of Norwich
1823-27 Advert: 'ENGINE LATHE.
JOHN MEENS,
PRINTER AND BOOK-BINDERS JOINER,
BRASS FOUNDER, PATENT MANGLE AND IRON AXLETREE MAKER,
No. 12, FISHER'S LANE, NEAR ST. GILES' BROAD STREET, NORWICH,
Informs the Proprietors of Mills and Manufactories, that he turns AXLES, Shafts, Spindles, Valves, Pistons, Cones, Sphericals and Plane Surfaces, Pyramids, Triangles, and Squares, bores all kinds of Cylinders and Working Barrels, conical or cylindrical, turns Concave, Convex, or Flat Surfaces, to eight feet diameter, divides and cuts Pinions, Wheels, and Patterns, into any number of Teeth, and Cuts Screws all kinds, from one-eighth of an inch to 12 inches diameter, left or right, single, double, or triple, square or diagonal, cylindrical or conical, and to any required number of turns.— The accuracy with which the above Lathe performs its operations may be entirely relied on.
J. M. makes and sells Printing Presses, Book- Binder's do. Copper Plate do. Hot Presser's do. Paper Mill do. Wine and Cyder Presses and Mills, Tincture Presses and Rose Mills, Packing Presses, Tallow do. Tobacco do. Sawyer's Screws, Veneering do. Iron Cramps, Brass and Cast Iron Pumps of all sizes, Patent and Common Axletrees of all descriptions, Brass Hoops and Tips for Shafts, of all sorts. Axletrees of various kinds standing for Sale.'[1][2]
There is a curious similarity between this advert and one placed by Johnson Jex of Norfolk in 1822. Extract here:-
‘TRIPLE PRISMATIC ENGINE LATHE: JOHNSON JEX Informs the Proprietors of Mills and Manufactories that he turns Axles, Shafts, Spindles, Cylinders, working Barrels, Valves, Dutch Cones, Spherical and Plane Surfaces, Pyramids, Circles, Squares, Pentagons, etc., divides and cuts Pinions, Wheels and Patterns with any number of Teeth from 6 to 2000 and upwards and cuts screws of all kinds, from a Watch-screw to the largest Press Screw, left or right, single, double, or triple, square or angular thread, cylindrical or conical and to any required number of turns per foot or inch. The accuracy with which all these operations can be performed by the above Lathe is highly deserving of the attention of all persons who employ Mechanism in their various manufactures.....'
The lathe cannot be the same one, though, as Jex retained his machine until his death in 1852.
1835 Sale of land and workshops of John Meens. 'A Capital Piece FREEHOLD LAND, with extensive Workshops thereon, eligibly erected, situate in West Pottergate Street, Norwich, late in the occupation of Mr. John Meens, Mangle-maker and Founder. The Land in front of the Workshops is well calculated for building upon, having a considerable frontage next the Street.'[3]