Taylor-Forbes

The Taylor-Forbes Company was founded in Guelph in 1902 by John and Adam Taylor and George Forbes on the former site of Allan’s Mills on the east bank of the Speed River. The company was comprised of the former A.R. Woodyatt and Company business and Guelph Malleable Iron Works and soon became one of Canada’s largest manufacturers of lawn mowers and general hardware.

The only hollow ware they were known to have made are waffle irons. The earliest known date from the beginning – as shown in the following pictures. This is the only one of this style that I’ve seen. Picture on the left is an advertisement from 1910, the drawing is missing the handle but everything else is identical.

 

Somewhere between 1910 and 1914, Taylor Forbes changed the design on the waffle iron – as shown below. Ad from 1914. These waffle irons will likely date between 1910 and 1934 when they changed the company name. Note the Taylor-Forbes Co Ltd in both pictures.

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According to old Ontario Sessional Papers, the year they changed the name to Taylor-Forbes LTD from Co. LTD is 1934.
Picture below on the left shows a gap between the Forbes and LTD. It appears they scrubbed out the CO from the platters – this should date within a few years following the name change. Picture on the right shows a waffle iron marked “Taylor-Forbes LTD” with no gap and no “CO” (company) would date 1934 to 1950 – when the foundry was sold.

 

As for Trivets, Diamond T or Diamond TF – as shown below. Not really sure if these can be dated.

Taylor-Forbes Ltd was sold in 1950, and bankrupt by 1955.

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