The theme for my birthday this year seems to have been “Everything Old is New Again.” My mother, knowing my new passion for sewing and quilting, gave me this lovely antique silver thimble:
It is made of Chester silver and dates from 1923. My mother bought it this summer when we were in England for my sister’s wedding and she visited Chester with my sister’s new in-laws.
On Saturday, t! and I went to our local flea market to look for a few things, and found this gorgeous treadle sewing machine for $75. It is a “New Williams” machine, built by the Williams Manufacturing Co., in Montreal, sometime around 1906. The factory building it was made in is still standing on the corner of Bourget & St. Jacques streets, in St. Henri.
It is in absolutely excellent condition, it looks for all the world like it was well used, and then taken out of someone’s grandmother’s front room one day in the mid 1950s, carried up to a dry attic, and left there undisturbed for 50 years.
The amazing thing about it, though, and one of the big reasons I bought it, is that in the cabinet drawers were all the original attachments (in the box they came in), a glass vial containing 6 original needles, an old plastic pill bottle containing needles and pins, and two original bobbins (the scrap of cloth they are sitting on was pinned to the arm of the machine to serve as a pincushion):
and the original instruction manual (which I plan to scan to digital format so that I can make a less fragile print-out to refer to as I’m learning):
Oh, and it also has its leather drive belt. All it needs is a thorough (careful) cleaning, and for me to read the manual to learn how to thread it, and then I’ll be able to start sewing with it!
Post edited (on August 25th, 2011) to add: I’ve had so many requests for the PDF of the scan of the instruction booklet, that I have put it up on a separate page of the blog, here: Downloads. Enjoy!
out here 
Gorgeous, both of them! How exciting to have all the original attachments!
My mother owns the same model sewing machine!
She’s had it as long as I can remember, and I used to love playing with it when I was little. I don’t even know if it works any more. (I recall my mother using it once or twice before purchasing a more modern, electric kind.) But it’s so beautiful, isn’t it? Congratulations!
Lovely little thimble, too
xox
I have very fond memories of my grandmother’s kitchen with the sewing machine in the window alcove that she used when I stayed with her on visits.
I recently bought a very similar New Williams machine which also included the attachments but not the instruction manual. Would you consider sending me an electronic copy of the one which came with yours? I would love to know how to oil and care for the machine and how the attachments work as these are truly beautiful machines.
Thanks for sharing your treasure with the rest of us!
Hi Jan,
I’d be very happy to send you a copy of my manual. I have scanned the individual pages for printing, so all I’d need to do is assemble them together in one document to make it easier to attach to an email. I’ll try to do that for you tomorrow. I’ll also try to figure out if I can put a link to the PDF somewhere in my blog so that others can find it. Glad to help!
did you ever get that New Williams sewing booklet scanned? We are in the process of putting ours back so it works and have had no luck yet – and no instructions.
I too have an identical sewing machine, which I keep at my electricity-free cottage. I love sewing with it, although sometimes I have problems (I think it should take a longer needle than I can get).
My instruction manual is in similar shape, but readable.
The cabinet handles are in poor shape. Does anyone know whether I can buy similar replacements?
Hi there! I have just discovered your blog through a link for treadle sewing machines. I have a 1920’s Singer that belonged to my grandmother – if you have time to see my blog and the page “A lovely old lady” you will see my Annie. I have never tried to use her but seeing blogs about treadling I want to start to put her through her paces. I wondered if you have used your wonderful flea market buy yet? If so, please leave me a comment and let me know how you have got, I would love to know. My grandmother took in washing to buy her Singer and looking at the “number plate” I know that it was made in 1920 on the banks of the Clyde in Scotland.
I am going to try your gorgeous pudding too :0)
best wishes,
Val xx Oxfordshire UK
I also have a New Williams treadle sewing machine in the same cabinet as yours, with the same attachments, one shuttle, one bobbin, and NO INSTRUCTIONS! The cover plate says Montreal 1884. My grandmother also sewed on one like it and I too have fond memories of trying to catch her feet as they kept that steady fast paced rhythm for hours. I have no idea how many quilts she sewed on it, but tons for sure, of which I am very grateful to have a few of. If you still have instructions to share from your machine available, might I ask for a copy of them as well? Seems like they are in short supply! I would love to actually be able to sew something on it!
Sincerely, Linda
Hi I have in my home the New Williams sewing machine
pat July 13 1893 / Aug. 29 1893
Cab. pat May 1 1877
Mine is in a enclosed ornate cab. that is so beautiful I can hardly stand it. All belts are there , no needles and no instruction booklet.
On another metal emblem has
The Williams manufacturing Company
Jan. 18 1884 / July 21 1884 / July 24 1884
Factory was opened in 1879 in Montreal (Saint-Henri)
Anyone who would a picture of this machine or who can help me with more information I would appreciate your help
Thank You
Vicky in Kelowna B.C.
Hi Vicky! Your machine sounds beautiful. I’m going to email you the PDF copy I made of the instruction manual that came with my New Williams sewing machine. I should figure out if there’s a way to put the file up and link to it so people can download it for themselves 🙂
Hi to ai731 and New Williams lovers.Just found this site by googling New Williams.There are nice pictures there too. Ihave my mothers machine which still worked until she passed on.We grew up where there was no electricity near Minden,On,Ca.Mum sewed a lot of our clothes and most of hers.My cousin and I were making little bags for our grandchildren on her Singer which works backwards to the New Williams.WOULD love to get some instructions so I could teach my grandchildren and pass
on some family history.Also mine does not have a serial #,the drawer knobs are missing,the drawers and cabinet have locks but key is missing.
Hi – ai731,my wife just bought a beautiful New Williams sewing machine at a garage sale today! It seems to be complete with original box and attachments. WE would love to have a scan of the instruction manual if possible.
Thank you, Larry Thomas for Chris Thomas
Hi Larry and Chris,
I’ve emailed you the PDF scan of the instruction booklet that came with my machine. It’s a very large file so I hope it comes through OK. Good luck with your machine!
Hi,
I also have a New Williams like the one pictured. I have my instuction booklet but the back cover is so fragile it’s disintegrating. I have the box with all the paraphinalia. The 90 plus year old woman I bout it from (in Nova Scotia) sewed all re families clothes on it as did her mother or mother-in-law. I’d like to insure mine. Does anyone have any idea what it’s worth. I love this machine. Can you imagine the family stories these could tell if they could talkl!
J.
I have a Williams and Wilson treadle, pre-civil war brought from Maine. I just bought a new belt for it and it has no instrucion booklet and I was wondering if I could buy one from you also. The story I heard was that they sold out to the Singer Company. I make quilts and I want to make one using this machine.
Hi Irene, I have made the scan of the instruction manual available as a free download. There is a link at the bottom of this post to my “Downloads” page, or you can navigate there using the tab at the top of the page. I hope to make a quilt on my tredle machine one day, too!
Thank you so very much. I will show a picture of he quilt when i is finished it takes me 6 months for a queen sized bed quilt.
Thank you so much for sharing this manual. I was near tears trying to locate information.
Can anyone help me locate parts for my New WIlliams sewing machine. I would appreciate any help you can give. Thank you.
The sewing machine is so nice. I have almost the same which used to belong to my husband aunt. I was wondering in which year it was built. It’s marked : Patented July13, 1893 – Aug. 29 1893. Is it possible to have a copy of the instruction booklet? Thank you vey much.
Sorry I red too fast your website. I downloaded the booklet. Thank you so much for sharing it.
So happy to find your website! I received the same New Williams machine a few months ago, put it on the back burner until I could take a serious look – that was yesterday, and, yep, it almost works! (Can’t get the feed dog to advance the fabric.) And the attachments you show were in the drawer as well! I’m so excited right now, I’ll be starting a little project as soon as I can figure out that feed dog. Thanks for sharing!
I was so glad to come across your website, and the instruction manual you have so kindly made available. I have a New William that belonged to my grandmother. I have 6 original bobbins, the shuttle, the cover, 15 original needles in a black vial, the leather belt, but none of the specialty attachments and no instruction manual. It hasn’t been used since my grandmother died in 1961; after she died it just sat there untouched in their front room until my grandfather gave it to me about 1973 or 1974. My mother and I tried to figure out the threading, but were unsuccessful, so it has sat here for all those remaining years.
Mine has similar wood patterning on the drawers and front of the cover. That crosshatch or hobnail pattern is quite distinctive. There is one wide narrow drawer at the front, and only 1 at each end of the long drawer. I’m still looking for a photo of one more like mine. There is some damage to the wood on the cover, and the machine is a bit tired looking, but has no visible damage. It will need to be cleaned of gummy oil, and years of sitting in a home heated by wood stoves left the wood a bit grubby as well. I have used nothing but a duster on it, as I wasn’t sure what to do, and didn’t want to damage anything. I will tackle a gentle clean-up of the moving parts as soon as the weather is warm enough to use kerosene in the garage, or outside. Can we even buy kerosene anymore?
Again, thank you!