“The book” of Christopher Gabriel, planemaker and tool seller in London from 1770 until 1809, has fortuitously survived to give those interested in tools and trades a unique insight into a family business in late 18th century London. From this andother sources it has been possible to draw a picture of a small but developing business in an uncommon trade—planemaker and tool seller—and to trace Gabriel’s connections with othertoolmakers of the time, both in London and elsewhere. Perhaps the most valuable parts of the Gabriel legacy are the two inventories of his stock that have survived and are reproduced in full in the book.

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