Henry Molineux
1890 to 1897
The Molineux grade was one of the highest that the factory produced after the Maiden Lane, offered in both the 18-size Model 2 (pictured) and Model 3 in several patterns, finishes, and jewel counts.
History
1832 - 1900
It was named for Henry Molineux, who was born in 1832 in New Hampshire and evidently became friends with Aaron Thomas, then-president of the company, which created the grade in his honor.
He moved to California to manage the interests of the company for 30 years as an a stockholder, an employer, and a buyer. It is not known if Henry was a machinist or factory worker at any time. He held several government posts in Sierra County and was also president of four San Francisco banks, dying in Boston in March of 1900 at the age of 68.
San Francisco
The west coast operations of the firm in San Francisco was at 132 Sutter Street. It is not known if the two Henry Molineux in this directory clipping are one and the same, father and son, or a coincidence.
Aaron Thomas
Aaron Thomas was the seventh child and third son of the company founder, Seth Thomas Sr, born in 1830 and dying in Plymouth Hollow in 1899, and president of the company after his father died in 1859.
132 Sutter Street
Here is a letterhead showing Aaron Thomas as company president and listing three satellite offices, including the San Francisco location where Henry Molineux was manager.
Model 2 Variant
All of them were lever-set and were offered in several patterns with different signatures on both nickel and two-tone plates. The company advertised the Molineux early on with two jewel counts of seventeen or twenty, and added a count of nineteen near the end of production.
- 17 - jeweled to the third wheel and the escape wheel capped
- 19 - jeweled to the center wheel and the escape wheel capped
- 20 - standard count of 17, capped escape, lower pallet capped
All known adverts list the Molineux grade as Adjusted with no mention of any positions. There are two known PL Model 2s that have identical patterns, jewel counts and hairspring stud as a regular Molineux grade:
- SN 70533 for George Wolf & Co from Louisville, Kentucky
- SN 70540 for Walter Grunert from Oconto, Wisconsin
Model 3 Variant
Again, all of them were lever-set and were apparently offered in two distinct patterns but with only one plate signature in the Gothic font. No two-tone examples have been reported.
The Model 3 version of the Henry Molineux was advertised with jewel counts of either seventeen or twenty-one. The center wheel wasn't jeweled on the lower version, but had a pair of cap jewels on the pallet fork. The 21-jewel variant had a standard fully-jeweled gear train with cap jewels on both the pallet fork and the escape wheel. All known adverts list the Molineux grade simply as Adjusted.
There is one known PL Model 3 that has an identical pattern, jeweling count, and hairspring stud as a standard Molineux grade:
- SN 70522, for Otto Fasoldt from Albany, New York.
Manufacture Dates
1890 to 1897
The earliest known ad cuts are the 1890 factory listings shown below. The Model 3 version probably ended in 1896 or so, with the Model 2 variant lasting another year or two, although the 1904 catalog (shown here) was still listing replacement parts.
1895
The 17-jewel Model 3 Molineux evidently didn't last long, since an 1895 factory trade sheet actually listed it as discontinued. This dovetails with the highest-known 17-jewel example, SN 99396, being made produced around 1896, though the Model 3 itself would continue for some time.
Period Ad Cuts
1890
The earliest known factory catalog showing the 17-jewel Model 3 Henry Molineux.
1890
The earliest known factory catalog showing the 17-jewel Model 2 Henry Molineux.
1895
1895
The factory showing the Model 2 Henry Molineux at its highest jewel count.
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