Thanks for the reference Broadaxe. Cannock was a good clue. From the history of Cannock Parish I found:
William Gilpin seems to have opened an edge-tool factory at Wedges Mill in 1790, but by 1817 most of the work was done at the factory opened in 1806 at Churchbridge in Great Wyrley.
So it definitely covers the 19th century as well as later. There is also some suggestion that the company still exists in some form but not in that area.
CC.
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