John Sharp
1786 Born son of Thomas and Francis Sharp; brother of Thomas and Robert Chapman
1806 His 2 brothers, Thomas and Robert, had a workshop in Manchester for the manufacture of tools and general machines.
1823 John joined the firm
1828 Richard Roberts was taken into partnership by the brothers; the title of the firm became Sharp, Roberts and Co.
1836 December 31st. 'The Partnership heretofore subsisting between Thomas Sharp, Thomas Jones Wilkinson, Robert Chapman Sharp, John Sharp, and Richard Roberts, as Engineers and Machine-Makers, at Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, under the firm of Sharp, Roberts, and Co. was this day dissolved by mutual consent, so far as respects the said Thomas Jones Wilkinson and Robert Chapman Sharp, who retire from the said concern. — Witness our hands this 31st day of December 1836. Tho. Sharp. Thomas Jones Wilkinson. Robt. C. Sharp. Jno. Sharp. Richd. Roberts. [1]
1838 The company had 3 establishments, in Falkner Street and Great Bridgewater Street, one of which was the Atlas Works where locomotive engines were assembled; Thomas Sharp, John Sharp and Thomas Sharp, Junior were present at the visit of Marshall Soult [2].
1843 After the partnership of Sharp, Roberts and Co was dissolved, John Sharp and Thomas Beatt Sharp carried on their part of the business at the Atlas Works in Oxford street and Great Bridgewater street as Sharp Brothers. [3]
1850 July. John Sharp and John Robinson resigned from the partnership leaving Thomas Beatt Sharp in sole ownership [4]
1851 John Sharp, retired engineer, 65, living in Chorlton upon Medlock, with Dorothea Sharp 56, Dorothea Sharp 21, Mary Helen Sharp 21, Isabelle Sharp 19, Arthur Sharp 11[5]
1852 John Sharp, senior partner, retired. The firm became Sharp, Stewart and Co