Fonds MHCA0017 - Bishop Foundry and Machine Shop fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Bishop Foundry and Machine Shop fonds

General material designation

  • Multiple media

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Title statements of responsibility

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title based on provenance of fonds

Level of description

Fonds

Reference code

CA PCNSWH MHCA0017

Edition area

Edition statement

Edition statement of responsibility

Class of material specific details area

Statement of scale (cartographic)

Statement of projection (cartographic)

Statement of coordinates (cartographic)

Statement of scale (architectural)

Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

Dates of creation area

Date(s)

  • 1878-1995, predominant 1935-1975 (Creation)
    Creator
    Bishop Foundry and Machine Shop

Physical description area

Physical description

3.92 m. of textual records and other material

Publisher's series area

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Archival description area

Name of creator

Bishop Foundry and Machine Shop

Administrative history

Elias Bishop (1812-1895) and his son George A. (1838-1923) had a black smithing shop on Spring Street in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, in the 1860s. They were well known for making mussel mud diggers, iron ploughs and other farm machinery. Between 1873 and 1877 George established the Summerside Foundry on the corner of Water and East Streets and from 1879-1883 was in partnership with Thomas Campbell. Prior to 1900 his sons began working with the firm, Elias (1870-1951) as a moulder and Thomas (1879-1958) as a machinist. By 1909 the business name was George Bishop & Son, the son being Elias. Ten years later, it was known as George Bishop and Sons Foundry with Elias as President and Thomas as Vice-President. They carried on after their father's death until early 1935 when a decision was made to split the business. Elias worked in the foundry until 1946 when ill health forced him to retire. The building was rented for 22 months to Bruce Stewart Ltd. Of Charlottetown. Thomas ran his business as Bishop's Machine Shop until 1949 when it became Thomas H. Bishop & Son, leaving Ralph (1910-1991), son of Thomas, as sole owner in 1958. He continued to operate the shop at 101 Water Street until the mid 1970s. The building was closed up with machinery and tools intact and in 1998 was purchased by the City of Summerside for future restoration.

Custodial history

The business records of the foundry and machine shop were in the possession of Ralph Bishop at the time of his death in 1991. When the City acquired the contents of the shop in 1998, the files, ledgers and assorted materials were packed and removed to City Hall and then in July 2002 to the MacNaught History Centre and Archives.

Scope and content

The fonds mainly consists of the records of Bishop's Machine Shop, but does include some early ledgers (1909-1947) and daybooks (1878-1925) of Bishop's Foundry. In addition there are some personal papers of the machine shop's last owner Ralph Bishop. The fonds has been divided into the following series:

Ledgers and daybooks
Accounts payable
Accounts receivable
Bank records
Business files
Personal materials

Notes area

Arrangement

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

Location of originals

Availability of other formats

Restrictions on access

NO RESTRICTIONS ON ACCESS

Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

PERMISSION FOR USE AND REPRODUCTION IS REQUIRED FROM THE MACNAUGHT HISTORY CENTRE AND ARCHIVES; QUESTIONS REGARDING COPYRIGHT ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE USER

Finding aids

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS AND FILE LISTINGS AVAILABLE

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Accruals

Physical description

Also includes 5 photographs, 6 architectural drawings, and 1 watercolour

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Standard number

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Description record identifier

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Level of detail

Language of description

  • English

Script of description

Accession area

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