History of William Gilpin, Wedges Mills and Churchbridge Works

Trades' Guide, 1879, page 157

William Gilpin was an English tool manufacturer in Cannock, north of Birmingham. The firm operated 2 works near each other, Churchbridge Works and Wedges Mills. Gilpin operated from as early as 1834 to 1946 or later. Grace's Guide has a short page about them. We will try to add to this information.

History, Gazetteer and Directory of Staffordshire, 1834 

Gilpin brick and moulder's trowels

The Churchbridge Edge Tool and Axle Works, Churchbridge, 1926 - Britain from Above

"The Illustrated Sheffield List" by Edward Brookes, Sheffield

The Illustrated Sheffield List, published in 1871 by Edward Brookes, is one of the oldest English tool and machinery catalogues available on the internet. It was digitized by Google from the library of Oxford University and is available on the Internet Archive.

Also, I have downloaded and edited it down to the pages with trowels and masonry tools. Some pages only have one masonry tool, others have several. The entire index is included should you want to refer to the full copy on the Internet Archive.

I have not been able to find a history of Edward Brookes on the internet, but the firm bears a close similarity to Samuel Newbould and Co., as described on Grace's Guide.

History of Joseph Tyzack & Son, Ltd.

Meersbrook Works, 1940 catalogue

Joseph Tyzack & Son, Ltd., with its distinctive three-leg logo, was one of the most recognized Sheffield Tool manufacturers. Its good reputation has ensured the survival of its name to today, after many corporate mergers. As an independent firm, its product line was as broad as any tool and cutlery manufacturer, worldwide. I have been fortunate to recently purchase and scan a complete 1940 J. Tyzack & Son catalogue. The links are on the right side of this page. Following are key dates in the company's history:

1837 – Joseph Tyzack (1813-1891) started in business. After Thomas Tyzack (1842-1923) joined his father, it was renamed Joseph Tyzack & Son. "Thomas married and had three daughters, Cassandra, Minnie and Rose, and two sons, George and Clement. Clement (1877-1918) took over from his father and was succeeded by joint managing directors, Minnie (1879-1970) and Rose (born 1882).” (WK Fine Tools, a site no longer on the web)

1876 – Thomas Tyzack built Meersbrook Works, Valley Road, Heeley, later part of Sheffield. Parts of Meersbrook Works survives today.

1942 – Joseph Tyzack & Son joined Isaac Nash of Wollaston Mills, Stourbridge, Worcestershire to form Nash Tyzack Industries Ltd.

June 1951 letter confirming merger

1951 – Nash Tyzack Industries combined with William Hunt and Sons, The Brades, Ltd. to become Brades and Nash Tyzack Industries of Stourbridge.

1960 – Brades and Nash Tyzack Industries was acquired by Spear and Jackson, which kept its name.

1962 – Brades and Nash Tyzack Industries merged with C.T. Skelton and Co. of Sheffield to form Brades, Skelton and Tyzack, also called the BST Group.

1967 – Brades, Skelton and Tyzack became part of Spearwell Tools of Wednesbury, Staffordshire, with the following amalgamated firms: Brades and Nash Tyzack Industries Ltd., Edward Elwell Ltd., Edward and William Lucas Ltd., Isaac Nash & Sons Ltd., C.T. Skelton & Co. Ltd., Spear & Jackson Ltd., Thomas Staniforth & Co. Ltd.

J. Tyzack  & Son Centenary double hang finishing trowel

J. Tyzack & Son Canadian pattern brick trowel

J. Tyzack tuck iron

J. Tyzack & Son stainless steel pointing trowel

J. Tyzack & Son 4½ inch brick bolster

The Descendants of John Tyzack (1747-1796), With Their Sheffield Companies

Two of the sons of John Tyzack (1747-1796) were tool and cutlery makers, and they and their descendants founded 5 tool and cutlery companies in and around Sheffield and one in London. With my wife's assistance and information from Tyzack.net and other internet sources, we have created this family tree to show Sheffield's most prominent tool making family. The companies are:

Joseph Tyzack & Son, Ltd.

Needham, Veall & Tyzack, Ltd. (cutlery only)

S. Tyzack & Son (Shoreditch, London)

Tyzack & Holmes Ltd. (measuring tools)

W.A. Tyzack & Co., Ltd.

W. Tyzack, Sons & Turner, Ltd.     

History of Lock Tools, Ltd.

Lock Tools, Ltd. was a secondary brand of William Hunt & Sons, The Brades, Ltd. Lock Tools was incorporated 8 Nov. 1940, with the address of City Road, Brades, Oldbury. It was independent in later years and dissolved in 1982. Their label featured Lock Tools Ltd. in a circle, with City Road Oldbury in large type around the outside of the circle.

Although the office address was City Road, the Brades steel works was southeast of Brades Rd. where it crosses the Birmingham Canal. The area remains industrial today, although the only visibly old structure on the site is the iron fence along Brades Rd. Brades Tavern is just up the road.
   

Lock Tools, Ltd.  brick hammer 

Quote from comments:

This was my family's business started by my grandfather and his business partner. It was not a sub brand of William Hunt and Sons in the latter years being solely owned by my Grandfather Uncle and father. By a quirk of fate I now live near to the factory and the old office block still remains. The business was dissolved in 1982. 

History of Ward & Payne, Ltd.

The Illustrated Guide to Sheffield, 1879

Ward and Payne, Ltd., Limbrick Works, Hillsborough, Sheffield made many types of forged hand tools during its long existence. These included brick trowels and various chisels for masonry. Its 1953 Price List included "shears, secateurs, trowels, forks, cultivators, dibblers, hooks, hoes, rakes, spades, shovels, chisels, pliers, pincers, adzes, hatchets, choppers, augers, bits, drills, braces, try squares, levels, gauges, turnscrews, spokeshaves, saws, bradawls, punches, blades, planes, caulking irons, scrapers, plumb bobs, masons tools, hammers, pincers, needles, spanners, grips, calipers, vices, cramps, stops, compasses, dividers, ladles, mallets, wedges, knives, groovers, figure and letter marks, oil cans, glue pots." Earlier, they also made wood chisels, files, razors, axes, and washer cutters. Their tools were labeled Ward & Payne or Ward, both with a trademark of 2 crossed hammers over an anvil.

David Ward (about 1767-1822) founded the edge tool forging business in 1803. When his son Edward Ward (1813-1842) joined, the company name changed to David Ward & Co. Edward Ward's brother-in-law Henry Payne, an established edge tool maker, joined Ward and registered the Ward & Payne trademark in 1843. After Edward Ward's premature death in 1842, his share was put in a trust until his son David Ward (1834-1889) came of age. Payne died in 1850, and his widow briefly retained an interest in the firm, but this apparently passed to the Ward trustees. Under the second David Ward, Master Cutler and Mayor of Sheffield, the company achieved its greatest success. His obituary in the American magazine Hardware is quoted at the bottom.

In 1828, Ward was on Portobello St., in 1841 their address was 95-97 Trippet Lane, and by 1860 they were at 110 West St., where they retained offices at 112-114 West St. as late as 1905. In 1882 they bought Limbrick Wheel (also called Limerick Wheel) in Hillsborough on the River Loxley, a site damaged in the Great Sheffield flood. They rebuilt it as Limbrick Works, using water to power the grinding wheels.

Ward & Payne, Limbrick Works, 1948, center right

To see Ordnance Survey maps of Limbrick Wheel and Works from 1853 to 1963, go to this page at Old-Maps.

In 1967, Wilkinson Sword Ltd. purchased the whole of the share capital of Ward and Payne Ltd., and continued to sell Ward & Payne tools. The works was destroyed by fire about 1970, and housing was built on the site. This Google Street View is from Limbrick Close, looking across the Loxley.

Further up the Loxley outside Sheffield, Pro-Roll Ltd. operates a hand rolling mill dating to 1882, Little Matlock Rolling Mill. Steel bar stock for forged tools was rolled in the same way, as Pro-Roll's video shows. Another YouTube video, Record Tools Sheffield my time in the forge, shows chisels being forged from bar stock.

For more information about Ward & Payne, see Picture Sheffield and Grace's Guide.

General Directory of the Town and Borough of Sheffield, 1845

Ward brick bolster

Ward & Payne brick trowel

Ward drill

The Engineer, 22 Dec 1882
An interesting item of the week is the purchase of the Limerick Wheel, from the Sheffield Water Company, by Alderman David Ward, of the firm of Ward and Payne, West-street.  The Limerick Wheel is situated near Malin Bridge, which was brought into prominence at the great Sheffield flood in 1864, and from that day has remained a total wreck.  It consists of over eleven acres of freehold land, with all the ashlar, stone, and other building material on the ground.  It is Mr. Ward’s intention to rebuild the Wheel, and erect extensive works for the further development of the steel, sheep-shear, and edge-tool branches of his business, and if he pleased he could transfer the whole of his great undertaking to the locality, and thus have at liberty for mercantile establishments the property in West-street, which is one of the most valuable in the town.  In 1864 Mr. Joseph Barker, one of the proprietors of Limerick Wheel, was lost in the flood, which caused the drowning of 240 persons and the destruction of property to the value of half a million sterling.

David Ward's obituary:

Announcement is made by Ward & Payne, the well-known manufacturers of Sheep-Shears, &c., Sheffield, England, of the death of their senior, Mr. David Ward, on the 18th ult.  Mr. Ward was in vigorous health at the time of his death, which was very sudden.  He was born on the 8th of December, 1884, and was therefore in the fifty-fifth year of his age.  Mr. Ward had been from an early period connected with the above firm.  His grandfather was the founder of the establishment, and upon his death in 1822 the business passed into the hands of his son, who prior to his death in 1842 admitted Henry Payne into partnership.  At the time of his father’s death Mr. Ward was but eight years old, and owing to his minority the business was conducted for some years by trustees.  When he at length assumed active control of the firm its development was very rapid and gratifying.  The business was largely extended and new lines of manufacture added.  The Carving Tool trade of S. J. Addis, of London, was purchased, and these goods soon occupied a high place in the market.  The manufacture of Sheep-Shears was subsequently undertaken and their introduction energetically pushed until the product of the firm acquired a world-wide reputation.  Another important extension was the manufacture of Spades, Shovels, and similar goods at Limbrick Wheel.  In the management of the varied departments of this large establishment Mr. Ward displayed rare abilities, and the present high standing of the firm is largely due to his untiring industry and indefatigable enterprise. Mr. Ward, after serving the office of Senior Warden of the Cutlers’ Company, was installed Master Cutler in 1877, which office he might have held at a much earlier date, but the honor was declined by him.  Mr. Ward was also elected to various municipal offices in Sheffield, and was at one time its mayor.  The duties of these several positions were discharged with honor and credit and a painstaking fidelity to the best interests of his constituents.  Mr. Ward’s devotion to business was tempered by a rare love for sport.  He was an excellent shot and spent much of his leisure time in shooting at his moors at Lady Cross.  Mr. Ward was much devoted to his family, a man of marked benevolence and conscientious purpose, and his death will be mourned by a very numerous circle of friends. 

Filling Knives and Putty Knives in the United Kingdom

Buck & Hickman, Ltd. 1958 catalogue

The filling knife has a flexible blade to apply plaster, mastic, or a paste as a filler. The traditional filling knife, as made since the 19th century, has a forged steel blade that is ground to a taper, and a bolster that is integral with the blade or pewter, and a hardwood handle.

The clipt point putty knife, for glazing windows, has one curved side and the other has an angled straight edge. It is made the same way as the filling knife, with less of a taper grind.

It is likely that many cutlery makers in Sheffield and elsewhere made filling and putty knives, including R. Mather & Son and Clarkson & Co.  Footprint Tools still makes traditional wood-handled filling knives and putty knives in Sheffield.

Filling knives, Clarkson & Co. (second from right)

Filling knife, clipt point putty knife by Harris 

Filling knife by H. & S.L., Sheffield

History of Marriott or Marriot Foundry Moulding Tools

James Marriot square trowel, photo by Steve Roche

The family who spelled their name as Marriott and Marriot were makers of foundry moulding tools in Sheffield, UK. The earliest reference found is to Frederick Marriott, a moulders tool maker of 210 Park Hill Lane. He was injured in the Great Sheffield Flood and awarded compensation 27 April 1865. The next references are in White's Sheffield & District Directory of 1871, with F. Marriott, masons' tool maker, and James Marriott, blacksmith, both on Blonk St., Sheffield.

White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham, 1911

In 1905 and 1911, White's Directory of Sheffield & Rotherham recorded James Marriott, moulders' tool maker, of 18 Joiner Street, Sheffield. In 1925, Sheffield & Rotherham Kelly's Directory has John Marriott, moulders' tool manufacturer, still at 18 Joiner Street, with Francis E. Fretwell as proprietor.

I have not been able to find a history of the firm on Grace's Guide or elsewhere on the internet. The few tools I located are clearly stamped J. or JAMES MARRIOT SHEFFIELD. Thank you to Steve Roche for the photographs of his Marriot square trowel.

James Marriot heart and square

History of Brades, Skelton & Tyzack Ltd., The BST Group

The BST Group, or Brades, Skelton & Tyzack Ltd., was a business formed in 1962 from those venerable English tool manufacturers (Grace's Guide). This is the builders' tools section of BST's 1963 catalogue. BST manufactured a full line of builder's tools, including WHS and Tyzack brick trowels, plastering trowels, concreting trowels and tools, brick hammers, scutches, mortar picks, bolsters, chisels, and slater's tools. BST became part of Spearwell Tools in 1967.

The individual Companies of William Hunt & Sons The Brades Limited and Joseph Tyzack & Son Limited have been known for generations as the manufacturers of the finest Brick and Plastering Trowels in the country. The Brand Names "W.H.S." and "3-LEG" have long been established bywords with Bricklayers and Plasterers everywhere, some expressing a preference for one brand and some the other. Now that these two great Companies are both operating in the B.S.T. Group the best of manufacturing methods, highly skilled craftsmanship and vast resources are pooled to meet the ever increasing demand and to enhance still further the quality and finish of this comprehensive range of specialised products.

A link to the entire BST catalogue is under Vintage Trowel and Tool Catalog Downloads.

History of W. Tyzack, Sons & Turner, Ltd.

W. Tyzack, Sons & Turner, Ltd. was a Sheffield, UK maker of hand and circular saws, agricultural knives and machine parts, steel, files, chisels, twist drills, hammers, and plastering trowels. The firm's logo was an elephant, with the word "Nonpareil", meaning unrivaled. This scanned catalog includes all of their tools, but not their agricultural machine parts.

W. Tyzack stone hammers 1950

W. Tyzack Sons & Turner 1950 Catalogue

W. Tyzack Sons & Turner originated from the division of the William Tyzack (1781-1858) family tool-manufacturing into 3 competing businesses, following the death of his son Ebenezer Tyzack (1807-1867). Ebenezer's brothers William (1816-1889) and Joshua (1816?-1889?) were the founding partners. In 1870 their sister Ann's son Thomas Turner joined them, forming William Tyzack, Sons and Turner. The business incorporated in 1906 under William's son Frederick Tyzack, and Tyzack family members continued to largely control it. Here is a collection of photographs, most from 1912, courtesy of Mr. Don Tyzack.

Frederick Tyzack, 1912 (from Don Tyzack) 

W. Tyzack Sons & Turner was unusual for Sheffield tool makers, in that they operated 2 separate works simultaneously for over 55 years. The initial partnership operated as tenants at Abbeydale on the River Sheaf, where the elder William leased rights in 1849. W. Tyzack Sons & Turner operated there until 1933. Abbeydale Works is now a living history museum. The short film from the 1970s shows Abbeydale's machinery running, clay crucibles being made, and tools being forged: Abbeydale Industrial Hamlet - Colour.

In 1876, they purchased a corn mill in Heeley, down-river from Abbeydale, with rights to Little London Dam. They constructed Little London Works, enlarging it over time. The business was also distinctive in preferring to use water power over steam or electricity. Little London Works had a water-powered forge as late as 1926. The business address was Saxon Road, on the north end of the works. The firm was taken over by its rival W.A. Tyzack in 1987, the works were demolished in 1988, and the company broken up and sold off in 1991.

Little London Works (picture Don Tyzack)

Today, Broadfield Court enters the site from the south. The Google Street View below shows the eastern entrance from Little London Rd.

W. Tyzack plasterer's trowels 1950

Update on Reopening of Footprint Tools

Good news for home-country manufacturing comes from the web publication DIY Week, which covers the hardware trade in the United Kingdom. The quote below is in comments on a 2009 article.

Footprint Re-Opening
3/23/2015 10:05:00 AM
By Tim Jewitt
A few years later than all the other comments but wanted to explain further what happened. 

When we entered into liquidation in 2009 we were asset rich, but cash poor. We had of plenty of assets but no cash with which to pay staff and bills with. 

The main reason for this was that we were moving to a new factory and investing in custom made forging equipment. Therefore we had ceased production to move into the new factory and had invested heavily in building up finished stock to cover us for the period of the move. 

Unfortunately the recession hit and all the cash was tied up as stock and not selling to generate cash. We had to pay wages, bills plus the additional cost of moving all our machinery (most machines were several tons in weight and are embedded in concrete foundations) led to no cash. 

As a family it was heartbreaking decision to enter Members Voluntary Liquidation. My grandfather (second generation)and father had worked there all their lives. You could say Footprint was member of our family. 

We did use the government to step in and pay the redundancy. However, much to the Civil Service's surprise (apparently this doesn't happen very often) we did fully repay the Government for all the redundancy pay that they had paid. All our staff were kept fully informed of the decision and why we had made it and what was going to happen.

When we closed the business the family still owned a lot of the assets. But it was decided to have another go, we started up smaller. When we were closing we didn't think we would re-start again so had sold off most of machinery, including our large forging equipment, to raise cash to eventually pay all our creditors and redundancy payments.

The new company is predominantly made up of old employees and we are growing. 

In January 2014 we bought a larger forge and are now forging everything ourselves. We are slowly growing the business again and winning back customers who had re-sourced to Chinese or Indian made products. 

As a family we learned that timing is everything and for us we got the timing wrong. When we closed we were turning ourselves around and investing in new custom made machinery, we were planning on growing not shrinking. 

Thank you to all our customers who have supported Footprint as we rebuild Footprint Tools and invest in British manufacturing.