85 Wilkinson Street former home of Steel Manufacturer Mark Firth

March 23, 2023

85 Wilkinson Street former home of Steel Manufacturer
Mark Firth

One picture decorative iron work above the bay window on No 85 Wilkinson Street, there’s a similar piece of iron work above the other bay window on the other side of the front door, it was in this house in the 1840s that Mark Firth a local steel manufacturer lived with his first wife Sarah Bingham Taylor and their five children, he married Sarah on the 15th of September 1841, his children were Sarah Bingham Firth (1843-1855), twins Thomas and Ann Elizabeth Firth (b.& d. 1845),
Mary Ellen Firth (1847–1848). Margaret Maria Firth (1853–1869), by 1862 Mark had moved into a purpose built house for him and his family, this house was named Oakbrook, Endcliffe this house later became Notre Dame School Sixth Form, the name Oakbrook being suggested by the rivulet that runs through the grounds which consisting of some 28 acres which were beautifully laid out. The Prince and Princess of Wales were the guests of Mr Firth during their visit to Sheffield, and in 1879 Mr Firth also had the honour of entertaining the late Duke of Albany. Mark Firth was born at Sheffield on 25 April 1819, the son of a steel melter at Sanderson Brothers. At the age of fourteen Mark, with his brother Thomas, they left school to join their father in the foundry where he was employed, and ten years later the three together started a six-hole crucible furnace of their own, as Thomas Firth and Sons, on Charlotte Street, now Mappin Street. The early venture with his father and brother proved successful, and besides an extensive home business, they soon established a large American connection. Their huge Norfolk Works was erected at Sheffield in 1849, with others, including Clay Wheels near Wadsley. The manufacture of steel blocks for ordnance was the principal feature of their business, and they produced shot and heavy forgings and for some time they supplied nearly all the metal used for gun making by the British government and a large proportion of that used by the French. On the death of his father in 1848, Mark Firth became the head of the firm.In the 1850s and 60s Thomas Firth supplied Samuel Colt with most of the iron and steel used at his firearms factories both at Hartford Connecticut and the short-lived facility in Pimlico, London. Business grew and moved into the armaments market directly, the company installing two Nasmyth Steam forge hammers in 1863 which were used to forge heavy artillery pieces. In 1871, Firth's cast the thirty-five ton Woolwich Infant gun, this gun was said to have required 1000 crucibles to cast its outer and four inner tubes. Naval guns were manufactured for the British and French navies. Land guns reached 100 tons, with 16 in. gun blocks and 2000 lb projectiles. In addition, Firths led the way in attempts to manufacture compound armour plate and 5 years later they produced an eighty-ton gun.
He was Master Cutler in 1867, 1868, and 1869, it was at the end of his tenure as Master cutler he lost his first wife, in 1857 on the 3rd of September he married Caroline Gedling Bradley at The Methodist New Connexion Chapel, Nottingham. They had seven children, John Bradley, Mark, Alfred, Caroline Bradley, Bernard Alexander, Charles Henry and Rachael, no television in the house!
He was a generous benefactor to Sheffield, In 1869, he built and endowed Mark Firth’s Almshouses, Nethergreen Road at Ranmoor and in 1875, when mayor, he presented a freehold park of thirty-six acres, now known to all as Firth Park. He gave a total of £1,500 to Broomhill Chapel, £1,000 to the New Connection College at Ranmoor and £1,000 to the Wesleyan Thanksgiving Fund. He also founded and endowed Firth College for lectures and classes in connection with the university extension scheme, which was opened in 1879. He gave £5,000 towards its endowment as well as the £20,000 towards the actual building. Firth College went on to become part of the University of Sheffield. On 16 November 1880 Firth was at his Norfolk Works when he suffered a stroke, and died 12 days later. He is buried in Sheffield General Cemetery on Cemetery Road, where his monument is Grade II listed structure. In 1912 Harry Brearley invented stainless steel, although Firths did not recognise its potential by 1914 their specialities included Firth's rendable capped armour-piercing projectiles, gun forgings, marine engines, steel forgings and castings of every description, locomotive tyres and axles, shoes and dies for mining batteries, rifle barrel blanks and steel for component parts of rifles, special steels for motor car work etc., saws, edge tools and files, sheet steel for cylinder laggings and other purposes, crucible cast steel for all descriptions of tools, Firth's Speedicut high-speed steel and twist drills and Firth's special steel parts for ore crushers, stone breakers, ball mills etc. at this time they employed over 5,500. In 1924 they did realise the potential of Stainless steel and they used it in the production of turbines.
1930 Merger of the steel making interests of John Brown and Co and the neighbouring company Thomas Firth and Sons to form Thomas Firth and John Brown, otherwise known as Firth Brown, the company were second to none the works went on forever but now these have all gone along with the sounds and smells of steel manufacture, Firths a Sheffield success story of a man and his two sons, that are mainly forgotten by the people who they provided the means for education and recreation.