Fig. 10. One of only two braces marked Griffiths of Norwich known to the author. (Author's collection.)
Horace Griffiths was the last of the long line of planemakers. He was born in 1878 and was apprenticed as a joiner to John Manning Builders. After moving to and working in London for a time, he returned and joined the family planemaking business. It is interesting to note that he stated that for the 30 years prior to 1953, the firm had never been asked for more than five of the patterns of bench planes from their list of several hundred types. Those who knew him said that he was slow of speech, methodical and a true craftsman. One of those who knew him well was Walter Grint of Hellesdon, near Norwich. Mr Grint, a cabinet maker, was apprenticed in the city at the North Heigham cabinet works and he visited Horace's home on numerous occasion. He first met him in 1914 when Horace collected saws and planes for sharpening from the North Heigham cabinet works which was some one and a half miles from his home. Horace made the journey to and from the works on foot, frequently carrying a load of saws. Walter Grint remembers him as a fine old boy
wearing a battered old trilby hat and wire-rimmed glasses who, although slow in speech, was always proper and correct.
Mr Grint often went to Horace's home and after a time was invited into the workshop at the back of the house (91 Pottergate Street). He describes it as being untidy with mother planes, templates and jigs everywhere and with half-made planes on the bench. This is borne out by the photograph of Horace (Fig. 3) taken in 1953. Horace actually made a smoother and a toothing plane for Mr Grint who greatly praised his workmanship. When setting and sharpening saws, Horace would use a hammer and anvil and tested the saw by sliding a needle down the full length of the tool. His charges for this work were 9d for setting and sharpening a back saw and 2d to 3d for grinding a plane iron.
Mr Raphael Salaman also met Horace and the following is part of his account of the meeting on 27th April 1949.
Old Mr Griffiths received me very easily and was very friendly, but he had a strange way of answering questions. When I asked him one, he would stand silent for almost two minutes, and even then, instead of replying he would walk up to a bedroom or outside workshop and come back with the tool or implement that I was asking about. He must have been about 70 years of age. His wife had died and he lived alone in this old house with the derelict workshop behind. He occasionally did some odd jobs, including sharpening of saws. His workshop was indiscribably untidy, the ground thick with half-finished planes, plane templates, shavings, chair legs, cooper's swifts and pieces of wood of every size and shape. I found that when standing at the bench I towered above it for I was standing on many years of debris that was lying on the ground.
Horace Griffiths died in 1958. It is with more than a touch of sadness that one reads and listens to these accounts of him. Although all the information about this firm during its most successful period is sketchy, the picture is of a thriving, bustling manufacturing firm producing a first class product for both a local and national demand. Then in the last days, the picture is of a lonely skilled craftsman who, through no fault of his own, has lost the market for his specialist skills and as a result has had to resort to relatively menial tasks to support himself. However, at least we have the evidence of the firm's skill in the form of its tools which are still used by many craftsmen.
Fig. 10. One of only two braces marked Griffiths of Norwich known to the author. (Author's collection.)
Fig. 11. Plan of Pottergate Street and Lower Goat Lane area of Norwich produced by Chas. E. Goad Ltd. in the late 19th Century, showing Griffiths's premises at 35 Pottergate St. and 26 Lower Goat Lane.