Lock Research

[brokenflint]

Anyone have any sources (books, online or other) to search for locks / manufacturers from say 1740 - 1840.  I have a lock which has C BIxxxx   with Warranted underneath the name on the plate.  I thought this might be C. Bird but the pl;ate profile isn't quite the same.  Looking for suggestions iffin ya got em

BF

[JV Puleo]

No such book exists... although one has been written. It has yet to see the light of day.
The "Warranted" marking is almost always a product of the Birmingham gun trade. Most of the locks were made in several black country towns surrounding B'ham rather than in the city. I checked Bailey & Nie but found no one with a last name that began "Bl"... and a first name "C" although this is far from conclusive as Bailey & Nie is based entirely on directory entries. If the person was not listed in the directory (something a tradesman had to pay for), he won't be in the book.

[Feltwad]

There were several lock makers in Birmingham  whose surname started with a B but most were of the late percussion period  .There was a Thomas Bolus  of Birmingham 1767. Could it not have been Charles Bird  Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1814.
Feltwad

[brokenflint]

OK, I took some photos and it looks like the signature may be C. ROB??NS over WARRANTED.  This lock also looks like it was a flint to percussion conversion, frizzen screw head still on inside of plate.  I really need to find a photo hosting site, this might be a tad easier with photos don't ya think LOL    So where there any C. ROBBINS flintlock locks?

Thanks
BF