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George Wells set up this well run company in 1836. By 1852 he had taken on John Hinks as a partner and they were producing 1.82m gross of pens per year. It was famous for its "J" pen which was finished in blue or black with an embossed "J". In 1878 the number of workers was halved because of a fall in demand. The company was one of the first to adopt the 9 hour day. In 1873 John Hinks paid for the entire workforce to visit all the places of interest in London. In 1920 the company combined with William Mitchell & Co to form British Pens.
George W Hughes founded the firm in 1860 in St Paul's Square, Birmingham and later moved to premises in Legge Lane. It was never established as a company. He produced pens of the highest quality. Among his many skills was knowledge of metallurgy, heat treatment and all the different processes which made up a steel pen. The firm opened a London office in 1888. One of its famous reservoir pens was called "Time is Money". The firm ceased manufacturing around 1960
D Leonardt founded the business in 1856. D Leonardt and Catwinkel were established in 1867 at 68 George Street Parade. By 1869 D Leonardt and H Hewitt had formed a partnership. Then in 1880 Hezekiah Hewitt and Diedrich and Charles D Leonardt formed a partnership and occupied the Universal Pen Works, 100 Charlotte Street, Birmingham. They had a large export market in South America, Eastern Europe and were pen makers to the King of Italy. The manufactured pens were of high quality and included their famous patent ball pointed pens. Hewitt started his own works in Sparkbrook in 1889. A A S Charles founded the Highley Pen Company in 1946 and in 1949 he merged his company with D Leonardt & Co.
Josiah Mason was born in Kidderminster in 1795. He moved to Birmingham when he was 21 and stayed there for the rest of his life. He built up a pen-nib empire which was once described as the largest in the world. He made steel barrel pens, slip pens and was the first person to make cedar penholders. He purchased the business of A Sommerville & Co in 1870. Josiah Mason's firm came together with Messrs Wiley & Son and James Perry & Co under the title of Perry & Co Ltd in 1876.
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