Report - George Barnsley Sheffield - Oct 2013

Waterboy · Oct 11, 2013

Hi,

Spent a day in Sheffield exploring the old George Barnsley buildings. The site is huge, we spent around 5 hours going through all the main offices and some of the outbuildings, and still didn't see everything. Eventually hunger and soon to be fading light leading us to call it a day. Met a surprising amount of other explorers (about 4 other groups), so it's definitely a popular venue at the moment. Big thanks to the group from Derby, who assisted our entrance, and the people we met inside. It's an old tool makers for leather workers, files etc in the outbuildings you can see some of the original machines to make the tools, and as you enter the main office block you'll find typical offices and also a lot of storage places that appear to be where they kept stock.

History:

George Barnsley was apprenticed into the filemakers trade in 1823 by his mother, Anne, who had been widowed. He was signed in to the apprenticeship â€“ to a Thomas Wing of Sheffield â€“ for seven years and two hundred and seventy one days. He later went in to partnership with his brother and they established themselves as one of the worlds leading manufacturers of tools for the shoe making and leather trades.

The company was originally founded in 1836. They specialised in forge filing and cutting tools for leather workers and shoe makers. The Barnsley family has a great history in specialist tool making, with one George Barnsley becoming a Master Cutler in 1650, and the latest one in 1883.

George Barnsley and Son is listed in the 1837 Sheffield directory as a file manufacture situated on Wheeldon Street, The 1849 listing records a move to Cornhill and the 1852 to the Cornish works on Cornish street. They had by this time also increased there product range to include steel files, shoe and butchers knives.

They are again listed in 1944 as manufactures of files and blades, shoe knives and leather workers tools.

In the 1948 listing the business had become George Barnsley and Son Ltd.

George Barnsley died, aged 83, at his home at No 30 Collegiate Crescent on 30th March 1958, he lived there with his wife Mabel and mother-in-law Elizabeth. He was a partner in the firm which were steel and file manufacturers and the business was converted into a limited company about 10 years before his death.

He had a long army career, joining up in 1896 and serving in the Boer war and two world wars. Colonel Barnsley played a leading part in the development of the Army Cadet Force in Sheffield.

The company grew throughout the 19th century and the Barnsley family were held in high regard in the thriving city. Eventually the outdated factory and production methods fell victim to the increasingly competitive import market and the growing costs of production, finally closing in 2003.

Barnsley tools are still used in the shoe trade, they were high quality tools cherished by leather workers. The company ceased trading as George Barnsley in the early 1990s, and their stock was absorbed by a company called Woodware Repetitions - still in Sheffield - which is owned by Colin and Roger Barnsley.