Sampson Mordan (1790 – 9 April 1843) was a British

silversmith A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exactly synonyms as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are or were largely the same but the end product may vary grea ...

and a co-inventor of the first patented

mechanical pencil A mechanical pencil, also clutch pencil, is a pencil with a replaceable and mechanically extendable solid pigment core called a "lead" . The lead, often made of graphite, is not bonded to the outer casing, and can be mechanically extended as its ...

. During his youth, he was an apprentice of the inventor and locksmith Joseph Bramah, who patented the first elastic ink reservoir for a

fountain pen A fountain pen is a writing instrument which uses a metal nib to apply a water-based ink to paper. It is distinguished from earlier dip pens by using an internal reservoir to hold ink, eliminating the need to repeatedly dip the pen in an in ...

. In 1822, Mordan and his co-inventor

John Isaac Hawkins John Isaac Hawkins (1772–1855) was an inventor who practised civil engineering. He was known as the co-inventor of the ever-pointed pencil, an early mechanical pencil, and of the upright piano. Early life Hawkins was born 14 March 1772 at Taun ...

filed the first patent in

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It i ...

for a metal pencil with an internal mechanism for propelling the graphite "lead" shaft forward during use, as an improvement on the less complex leadholders that merely clutched the pencil lead to hold it into a single position. Mordan bought out Hawkins and entered into a business partnership with Gabriel Riddle, an established stationer. From 1823 to 1837, they manufactured and sold

silver Silver is a chemical element with the symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it exhibits the highest electrical ...

mechanical pencils with the marking "SMGR". After the partnership with Riddle dissolved, Mordan continued to sell his silver pencils as "S. Mordan & Co.", adding many other types of silver and gold items to his product line. Mordan often made his pencils in whimsical "figural" shapes that resembled animals, Egyptian mummies, or other objects; like his other silverware and goldware, these pencils are now highly collectible. Upon Mordan's death in 1843, his sons Sampson (junior) and Augustus inherited the firm. "S. Mordan & Co." continued to make silverware and brass postal scales until 1941, when their factory was destroyed by bombs during the

London Blitz The Blitz was a German bombing campaign against the United Kingdom in 1940 and 1941, during the Second World War. The term was first used by the British press and originated from the term , the German word meaning 'lightning war'. The Germa ...

Sampson Mordan hallmarks

The hallmarks changed over the years Sampson Mordan Silver hallmark registered 1823.jpg, Registered 1823 Sampson Mordan Silver hallmark registered 1880.jpg, Registered 1880 Sampson Mordan Chester Silver hallmark registered 1889.jpg, Registered 1889 for use with Chester hallmarked pieces Sampson Mordan Silver hallmark registered 1890.jpg, Registered 1890 Sampson Mordan Silver hallmark registered 1904.jpg, Registered 1904 Sampson Mordan Silver hallmark registered 1906.jpg, Registered 1906 Loculus of Samson Mordan in the Terrace Catacombs of Highgate Cemetery.jpg, The loculus of Samson Mordan in the Terrace Catacombs of

Highgate Cemetery Highgate Cemetery is a place of burial in north London, England. There are approximately 170,000 people buried in around 53,000 graves across the West and East Cemeteries. Highgate Cemetery is notable both for some of the people buried there as ...

References

External links

Sampson Mordan-History-and-Examples-The-Whistle-Maker, Whistle Museum

SampsonMordan.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mordan, William 1790 births 1843 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery English inventors English silversmiths