Bromley, Fisher and Turton
Bromley, Fisher and Turton, steel and file manufacturer of Sheffield
1864 Joseph Bromley (born c1828) entered into business at Columbia Steel Works, Suffolk Road, Sheffield as a “Manufacturer of all kinds of steel.” His advertisement stated that he had been “sixteen years with S S Brittain and Co”. [1]. Prior to this he was recorded as a steel refiner, but presumably as a journeyman.
1867 Joseph Bromley also occupied part of the Canal Works, Cadman street, Sheffield.
1869 In October Joseph Bromley bought a steel manufactory in Shoreham Street for £950. Formerly known as the “Borussia Works” and operated by Slater, Blunt and Co., Bromley renamed the works Midland Works. Located on Shoreham Street, between the junctions with Matilda Lane and Leadmill Street (map attached). [2]. The Columbia Steel and File Works was offered to let in December.
c1870 Joined in partnership by John Fisher, trading as Bromley and Fisher.
1879 Directory entry - Bromley and Fisher; manufacturers of steel, files, hammers, etc. Midland Works, Shoreham Street. [3]
1880 Fisher retired on 17 Nov 1880 and Bromley continued as sole partner, but still trading as Bromley and Fisher, steel and file manufacturers. [4]
1896 Joseph Bromley died 11 Nov 1896. [5] His executor was his wife Elizabeth and the business continued to trade in her hands.
1898 (first reference Apr 1898) – Edward Turton joined the firm which became Bromley, Fisher and Turton. Edward Turton (1875-1952) was a son of George Turton founder of George Turton, Platts and Co.
1899 Dissolution of the partnership between Elizabeth Bromley and Edward Turton as steel manufacturers under the style of Bromley, Fisher and Turton.[6]. Debts met by Edward Turton.[7]
1900 Bromley, Fisher and Turton Limited registered with capital of £5,000. [8]. Edward Turton was Managing Director and they continued to occupy the Midland Works in Shoreham Street.
1901 Directory entry - Bromley, Fisher and Turton Limited - Manufacturers of steel, files, hammers, rollers, bars and paper and machine knifes. Midland Works, Shoreham Street. [9]
1911 Directory entries - Bromley, Fisher and Turton Limited - Manufacturers of steel, files, etc. Midland Works, Shoreham Street. Edward Turton - governing director. Edward Turton’s brother, Frederick William Turton, is shown as a member of the company, and as managing clerk, but he did not stay with the firm. [10]
1920 Bromley, Fisher and Turton Limited, Midland Works, Shoreham Street. Manufacturers of steel, files etc. [11]
1921 Census records Frederick Michael Parkin steel maker and metallurgist, out of employment, late of Bromley, Fisher and Turton. Earlier records indicate that he had been works manager. Indicative of the turn down in business during the depression. He was to go on to create his own business, F. M. Parkin (Sheffield).
1937 Directory entry - still listed at Midland Works, Shoreham Street.[12]
1939 Register of this year (September) shows Edward Turton still as Managing Director.
By 1946 Bromley, Fisher and Turton Ltd was a subsidiary of Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA).[13] They were part of BSA steels group comprising William Jessop and Sons Ltd and J. J. Saville and Co Ltd. Information is scant. As a very small part of the steels group, they are rarely mentioned in BSA's annual results presentation. They are not listed in Sheffield local directories after 1937 until 1948, when they appear as "Bromley, Fisher & Turton Ltd., steel mfrs.; files of any types including engineers' and swiss precision, Midland Works (P.O. Box 36) 1. T.N. 41855", but no street address is given. However, they are in phone directories between 1940 and 1957 as maker of steel files, Brightside Lane, Sheffield. Brightside Lane was home of William Jessop and Sons' works, which suggests that Bromley, Fisher and Turton had joined BSA and relocated in about 1940. Further information would be welcome.
1951 In June BSA was notified that the Iron and Steel Corporation of Great Britain intended to exercise their option to take over (ie nationalise) BSA’s steel interests, including William Jessop and Sons Ltd, J J Saville and Co Ltd., and Bromley, Fisher and Turton Ltd., all of Sheffield. However, in November it was announced that negations had been suspended (perhaps helped by the Conservative general election victory) and on 24 Jun 1953 BSA were notified that the Iron and Steel Corp would not exercise its option. All three remained part of BSA. [14]
1957 Directory entry - includes Bromley, Fisher and Turton in Brightside Lane as Steel maker, Midland Works.[15]
1957 Reference to R P Wallace as MD of BSA Steels division which comprised “William Jessop and Sons Ltd., and associated companies J J Saville and Co Ltd., and Bromley, Fisher and Turton Ltd.”[16]
1959 The companies in BSA’s steel group were consolidated into two new companies, Jessop-Saville Limited and Jessop-Saville (Small Tools) Limited.[17]
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Sheffield Daily Telegraph - 23 Aug 1864
- ↑ Sheffield Independent - Wednesday 27 October 1869
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1879
- ↑ London Gazette 23 Nov 1880
- ↑ Sheffield Evening Telegraph - 11 Nov 1896
- ↑ The Times Dec. 23, 1899
- ↑ London Gazette 22 December 1899
- ↑ Sheffield Evening Telegraph - 13 Mar 1900
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1901
- ↑ White’s Directory 1911 and 1911 census
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1919-1920
- ↑ Kelly's Directory of Sheffield 1937
- ↑ The Other Battle 1946 (A history of Birmingham Small Arms Limited) by Donovan M. Ward - See org chart on page 4
- ↑ Financial Times - 26 Jun 1951; Sunday Express - 11 Nov 1951; Financial Times - 26 Nov 1953
- ↑ Kelly's Directory of Sheffield 1957
- ↑ Birmingham Daily Post - 15 Oct 1957
- ↑ Financial Times 19 Nov 1959