Norval & Sons (Glasgow)
George Norval (1825-1891) began his career as a pattern book maker in the textile industry, employed at the Lennoxmill Printfield warehouse in Ingram Street, Glasgow. It seems likely that it was here that he met John Muir Wilson (1837-1921) who was employed in a similar capacity.
After some years working alongside each other, they decided to branch out into business on their own account, setting up in partnership as dealers in new and second-hand billiard and bagatelle tables.
1878-1885 Norval & Wilson
In 1878 they opened a works and showroom at 42 Argyle street, Glasgow, and began the trade as ‘Norval & Wilson’. They remained at this address until 1882, when they opened separate workshops at 57 Argyle Street, with the showroom remaining at No.42. By the early 1880s the company was employing 20 men at both locations.
1885 Norval & Sons
John Wilson left the partnership in October 1885 to set up his own rival company at 154 George Street. The main business continued at the original address, but now began to trade as ‘Norval & Sons’, the sons in question being George Oberlin Norval (1850-1942) and William Norval (1854-1935). Company advertisements and printed materials from around this time claim that they were established in 1866, and although this is later modified to 1868, both dates are spurious.
One of the first plates they would have produced has distinctive red highlighting to the lettering, which was a common feature at this time.
After briefly occupying 111 Bothwell Street in 1889, the business relocated its showrooms to 41 & 43 Bothwell street, with works at 44 Waterloo street the following year. At this time they were advertising their ‘Sanspariel Low Pitch Cushions’. Shortly after this, in 1891, George Norval died, and the business was continued by his sons, George jun., and William.
Unfortunately, none of their table plates carry an address other than ‘Glasgow’, which makes precise dating difficult, and reliant mostly on typeface style. The plates are typical of, and were probably made, towards the late Victorian and Edwardian periods respectively.
In 1897 the company had relocated again, this time to 85 Bothwell Street, and they would remain at this address until 1926. The works also moved at the same time to premises at 120-124 Waterloo Street.
1919-1928
In 1919 George jun., now 69 years old, retired from the business, which was continued by his younger brother, William, under the same trading name. One final relocation occurred in 1926 when they moved to 95 Pitt Street, Glasgow.
George Norval sen., had three children, but only William had married, and he didn’t have any offspring to continue the business, so in 1928, when William had reached the age of 74, the business was closed.
Peter Ainsworth
Rock musician, Ozzy Osbourne owned a Norval & Sons billiard table in hand carved Columbian Pine, c1870. The table was purchased around 1987 from the estate of a country house In Aberdeen when Osbourne lived in Beel House, Amersham, Buckinghamshire. The table is, as of this writing, with Academy Billiard Co, West Byfleet.
Peter Ainsworth’s post is excerpted from the following:
British Billiard Table Makers
And Their Table Plates (Rev.2)
by Peter Ainsworth
About
In this volume I have included as many of the plates as I can find which were issued by British billiard table manufacturers and repairers who started trading before the 1960s.
Published
26 February 2025
Link
Follow this link to the web-site where the book is available to download and read.
