FOLSCH (FOELSCH), Frederick Bartholomew (1762?-1836) — London
Wood & ivory turner; fan-maker; pen & quill maker. Published and perhaps lithographed Surry ca.1820.
He was presumably the F. B. Folsch of Birmingham whose non-specific trading partnership with John Brunt as ‘F. B. Folsch & Co,’ or ‘Folsch & Brunt’ was formally dissolved 16 Jan 1793. A subsequent partnership in Birmingham as porter-dealers with Joseph Merry, here as Frederick Bartholomew Foelsch, was declared bankrupt 8 Jul 1794. Merry received his certificate in Sep 1794, but a dividend in their joint names was paid in Dec 1794, and a final dividend in Sep 1795, although it was not until Feb 1799 that Folsch was granted his certificate, and a further dividend was paid in 1807. In London, Folsch was the victim of a street assault in 1799. He married Ann Hodgkins (d.1839), with whom he had at least two children, at St. James Piccadilly on 16 Aug 1801. He subsequently became a patentee and manufacturer of improved manifold writers & reservoir (i.e. fountain) pens: the BM (Heal, 92.11) has a “four page pamphlet by F. Folsch asserting that Ralph Wedgwood’s advertisement in the European Magazine of June 1809 for a patent Reservoir Pen was a falsehood, as Folsch himself invented these pens. The pamphlet includes William Howard’s sworn statement, dated 18, July 1809, affirming Folsch’s statement. The pamphlet is headed by Folsch’s trade card”. He has also been credited with the invention of carbon paper (for a discussion and example of the manifold writer, see the Bodleian blog. Sun Fire Office insurance policies (LMA) describe Folsch variously as “toyman and shopkeeper” (1807), “manifold writer and dealer in turnery” (1810), “manifold writer and turner” (1815-1816) and “ivory turner” (1820). He was awarded £1,400 in compensation for the compulsory purchase of his premises at 327-328 Oxford Street in Sep 1816, although his initial claim was for over £10,000 (London Chronicle, 16 Sep 1816). Records of a court case brought by Folsch against Edward Twynam and John Walker are in NA. He was recorded as a ladies’ fan-maker and ivory & hard wood turner in 1823. He was buried at St. James Piccadilly 22 Mar 1836 at the age of seventy-four.
327 Oxford Street — 1807-1817
— and 328 Oxford Street —1807-1816
109 Oxford Street (turnery warehouse) — 1816-1820
64 Burlington Arcade — 1820
65 Burlington Arcade, Piccadilly — 1820-1834
BBTI. BM. BNA. Information from Philip Burden. LG. LHD. LMA. NA.