TIME LINE
G. DARLING & CO.
( Gilbert Darling & Co.)

by Barry Weaver

Summary at bottom of page
parents: Samuel Darling Jr.& Margaret (Smith) Darling of Bellingham, Norfolk Cnty., Mass. They married 28 May 1815.
 

1819 - Gilbert Darling born 21 Jan 1819, Bellingham, Norfolk Cnty, Mass. of Samuel & Margaret

1844 - Gilbert marries on 29 Feb 1844 in Uxbridge, Worc. Cnty. Mass.,  Abigail Aldrich b. 23 Aug 1828 in Cumberland. ( Mormon records )

1850 - Fed. census: Prov. Cnty, Pg 159, Cumberland; Gilbert Darling 31, merchant, from Mass; wife Abby  23, and one daughter Margaret.

1860 - Fed. census: Prov. Cnty, Pg. 91 , Cumberland; Gilbert Darling 42, dry goods merchant, from Mass; wife Abby 35, and four children born in RI. ( Margaret 11; Charles 8; Harriet B. 7; and Anna 4)

1865 - RI State census: Gilbert Darling, 47, dry goods, from Mass; Abbie 37, from Cumberland; the four children and one house servant.

1870 - Fed. census - Prov. Cnty., Pg 141, Woonsocket, Gilbert Darling 52 (retired merchant) with real estate valued at $22,500.00 and personal at 6,000.00; son Charles is listed as a clerk in the store.

1875/76 -  Woonsocket Dir: "Gilbert Darling & Co"., hardware dealers, 144 Main, h. 40 Harris

1877/78 - Woonsocket Dir: Gilbert Darling & Co.(Charles H. Darling), hardware dealers, 144 Main, h. 40 Harris

1880/81 - Woonsocket Dirs. entries as above with business address given as 153 Main

1888/89 - Woonsocket Dir: "G.Darling & Son", hardware dealers, 151 & 153 Main

1898 - Death of Gilbert Darling on 1 Jan 1898 ( RI death records )

1900 - Woonsocket Dir: Charles Darling, 151 Main
 

*Note: We have elected not to extend this time line at this point.
In Summary: This was a fairly long lived company if you consider it covered a few decades. It was not the first instance either, where a merchant dealing in one line or product switched over to another; in this case from dry goods to hardware. Another example was Benjamin Allen who moved from a grocery business, to a combination grocery and hardware, then to strictly hardware. I suspect the scarcity of planes stamped with "G. Darling & Co." is due to how late they entered the hardware business, about 1875. The defection of many woodworkers to other trades; the increased use of the new metal planes available; stock molding shapes now being created by mechanical means; all  factors that might have created a surplus of wooden planes available, old and new.
Has anyone seen  a plane stamped "G. Darling & Son" ?
Let us know  RIToolmakers@netris.org