Founded by two Englishmen, and called Thompson & Gascoigne in West Winsted, Connecticut. They rented space in the Eagle Company table cutlery factory. The Eagle company closed in 1853, and Thompson and Gascoigne were left without a place to manufacture. They lacked suficient capital to move to another location, and the firm was sold to Elliot Beardsley and James R. Alvord. These two men gradually expanded manufacturing, and made the firm a profitable operation.
In 1856, they built a new factory at the Lake outlet, and they also changed the name to the Empire Knife Company. The “B & A” marking was not used after 1856. They conducted business at this location until 1876 when Mr. Beardsley died. In 1878, the firm purchased the old table cutlery factory from Lathrop and Barton. Empire Knife Company manufacturing was moved back to West Winsted.
In 1890, the firm was incorporated as the Empire Knife Company, and the Beardsley and Alvord name was dropped.
c 1853-1856