W.A. Tyzack & Co. was a Sheffield, UK manufacturer of crucible steels, scythes, bill hooks, files, chisels, hammers, hand saws, trowels, other tools, and agricultural machine parts.
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| 1951 |
W.A. Tyzack & Co. 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 (1806-1867). Ebenezer's son William Alexander Tyzack (1836-1889) was the founder, with his sons William (1864-unk.), Ebenezer Bernard (1870-1903), and John Stanley Tyzack (1878-1941) following him into the business. William's son William Alec Tyzack (1895-1979) and John's son Donald S. Tyzack (1913-1992) entered the business in time.
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| Stella Works (picture Don Tyzack) |
The firm operated at Stella Works, Hereford Street, Sheffield, initially using water power from
Porter Brook. In 1948 they purchased file manufacturer Ibbotson Brothers & Co. and their
Green Lane Works on the River Don. They operated both locations until 1986, when they sold
Stella Works and moved to Green Lane Works. In 1987, W.A. Tyzack & Co. took control of rival
W. Tyzack, Sons & Turner. A management buy-out in 1989 was followed in just 2 years by receivership, with parts of the business sold internationally.
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| W.A. Tyzack & Co. gauging trowel |
A 1968 photograph of Stella Works, just north of the St. Mary's roundabout, is at
Picture Sheffield. Stella Works was demolished and the streets reconfigured, and there is a car park on the site. To get a sense of how densely Sheffield factories were built, see this
Google Street View of Sylvester Gardens, a few blocks away.
Green Lane Works is being preserved. 2012 photographs of Green Lane Works are at
Sheffield History.
So pleased to find this history here. From different people here in Melbourne, Australia, I bought two scythes which were clearly very old. Both have the name W.A.Tyzack engraved into them. One blade was very twisted so I took it to a blacksmith and it was he who scrubbed the rust away from the name so he could read it. Then I took them to a knife sharpener, and he also ran his fingers gently over the name, oohing and aahing at their very existence. So I thought, "Wow! What have I got here? I really only want to cut this very long grass, but I shall have a lot more respect now when I do it, and an awesome and practical connection to a lot of magnificent craftsmanship, the like of which you just don't find today. If you want pictures I am happy to supply.
ReplyDeleteI still have a two foot steel rule marked William Tyzack & Son England, my late father purchased it in the 1930s.
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