Hjdary Posted May 17, 2007 Share Posted May 17, 2007 Was sent to a job on Roscoe Bank in Stannington yesterday and got talking to the lady of the house. I had spotted a old grinding wheel in the garden and asked where it came from, and the answer she gave was a bit fantastic. It turns out that the house used to belong to one George Furness('ness not 'niss) who made cutlery. The house was his residence but in the yard where some small workshops. These had been knocked down years ago but when they where doing some work in the garden they found quite a lot of knife blades which must have been discarded during the manufacturing process. The wheel itself was huge at least three feet in diameter. We wondered where it came from because there is no water there it either came from another location or it must have been powered by steam or a horse gin. The lady of the house told me how she had quite a lot of information about the house and the Furness family, how in one census it was said that George and his eight children where living in the house (It was very small!) and how in the next census he had moved to a pub. After his death the house was passed on through the family until the nineteen forties when the previous occupant bought it. She had a copy of a map from the late 1800 with the house and its original grounds marked on and...well that was about it. She has drawn a blank. I suggested that she tried here as I know that although none of us where around back then...not even Richard, there was bound to be someone who knew about the area e.t.c. I suppose the first thing is can anyone think of a way that wheel would be powered, other than water? If it was water driven then it must have come from another site farther down the valley as the house was halfway back up the valley almost back on the main road! Given that George seems to have been in the cutlery trade in the 1870's would this be too early for small steam engines? My money is going on horses and I think given its size and weight it must be from the site. If we can find anything out I would love to pass it on to her as she had a real passion for this house and its past. Do you know, there are some days when I love my job...and that was one of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tsavo Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 The facts are out there, we only have to find them, so come on folks, lets start looking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neddy Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 1901 census has George Furness 54 born Stannington-licenced victualler -spring knife cutler Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Here's my contribution, Liberty Hill, from 1861 Ann Furness 11 Charles Furness 5 Charlotte Furness 20 Edward Furness 24 Eliza Furness 49 George Furness 13 Joseph Furness 9 Matthew Furness 54 Matthew Furness 21 Ralph Furness 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 The dates fit for this to be our man, if so, he's married and with kids. Living at Worral. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 1901 Census image Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Name: George Brown Furness Estimated birth year: abt 1846 Year of Registration : 1909 Quarter of Registration: Oct-Nov-Dec Age at Death: 63 DISTRICT: Wortley (1837-1974) County: Yorkshire - West Riding Volume: 9c Page: 185 Could be him, at least we know what the "B" stood for ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Rivelin Hotel, as per 1901 Census : http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=s06948 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biscuit Head Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Steam engines for driving machinery were very well established by the 1870's and had been used over 50 years earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted May 18, 2007 Share Posted May 18, 2007 Steam engines for driving machinery were very well established by the 1870's and had been used over 50 years earlier. Indeed, and the rattenings (as per The Stirrings in Sheffield on a Saturday Night) took place in the 1860 .... which is nice ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hjdary Posted May 19, 2007 Author Share Posted May 19, 2007 Looking at the size of the place though I would have thought that it was unlikely that he would have been able to afford a steam engine. I bet they wernt cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miked Posted November 15, 2010 Share Posted November 15, 2010 Looking at the size of the place though I would have thought that it was unlikely that he would have been able to afford a steam engine. I bet they wernt cheap. Hi, This is very interesting to me as I am trying to write up the activities of the Furniss family. They ran the Robin Hood as well as the Rivelin Hotel, cutlers often had dual economies. I bet you never expected a link with George Washington- http://www.nextek.net/gcarlson/webdoc2.htm The grindstone, I think, will have been brought up from the valley, grinding became a separate occupation from cutlin at an early stage. The Rivelin Hotel was built c1850 originally as a "Mill House". I am told, by a descendent, that at one time if you had a meal you were given a knife. I dont believe the knives were made at the Hotel but nearby, perhaps at Liberty Hill. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miked Posted November 25, 2010 Share Posted November 25, 2010 The dates fit for this to be our man, if so, he's married and with kids. Living at Worral. Hi, Re. Brunswick St. I think this is the Pitsmoor area, still useful. Thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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