William Makin and Sons: Difference between revisions
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Latest revision as of 12:26, 23 February 2025
Of Attercliffe Steel Works and Clifton Steel Works, Sheffield
20th Century advertising materials state that this business was established in 1736. This long pre-dates Makin’s involvement and, indeed, pre-dates the arrival in Attercliffe of Benjamin Huntsman (inventor of crucible cast steel) in 1761, so the origins of this business are obscure. The only steel refiners listed in Attercliffe in 1787 are Huntsman and Asline and Richard Swallow.
One of the references below shows Makin as successor to Benjamin Gilley. Little is known of Gilley. In 1810 a Benjamin Gilley was awarded 3 small plots of land under the Inclosure of Attercliffe Common. Land tax records for 1820 and 1823 show Benjamin Gilley as owner of property in Attercliffe with one small property rented to William Makin, but does not state whether this was residential or commercial. Gilley is listed in the 1822 Directory as a gentleman in Attercliffe, and he died in 1823, aged 83, so was born after the indicated commencement of this business.
The location of Makin’s Attercliffe works is known on maps from 1851; it was immediately adjacent to the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal, and the aqueduct over Darnell Road. This canal was opened 1819 and, given its location, it seems very unlikely that Makin’s works pre-dated the canal, so whatever preceded it is likely to have been elsewhere in Attercliffe.
William Makin was born in about 1796, the son of John Makin, a saw maker, and his wife Elizabeth.
1822 – William Makin – steel refiner and converter. Manufacturer of roller plates, rope axes, chisels, tobacco knives, &c., Attercliffe.[1]
1825 – William Makin (successor to Benjamin Gilley). Manufacturer of roller bars, bottom plates, rope axes, wrought iron spindles, chisels, &c. &c. for Paper Mills, tobacco knives, mill chisels, steel, &c. Attercliffe.[2]
1828 – William Makin - steel refiner and converter. Manufacturer of roller bars, bottom plates, wrought iron spindles, rope axes and chisels, for paper makers and corn millers, tobacco knives, &c. Attercliffe. [3]
1841 – William Makin – manufacturer, blister, bar and shear steel, engraver of cast steel plates, paper mill engine roller, brass and platers files, cast steel mill chisels, table and tobacco knives. Attercliffe Steel Works. [4]
1849 – William Makin – Roller plates, scythe, &c. manufacturer. Attercliffe. [5]
1851 - Census lists William Makin, steel manufacturer and merchant, resident in Doctor Lane, so presumably in Clifton House (first mentioned by name in newspapers in 1854). Also his son Edwin Makin (18), steel mfr(?). The 1851 OS map (attached) shows Attercliffe Steel Works located on the east side of Darnall Road, adjacent to the aqueduct where the Sheffield Canal crosses. Clifton House on Doctor Lane is also shown.
1852 – William Makin – Steel converter and roller, and mill chisel, machine knife, scythe, &c. manufacturer, Attercliffe. [6]
1854 – 1st mention of William Makin at Clifton Steel Works, Hillfoot Bridge. [7] Maps (attached)show this works just north of Hillfoot Bridge over the River Don, near Neepsend. At least a part of the site (perhaps all) was formerly known as Sandbed Wheel and Tilt Forge. It had been offered for sale in 1850, but there is no indication that Makin bought it then. The names Sandbed Tilt, Sandbed Wheel and Clifton Works were used fairly interchangeably over the years.
1856 – William Makin – Steel converters and rollers, mill chisel, machine knife, scythe, &c. manufacturers. Clifton Steel Works, Hillfoot, and Attercliffe. [8]
1857 – William Makin and Son (shown singular, but whether this was correct at this time is not know) – Steel converters and rollers, mill chisel, machine knife, scythe, &c. manufacturers. Clifton Steelworks, Hillfoot, and Attercliffe. [9] Partners were William Makin, his son Edwin John Makin and his new son-in-law James Marchinton (lately of [Marchinton Brothers]). Marchington had married Anna Elizabeth Makin on 26 Dec 1854 and left the partnership with his brother in Oct 1855, which probably gives us a good indication when Edwin and James joined the firm.
1861 - Patent 3186 of 1861 “To William Makin, of Attercliffe, in the parish of Sheffield, in the county of York, Steel Manufacturer, for the invention of improvements in apparatus for the manufacture of cast steel mill chisels, and other taper tools and files.” [10] [11]
1862 - William Makin and Sons – Steel converters, refiners and rollers, and manufacturers of files, scythes, mill chisel, machine knife, &c. Clifton Steelworks, Hillfoot, and Darnall Road, Attercliffe. [12]
1863 - Supplied experimental conical steel shot for tests by the Ordnance Committee at Shoeburyness.[13]
1863 – William Makin retired from the partnership on 23 Nov 1863, leaving Edwin John Makin and James Marchinton to continue the firm. [14] As indicated below, soon afterwards, Edwin’s brother Benjamin Makin was admitted a partner.
1864 – Edwin John Makin left the partnership on 23 Jan 1864, with James Marchinton and Benjamin Makin to continue. [15] Edwin went on to buy a partnership in George Hawksley and Co, silver platers.
1864 – On 11 Mar 1864 disaster struck Sheffield when the new Dale Dyke Dam failed and flood water swept down the River Don Valley. 250 people lost their lives. Makin’s works at Hillfoot was severely damaged and one man, William Simpson, who was working a night shift, was drowned. Photo
1865 – William Makin died 8 Jan 1865, aged 68. [16] Later records show that the property occupied by the company, at both Hillfoot and Attercliffe, belonged to William, and was placed into trust after his death. His will has not been seen.
1878 – William Makin’s widow, Mary (née Ingham) died on 30 Apr 1878. Notwithstanding this, the trust of William’s estate remained in existence, with ownership of the business properties.
1879 – William Makin and Sons, manufacturers of steel for engineers, steel forgings, files, paper knives, &c. Steel tilters and forgers, Clifton Steel Works, Neepsend Lane, and Darnall Road, Attercliffe. [17]
1886 – On 4 May 1886, an auction was held on the instructions of the trustees of William Makin (deceased) offering 4 lots for sale. The trigger for the sale is not apparent, perhaps just the beneficiaries of the will wanting to release the capital. The lots were all freehold and in the occupation of William Makin & Sons, and were as follows:- (1) The Sandbed Wheel Works, in occupation of William Makin & Sons. Comprising 6,360 sq yds, it included the weir, streams and 3 waterwheels, 3 tail hammers, workshops for manufacture of files and warehouses etc. (2) Land nearby used by artisans as gardens. (3) Land at Atterciffe adjacent to the aqueduct comprising 4,130 sq yds, housing two converting and melting furnaces, offices and 3 cottages. (4) Land fronting Doctor Lane and Darnall Road, Attercliffe, comprising 1,348 sq yds, with warehousing, workshops and offices. Lots 1 and 2 were sold to Mr J H Henry for £4,950 and £530 respectively. Lots 3 and 4 were sold for £930 and £360 respectively, with the buyer not declared (so could have been the company or member(s) of the family). [18] Whilst the sale perhaps suggests an intent to wind up the business, in fact operations continued as before.
1889 – On 30 Jun 1889 the partnership William Makin and Sons was dissolved by mutual consent. [19] The company had debts of £2,000 for which the partners were jointly liable.[20] The business was effectively split into two, with Benjamin Makin taking the name and continuing as William Makin and Sons at Attercliffe, whilst James Marchinton took the Clifton Works and traded as Makin, Marchinton & Co.(though there was no indicated involvement of Makin involvement). He was bankrupt in less than two years and ceased trading. [21] There is some indication that manufacturing continued at Clifton Steel Works, but by whom has not been established.
1901 – William Makin and Sons, manufacturers of steel tools, files, saws, hammers &c. Attercliffe Steel Works, Darnall Road. Benjamin Makin (sole) partner. [22] The census of 1901 shows that Benjamin’s sons, Herbert Harding Makin and Hubert Graham Makin were both assistants in the firm.
1911 - William Makin & Sons, Manufacturers of steel tools, files, saws, hammers &c. Attercliffe Steel Works, 1 Darnell Road, Attercliffe. Partners Benjamin Makin and his son Herbert Harding Makin. [23] His other son, Hubert Graham Makin was a manager and traveller for the firm, but not a partner.[24].
1919 - William Makin & Sons, Manufacturers of steel tools, files, saws, hammers &c. Attercliffe Steel Works, 1 Darnell Road, Attercliffe. [25] For those with a deeper interest, the year end accounts for William Makin & Sons 1898 to 1919 are held in Sheffield Archives.
1919 – Benjamin Makin died on 10 Jan 1919.
1921 – from Census – partners Herbert and Hubert Makin, but when thay became partners is not known. 17 Feb 1931 – William Makin & Sons Limited (324367) incorporated. To purchase the business and assets of William Makin & Sons of Attercliffe, steel makers and merchants, etc. and to carry on said business. Nominal capital £25,000. Initial subscribers Herbert Harding Makin and George Walton Allen. [26]
1934 – Hubert Graham Makin died 1 Dec 1934 aged 61.
1953 – Herbert Harding Makin died 3 Sep 1953, aged 86.
30 Apr 1982 – William Makin and Sons purchased K B Engineering (Tools) Ltd [27]
1984 – Petition for winding up William Makin and Sons Limited of Attercliffe Steelworks, Darnall Road, Sheffield, was presented by a creditor on 30 Nov 1984[28] and compulsory liquidation was put in hand. A final meeting of creditors was held on 6th June 2001. [29] A restoration order was made in 2015 and the company was finally struck from the register in 2018.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Baines Directory of the West Riding
- ↑ Gell’s Directory of Sheffield - 1825
- ↑ Pigot’s Directory 1828
- ↑ Rogers’ Directory of Sheffield 1841
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1849
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1852
- ↑ Sheffield Independent - 1 Apr 1854
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1856
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1857
- ↑ The London Gazette – 10 Jan 1862
- ↑ English Patents of Inventions, Specifications, 1861, 3153 – 3214
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1862
- ↑ Sheffield Daily Telegraph - 31 Mar 1863
- ↑ The London Gazette – 1 Dec 1863
- ↑ The London Gazette – 9 Feb 1864
- ↑ Sheffield Independent - 14 Jan 1865
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1879
- ↑ Sheffield Independent – 4 May 1886 and 5 May 1886
- ↑ The London Gazette – 11 Feb 1890
- ↑ Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Friday 11 December 1891
- ↑ Sheffield Daily Telegraph - Friday 11 December 1891
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1901
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1911
- ↑ 1911 Census
- ↑ White’s Directory of Sheffield 1919
- ↑ Incorporation documents, Companies House
- ↑ Company Accounts 1983
- ↑ The London Gazette – 12 Dec 1984
- ↑ The London Gazette – 9 May 2001