Raper & Sons table makers

[alisonpj]

Hi
I'm trying to find out about the snooker table maker Raper & Sons (Manchester). Does anyone one know when they stopped making tables or where I could find out some info about them? I'm trying to work out how old a particular table is

Thanks

[100-uper]

Thomas Raper was established in York as a cabinet manufacturer in 1843. Some time later (not sure of the exact date) he and his two sons, Thomas and James, set up business in a rented workshop in Friday Street, Manchester, and the earliest billiard tables carrying his name come from this time. In 1880 they moved the business to larger premises in Hilton Street, Manchester, and their next move came around 1890 when they went to Lever Street, Manchester. The founder of the company died around this time and the business was carried on by his two sons. In 1889 they patented a very distinctive type of cushion bolt which incorporated a screw thread for the cushion button. If you table has these it must be later than 1889.

In 1894 they did some work for Edward, Prince of Wales, and were granted use of his Royal Coat of Arms (three feathers).

Their next move was to premises on the corner of Hilton Street and Stevenson Square in 1903, this address becoming known as the Gaythorn Works. The business went into serious decline during the first war which took most of their staff, and they moved again, this time to smaller premises in All Saints, Manchester. I don't have an exact date for this, but guess about 1916. However, any table carrying this address would almost certainly not have been made before 1920 when timber supplies became plentiful again.

After the second war had reduced the company still further and when Tom Raper retired, his son Gordon took over and formed it into a limited company. From this date they became "Raper & Sons Limited" and moved again to 2 Cavendish St., Manchester. No tables would have been made by any manufacturer until the end of the National Utility Scheme in January 1953, so any table plate with "Ltd" on the end must be after this date.

They picked up again with the snooker boom of the seventies and in 1974 were operating from "2 Handsworth Street, Chancellor Lane Estate, Ardwick, Manchester M12 6LH."

I believe they ceased trading in 1989.

[alisonpj]

Thanks so much for all the info. The table doesn't have 'ltd' on the plate, it just says Raper & Sons, maker (Manchester). Will go and have a look at the cushion bolts!

[alisonpj]

100-uper - have had a look at the table and the cushion bolts do have a screw thread. Would all the tables made after 1894 have the Prince of Wales coat of arms (3 feathers) on them? The makers plate on this table has the crest of a lion and a unicorn on their hind legs with their front legs on a coat of arms in between them.

Thanks for your help

[100-uper]

Does the plate look like this ...........

[alisonpj]

Yes, although can't make out any colour

[100-uper]

This plate is Edwardian (1901-10).

When Edward, Price of Wales, became King Edward VII on 22nd January 1901 he also inherited this coat of arms, and those firms carrying his appointment would have changed over from the "three feathers" crest. They would have continued to use it until his death on 6th May 1910.

These are the dates for your table. If your plate has all black lettering it more likely to be at the back end of this date range.

[alisonpj]

Thank you very much for all your help!!!

[Wity]

Nice looking cue of theirs on ebay at the mo if you fancy it.
Having a chip in the butt is a bit offputting though.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...MEWA:IT&ih=011

[W1150699]

Bit late to this (bit of an understatement), but you may be interested in this:
https://www.snookerheritage.co.uk/co...es/raper-sons/

I inherited a raper snooker table when we moved into our current home ,and was doing research as per yourself.

Note, we have had the table taken apart and put back together to move it. On the insides of the wooden side panels, there was a year 1922 written on the inside of mine. I suspect that might be the year of being built.

[DeanH]

W1150699 welcome to TSF

Can we see some photos of your table please



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[W1150699]

Hi Dean

Thanks for the message.

Well this is awkward.
1928, not 1922 as I commented above. I went to get some photos and went underneath it to look for the year stamp.
Seems my table is actually an Orme and Sons and not Raper. Someone must have got Raper in the recentish past to service the table.

Oops, my mistake.

I'll try to upload the pics now.

[W1150699]

Pics as per above

https://ibb.co/1Mg0mjC https://ibb.co/fHGw7mp
https://ibb.co/2nPG8XR
https://ibb.co/Rg7LKM9
https://ibb.co/8jQP2Vj

[Cue crafty]

That's a beauty!! Probably better than a Raper & Sons table tbh. Suppliers who got the contract to maintain tables used to be in the habit of putting their plate at the heads of the table which cause confusion over the maker.

Really like the legs on this model.

[100-uper]

Hi Dean

Well this is awkward.
1928, not 1922 as I commented above. I went to get some photos and went underneath it to look for the year stamp.
Seems my table is actually an Orme and Sons and not Raper. Someone must have got Raper in the recentish past to service the table.

"1928" is the serial number for the table, not the date. I've seen a similar number (1972) on a scoreboord which also appeared in the Orme cataloge for 1909, so I would say it was probably made some time around this date.