In 1884 Herbert J. Astle established H. J. Astle & Co. to make supplies for manufacturing jewelers. From the beginning, or nearly the beginning, Francis P. Boland was associated with the firm, and the "Boland system" of products made up much of the company's product lineup. They are listed here, in this index of makers of woodworking and metalworking machinery, because their products they made a "jewelers polishing lathe", which is a motorized buffer/grinder. We have also seen a small dust collection system for metal working.

The company remained in business until at least 1951 when Mr. Astle died, having been active in the business up to that time. Boland had died in 1927.

Information Sources

• We learned of this maker via a discussion in an owwm.org forum. The discussion is about a "No. 1 Boland Lathe / Mfg. by H. J. Astle & Co. Prov. R.I. / Pat. Applied For".
• From the 1915-06-07 issue of The Metal Industry:

  H. J. Astle & Company of this city are having a good demand for the Boland system machines at this time, and recently installed a Boland polishing bench and collecting system in the plant of C. A. Wilkinson & Company, S3 Aborn street, this city; a Boland sand blast system for the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company at Rochester, N. Y., and a Boland pressure blower has been shipped to L. H. A. Schwartz & Company, Boston.

• From a 1951 issue of Manufacturing Jeweler (Volume 109, page 13).

  Herbert J. Astle—president and treasurer of H. J. Astle & Co., Inc., of Providence, R. I., died January 31. Mr. Astle's firm, which was established by him in 1884, is one of the largest American builders of jewelers' and and silversmiths ' polishing benches, polishing lathes, electro-plating systems, and other machinery and supplies for jewelry factories. Mr. Astle was a man of extraordinary activity despite his years. He personally opened his factory at quarter of seven each morning almost up to the day of his death and was always the busiest and most active person in the establishment. He early associated himself in the firm of H. J. Astle & Co. with Francis P. Boland, who was the originator of the well known Boland systems for manufacturing jewelers which have always been featured by H. J. Astle & Co. The firm was incorporated in 1921 under its present name. Mr. Boland died in 1927. Mr. Astle always was a staunch supporter of The Manufacturing Jeweler in which the Astle firm ad- vertised continuously for over a generation. Surviving him are his wife May W. (Seymour) Astle, a nephew Dr. Christopher J. Astle, and a niece Mrs. Jennie Arnold, all of Providence.

• Findagrave.com entries for Herbert Johnson Astle (1863-1950) and Francis P. Boland (1866-1927).