From 1871-72 Gazette and Directory of Wellington County

This manufacture of steam engines and metal-working lathes was established in 1871 by Edwin H. Arms and Thomas Worswick (sometimes spelled "Warswick"). By 1875, one of the proprietors, Thomas Worswick, assumed sole ownership, sometimes doing business under his name rather than the company name. The business continued until at least 1886.

Ad from November 24, 1883 issue of the satirical newspaper "Grip"

Information Sources

• From Guelph Mercury newspaper, 1873-07-24, via http://www.clarksoftomfad.ca/PuslinchLakeMemories.htm: "The employees of the Guelph Machine and Tool Company hold their annual picnic at Puslinch Lake on Wednesday next."
• From an ancestry.com webpage: "Vol 14, pg. 284 - Peter KERR, 25, engineer, Scotland, Petrolia, s/o Peter & Mary, married Charlotte SMITH, 21, England, Guelph, d/o William & Sarah, witn: Thomas HOCKIN & Thomas WARSWICK, both of Guelph, 2 May 1871 at Guelph".
• From an essay, "WORKING IT OUT: Unions, Associations and the Guelph Working Class -1850-1900 by B. M. Durtnall):

  The Workingmen's Club (WMC) was formed early in 1872. From its inception, working men were actually involved in this club at all levels. The president was John Read, who worked for Inglis & Hunter (Wellington Foundry). The company's first vice-president was Osgoode Anderson, a foreman at Crowe's Iron Works. This was not surprising, considering the history of strong workplace control attributed traditionally to moulders and iron workers in foundries. Nor was it unusual that Crowe's and Inglis and Hunter, the two largest foundries within the city, would be represented so strongly. Members of the executive and of various committees also came from McLeod & Wood's Factory, Raymond's No.1 & 2 Factories, Boult's, Guelph's Machine & Tool Co., Harley & Murchy, the office of the Mercury, and Bell's.

• From an article available through the Wellington County Museum and Archives:

  Half-storey stone factory building at the corner of Dublin and Norwich Streets in Guelph, as it appeared between 1872 and 1969. On card accompanying slides, '225 Dublin & Norwich'.

  In 1871 the building was home to the Guelph Machine and Tool Company. By 1875 it had been taken over with one of the proprietors, Thomas Warswick [sic]. The 1875 Wellington County Directory states that, "Mr. Thomas Warswick [sic] is engaged in the manufacture of engines, machinists' tools, shaftings, pulleys, and general machinery. The foundry is of stone, and is situated on the corner of Norwich and Dublin Sts., being 104x44 feet, 2 story high, steam 30 horse power, employ 30 men.

• "INVENTORY OF MAJOR CANADIAN TOOL AND DIE MANUFACTURERS FROM 1820 TO 1914" lists "T. Worswick" [sic] as a maker of edge tools and machine tools, with a data point of 1871. "Owner originating from Great Britain; driving force: steam, 6 hp (1871)".
• 1883-11-24 edition of Grip, a Toronto-based newspaper ("An independent political and satirical journal"): ad for "Thos Worswick, Guelph, Ont. Manufacturer of the Worswick 'Brown' Automatic Cut-off Engine. For durability, accessibility of parts and economy of fuel, this engines has no equal. Boiler of Steel or Iron, made to order. Shafting, Pulleys, and Hangers furnished on short notice. Repairs executed with dispatch." The same ad continued until at least 1884-05-31.
• Shaping the urban landscape: aspects of the Canadian city-building process, by Gilbert A. Stelter, Alan F. J. Artibise: "The Guelph City Directory for 1885-86 gives this description of the city's major employers: '... the foundry of Thos. Worswick, employing 30 hands...'". Elsewhere, the book indicates that "Thomas Worswick, steam engines and machinery" was established in 1871.
• From An article available through the Guelph Library website:

  This advertisement shows, at top, the Raymond factory on the corner of Suffolk and Yarmouth. Originally the site of the Arms & Worswick Sewing Machine Company, Raymond purchased the company in 1875 and built the stone structure after fire destroyed the original building.

• From The annals of the town of Guelph, 1827-1877, ed. C. Acton Burrows, 1877: "In April [1872] a fire occurred in Messrs. Arms & Worswick's tool works on Suffolk street, by which the premises were entirely destroyed, and about forty men thrown out of employment.
• From The Tool Group of Canada's "Early Axe and Edge Tool Makers and Manufacturers in Ontario", "Arms, Edwin H. edge, also Arms & Worswick (?). Guelph. 1873. Source: 1" and "Worswick, Thomas. machine; 10 employees in 1871. Guelph. Source: 5". Source 1 is "Ray Townsend (using documents found in Ontario Libraries)"; Source 5 is "Canada Census records".
• From List of Members of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 1886-1887, the only Canadian member listed is Thomas Worswick of Guelph, Ontario.
• From an online listing of Waterloo County marriage records: "19105-08 (Waterloo Co): Alfred WATSON, 46, traveller, of Guelph, s/o Charles WATSON, gentleman, & Mary BILBY, married Edith Mary WORSWICK, 35, of Guelph, d/o Thomas WORSWICK, manufacturer, & Mary SMITH, witn: F.E. MACKLIN of Berlin, 18 Nov 1908 at Berlin"
• Thomas Worswick was granted U.S. patent 151,949.