Jones Bros & Co Safe

bkoehn

I found this safe in Shanghai and I hoping to find any information on it as well as trying to date it.

The manufacturer is Jones Bros & Co, Wolverhampton as per the plate. There is no date or other information inside the safe. While I was able to find information on Jones Bros & Co they seem not to be known as safe makers.

The company was founded in 1853 as Jones Bros. & Co and renamed as Jones Brother & Co Wolverhampton in 1903. No records of this company exist post 1930. To my research this company specialized mainly in general metalworks, hollowware, trunks and small cash boxes.

Has anybody ever heard of a Jones Bros & Co safe?
Is it possible to date it more precisely based on the pictures?

As I am new to this ‘genre’ I will appreciate any information on this particular safe, the style or kind of safe, the maker or any other information.

Thank you

bkoehn

Paul Prescott

Thats interesting, as the boltwork ‘insert’ design is usually used by german makers. Do you have a picture of the key ?

As to a date, all the corners being square would suggest prior to 1890.

bkoehn

Thank you for the fast reply.

Attached is a picture of the three keys I have. The two small keys work with all three looks inside the safe.

Does this help?

Many thanks

Paul Prescott

Well, that adds to the puzzle, I was expecting a German style of key to complement the german boltwork but that key is typical for an english safe of the period.

Tom Gordon

Many metalworks would turn out safes-they are very simple to make but this company did not turn out large numbers of them or we would have heard of them. Maybe they had a German chap working for them, but otherwise it looks very British.