Description:A craftsman still, seventy year old Mr Bernard Bromley, in retirement after a lifetime as an engraver, keeps his hand in by engraving a cup for a friend, at his Foregate Street home.
Mr Bromley was one of the few engravers in the district. He was born in Wellington Terrace. He started work in 1898 at the age of 13 for Mr Frederick H Brown, heraldic, ornamental and general engraver, whose shop was on the Green Bridge in Stafford. During the 12 years he spent there he started work at 7am and lasted until the shop closed sometimes as late as 9pm or 10pm. He engraved anything from signet rings, handles, umbrellas and walking sticks to brass plates, some of which could be seen in the town, such as at the premises of Messrs. Evans and Evans and Messrs. South and Stubbs.
One of the biggest engraving jobs he had to tackle was to help Mr Brown cut a Memorial to the Stafford Territorials who fell in the Boer War. This was mounted in the Guildhall. The plaque was commissioned “By order of the Town Council made on the 21st day of May, 1901, W C T Myners, Mayor and Matt F Blakiston, Town Clerk”. In addition to the 44 names there was the coats of arms of the companies from which the men came: 6th Staffordshire Company, Imperial Yeomanry; 2nd Volunteer Battalion, Prince of Wales and the North Staffordshire Regiment “F” and “C” Companies.
In 1910 Mr Bromley was earning 24s (Shillings) per week. He left Mr Brown to work on his own for a while and in 1911 he joined Siemens, (later the English Electric Company) where he took over the hand engraving of labels for switch boards. In 1935 he left to work in a factory in Birmingham, returning to the English Electric Company in 1940, taking over the engraving work in the Instrument department, where he worked on bomb-sight components and did such delicate work as compass engraving, where absolute accuracy was essential. When he retired in 1951 he was presented with a clock. He knew nothing of the presentation until he began work engraving the presentation plate. He put the plate on the clock off centre in order to obtain his first rejection slip from the firm. It was presented to him with the clock.
Mr Bromley was married in December 1911, to Miss Mary Elizabeth Stanton, in St. Patrick’s Church. He was a keen cribbage player and a member of the Stafford and District Cribbage League. Although retired he continued to do occasional works for friends.
This photograph was published in the Staffordshire Newsletter on Saturday 15 October 1955. Reproduced by kind permission of the Staffordshire Newsletter who retain copyright.