AdminHistory | Joseph Elliot & Sons (Sheffield) Ltd was established in 1795 as Joseph Elliot & Sons and was incorporated on 2nd May 1921. The company name was changed to Cutlery Agencies Limited in 1927. At this time a new company - Joseph Elliot & Sons (Sheffield) Limited was incorporated as a Private Limited Company (7th September 1927). It is this second company which comprises the majority of the records in this Archive collection.
Although latterly based at the Sylvester Works, 1 Sylvester Street, Sheffield Joseph Elliot & Sons was originally established at 4 Hollis Croft, Sheffield before moving to the Spital Hill Works, Spital Hill and then the Granville Works, 1 Sylvester Street, Sheffield. Joseph Elliot was a cutlery manufacturer, making high class kitchen knives for the butchers and catering trades, silver plated tableware for cookware retailers, pocket knives, floor scrapers and scissors for ironmongers and hardware retailers. In addition the company also made silver plated ware and silver cutlery.
On 8th May 1919 the Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturers Limited was incorporated and was formed solely for the purpose of acquiring five cutlery businesses in Sheffield, namely: Thomas Turner & Company (Sheffield) Limited Needham, Veall & Tyzack Limited Joseph Elliot & Sons Lockwood Brothers Limited Southern & Richardson Limited
Joseph Elliot & Sons Limited was incorporated on 2nd May 1921 and all of the shares were held by Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturers Limited which seems to have been in financial difficulties by the mid 1920's. A receiver was appointed in 1926 and some of the business was purchased by Joseph Greaves Elliot who formed a private limited company called Joseph Elliot & Sons (Sheffield) Limited on 7th September 1927. This company was set up to carry on the businesses which he had purchased from the receiver. (The name of the old company (Joseph Elliot & Sons Limited) was changed to Cutlery Agencies Limited).
Following an agreement between Lockwood Brothers Limited and Joseph Elliot & Sons Limited of 11th May 1923, Elliot ceased manufacturing at the Works in Hollis Croft. Business was moved to the Spital Hill works of Lockwood Brothers and the business was managed by Joseph Greaves Elliot and his two sons, Joseph Hawksley Elliot and John Gilbert Elliot. On 31st December 1926, manufacture of cutlery at the Spital Hill Works ceased. From 1st January 1974 all subsidiary companies were invoiced on Joseph Elliot & Sons (Sheffield) Limited stationery.
Other companies associated with this collection include:
J. Dewsnap Bowler Limited 89 Trippet Lane, Sheffield and latterly at Sylvester Works, Sylvester Street, Sheffield. Described as a manufacturer of cutlery materials, at some point in the 1970's this company seems to have acquired Joseph Elliot and Sons (Sheffield) Limited and its subsidiaries. It is not clear from the collection how this business relationship developed, but it seems that Elliots maintained a degree of autonomy within the arrangement.
Subsidiaries of Joseph Elliot & Sons (Sheffield) Limited include: I. & J. Barber Era Works, Sheffield Manufacturer of superior pen and pocket knives. 'Era' trademark.
Colquhoun & Cadman Limited (Incorporated 16th January 1907) Sylvester Street, Sheffield Manufacturer of Cutlery
Thomas Ellin & Company Limited (Established 1784, incorporated 14th January 1907) Sylvester Works, Sylvester Street, Sheffield Manufacturer of high class table cutlery, pen & pocket knives, dirk, bowie, hunting, palette, putty, butchers' & plumbers knives, razors, scissors, spoons, forks etc. 'Vulcan' & 'Cutter' trademarks.
Lockwood Brothers Limited (Established 1767, incorporated 30th June 1891) (Owner of John Sorby & Sons) Spital Hill Works, Sheffield. 'Pampa' & 'I. & H. Sorby' trademarks
John Wigfall & Company Limited (Established 1843) Auckland Works, Eldon Street, Sheffield Manufacturer of table cutlery of all kinds, shoe, bread & butchers' knives, glaziers', farriers', palette & pruning knives, table & butchers' steels, pen, pocket & sporting knives, razors, scissors, electro-plate spoons & forks, fish carvers etc. 'Bonafide' trademark.
John Wilson & Company Limited Sycamore Street, Sheffield Manufacturer of Butchers Knives, Shoe-knives, General Cutlery and Steels. 'Four Peppercorns and a diamond' trademark. |
CustodialHistory | In the 1950s Joseph Elliot & Sons (Sheffield) Limited was contacted regarding its business records by the National Register of Archives. The first stage report was returned and no further enquiry was made regarding archive material as 'most of the records were destroyed during war period.'
In early 2000 Sheffield Archives were invited to the premises on Sylvester Street in order to select material before the building was gutted, renovated and turned into student accommodation which opened in the September of that year. |