James Bell & Son, Cabinet Case Maker etc., Hartshead, later M.M. Bell & Sons

[Ponytail]

James Bell & Son, manufacturer of dressing cases, cabinet work, razor strops etc., Hartshead

Advertisement from Illustrated Guide to Sheffield, Pawson and Brailsford. 1862.

 

Advertisement 1847 Bell & Tomkin, Mulberry Street. 

https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Bell_and_Tompkin

 

Dates of business operational

https://www.antiquebox.org/index-of-british-makers-and-retailers/#B

 

Whites Directory 1849

Bell, James, engraver, cabinet case maker & etc., h. 6 Meeting House Lane. 

Bell and Tomkin, engravers, printers, stationers, embossers and cabinet case, pattern card, razor strop and account book manufacturers, 3 Watson Walk. 

Tomkin. John, engraver etc., (Bell & T) 6 Talbot Place, P. 

 

Whites Directory 1852

Bell, James, engraver, casemaker etc., h. Howard Hill, Steel Bank. 

Bell & Tomkin, cabinet case, pattern card, razor card & account book manufacturers, engravers, printers, stationers, embossers etc., 3 Watson Walk. 

Tomkin, John, engraver & etc. (Bell & T) h. Talbot Place, Park. 

 

Whites Directory 1862

Bell, Edwin, cabinet case & etc., manufacturer (Bell & Son), h. 8 Adelaide Place, Glossop Road. 

Bell, James, cabinet case & etc., manufacturer (Bell & Son) h.16 Broom Grove Road

Bell & Son, cabinet case and pattern card, account book, razor strop & etc., manufacturers, 1 Watson Walk. 

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Edwin James Bell about 1870

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Whites Directory 1879

Bell, Edwin James, cabinet case maker, 22 York Street, 90 Broomfield

 

John Figorski (1828-1912) cabinet maker, married into the Bell family. Notes include Obituary. 

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;arc06234&pos=1&action=zoom&id=144502

 

Edwin James Bell & John Figorski, cabinet makers, 7 Watson Walk, filed for liquidation 20th August 1877, followed by the  appointment of trustees. Furniture Gazette. 

 

There are other Bell family photographs in the same sequence not sure how they are related to Edwin James Bell. One is of Mary Martha Bell (arc00165) who could be his wife? 

 

[tozzin]

The company still exists as M.M.Bell, they were on Arundel Street ( I think) then relocated to Shepcote Lane, this move lost a lot of its core of experience workers.

[Ponytail]

Thank you Tozzin, hadn't made the  connection. Stopped after the bankruptcy. Noticed there were many articles concerning MM Bell in Archives & Local Studies. That's good, a company wanting to preserve their archive. 

[Ponytail]

After Edwin James Bell's death his wife Mary Martha Bell took over the firm and with her two sons in partnership as M.M. Bell & Sons, became a Ltd company in 1929.

arc00165   Mary Martha Bell about 1880

Brief History of the Business, founded in 1816

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/71cd7564-2594-4820-96c1-51d57f0d29b0

 

[Ponytail]

M. M. Bell & Sons, box manufacturers, Manhattan Works, Arundel Lane

y03321 Whites Directory 1900

Removing to Arundel Lane 1st June 1900

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y05362  Sheffield Red Book 1917

 

arc00141 Blotter 1915

 

Display & Packaging Exhibition, Cutlers Hall 1947

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Presentation of "Eurostar" Award by European Box Federation 1959

https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;arc00144&pos=320&action=zoom&id=92249

 

 

[Ponytail]

M. M. Bell & Sons. 

 

arc00140

These engravings are of previous premises of the Bell family business, probably in the Hartshead area. 

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There are more M.M. Bell & Sons and the Bell family photographs available on Picture Sheffield

[Ponytail]

John Figorski (1828 - 1912) cabinet & dressing case maker, 3 Arundel Lane.  

In 1859 he married Edwin's daughter, Emma Amelia Bell and became partners with Edwin for a short period. 

 

Advertisement Whites Directory 1879

Whites Directory 1862

Figorski, John, silversmith, 94 William Street. 

 

Whites Directory 1879

Figorski, John, cabinet case, dressing and travelling case, razor case and strop, table and dessert knife case, desk and chest manufacturer, 3 Arundel Lane. h. 261 Crookes Moor Road. 

Addenda et Corrigenda

Figorski, John, removed h. to 87 Havelock Square. 

 

For Obituary see earlier post. 

 

[tozzin]

John Figorski, what a magnificent beard.