The Hall & Duck Trust
The Archimedian Lawn Mower
This type of lawn mower was first Patented here in England in 1869 by Amariah Miller Hills, Connecticut, USA, via his agent. Aaron William Cook Williams sailed to England in the same year to set up Williams and Company, 1 City Road, London. Hill in 1870 was trading as Hill’s Archimedean Lawn Mower Company Inc and was involved in exporting lawn mowers via his agent John G Rollins, an American merchant.
Click on any of the pictures below to enlarge the image
The Implement Machinery review of The President 1877
The Villa, Implement Machinery review 1880
Williams Improved Ad Gardeners Chronical 1871
Improved Williams sketch 1873
By 1871 Williams and Company were also listed as Patentees and manufacturers of Hill’s Archimedean lawn mowers. Williams used another foundry to make the lawn mowers. The company was Cottis & Sons, founded 1858. Archimedean Iron Works, were situated behind Epping High Street. Later Williams & Cie was established in Paris France. In 1888 Williams ceased trading in England.
1. Kemble 016 circa 1873. 2. Kemble 022.Williams & Co Patent Archimedean London, circa 1880. 3. Villa 1 and 4.Villa 2, Both Villa machines by Parkinson Villa, Ripon, Yorkshire. 5. Ransomes Sims & Head 1869 – 1881, 8 and 10 inch, World, Archimedean style.
All the above machines are currently owned by the Hall & Duck Trust
The Archimedean lawn mower got its name from the cutting cylinder which was made from cast iron and when turned, worked on the Archimedean screw principal. Later improvements were made so that steel blades were attached to the cast iron cylinder. Many other companies followed Hill’s design, making their own versions of the Archimedean.
The Archimedean period of lawn mower production ran from the 1870’s into the 1890’s.
There is only one known example of Williams Patent from around 1873, which was made by Cottis & Sons Epping.
Hills advert Gardners
Chronicle 1870
It was actually found in the old cellars of Cottis’s foundry and had never been used and is now owned by The Hall and Duck Trust.
Williams Archimedian advert, Ironmonger 1869