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Robertson & Russell


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Guest akademik

Does anyone out there know anything about the firm of Robertson & Russell?

Their core business was stained glass; there's a large number of windows in St Andrews Psalter Lane church that they did. On the web (flickr), there's pix of a window in St Mary's church, Bolsterstone, Sheffield. They also did Rolls of Honour after the Great War a.k.a. WWI, i.a. in Castle Square post office and in Wadsley Church: these look as if they are ceramic tiles of some sort. At some point their business was described as "artists in stained glass, church furnishers, makers of hand made furniture & restorers of antique furniture"; by the 1950, they were formica suppliers & makers.

Robertson & Russell seem to have been active c. 1910-c.1960; I have the successive addresses:

Wentworth Works, Burgess Street

7 Cambridge Street

43 Carver Street

114 & 116 Broad Lane

I'm interested in all aspects of the history of the business. I would also appreciate directions to further specimens of their work.

There's also the Sheffield stained-glass artist Donald Robertson, almost certainly the son of Thomas Robertson, co-founder of R&R; but it is not clear to me whether Donald R. was part of R&R. Donald R. may have been active from c. 1931 to c. 1980.

For a couple of years in the 1930s, after Robertson & Russel had become Robertson & Russell Limited, a director of R&R was George Hammond Steel. I have not found any specific Russell who was a partner in the firm.

Thanks

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Does anyone out there know anything about the firm of Robertson & Russell?

Their core business was stained glass; there's a large number of windows in St Andrews Psalter Lane church that they did. On the web (flickr), there's pix of a window in St Mary's church, Bolsterstone, Sheffield. They also did Rolls of Honour after the Great War a.k.a. WWI, i.a. in Castle Square post office and in Wadsley Church: these look as if they are ceramic tiles of some sort. At some point their business was described as "artists in stained glass, church furnishers, makers of hand made furniture & restorers of antique furniture"; by the 1950, they were formica suppliers & makers.

Robertson & Russell seem to have been active c. 1910-c.1960; I have the successive addresses:

Wentworth Works, Burgess Street

7 Cambridge Street

43 Carver Street

114 & 116 Broad Lane

I'm interested in all aspects of the history of the business. I would also appreciate directions to further specimens of their work.

There's also the Sheffield stained-glass artist Donald Robertson, almost certainly the son of Thomas Robertson, co-founder of R&R; but it is not clear to me whether Donald R. was part of R&R. Donald R. may have been active from c. 1931 to c. 1980.

For a couple of years in the 1930s, after Robertson & Russel had become Robertson & Russell Limited, a director of R&R was George Hammond Steel. I have not found any specific Russell who was a partner in the firm.

Thanks

Thomas Robertson, Artist in stained glass (Robertson & Russell)

1911 home Farfield, Neepsend

1919 home 404 South Road, Walkley

1925 home 35 Walkley Crescent Road

No sign of Russell ...

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They also did Rolls of Honour after the Great War a.k.a. WWI, i.a. in Castle Square.

Page 22

At ground level in the Angel Street corner is a post office, whose entrance is now host to a First World War memorial to Sheffield’s postal workers. The panel, showing a roll of honour between two classical columns, was moved from a nearby post office due to its closure in 1999. It was made by a local firm, Robertson & Russell, from an

apparently ceramic material called morsatile; its opus sectile-like sheen and curving, cut forms suggest it contains some glass. The firm produced several other morsatile war memorials for local churches during 1920-1, including the example still extant at Wadsley Parish Church, Worrall Road, to the west of the city centre, where Jeremiah Robertson of Robertson & Russell was a parishioner.

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7 Cambridge Street

Cambridge Street in 1911-1925, possibly longer - listed as Wentworth Works, 7 Cambridge Street in 1911.

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There's also the Sheffield stained-glass artist Donald Robertson, almost certainly the son of Thomas Robertson, co-founder of R&R; but it is not clear to me whether Donald R. was part of R&R. Donald R. may have been active from c. 1931 to c. 1980.

1965.

Donald Robertson, artist in stained glass. 62 Wilkinson Street, S10.

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Guest akademik

Thanks, RichardB and SteveHB, those are useful bits and pieces. I do not understand Richard's link to Lively World of British Art, though. The "Jeremiah Robertson" from Ms Pearson's website (http://www.lynnpearson.co.uk/Yorkshire.pdf) I believe to be a mistake.

I now know that there was a veritable lead glass dynasty of Robertsons (grandfather – father – son):

Alexander Robertson (fl. 1881-1891, Leeds)

Thomas Robertson (1877, London – 1966, Sheffield), Robertson & Russell

Donald Robertson (1905 – 1985)

It is my impression that Donald in turn had a son “Wltr”: at least the 1951 directory gives the same address for them, 6 Rydalhurst Avenue, and the same telephone number, 22786 (Walter is at that address already in 1948, but not yet Donald; Walter is no longer in the 1954 issue); but there is no indication what Walter's profession may have been.

Alexander Robertson (fl. 1881-1891, Leeds)

Thomas Robertson (1877, London – 1966, Sheffield), Robertson & Russell

Donald Robertson (1905 – 1985)

Walter Robertson (fl. 1948-1951, Sheffield)

(grandfather – father – son – grandson(?))

The Russell side of the affair remains a blank for the nonce.

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Thanks, RichardB and SteveHB, those are useful bits and pieces. I do not understand Richard's link to Lively World of British Art, though. The "Jeremiah Robertson" from Ms Pearson's website (http://www.lynnpearson.co.uk/Yorkshire.pdf) I believe to be a mistake.

By way of a jest + I've no idea what any of it means; I find 'em, I stick 'em up for you to decide wots wot

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Guest akademik

Off on a tangent, I made an excursion to Leeds.

Using Directories and Registers of Electors, I have traced Alexander Robertson in Leeds, 1882-1906, by and large in Christopher Street, and by and lage as a glazier.

The Leeds directories for 1907 and 1908 then list:

Robertson Mrs Anne, glazier, 44 Christopher street

It looks to me as if Alexander Robertson died c. 1906, and that his widow tried to continue the business: if I may be pardoned my sexist bias, perhaps in her name only, while the 'real work' was delegated to their son Thomas Robertson. Imho, this would fit fairly well with the start of Robertson & Russell in Sheffield in 1910: perhaps because the business in Leeds had failed, or for some other reason that had made Leeds no longer a viable place, and Thomas had to start over elsewhere.

On the minus-side: not a trace of any Russell in Leeds either. I'm beginning to wonder. Could Thomas Robertson have added "& Russell" to make the firm look more respectable or something, without there being any real Russell on the horizon?

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Guest akademik

About a week ago, TACS, the tiles and architectural ceramics society, launched their new TACS Locations Database; see

http://www.tilesoc.org.uk/tacs-database/LOCATIONS_list.asp

Using > Sheffield < as the search term (not case sensitive) yields 58 sites.

The predecessor, as it were, of the TACS Locations Database was the TACS Tile Gazetteer; for Sheffield (and South Yorkshire generally), see

http://www.tilesoc.org.uk/tile-gazetteer/yorkshire.html#south

As Richard B has indicated (18.06.11), The Tile Gazetteer associates Robertson & Russell with a product called morsatile:

“[...] in […] Angel Street […] is a post office, whose entrance is now host to a First World War memorial to Sheffield’s postal workers. The panel, showing a roll of honour between two classical columns, was moved from a nearby post office due to its closure in 1999. It was made by a local firm, Robertson & Russell, from an apparently ceramic material called morsatile; its opus sectile-like sheen and curving, cut forms suggest it contains some glass. The firm produced several other morsatile war memorials for local churches during 1920-1, including the example still extant at Wadsley Parish Church, Worrall Road, to the west of the city centre […]”.

Although the term was apparently already used in 1922 by Canon William Odom in his Memorials of Sheffield: its Cathedral and Parish Churches, the Oxford English Dictionary does not include the term morsatile. Searching with Google (or, as I prefer, with Ecosia), yields only one (relevant) hit, viz. a quotation from Canon Odom in the Ww1 Memorials & Rolls Of Honour thread on this forum:

“The War Memorial consists of two morsatile tablets in oak frames on the west wall. Under the words, ‘In sacred memory of the men of S. Anne’s parish who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, 1914-19.’ are the names of the fallen, numbering 121 […]”

Apparently, this refers to a WW1 memorial that was transfered and is now in St Stephen’s church on Fawcett Rd.

Curiously, perhaps, unlike the earlier TACS Tile Gazetteer, the new TACS Locations Database does not specify the WW1 memorials in Angel St PO and Wadsley parish church as morsatile. Using > morsatile < as the search term, the TACS Locations Database does yield two other hits, though:

- Baptist Church, Taplin Road, Hillsborough. 3 tablets of 10 tiles (Morsatile)

- St Thomas Church, Holywell Road, Brightside S9-1920 war memorial with names on 3 morsatile panels

I understand that the latter three panels have been transfered and are now in St Margaret’s, Jenkin Rd.

I am tempted to make a bold hypothesis: ‘morsatile equals Robertson & Russell’ ...

Is there anyone out there who would be willing to go to Baptist Church in Taplin Rd, St Margarets’s in Jenkin Rd and/or St Stephen’s in Fawcett Rd, check the tiled WW1 memorials for attribution to Robertson & Russell, and report?

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Guest akademik

Richard

I find that this Forum does not (= not anymore?) alert the participants in a thread, and/or the addressee of a post (etc) when a new post is - uhm, yeah, well - posted.

So. It's been four weeks - FOUR WEEKS - since you posted the page from the "mystery publication", and only today that I get around to seeing this. Grumble ... (and, apologies).

However. This is BREAK-THROUGH material!

For one thing: notice that R&R themselves write "mosartile": whereas recently, 'morsatile' seems to have been gaining some currency (in his 1922 book, Canon Odom uses each version once: morsatile in re St Anne's Church, Hoyle St; mosartile in re St Thomas's, then Holywell Rd, now in St Margaret's, Jenkin Rd). Clearly, MOSARTILE is the true name.

For another thing: even if perhaps a bit of an odyssee, it now becomes possible to try and see what R&R works have been preserved in the churches and convent mentioned.

Meanwhile. Can you make known the title (etc) of the 'mystery publication'? And/or indicate whether perhaps there is more about Robertson & Russell in there?

Thanks!

Akademik

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Richard

I find that this Forum does not (= not anymore?) alert the participants in a thread, and/or the addressee of a post (etc) when a new post is - uhm, yeah, well - posted.

So. It's been four weeks - FOUR WEEKS - since you posted the page from the "mystery publication", and only today that I get around to seeing this. Grumble ... (and, apologies).

However. This is BREAK-THROUGH material!

For one thing: notice that R&R themselves write "mosartile": whereas recently, 'morsatile' seems to have been gaining some currency (in his 1922 book, Canon Odom uses each version once: morsatile in re St Anne's Church, Hoyle St; mosartile in re St Thomas's, then Holywell Rd, now in St Margaret's, Jenkin Rd). Clearly, MOSARTILE is the true name.

For another thing: even if perhaps a bit of an odyssee, it now becomes possible to try and see what R&R works have been preserved in the churches and convent mentioned.

Meanwhile. Can you make known the title (etc) of the 'mystery publication'? And/or indicate whether perhaps there is more about Robertson & Russell in there?

Thanks!

Akademik

Hi Akademik, regarding email alerts/notifications - see

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Break-through material doesn't sound much like me ! ... Happy you found it useful. Nothing else in the publication about them - use the Sheffield History Google Search Tool (free, no stupid downloads or installs) - search for Agamus.

Richard

I find that this Forum does not (= not anymore?) alert the participants in a thread, and/or the addressee of a post (etc) when a new post is - uhm, yeah, well - posted.

So. It's been four weeks - FOUR WEEKS - since you posted the page from the "mystery publication", and only today that I get around to seeing this. Grumble ... (and, apologies).

However. This is BREAK-THROUGH material!

For one thing: notice that R&R themselves write "mosartile": whereas recently, 'morsatile' seems to have been gaining some currency (in his 1922 book, Canon Odom uses each version once: morsatile in re St Anne's Church, Hoyle St; mosartile in re St Thomas's, then Holywell Rd, now in St Margaret's, Jenkin Rd). Clearly, MOSARTILE is the true name.

For another thing: even if perhaps a bit of an odyssee, it now becomes possible to try and see what R&R works have been preserved in the churches and convent mentioned.

Meanwhile. Can you make known the title (etc) of the 'mystery publication'? And/or indicate whether perhaps there is more about Robertson & Russell in there?

Thanks!

Akademik

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Guest akademik

OK. So Robertson & Russell advertised in a publication that I take to have originated from the girls' school of Notre Dame Convent: caleed AGAMUS (which, if my little Latin - and less Greek - doesn't let me down, means 'let us act'?).

To be honest, the various contributions to AGAMUS look to me to be too good to be true: "for children over 10 and under 14 years of age" ??? But what do I know?

What does strike me is that Notre Dame are also among the "Recent Commissions" that Robertson & Russell vaunt: the girls may have twisted some arms that were in-situ :)

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Latin to English translation of Agamus

Single, unmarried

(and I know less Latin/Greek than you !)

Mr Bloke from Notre Dame did say he would scan more issues and let me have a copy; don't know if he will get around to it.

OK. So Robertson & Russell advertised in a publication that I take to have originated from the girls' school of Notre Dame Convent: caleed AGAMUS (which, if my little Latin - and less Greek - doesn't let me down, means 'let us act'?).

To be honest, the various contributions to AGAMUS look to me to be too good to be true: "for children over 10 and under 14 years of age" ??? But what do I know?

What does strike me is that Notre Dame are also among the "Recent Commissions" that Robertson & Russell vaunt: the girls may have twisted some arms that were in-situ :)

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Guest akademik

From a "mystery publication" (i.e. I haven't yet scanned it) December 1920

This advertisement for Robertson & Russell mentions prominently

- "Our patented Mosartile"

- "twenty windows to be carried out at St. Timothy's Church"

Both of these ostensible leads seem to turn out intriguingly elusive.

As for the R&R patent for Mosartile: I have had every assistance from the staff in Sheffield's Reference Library; but it seems impossible to actually retrieve any the least trace of such a patent. :angry:

Does anyone have any suggestions?

As to the 20 windows for St Tim's: I have been to the church so called on Slinn St, in Crookes; but there is *no* R&R stained glass there; and, indeed, there is *no* windows in the church there that look anywhere near like the shape that the design in the Robertson & Russell advert would have fitted. There are lots of imaginable reasons why the designs advertised did not get carried out when this church got built, and I will not speculate on them here: that would remain pure guesswork unless one could investigate any archives that might have been preserved. And even then, such an effort would *not* yield what I am primarily pursuing: actual specimens of work by R&R.

I am actually more interested at this stage in trying to ascertain whether the designs advertised by R&R in 1920 might actually have been for *another* church called St Timothy's Church than the one on Slinn St. I would assume that this would become much the more likely scenario if Slinn Sreet's St Tim's was built earlier than 1920, the date of the advertisement. I noticed some sort of dedication plaque at the bottom of the elevation of the church, but it is effectively hidden from sight by the wheelchair ramp that has been added.

Does anyone know when St Timothy's on Slinn St was built?

And thus, the hunt is on for any other churches dedicated to St Timothy. To begin with, within a radius that the transportation possibilities applicable in the 1920s would have made it likely that R&R would have served. The furthest from Sheffield mentioned in the 1920 advert is, I think, Goole (St Thomas's; now dis-sed, I think)): some 40 miles away (if the AA route planner has got it right).

Any suggestions?

I have looked at St Timothy's Church Centre, Daybrook (45 miles); but the pictures I see by Google do not suggest anything like the 1920s advert.

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Rev. Metcalfe,

Vicar of St. Timothy's, The Vicarage, Slinn Street

White's 1911

Confirming Steve's find (a bit)

Does anyone know when St Timothy's on Slinn St was built?
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