George Barnsley & Sons
George Barnsley and Sons Ltd was established in 1836 by George Barnsley, who started producing and selling files in Wheeldon Street in the Brookhill Area of Sheffield. George ran the business by purchasing pre-cut blank steels, transforming them into files, and then selling them. The business relocated to the Upperthorpe area of Sheffield on Cornish Street around 1850. George and his brother Charles acquired a steel making concern with 900 square meters of forges, workshops, and other buildings. They also began manufacturing leather working tools at this time. The Cornish Works site was expanded and mechanised in 1885. In 1890, the firm bought the Globe Works next to the Cornish Works, which was later sold. The company did not grow further after this period, and in the 1940s, they switched from gas-powered engines to electric motors.
As time passed and the world progressed after World War II, George Barnsleys and the Sheffield cutlery and tool industries began to decline. To combat this, the firm decided to upgrade some of its equipment by installing a new plate machine and precision lathe in necessary departments. By 1952, it was noted in a Directors meeting that customers remained loyal due to the high quality products. With financial support from the War Damages Commission, the firm was able to navigate through tough times. George Barnsley ceased file production in the early 1970s and eventually closed the doors on its Cornish Street site in 2004, following the departure of the final workers being laid off as the buildings fell into serious disrepair.
Fred Barnsley and his son, Colin, were part of the family descendants who departed. They acquired Woodware Repetitions Ltd, a well-known manufacturer of tool handles, and relocated to the former premises of John Clarke on Mowbray Street, situated just across the River Don from Barnsley's. Woodware absorbed Barnsley's inventory and in 2007, rebranded as 'George Barnsley & Sons Ltd'. While Woodware's expertise lay in woodturning, they maintained the tradition of selling shoe knives with the renowned 'A' mark up to the present day.
