Sampson Mordan, 1770 -1843, served as an apprentice to the mechanic John Bramah before setting up his own company in 1815.
He, alongside John Isaac Hawkins, secured a patent in 1822 for the first propelling pencil.
The Pioneering 1822 Patent granted to John Isaac Hawkins and Sampson Mordan on December 20, 1822, was a daring move by Mordan.. He was an ambitious entrepreneur who urgently needed funds to capitalize on his patent . The patent application had been costly, and Mordan could not rely on his co-patentee John Isaac Hawkins for financial support to expand his business so he sought external funding.
In 1823, Mordan bought out Hawkins for £450, paying in installments, and became the sole patentee of the propelling pencil patent. He quickly sold a half share in the profits to Gabriel Riddle, a successful commercial stationer from Paternoster Row, London. Riddle provided not only the needed capital but also complemented Mordan’s skills as a machinist, laying the foundation for a successful partnership.
Gabriel’s son, William Riddle, confirmed in a letter to “The Builder” publication on August 3, 1861, that his father’s investment was crucial at this pivotal moment, stating, “my father’s money founded the firm of S Mordan & Co.”
On June 9, 1823, Mordan registered his mark “SM” in an oblong at Goldsmith’s Hall as a small-worker, allowing him to make the barrels of his pencils in gold and silver. The barrel imprint mark read “MORDAN & CO PATENT.” On April 30, 1824, still located on Castle Street, Mordan registered a joint mark with Gabriel Riddle as a plateworker.
Year marks were typically updated annually on May 19, so no “SM” marks should appear for 1824. However, 1824-marked pencils do exist. Quite simply manufacturers could apply their mark before the official assay. It’s possible that some pencils were stockpiled before the Mordan-Riddle partnership and assayed later, around the end of May 1824. These items were stamped for 1824 rather than the more accurate 1823, allowing the financially savvy Mordan to avoid sharing profits with his new business partner.
Mordan & Co. manufactured and sold pens and pencils marked “SM.G.R.” A variety of marks and imprints were used throughout the partnership.
His co-partnership with Gabriel Riddle concluded in 1836.
Afterward, the firm continued as S. Mordan & Co. Following Mordan's death in 1843. His offspring, Sampson Jr. and Augustus, took the helm of the business.