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The American

The American:

Charles Raymond started manufacturing sewing machines in partnership with Wilfred Nettleton in 1857. In 1859 he moved from Bristol, Connecticut to Brattleborough, Vermont then in 1861 to Montreal. In October 1861 Raymond established a factory at Yarmouth/Suffolk Street in Guelph, Ontario. The firm quickly expanded initially concentrating production on it's Family chain-stitch machine. In the early 1870's the Household lock-stitch sewing machine was introduced and later the Family No's 1, 2 and 3 shuttle machines were produced.

By 1878 28,000 machines a year were being produced and the firm exported considerable numbers of machines to Europe which were sold through various Agents including William B. Moore in Ireland, P. Frank in Liverpool and James G. Weir in London.

In 1897 Charles Raymond sold the firm and it continued as the Raymond Sewing Machine Company before being taken over by the White Sewing Machine Co in 1916 and the factory was closed in 1922.

This is an example of Raymond's Family chain-stitch machine but was sold by the firms London Agent James G. Weir under the name "The American". Raymond supplied machines to Weir from c1869 to c1876 and we believe the machine dates to the late 1860's. It has Jas G. Weir stamped on the needle-plate together with Weir's shop address 2 Carlisle Street, Soho Sq. London.