| AdminHistory | In 1819, Jonathan Beardshaw set up his eldest son, George, in the saw trade and entered into a partnership with him as Jonathan Beardshaw and Son. They operated from a works at Hollis Croft (where Jonathan and earlier members of the Beardshaw family had conducted business). They later moved to Garden Street.
An advertisement from 1847 describes the company as 'J. Beardshaw and Sons, manufacturers of saws, files and edge tools, steel refiners and general merchants of Garden Street, Sheffield'.
Jonathan Beardshaw died in 1851. His son, by now Alderman George Beardshaw, decided to extend the works and acquired land in Attercliffe where he built the 'Baltic Steel Works' in 1854.
J. Beardshaw and Son became a private limited company in 1893.
Whitakers Red Book describes the company in 1914 as 'manufacturers of steel, saws, files and twist drills. Specialities: high-speed steel and tools. Employees 200.' From the 1920s/1930s the firm produced 'Conqueror' 'Invincible' and 'Vigilant' steel products.
In 1932, the company expanded its rolling mill capacity through the acquisition of the Norfolk Bridge Works of John Willey and Sons, Limited.
By 1961 the firm employed a workforce of 350 people.
In 1965 Beardshaw’s bought Sheepbridge Rolling Mills and formed a new company, Sheepbridge Rolling Mills Ltd. In 1968 G Senior & Sons Ltd was taken over and a new subsidiary, Beardshaw Senior Steels Ltd was formed. Two of the Senior subsidiaries, Henry Eadon & Sons Ltd (later renamed Altmoss Ltd) and Seniors Canal Works Ltd, were also incorporated into Beardshaws. Financial problems for the company arose in the early 1970s and it appears the company was wound up c.1976.
Source: Grace's Guide to British Industrial History; Sheffield trade directories. |
| Description | J Beardshaw & Son Limited (MD7081/1)
Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1953 (MD7081/1/1)
Board of directors’ minute books, 1893 - 1943, 1954 - 1967 (MD7081/1/2)
Register of Documents Sealed, 1965 - 1975 (MD7081/1/3)
Share Certificates, 1951 - 1971 (MD7081/1/4)
Registers of Members, 1893 - 1971 (MD7081/1/5)
Divident Account Books, 1946 - 1968 (MD7081/1/6)
Liquidation account cash book (J Beardshaw & Son Ltd, Beardshaw Senior Steels Ltd, Senior’s Canal Works Ltd, Altmoss Ltd), 1966 - 1976 (MD7081/1/7)
Salaries account book, 1970 - 1974 (MD7081/1/8)
Unsecured creditors account book (Beardshaw Senior Steels Ltd, Sheepbridge Rolling Mills Ltd, Senior’s Canal Works Ltd, Henry Eadon & Sons Ltd, and J Beardshaw & Son Ltd), 1971 - 1974 (MD7081/1/9)
Unidentified cash account book, 1970 - 1972 (MD7081/1/10)
Liquidation appers, 1970 - 1976 (MD7081/1/11)
Beardshaw (Steels) Ltd (MD7081/2)
Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1966 (MD7081/2/1)
Register of members, etc., 1966 (MD7081/2/2)
Beardshaw Senior Steels Ltd (MD7081/3)
Cash book, 1969 - 1975 (MD7081/3/1)
Sheepbridge Rolling Mills Ltd (MD7081/4)
Memorandum and Articles of Association, 1965 (MD7081/4/1)
Share certificates and counterfoils, 1966 (MD7081/4/2)
Register of members, etc, 1966 (MD7081/4/3)
Cash Book, 1967-1975 (MD7081/4/4)
Senior’s Canal Works Ltd (MD7081/5)
Register of Members, etc., 1965 (MD7081/5/1)
Cash book, 1970 - 1974 (MD7081/5/2)
Henry Eadon and Sons Ltd (MD7081/6)
Register of Members, etc., 1964 (MD7081/6/1) |
| CustodialHistory | These items were partly donated to, and party purchased by Sheffield Archives in 1983. |