History of Sheffield

Sacto

Sacto

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For anyone that listens to podcasts, there is a podcast called Mark of Maker. They recently did an episode on the history of Sheffield. It had tons of fascinating information; and I learned a lot. The expert they had on was Grace Horne who is a cutler/scissor maker from Sheffield that trained under Trevor Albert. She is very interesting and a wealth of information. She basically goes through the history, from the beginning to present day, based on a handful of Sheffield items in her collection. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Disclaimer: there is a bit of swearing, so if you are offended by that, then it may not be for you.
 
I have listened to that a while ago.
This podcast was also mentioned a while back in one of the Sheffield related Threads - “Guardians of the Lambsfoot” or it may have been the “Made in Sheffield 1830 - 1930 a Golden age?”
 
Campbellclanman said:
I have listened to that a while ago.
This podcast was also mentioned a while back in one of the Sheffield related Threads - “Guardians of the Lambsfoot” or it may have been the “Made in Sheffield 1830 - 1930 a Golden age?”
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It was from around a month ago; I was just getting caught up on it. I didnt realize it had been discussed earlier. After I listened I thought people around here might be like it.
Jack Black said:
Unfortunately, while it's an enjoyable discussion, there's a surprising amount of bad information and inaccuracy in it.
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Thanks for the fact check. I hope It was mostly accurate. I don’t want to promote the spread of misinformation. It is a well-done podcast that I enjoy listening to, but I’ll have to be careful with the information that I’m fed.
 
Sacto said:
Thanks for the fact check. I hope It was mostly accurate. I don’t want to promote the spread of misinformation. It is a well-done podcast that I enjoy listening to, but I’ll have to be careful with the information that I’m fed.
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I have to say, I was very surprised by some of the factual inaccuracies, and by the number of them. It's a nice chat though, and I've subscribed :thumbsup:

By the way, Grace was NOT Stan Shaw's apprentice! :rolleyes:
 
Sacto said:
I must have missed that. I thought she said that she worked under Trevor Ablett for a bit.
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She did refer to Trevor Ablett, but I forget the extent of her claim. I think she may have just visited his workshop :thumbsup:
 
I'm half way through it and have to say enjoying it very much. She seems to have a real passion for her craft.
What should I watch out for subject wise that's off the mark Jack?
 
ed_is_dead said:
I'm half way through it and have to say enjoying it very much. She seems to have a real passion for her craft.
What should I watch out for subject wise that's off the mark Jack?
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I enjoyed the enthusiastic conversation too Ed :) It's a couple of weeks since I listened to it, and I really wouldn't want to go through it, and forensically eviscerate the content. I'd say, enjoy it for what it is, but if you want accurate information, look elsewhere. I'm trying my best to be kind ;) :thumbsup:

One of the things I would say is that Sheffield grinders did not blow each other up simply because one of them produced a bad batch of blades, for example. The practice of 'rattening' mainly involved the temporary removal of a man's tools or the bands which were used to harness water (later steam) power. This was not in relation to trade, but in relation to the payment of union dues ('natty money'). The cutlers and grinders union were among the least militant trade unions, with the saw-grinders union being the most militant. There were instances of shootings, and the use of explosives, but they were few in number, and did not relate to the quality of work produced, but rather to persistent 'blacklegs', and those employers who underpaid and/or hired young boys to work for them. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a single good book written about this period, though David Nicholl produced a pamphlet in the late 19th century. The best source of information is the transcript of the subsequent public enquiry, which was republished in 1971 by Adams & Dart, with an introduction by Sidney Pollard.

Likewise, I think it is incorrect to advance the idea that the accessibility of Sheffield contributed to its growth as a centre for cutlery production. Anyone looking at a map of England would conclude that Sheffield is centrally located, but even now, in winter, getting to it from the west can be difficult. The city is surrounded by hills and moors, boggy ground, and in the past, forests. Up until the building of the turnpike roads, and the establishment of the coaching network (only shortly before the railways), it was in fact very INACCESSIBLE, and even the factors who made the arduous journey, tended to do so in groups. Reference is made to the canal network, but Sheffield never had a through canal, and a link to the nearest canal was only built somewhat latterly (in terms of the time period referenced in the talk). At least one author has argued that the 'closed' nature of the town was a major factor in the growth of a singular trade, which dominated all others there.

Here are some links to the Guardians thread, where Frailer Frailer first drew attention to this podcast :thumbsup:

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/guardians-of-the-lambsfoot.1406735/page-2395#post-20346917

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/guardians-of-the-lambsfoot.1406735/page-2395#post-20347982

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/guardians-of-the-lambsfoot.1406735/page-2395#post-20348582

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/guardians-of-the-lambsfoot.1406735/page-2395#post-20348656

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/guardians-of-the-lambsfoot.1406735/page-2395#post-20350219

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/guardians-of-the-lambsfoot.1406735/page-2396#post-20350363
 
Jack Black said:
...Likewise, I think it is incorrect to advance the idea that the accessibility of Sheffield contributed to its growth as a centre for cutlery production. Anyone looking at a map of England would conclude that Sheffield is centrally located, but even now, in winter, getting to it from the west can be difficult. The city is surrounded by hills and moors, boggy ground, and in the past, forests. Up until the building of the turnpike roads, and the establishment of the coaching network (only shortly before the railways), it was in fact very INACCESSIBLE, and even the factors who made the arduous journey, tended to do so in groups. Reference is made to the canal network, but Sheffield never had a through canal, and a link to the nearest canal was only built somewhat latterly (in terms of the time period referenced in the talk). At least one author has argued that the 'closed' nature of the town was a major factor in the growth of a singular trade, which dominated all others there...
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Very interesting! I need to do some reading.
 
Frailer said:
Very interesting! I need to do some reading.
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There's a reference in the Guardians thread index to a list of free online resources, and Sally-Anne Taylor's two-part thesis is an excellent read. I have scores of old Sheffield history books! :D :thumbsup:
 
Jack Black said:
There's a reference in the Guardians thread index to a list of free online resources, and Sally-Anne Taylor's two-part thesis is an excellent read. I have scores of old Sheffield history books! :D :thumbsup:
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I have a copy of the thesis, and it’s slowly creeping its way up my “to read” list. ;)
 
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