumes of representations contain the original drawings or photographs of the items being registered, with details of the proprietor (especially with the diamond registrations) written in by hand. To actually see and handle these originals makes the research a very rewarding and worthwhile exercise - and it is possible to discover many more unknown designs in the process ! Just browsing through the representations of diamond registrations for Class III (glass) revealed all sorts of ink bottles for example,some well-known but others much less so. A tent ink was registered by Henry Thacker & Co. of London on 22 November 1870 , while a nice ink shaped like a steam engine was registered by F Fletcher of Peckham on 28th October 1869 . A beehive ink was registered by Joseph Perkins Teagle and Edward Martin, glass bottle manufacturers of Lambeth on 16th August 1866 and a nice cottage ink by John Sharp of London Fields on 5th April 1869 .
The familiar submarine poison is just one of many collectable bottles whose designs were registered - but by whom ? This article will tell you how to find out!!
The well-known stoneware Stephen's ink with a square top was registered by Henry Stephens of Aldersgate, London on 28th March 1876 - this of course being in Class IV (clay). The latter also includes numerous clay pipes, which was my main reason for examining these records. In my view, research into the original design records is essential for any serious collector of glass or pottery. The inks I have referred to above are just a small sample of many others that I have noted.
The Patents, Designs and Trade Marks Act of 1883 amalgamated all the previous categories into which designs had been divided, and instead registered all articles, both ornamental and useful, into a single numerical series referred to as Registered Numbers. Consequently, though class numbers were still given for each article in the representations (BT 50) and registers (BT51) the designs are all mixed together, the representations in particular being very bulky volumes. The patents and designs Act of 1907 extended the protection given to Registered Designs for a further five years and permitted a further five years extension if necessary. The representations (BT 52) and registers (BT 53) took a similar form to the previous ones. To make reference easier for establishing in which year a particular Registered Number may have been issued, the following table may be of use :-
Rd. No. 1 registered 1st January 1884
Rd. No. 19754 registered 1st January 1885
Rd. No. 40480 registered 1st January 1886
Rd. No. 64520 registered 1st January 1887
Rd. No. 90483 registered 2nd January 1888
Rd. No. 116648 registered 1st January 1889
Rd. No. 141273 registered 1st January 1890
Rd. No. 163767 registered 1st January 1891
Rd. No. 185713 registered 1st January 1892
Rd. No. 205240 registered 2nd January 1893
Rd. No. 224720 registered 1st January 1894
Rd. No. 246975 registered 1st January 1895
Rd. No. 268392 registered 1st January 1896
Rd. No. 291241 registered 1st January 1897
Rd. No. 311658 registered 1st January 1898
Rd. No. 331707 registered 2nd January 1899
Rd. No. 351202 registered 1st January 1900
Rd. No. 368154 registered 1st January 1901
Rd. No. 385088 registered 1st January 1902
Rd. No. 402913 registered 1st January 1903
Rd. No. 425017 registered 1st January 1904
Rd. No. 447548 registered 2nd January 1905
Rd. No 471486 registered 1st January 1906
Rd. No. 492487 registered 1st January 1907
Rd. No. 518415 registered 1st January 1908
Rd. No. 534693 registered 1st January 1909
In order to discover the exact nature of any design one therefore needs to consult the original representations as described above. However, if just wishing to identify the proprietor of a Registered Number, there are other ways of finding this information without the need to pay a visit to the Public Record Office. From 1878 onwards, Registered Designs were indexed within the Patent Journal (at the back, following the index to the patents). These indexes state the class of goods along with the date and the proprietor's name. So ,for example, you were seeking the identity of a proprietor of a diamond registration, this can normally be deduced by elimination if the exact date of registration is known (from the item itself). If the proprietors name is already known it
is a simple task to search the indexes to locate details of any other designs he may have registered. Once armed with this information copies of the original representations can then be consulted in London to discover the exact nature of each design. The Public Record Office will not photocopy these records with them being contained in such large volumes so a personal visit must be made if you wish to see them.
By using the indexes and the original sources available, a complete picture of all the designs registered by a particular firm or individual can be compiled quite easily.All this may sound complicated but it really is quite an easy process to carry out this research - all you need is some time and patience!! As so many bottles carry either diamond registrations or Registered Numbers on them there is huge potential for further research here.
A number of bottles carry both Registered Numbers and Registered Trade Marks on them. A classic example in the Manchester area are bottles from the firm of John Pratt & Son. These characteristically have lips with a double curved rim, as shown in the illustration and the bear " Rd.No. 4150" on them By consulting the design at the Public Record Office I discovered that this neck design was registered by John Pratt & Son on 26th March 1884. Their address was stated as being 58 Leigh Street East , Oldham Road , Manchester and he was described as a ginger beer manufacturer. More on their Registered Trade Mark next issue ....
By Peter Hammond