The Dairy-Maids of Porter Brook (Part 3)

What a wonderful trace of history! These Dairy-Maid threads are a reference work for the cutlery mad . . . .errr minded among us!!
Thanks Jack, for all the work involved!!


Quotes taken from post #2:
["and succeeded by Thomas Ellin & Co in 1831. The Vulcan Works rolling mill was powered by steam rather than water"

"In 1811, Thomas Holy bought the Sylvester Wheel from the Norfolk estate, and sold it on to Thomas Ellin, cutler, in 1814"]

I have a knife marked T.Ellin & Co, and Vulcan!!! If I can find it, I will post it!

Found it!! I wonder how it relates to the Ellin's enterprises.

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Hope you don't mind me sticking these pics in here, Jack?? I'll delete if they intrude!
 
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Jack, you have an amazing way of bringing history to life and making it immediate and palpable. Very well done, and we need to organize a mass excursion to Sheffield with you as tour guide. And York. And... :)
 
ADEE said:
Another thank you from me Jack. You have put a lot of work into that journey. Thank you again. I am much wiser now.
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Thanks ADEE :)

waynorth said:
What a wonderful trace of history! These Dairy-Maid threads are a reference work for the cutlery mad . . . .errr minded among us!!
Thanks Jack, for all the work involved!!

Quotes taken from post #2:
["and succeeded by Thomas Ellin & Co in 1831. The Vulcan Works rolling mill was powered by steam rather than water"

"In 1811, Thomas Holy bought the Sylvester Wheel from the Norfolk estate, and sold it on to Thomas Ellin, cutler, in 1814"]

I have a knife marked T.Ellin & Co, and Vulcan!!! If I can find it, I will post it!

Found it!! I wonder how it relates to the Ellin's enterprises.

MarrowJack3_zps84dedccb.jpg


MarrowJack1_zps18b389ed.jpg


Hope you don't mind me sticking these pics in here, Jack?? I'll delete if they intrude!
Click to expand...

Thanks Charlie, and thanks for the pics. I think I may have an Ellin somewhere, but just a humble penknife, nothing to compare to that beauty of yours :thumbup:

According to the esteemed Geoffery Tweedale, Thomas ('Tommy') Ellin (1771-1845) was the eldest of four brothers, brought up by their grandfather when their father abandoned them after his wife died in 1779. The boys were all apprenticed as cutlers, Thomas in 1785, becoming a Freeman in 1792. Thomas married Ann Oldale, and became partner to her father Joseph in Oldale & Ellin, cutlery manufacturer. After Joseph's death, Thomas was partnered with his brother-in-law John Oldale.

After taking over the Sylvester Wheel, or Ellin's Wheel as it became known, Thomas Ellin is said to have been the first cutler to use steam-power, and the first to use circular saws to cut ivory, horn, and bone, the saws still being water-powered.

The firm became Thomas Ellin & Co in 1821, after the partnership of Oldale & Ellin was dissolved. As well as the Sylvester Works, Ellin had forging capacity at Vulcan Works in South Street.

Thomas Ellin became Master Cutler in 1833, a position later held by his son Thomas Ellin II (1799-1847) in 1841. Thomas Snr died aged 74 in 1845, but the younger Thomas died only two years later, aged 48. The firm passed to the younger sons, William and Joseph, but then William died in 1852.

The Sylvester Works was rebuilt in 1876. In 1881, about 150 workers were employed in producing table cutlery, pen and pocket knives, Bowies, hunting, palette, butchers', and plumbers' knives. Canada became an important overseas market, which was cultivated by the bi-annual visits of Fred Barber, who represented the firm as a traveller. After Barber's wife died in Sheffield in 1885, on a visit to Toronto three years later, he married Mrs Polly Bredin. It turned out though that Mrs Bredin was already married, and on the 16th November 1888, Barber shot himself with a revolver at Niagra Falls.

Among the marks later owned by Ellin's was that of J.Barlow & Sons.

The last Ellin at the firm retired in 1934, and Joseph Elliot & Sons soon acquired it, but the Ellin company wasn't formally dissolved until 1980.

Here's a pic of the area before WW2:

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CHARLIE, CHECK YOUR PM's, NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS THREAD, BUT I'VE BEEN WANTING TO SEND YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS!!!

plvickers said:
Jack, thank you for the always interesting tours with photos. You should write a travel book!
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Thank you sir, you're very welcome :)

RobbW said:
Jack, you have an amazing way of bringing history to life and making it immediate and palpable. Very well done, and we need to organize a mass excursion to Sheffield with you as tour guide. And York. And... :)
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Thanks Robb, I'd definitely be up for a grand tour of Sheffield! :) :thumbup:
 
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A wonderful read.
mmmm ...medicated snuff ! just the thing for those problematic lung conditions.

On the subject of poverty as it pertained to the workers-
My Dads uncle lived in Basford, Notts. He remembers in the late 40s and 50s that their house had earthen floors.Uncle Fred was a coal merchant.
I can remember visiting once as a small child and seeing a mountain of coal in his back yard.That and a psychotic budgie that wanted to peck young meako.
They weren't poverty stricken by today's standards.
Imagine living in a house with no floor in England in Winter!!
I don't care how much coal you've got. If I was a budgie I would not have been happy.
But times they are a changin'- not always for the worst.
I also look at your photes and wonder if any of them show the original river or if there's anything left of it at all as it flows through the new parts of town that have grown around it.
cheers again.
I know its a bit of a hike from you Jack but this place would prick yer ears up I reckon.
http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/finch-foundry/
 
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Hi Meako,

Thanks for the kind words my friend, and for the link. That looks an interesting place to visit - though I'm not sure I'd be able to afford the National Trust's prices if they're anything like what they are everywhere else! :eek:

I used to go out with a girl who lived in Basford - it's changed a lot round there now! Incredible isn't it? You'd think this island had recently drifted out of the Caribbean rather than being off the north coast of Europe, the way things were here until not very long ago. Those old wheels didn't have windows and had stone floors, and were bitterly damp. Even today, many homes don't have double-glazing, and up until the early 70's, boys wore short trousers right through the winter! :eek: And only the English would be daft enough to swim in the North Sea! :D

Andi is a snuff-lover, and about 20 minutes ago I bought him a tin of Wilson's traditional Sharrow Medicated snuff! ;)
 
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We don't hear a lot of cutlery history in Canada. Cutlery was an important industry, but not as huge, because of population, as it was in Sheffield, nor the USA.
There has always been a lot of passion in Niagara Falls though - a Honeymoon Capital!!;)
[quote post #24 above]The Sylvester Works was rebuilt in 1876. In 1881, about 150 workers were employed in producing table cutlery, pen and pocket knives, Bowies, hunting, palette, butchers', and plumbers' knives. Canada became an important overseas market, which was cultivated by the bi-annual visits of Fred Barber, who represented the firm as a traveller. After Barber's wife died in Sheffield in 1885, on a visit to Toronto three years later, he married Mrs Polly Bredin. It turned out though that Mrs Bredin was already married, and on the 16th November 1888, Barber shot himself with a revolver at Niagara Falls.[end quote]:eek:
 
I always enjoy your posts about Sheffield and other English towns. It is good to see that you preserve your traditions and history.:cool:
 
Thanks a lot guys :) :thumbup:

I found out some old pics of the Ellin knife I referred to above, it's in even worse condition than I remembered! :eek:





 
Jack,

What a wonderful series, and clearly your heart is really in this one.

Your final paragraph is on the money and makes a perfect ending.

Andrew
 
Thank you very much Andrew, I'm pleased you enjoyed it my friend :) :thumbup:

Jack
 
Wow, fascinating photos Jack, great stuff! :thumbup:
I just emailed myself the link to save it :) Thanks.
 
Thanks for another great tour.
Frog Walk looks pretty narrow, all right. But "there's room enough if you're close enough".
 
sitflyer said:
Wow, fascinating photos Jack, great stuff! :thumbup:
I just emailed myself the link to save it :) Thanks.
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Thanks Duane, I thought so too, always nice to learn something new :thumbup:

scrteened porch said:
Thanks for another great tour.
Frog Walk looks pretty narrow, all right. But "there's room enough if you're close enough".
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Thanks Jer, just thought I'd add that link :thumbup: I'm not sure if people were thinner then or if builders were just more economical, I went up a long 500 year old spiral staircase at the weekend, and it was quite a tight fit! Error Flynn and Basil Rathbone would have needed bent swords to fight their way down that one! :thumbup:
 
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