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Surgical Instrument Makers


TheDoctor

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I have a Post Mortem set in a wooden case with 2 of the items stamped "Hutchinson". I have established that they were a Sheffield company through 2 flyers advertising their products, and they appear to have been a supplier of surgical equipment to the Confederates during the American civil war.

Sheffield Museums have no other information on this company.

Does any subscriber to these forums have any information?

(PS: Some items have been added to fill the spaces in the box but are no items by Hutchinson. e.g scissors, tweezers & scalpels The chain with hooks and the needles are probably supplied by Hutchinson but not made by them)

Thank you

Brian Hutchings

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There are copies of their advertising material from 1834 to 1891, the early ones showing illustrations of their premises at 76 Norfolk Street, here:

http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/W._and_H._Hutchinson

Hutchinsons suffered from theft by their employees – in April 1854 Phoebe Court (16) of Trafalgar Street who had worked in their “rough” warehouse was charged with stealing 60lbs of brass scraps – unfortunately for Phoebe some had the manufacturers stamp on them. She was sentenced to two months hard labour.

In the same month, Henry Hutchinson’s horse was killed in Fargate as it was being ridden by his groom – outside the premises of Moses and Son, the horse was between two vehicles, one being a wedding party on the way to the Parish Church, whose shafts skewered the horse in its loins, and it died quickly afterwards.

In May 1855 William Phillips was in court for stealing scraps from his employer, W & H Hutchinson, the scrap being sold by his wife to a dealer in Porter street.

In October 1855 the firm joined in the celebrations for the fall of Sebastapol, their contribution being a gas-lit star. Assuming the reporting of the decorations was written up in order of the premises, their workshop was between W.H Gibbs, Tailor and J. Rodgers and Sons, Queens Cutlers.

Henry Hutchinson carried out several civic duties – he was on the grand jury at the Sheffield Intermediate Sessions in May 1856. In 1857 he was a candidate to be a member of the Highways , and in 1862 a candidate to be overseer in the Upper Hallam township.

On Monday 7th July 1862 Mr William Hutchinson gave a dinner at the Prince of Wales, Division street, for all their employees (about 100), to mark his retirement from the business. The healths of the Corporation and Cutlers Company were drunk, and workmen provided songs, recitations &c for entertainment. The partnership between William and Henry was dissolved and Henry continued in the business.

In December 1864 their vacant “commodious and convenient premises” in Norfolk Street were advertised for rent. Presumably the firm had moved to Matilda Street at this point.

The firm supported their workers in sporting competition, especially cricket. In 1869 their team played at Bramall lane against Mr. Gray’s surgical instrument makers. In August 1870 they were at Bramall lane again, this time playing against the firm of W.Skidmore, surgical instrument makers.

In September 1877 Henry Hutchinson retired, and the partnership between him and J.Tomlinson and G.Tomlinson was dissolved. Presumably the Tomlinsons had come into the firm when William retired. The Tomlinsons carried on with the business.

The theft problems hadn’t improved by 1878 – in December Agnes Shaw, a widow, of Warburton square, was in court, charged with stealing 21 surgical knives and 200 scissors from her employer, in Matilda Street. She was a warehouse-woman and her co-conspirator was a char-woman. Six months hard labour was the result.

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Many thanks for your reply Edmund, that fills in details that I was not aware of. I have read that a ship carrying Hutchinsons medical equipment ran aground during the American civil war and have infered from that, and from your information that they were quite a large enterprise.

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On 09/06/2013 at 07:50, TheDoctor said:

Many thanks for your reply Edmund, that fills in details that I was not aware of. I have read that a ship carrying Hutchinsons medical equipment ran aground during the American civil war and have infered from that, and from your information that they were quite a large enterprise.

William Hutchinson certainly owned a lot of property: the 1864 Sheffield Flood damaged nineteen of his houses in Green Lane and Acorn Street! He was granted over £16 in compensation - quite generous compared to the paltry amounts some received.

See https://www2.shu.ac.uk/sfca/claimDetails.cfm?claim=4-3865

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