Ok i went ahead and done some sandblasting on the thing and got it cleaned up to see all i could see wrong with it and found the lable stamps and a few cracks around 2 of the feet. cracks are there but after some good looks from a buddy in NDT cracks are superficial and should be still sound. they look like the feet were forged on seperately during the forgeing process and ended up cracking later maybe due to not forge welding the feet on enough on that side when it was made. Still has a nice ring to it. the lable stamps i can hardly make out but after staring a while and doing a little history serching i made out M&H ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE. from another site i found how to date them and this anvil if i am reading it right was made 1820 to 1835 which would explain all the wear and tear from the years of abuse. Im still going to repair it and still going to use the crap out of it cause things are ment to be used. Love finding out the story behind the equipment i use, makes it all that much more fun and exciting to make things.
Mousehole Forge anvils can be dated from their logos: (These are all cicra - about - dates and the words would be stacked):
1780 - 1795: MOUSEHOLE
1795 - 1820: C&A MOUSEHOLE
1820 - 1835: M&H ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE
1835 - 1854: HENRY ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE
1854 - 1875: M&H ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE FORGE
1878: BROOKS & COOPER MOUSEHOLE FORGE SHEFFIELD WARRANTED (with the outline of a mouse and HOLE for the first time)
1879: M&H ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE FORGE SHEFFIELD WARRANTED (mouse) HOLE PATENT
1880: M&H ARMITAGE MOUSE HOLE FORGE (mouse) HOLE WARRANTED
1895: M&H ARMITAGE (mouse) HOLE SHEFFIELD
1896: M&H ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE FORGE SHEFFIELD WARRANTED PATENT (mouse) HOLE
1911: M&H ARMITAGE MOUSEHOLE FORGE SHEFFIELD ENGLAND WARRNANTED (mouse) HOLE PATENT
1927-1933?: OWEN-THOMAS THE OLD FORGE SHEFFIELD ENGLAND
Notes:
- C&A = Cockshutt & Armitage
- M&H = Morgan and Henry
- Mousehole Forge is the only known manufacturer to use dots/periods between the weight numbers, such as 1 . 3 . 14. Sometimes all which remains of the logo is the dots.
- Weight markings are in the British stone system to where the first represents multiples of 112 (1/20th long ton), the second multiples of 28 and the third remaining pounds. Usually off from scale weight a bit.
- Mousehole Forge was one of the last British anvil makers to change from the old style to the modern (more blocky) feet. They did so cicra 1895.
- The origins of the name of Mousehole is not certain. The square handling holes in an old anvil are called mouseholes. In England a bend in a river with a deep spot is known as a mousehole and Mousehole Forge was located at such as spot. There is a coastal English town named Mousehole and it was well known as the site of a brief French invasion about the time the forge was started.
- Mousehole Forge contined to use water power (heave or tilt hammers) long after other manufactures switched to mechanical hammers. All Mousehole anvils are pretty well 'handmade'.
Source: The Mousehole Forge by Richard A. Postman (with John and Julia Hatfield) http://www.abana.org/resources/discus/messages/4/442.html?1254101882