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Pearl warehouse Sheffield

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I was surprised to see in the 1911 census that a family member (female age 15) worked in a pearl warehouse, presumably in Sheffield, as she was living here.

Does anyone know of such a place?

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I think there is a Pearl Button making factory at Hackenthorpe, or there used to be.

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Minimo, I remember a pearl button factory just off Howard Street back in the late 40's.

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I think that must be it then, thanks very much.

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My Grandad Garrett was a pearl button worker. He came through the Great War unscathed & was knocked down by a lorry & killed on Hatfield House Lane in 1934.

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Minimo, I remember a pearl button factory just off Howard Street back in the late 40's.

 

There was a small pearl button factory in Crookes also, there's a house there called Pearl Villa but, I don't know if it had anything to do with pearl button makers.

No doubt someone will know.

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Apart from buttons, a great many table knife handles and pocket knife "scales" were also made in Sheffield from mother-of-pearl. Here is a photo with the caption "Harry Harrison, pocket knife cutler (pearl knives)".

 

Just for curiosity's sake, I looked in some old directories for pearl cutters. In White's Directory for 1905, under the heading "Pearl Cutters" there is a note "See Cutlery - Haft & Scale Cutters" of which dozens are listed, though many of these would have made handles and scales from horn and other materials. Six "Button Manufacturers" are listed in 1905, two of the listings specifying that they made pearl buttons. The 1925 Kelly's Directory lists nine firms under PEARL CUTTERS, three of the largest ones evidently being W. Gillott (who had operated in Arundel Street in 1905 and had moved to Eyre Lane), George Saville of "Sheffield Pearl Works" in Furnival Street and F. Singleton of Arundel Street. One "pearl button manufacturer" is listed in the directory - "Charles Garratt (back of) 23 Broomspring Lane". The list of pearl cutters in the 1973 Kelly's Directory reflects the gradual decline in the cutlery trades, as well as perhaps the use of synthetic materials, but two are listed - the old-established W. Gillott in Eyre Lane and F. Singleton, now of Rosedale Road. The button factory at Hackenthorpe referred to by DIDO is listed - "Charles Singleton Ltd, mother-of-pearl scale and button cutters" of Church Lane.

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Apart from buttons, a great many table knife handles and pocket knife "scales" were also made in Sheffield from mother-of-pearl. Here is a photo with the caption "Harry Harrison, pocket knife cutler (pearl knives)".

 

Just for curiosity's sake, I looked in some old directories for pearl cutters. In White's Directory for 1905, under the heading "Pearl Cutters" there is a note "See Cutlery - Haft & Scale Cutters" of which dozens are listed, though many of these would have made handles and scales from horn and other materials. Six "Button Manufacturers" are listed in 1905, two of the listings specifying that they made pearl buttons. The 1925 Kelly's Directory lists nine firms under PEARL CUTTERS, three of the largest ones evidently being W. Gillott (who had operated in Arundel Street in 1905 and had moved to Eyre Lane), George Saville of "Sheffield Pearl Works" in Furnival Street and F. Singleton of Arundel Street. One "pearl button manufacturer" is listed in the directory - "Charles Garratt (back of) 23 Broomspring Lane". The list of pearl cutters in the 1973 Kelly's Directory reflects the gradual decline in the cutlery trades, as well as perhaps the use of synthetic materials, but two are listed - the old-established W. Gillott in Eyre Lane and F. Singleton, now of Rosedale Road. The button factory at Hackenthorpe referred to by DIDO is listed - "Charles Singleton Ltd, mother-of-pearl scale and button cutters" of Church Lane.

 

Thanks for all that hillsbro, it puts into perspective the fact that it was another trade in Sheffield and also aligned to the cutlery trade too.

Duffems

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the pearl works is still there, off Howard St and Eyre St. no one seems to pay it any mind, however. I would love to see it restored. However it is to have a different fate - http://www.bolsterstone.com/current_projects_2.html

 

here's some photos of the building http://postcardcafe.wordpress.com/2011/06/09/the-pearl-works-eyre-street-sheffield/

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I was surprised to see in the 1911 census that a family member (female age 15) worked in a pearl warehouse, presumably in Sheffield, as she was living here.

Does anyone know of such a place?

It could have been this one---

 

 

William Gillot & Son Pearl Works Eyre Lane

 

By

 

VIN MALONE

 

The Pearl Works of W. Gillot & Son can be seen on Eyre Lane, its in a derelict state and to look at it now you wouldn’t believe the articles of beauty that were produced out of a sea shell from the other side of the world. The firm itself started out on Arundel Street and was just one of many Pearl Cutters in the Town, in 1923 a purpose built factory was built on Eyre Lane, the one in question, the Arundel Street building was retained to cut the Mother of Pearl, the Pearl blanks were taken to Eyre Lane where they were fashioned into handles for all types of Cutlery and Scales for pen & pocket knives. On Sheffield History web site you can read an account of the firm by the great grandaughter of Herbert Gillot and she recounts her memories with a great passion for her immediate family and the workforce who was also classed as her family, she relates to seeing her Grandfather at the saw cutting the Mother of Pearl and her Grandmother preparing the salad for all the workers at the large warehouse table.

During the second world war Gillots made Compass dials out of Pearl as they were totally indestructible but unfortunately the firm wasn’t and it had part of the roof blown off and the temporary repairs from that event are still in place toady albeit made of plastic now. In 1989 Gillots moved from its Eyre Lane premises to Callywhite lane Dronfield but trade wasn’t good and by 2005 they had ceased trading, another fantastic Sheffield firm gone.

Mother of Pearl has been used for thousands of years as personal and religious decoration, in Museums around the world have artefacts made of Pearl and is still has iridescent and colourful as the day they were made thousands of years ago. To see a dull, rough shell covered in barnacles you wouldn’t give it a second glance until you open it and wow, the colours dance and flash in the sunlight, it’s the Opal of the sea but not as expensive. 15th century Europeans gave Mother of Pearl its name during the reign of Queen Elizabeth the Ist, its other name is Nacre which comes from the Arabic word “Naqqarah” which means shell. The bulk of the Pearl that Gillots imported came from the South Pacific along with Abalone which is an edible Sea Snail and its colour of its shell is much darker than Pearl and doesn’t have the subtle colours of Pearl, never the less its fantastic.

During my years in the Cutlery trade I’ve worked with many Cutlers’ & Hafters working with Pearl and its so fascinating watching them shape and haft a handle to each knife blade and spoon & fork. Apart from being used as handles, millions & millions of buttons were made from Pearl, as a child (yes I once was one) on the Manor you could find bits of Pearl that were the off-cuts from the buttons, they were everywhere and as shiny as the day they were shipped thousands of miles across the world. The process of making Cutlery handles at Gillots can be seen in a short film at yorkshirefilmarchive.com and very interesting it is too, most people will think the same when they watch it apart from Mr W & Mr S the two pains in my nether regions, if there isn’t a ball involved they show no interest.

The photo of the small Tea Fork and the Pearl handle are from my own small collection of artefacts of my time in the only real Sheffield trade.

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My Grandfather was a pearl button maker in 1901

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