Help with info on the beautiful old Irish moulding planes?

Lane · 24 Apr 2006

I have a box of old molding planes that I'm trying to identify and research. I suspect that they are Golden Lane, made in Ireland because one, but only one of the lot is stamped with "Booth 35 Golden Lane Dublin". I will attach a photo of one of them - its not the inscribed one - I can take more photos.
Out of the dozen or so I have, only 4 are marked. Inscribed as follows:
1) "Booth 35 Golden Lane Dublin" (in script) - also "MZ Cronin" (may be ML) and initials M W
2) A O'Connel" and "H Brown"
3) T A Hern (I think)
4) TAH
I will appreciate your help-Thanks in advance

http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/7365/19rf2.jpg
http://img173.imageshack.us/img173/7433/43uw.jpg

Lane

Colin C · 24 Apr 2006

Hi Lane
Welcome to the forum, sorry I cant help with the planes but some one on here might be along that does

SammyQ · 25 Apr 2006

Would "A Hern" not be "Ahern" as in the Irish surname?

Scrit · 25 Apr 2006

I can't recall there being any plane makers in Ireland, maybe Alf could dig out her Goodman and confirm. I do know that Edward Preston of Birmingham, England cutlivated the Irish market to the extent that they made a number of "Irish pattern" tools including a block/thumb plane and the like and I cannot recall any other maker who did "Irish pattern" tools. The Booth stamp with an address sounds like a tool merchant's stamp and Cronin is probably the owners stamp, similarly the other stamps are probably owners marks too.

Scrit

Alf · 26 Apr 2006

Lane's posted this query to every other hand tool board in Christendom so I didn't think it worth repeating, but yes, Goodman does list Booth Bros in Dublin from about 1875-1900. Can't remember where I asked if he had a pic of the H Brown stamp - 'cos there was a maker of that name, though not Irish. The others sound like owners to me; they're not in Goodman anyway.

Cheers, Alf