Figure 112. — Raymond patent model, March 9, 

 1858. (Smithsonian photo 32009-0.) 



Figures 112 and 113. — New England sewing machines. 

 The small, hand-turned, sewing machines some of which 

 were called Common Sense, were manufactured by at least 

 three companies and possibly more. The earliest ones were 

 those made by Nettleton & Raymond based on Charles 

 Raymond's patent of March 9, 1858, which featured a 

 hinged presser foot acting as the top feed. On July 30, 1861 , 

 Raymond received a patent for an improved looper; this 

 date is found on all machines later manufactured by the 

 inventor. 



In 1858 Nettleton and Raymond had moved from Bristol, 

 Connecticut, to Brattleboro, Vermont. Also in Brattleboro at 

 this time were Thomas H. White and Samuel Barker, who 

 were manufacturing a small machine called the Brattleboro. 

 White left Vermont in 1862 and went to Massachusetts. 

 There, in partnership with William Grout, he also began to 

 manufacture New England machines; these were basically 

 the same as the Raymond machines. After a short time, 

 Grout left the partnership with White and moved to Winch- 

 endon. there continuing to make New England machines for 

 approximately one more year. In 1865.J.G. Folsomof Winch- 

 endon exhibited a New England machine at the Tenth Ex- 

 hibition of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics Asso- 

 ciation along with his Globe machine. Whether both ma- 

 chines were manufactured by him or whether he might have 

 been exhibiting one of Grout's machines is not known. 



There is no record that New England machines were 

 manufactured after 1865. There is a great similarity between 

 these machines and the Improved Common Sense sewing 

 machines of the 1870s. It is believed that the name "Com- 

 mon Sense" was given by frugal New Englanders to several 

 of the cheaper chainstitch machines of the 1860s. 



Figure II k New England sew- 

 ing machine of about 1860, 

 manufactured by Nettleton & 

 Raymond; it bears the Raymond 

 patent date of March 9, 1858. 

 i Smithsonian photo 45505-G.) 



105 



