W.Wheatley Table knife.

[Kalfred]

Hello. when researching another Sheffield spoon on line I found this image, of the once formally, ubiquitous, "white" handled table knife, listed on Ebay.

"W.Wheatley", Sheffield it says, so I thought I'll check who "W.Wheatley" is. However there seems a slight confusion.
On our Forum we have a reference "William Wheatley cutlery manufacturer 39 Arundel Street" in the thread "Workshops & Residences On Arundel St.".
However on my newest favourite web site:  www.hawleysheffieldknives.com  "Name on a Knife Blade"   we find "Walter Wheatley was listed at 39 Arundel Street manufacturing table knives".
I am hoping the Forum can offer some clarity. This is significant as Sheffield's the earlier "Wheatley Brothers"  also had a "William Thomas Wheatley" and a "William Ernest Wheatley" in their history.
A little closer look at the "white" handle of the knife brings up another question for me to ask. Perhaps the knife is not quite so ubiquitous as I initially thought. The light and dark striations in the handle suggest to me that it is ivory handled. Is that correct, or did some cutlery firms use "resin" handles with this effect?
Kalfred 
 

[tozzin]

2 hours ago, Kalfred said:

Hello. when researching another Sheffield spoon on line I found this image, of the once formally, ubiquitous, "white" handled table knife, listed on Ebay.

"W.Wheatley", Sheffield it says, so I thought I'll check who "W.Wheatley" is. However there seems a slight confusion.
On our Forum we have a reference "William Wheatley cutlery manufacturer 39 Arundel Street" in the thread "Workshops & Residences On Arundel St.".
However on my newest favourite web site:  www.hawleysheffieldknives.com  "Name on a Knife Blade"   we find "Walter Wheatley was listed at 39 Arundel Street manufacturing table knives".
I am hoping the Forum can offer some clarity. This is significant as Sheffield's the earlier "Wheatley Brothers"  also had a "William Thomas Wheatley" and a "William Ernest Wheatley" in their history.
A little closer look at the "white" handle of the knife brings up another question for me to ask. Perhaps the knife is not quite so ubiquitous as I initially thought. The light and dark striations in the handle suggest to me that it is ivory handled. Is that correct, or did some cutlery firms use "resin" handles with this effect?
Kalfred 
 

The handle is just “ Xylo Grained” a manufactured substance, it’s very inflammable and when stored in big amounts it gave of a peculiar smell, I can also tell you the bolster is known as Egg Waterloo. William Ernest Wheatley and Frank Villiers Wheatley we’re brothers and sons of William Thomas Wheatley, William snr and his brother Samuel Villiers Wheatley, their parents John Wheatley and his wife Bathsheba hailed from Nottinghamshire, in 1841 the family were living on West Street, John the the father, was a traveller but subsequently became a manufacturer of mineral waters and cordials, he died on the 2 nd of March 1880, aged 72.

Sam and William both became commercial travellers, in 1878 the brothers formed their own business on New George Street, later re-named Boston Street, in the Eclipse Works, they were manufacturers and merchants of files, cutlery, steel, saws, edge tools and joiners tools, William was the brains of the business and in 1881, they employed 147 workers, in 1883 they suffered a set back when the factory was destroyed by fire, on the 15 th of April 1887, Sam died suddenly at the Victoria Hotel in Glasgow, he was buried in the Ecclesall churchyard, he was just 47, he left £2,295.

Seems the factory was either re- built or the name was transferred to premises still on Boston Street, in 1897 Wheatley Brothers took over the electro plating works of Abraham Blackwell of Cambridge Street, in doing so they bought a heavy order book as the company was a big supplier of plated cutlery and holloware to hotels and restaurants. In 1901 the firm moved premises to the Wheat Sheaf Works on John Street, just a stones throw away from Boston Street, William Thomson Wheatley died at his home in Meadow Bank Avenue on the 4th of May 1912 he joined his brother in Ecclesall churchyard. William Thomas must have only been living in his Meadow Bank Avenue home only a short time as in the 1911 directory there`s no Wheatley listed or the directory was already printed when William moved in, he is listed at their John Street Works so he could have had accommodation there.The sons William Ernest and Frank Villiers, took over the company and in the early 1920s they were marketing “ Rustless” steel cutlery, in 1933 the company was wound up and their order book, marks and dies were acquired by Needham, Veal & Tyzack, Wheatley brothers trade mark was was a “ Wheatsheaf” with the word ESTANDARTE.

Their Wheatsheaf Works can still be seen on John Street, no alterations have been made to the outer structure, which is great, the photos show the works and William Thomas Wheatley in his uniform as Vice Consul of the Government of Peru, when i was younger Sheffield had many offices of consuls around the world.

This is the listing from the 1911 directory:

Wheatley William Thomas J.P. (Wheatley Brothers) & consul for Peru, Wheatsheaf works, John street

 

 

[Edmund]

William Thomas Wheatley had been a commercial traveller for Michael Hunter & Son, Talbot Works on the Wicker since at least 1850.  On 25th April 1878 Mr Hunter summoned Wheatley to his office for a bollocking. William obviously had an inkling of what was going to happen and had brought a riding whip into work, to the handle of which he had attached some string. Wheatley stated that he had brought the whip to thrash Hunter. The meeting became heated and threatening language was used - on being ejected from Hunter's office the situation escalated and Wheatley assaulted his boss.  He was then sacked and in due course taken to court, where he was bound over to keep the peace.  By mid June 1878 he had set up a company in partnership with his brother Sam, and they were putting staff into place.

[Kalfred]

Thank you "Tozzin" for the information on "Xylo Grained" handles. Both yourself and "Edmund" have found what I had noticed, that there seems to be more information on the older "Brothers" concern than on maybe more recent "W.Wheatley".

Last night I did what I had thought about doing, but had omitted to do so. That was, I checked "Sheffield Indexers" with the "Wheatley" name.  I found the below entry.

 
WHEATLEY, Wm. (~, Cutlery manufacturer).
         Address: 39 Arundel Street, ~ in 1925.
         Recorded in: Sheffield & Rotherham Kelly?s Directory.
Poetic licence but, "William Wheatley" and not "Walter" recorded here. 
Kalfred

[Edmund]

39 Arundel Street was a three story building, rebuilt in 1909.  It had a number of tenement workshops for cutlers, so geared to smaller operations than the Wheatley Eclipse Works.

[doog]

On 23/08/2020 at 16:04, Kalfred said:

Hello. when researching another Sheffield spoon on line I found this image, of the once formally, ubiquitous, "white" handled table knife, listed on Ebay.

"W.Wheatley", Sheffield it says, so I thought I'll check who "W.Wheatley" is. However there seems a slight confusion.
On our Forum we have a reference "William Wheatley cutlery manufacturer 39 Arundel Street" in the thread "Workshops & Residences On Arundel St.".
However on my newest favourite web site:  www.hawleysheffieldknives.com  "Name on a Knife Blade"   we find "Walter Wheatley was listed at 39 Arundel Street manufacturing table knives".
I am hoping the Forum can offer some clarity. This is significant as Sheffield's the earlier "Wheatley Brothers"  also had a "William Thomas Wheatley" and a "William Ernest Wheatley" in their history.
A little closer look at the "white" handle of the knife brings up another question for me to ask. Perhaps the knife is not quite so ubiquitous as I initially thought. The light and dark striations in the handle suggest to me that it is ivory handled. Is that correct, or did some cutlery firms use "resin" handles with this effect?
Kalfred 
 

The Entries in The Name on a Knife Blade have come from the intrepid cutlery researcher Geoffrey Tweedale

 

[tozzin]

2 hours ago, doog said:

The Entries in The Name on a Knife Blade have come from the intrepid cutlery researcher Geoffrey Tweedale

 

The reference is from Geoff Tweedale, I’m sure it’s a Zylonite handle not ivory.

[Kalfred]

Thank you Edmund, Doog and Tozzin for the added content. It is a nice snippet of information for storing away to know that there were resinoid handles capable of mimicking ivory.
Also I know "Tweedale" is a very respected source of information for electroplate history but "reference" material  is not immune from odd errors. I like "William" for "W.Wheatley". What is the short form of "Walter"? Is there an explanation for a shortened form of "Walter" becoming "Wn" some how via transitional "Chinese whispers". I can not see an obvious route for a "typo" as I have previously noted in the "Sheffield Indexers". Do we have a 1925 Kellys that can be checked or any other sources of information to give further references? Any local newspapers of the period? It will be a good thing to pass on stronger evidence confirming the "William" or "Walter" name.       

[tozzin]

6 hours ago, Kalfred said:

Thank you Edmund, Doog and Tozzin for the added content. It is a nice snippet of information for storing away to know that there were resinoid handles capable of mimicking ivory.
Also I know "Tweedale" is a very respected source of information for electroplate history but "reference" material  is not immune from odd errors. I like "William" for "W.Wheatley". What is the short form of "Walter"? Is there an explanation for a shortened form of "Walter" becoming "Wn" some how via transitional "Chinese whispers". I can not see an obvious route for a "typo" as I have previously noted in the "Sheffield Indexers". Do we have a 1925 Kellys that can be checked or any other sources of information to give further references? Any local newspapers of the period? It will be a good thing to pass on stronger evidence confirming the "William" or "Walter" name.       

There is an error in his section on the Wheatley’s, he writes that they moved from New George St to Boston Street when in was the same street that had a name changed.

[Edmund]

I've not found any trace of a Walter, in newspapers, census, directories or BMD records.

[Kalfred]

Thank you all for the extra research and thank you for not pointing out my own "typo" of changing "Wm" to "Wn". Just shows how easy it happens. If you thought it was deliberate, I will tell you I am not that clever.

Kalfred     

[Kalfred]

Hello, Saturday night TV viewing has forced me to try online auction catalogues for a bit of sophisticated entertainment. A fish knife and fork set my brain reeling. A stylised  set it was and with late 19th/early 20th century patterning on. Not solid silver as the "BP" marks tells us the cutlery is made in the silver substitute material Britannia Plate but they do have an interesting set of maker's marks on. There is some gothic style writing that I know from experience is "W Bros" and a pictorial mark that might help to indicate which "W.Brothers" made them.

The acute collective interlect of the Forum will not have failed to note to where I am adding this post, showing that I think Wheatley Brothers made this cutlery. Yes, I think the pictorial mark is a "sheaf of wheat". We know that Wheatley Bros moved from Eclipse Works to Wheatsheaf Works John Street in 1901 but presumably the wheatsheaf trademark was being used before that date.
I had the thought though, "who knows what a wheatsheaf looks like", apart from people who drink in a Wheatsheath named pubic house or were born b.c. (before combine harvesters).  Thus, I am adding an extra photo. Even I, nearly born b.c. (UK), could not immediately remember what a group of sheaves stood up together was called. It helped with rain run off and got the grain heads off the ground.

You can see a single sheaf of wheat, but the observant among you, will also know that the stook of sheaves (I did remember eventually) is not wheat, but is barley.
Kalfred

[Organgrinder]

I have no new observations on the cutlery but following this post made me wonder why 3 sheaves of wheat came to symbolize Sheffield.

When I was at school, our school badge was an Owl to signify wisdom, a star to signify brightness and 3 sheaves of wheat / corn to signify Sheffield.

I have never found an explanation for the 3 sheaves being chosen.

I know we were early manufacturers and users of scythes and wonder if that is the connection.

Why didn't I ask at school???

[Edmund]

The original town arms was just the crossed arrows.  When Sheffield was incorporated in 1843 this was placed on the design for the Corporate Seal (made by John Hoyle, typesetter of Harvest Lane).  A competing design by the Rev Joseph Hunter was full of historical references, but the Corporation rejected it as too expensive at £200).  In 1855, after Sheffield's mayor was refused a seat with all the other mayors at the Paris Exhibition because he didn't have a badge of office, an ornate gold chain and badge with the crossed arrows amongst other coats of arms, was made at a cost of £325.

In 1877 Theophilus Smith designed a new Corporate Seal (the old one being consigned to Weston Park Museum).  The new seal's arms were granted by the College of Arms and they also incorporated the three sheaves of wheat, on the mistaken assumption that Sheffield's name derived from the River Sheaf which related to wheat.  In fact the river's name originates from sheth or sceath, meaning boundary.

[Organgrinder]

Thanks for that Edmund.

Nice to know at last.

[tozzin]

I wonder if someone got a bit confused over a Sheaf of Arrows  and a Sheaf of Corn?

[Kalfred]

Hello, it must be harvest time again, as recently a couple of sheaves of wheat caught my attention at my local auction. As a result I gathered in some images of 2 forks (not pitchforks) to post here.  

We can clearly see the the "W Bros" and the pictorial  sheaf mark associated with Wheatley Brothers. The firm is not "Ltd" so the forks are probably pre 1914. However, there appears to be some additional trademarking, the written tradename "Blancona Silver". I have not seen this trade name previously and it is note noted on the "Name on a Knife Blade" web site. "Blancona" seems to be a South American Spanish word meaning white or pale skin, almost an apt description of silver plating? We know Wheatley Brothers had that strong connection to South America so was the name just chosen as one that a competitor was not likely to use or was the name used for commercial purposes for selling to that region? Most of Wheatley Bros products were supplied to the trade and possibly for exporting too. 
The "Name on a Knife Blade" web site does list another trade mark for Wheatley Bros  and that is a figure holding a flag with "Estandarte" underneath.  "Estandarte" is also a Spanish word and with the translation of "banner" or  "pennant".
I did find one reference on line linking Blancona Silver with Wheatley Brothers. That was in the huge Canadian PDF "Trademarks on Base-Metal Tableware" by Eileen Woodhead. Also in that there was a version of the pictorial figure holding a flag mark but with "Standard" printed underneath.

Kalfred   

 

[Kalfred]

Hello, checking one Sheffield razor maker, you may find information on another. Here is a Wheatley Brother's trademarked, hand forged razor.

Kalfred  

[Ponytail]

With reference to the images in a post of Tozzin 23rd Aug 2020, added information from Picture Sheffield website. 

Wheatley Brothers, cutlery manufacturers, Wheatsheaf Works, John Street

Wheatley Brothers had moved from their old premises at the Eclipse Woks on Boston Street about 1900/1901 1906 Directory: manufacturers of table, pen and pocket knives; razors; scissors; electo-plate; files; saws; tools and general merchants.

s09922

 

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s24925&pos=1&action=zoom&id=27705

 

1901. Wheatley Brothers, Cutlery Manufacturers, Eclipse Works, Nos 53-55, Boston Street (formerly New George Street). No 51, Joseph Gray and Son, Surgical Instrument Makers, Truss Works, left. Nos 57-59, Talbot Hotel, right, Court No 11 at rear. 

s09921

1893 Directory: 53-55, Wheatley Brothers, cutlery manufacturers; 57-59, beerhouse of William Dickens 1902 Directory, Wheatley Brothers had moved to Wheatsheaf Works, John Street; 57-59 Alfred Jowitt, beerhose Talbot Hotel sign can be seen to the right of the photograph. 

 

Advertisement dated 1889

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;y11867&pos=5&action=zoom&id=79385

 

William Thomas Wheatley (1846 - 1912) of Wheatley Bros., Limited, cutlery and electro-plate manufacturers, Eclipse Works, Boston Street, in his uniform as Vice Consul of the Government of Peru. 

Picture Sheffield  y07148

Image from Sheffield and Rotherham up-to-date: A fin-de-Siecle review, 1897 (Local Studies Library: 914.274 SQ)