Reuben Heaton
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Reuben George Heaton (Birmingham 1 August 1839 – Erdington 3 November 1923) was a manufacturer of fishing tackle and patentor of a blow football table-top game.[1]
Heaton's father was John (Birmingham c.1811 – Birmingham 1883) was a brass caster and white metal candlestick maker of Aston, Birmingham.[2] The Heaton's were "well known in Birmingham, with family members involved with the Birmingham Mint".[3]
The firm of Reuben Heaton, founded in 1857 manufactured fishing tackle in large quantities for many of the well known brands of the time and also under its own brand. Unusual item also manufactured by the firm include, inkwells made from horses hooves, umbrella stands made from Elephants feet, bicycle wheels and paraffin lamps, all of which helped firm to overcome troubled times when tackle manufacture was slow.[1][3][4] In 1887 he patented a railway key ferrule and,[5] by 1893, had patented his "Football for the Table" which he advertised as an "amusing game" for hotels, coffee house and clubs.[6]
His daughter, Rose, married the architect, Arthur Edwards.[2]
Aston Harold
[edit]In 1875 the Reuben Heaton Works football team, the Harold club or Aston Harold, were founder members of the Birmingham Football Association. A subscription of £3 was required from member clubs in order to commission a trophy for the member tournament, the trophy costing £50[7] and made by Mr R. Williams of Wednesbury.[8] Not all of the clubs could afford the £3 subscription – the Harold club contributed 15s, Wednesbury Old Park 10s 6d, and Saltley College £1 12s.[9] The bulk of the shortfall was met by the wealthy Calthorpe club, which contributed £7 7s, and Wednesbury Town and West Bromwich[10] contributed £5 5s each.[11]
The team competed in the first Birmingham Senior Cup tournament but were beaten by Wednesbury Old Park in the first found.
References
[edit]- 1 2 "Blow football and Elephants feet helped firm to overcome troubles", Birmingham Evening Mail 21 March 1957, p2
- 1 2 "1841 England Census St James Street, Aston. John Heaton. HO 107/1149/9. Page 2/43". ancestry.co.uk. H.M. Government. Retrieved 9 June 2026 – via Ancestry.
- 1 2 "Reuben Heaton has its roots firmly set in the angling industry and was founded in 1857 by its namesake Reuben George Heaton". reubenheaton.com/. Reuben Heaton. Retrieved 9 June 2026.
- ↑ "End of the line for reels with a 120 year history", Coleshill Herald, 18 July 1980, p16
- ↑ "Reuben Heaton's Patent", Birmingham Evening Mail 28 July 1887, p1
- ↑ "Football", Birmingham Evening Mail, 19 October 1893, p1
- ↑ Alcock, Charles (1877). Football Annual. p. 84.
- ↑ "Birmingham & District Football Association". Birmingham Daily Post: 2. 29 March 1877.
- ↑ "Chronicles of the Midland governing body". Sports Argus: 6. 8 December 1906.
- ↑ Not the later West Bromwich Albion, but a side formed out of the Dartmouth cricket club.
- ↑ "Chronicles of the Midland governing body". Sports Argus: 6. 8 December 1906.