179

Sir Edward Thomason

British Patent No. 2,617, May 7, 1802

On May 7, 1802 Edward Thomason of Birmingham was granted British Patent Number

2,617 for his

―

New Invented Material Article in the Making of Cork-Screws

.‖

The first

drawing in the patent depicted an open frame corkscrew and included the term

Ne Plus

Ultra

which was his motto and is translated as

―

None Better

.‖

There are a number of

variations of corkscrews derived from the patent as well as examples produced by a

host of manufacturers who were licensed to make the

―

Thomason

.‖

Several examples

will be found at the end of this article.

We know about his patent but what about the man himself? Here is the story of

Thomason from the 1870 compilation

Warwickshire Worthies

by F. L. Colvile (

courtesy of

Mavis Watney

).

Warkwickshire Worthies

The father of this pleasant, chatty, spirited yet egotistical manufacturer of Birmingham,

was himself in business in that town as a buckle manufacturer, where he carried on a

thriving trade for above forty years. During this period, shoe-buckles were worn by all

classes of society, and it will give an idea of the universal adoption of this article of

dress, when it is stated that in Mr. Thomason's manufactory as many as one thousand