Thomas Raynes & Son Ltd
Thomas Raynes (1858-1930) was a scissors manufacturer (a ‘putter-together’, according to the Census in 1911). Little is known about his parentage or early life. He may have been the son of an obscure scissors smith Thomas Raynes (1824-1875) and his wife, Elizabeth née Goodlad (d. 1888). But the Census offers no evidence to confirm that. Thomas stated that his business was launched with only £90 capital in 1878 (though one advertisement has 1874). He first appeared in a directory in 1883 in Eyre....
