Guest standardcrow Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hello, This is my first post here so if I get any forum etiquette wrong, I apologise in advance. My great-great Grandfather George Valentine Johnson (1848-1923) was a Silver Chaser who also often worked with Britannia Metal in Sheffield. On some censuses and family documents it also says he worked as an electro chaser (which I may be falsely presuming is something to do with electroplating), We have many pieces in the extended family which he made including teapots, snuff boxes and a walking stick. I know in 1885 he won the 1 pound 1st Prize for a piece of Britannia Metal Chasing he entered into the Sheffield Cutlers Company's Industrial Exhibition (which also remains in the extended family). What I would really like to do is find more out about what he actually did to understand where he was coming from. Can anyone recommend me any books or sources of information I could try and access? Thanks in advance and Kind regards, standardcrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hello, This is my first post here so if I get any forum etiquette wrong, I apologise in advance. My great-great Grandfather George Valentine Johnson (1848-1923) was a Silver Chaser who also often worked with Britannia Metal in Sheffield. On some censuses and family documents it also says he worked as an electro chaser (which I may be falsely presuming is something to do with electroplating), We have many pieces in the extended family which he made including teapots, snuff boxes and a walking stick. I know in 1885 he won the 1 pound 1st Prize for a piece of Britannia Metal Chasing he entered into the Sheffield Cutlers Company's Industrial Exhibition (which also remains in the extended family). What I would really like to do is find more out about what he actually did to understand where he was coming from. Can anyone recommend me any books or sources of information I could try and access? Thanks in advance and Kind regards, standardcrow Welcome to the Site StandardCrow this link should take you to a brief desription of the process of silver chasing http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...tart=#entry9757 there is also a list of Silver chasers + closely allied trades. Hope this helps - others may be along later with additional information. Good Luck, keep us posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Chasing More detail in the attachments. From History of Old Sheffield Plate - Frederick Bradbury - to buy about £60-80 (1968 reprint); don't know about its availability at Library, maybe someone else will know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 In 1893 he was living at 3 Howard Street. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest standardcrow Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Chasing More detail in the attachments. From History of Old Sheffield Plate - Frederick Bradbury - to buy about £60-80 (1968 reprint); don't know about its availability at Library, maybe someone else will know. That's really fascinating. Thank you. I live in Berlin, Germany but strangely enough they do have this book in The German National Library (I just checked), which is only about half an hour on the train from me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest standardcrow Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 In 1893 he was living at 3 Howard Street. Goodness, that never seems to stay in one place! 1848 Born, Lambeth Surrey 1851 79 Johnson's Yard, Attercliffe 1861 35 Bentley's Houses, Attercliffe 1871 17 Clun Rd, Brightside 1881 108 Cemetry Road, Ecclesall 1891 24 Ashford Rd, Ecclesall 1901 46 Cowlshaw Rd, Ecclesall I strongly suspect he was the George Johnson, Britannia Metal Smith who claimed for 7 days lost work in the Sheffield flood who was at Wentworth St, and now you are saying we have 3 Howard St as well. At least I know where I get it from now! Out of interest, what is the source of the 1893 info? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Out of interest, what is the source of the 1893 info? http://www.sheffieldrecordsonline.org.uk/ Data menu, Directories, Search George VJOHNSONChaser3 Howard StreetKelly's 1893 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest standardcrow Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 http://www.sheffieldrecordsonline.org.uk/ Data menu, Directories, Search George VJOHNSONChaser3 Howard StreetKelly's 1893 Super, Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichardB Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 or ... gvj.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vox Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 As you're not exactly "just down the road" I thought you might like to see a couple of the places he lived which are still standing. 24, Ashford Road is the very small house painted green and with the white fence. (Google Street View) And here's 46,Cowlishaw Road. Just around the corner, but these houses are considerably larger. If you look on the small map inlay you'll see how close they are to each other. (Google Street View) ======= There's still a small section of Clun Road in existence, but the section where number 17 once stood is completely built over. You can find that on Google Street View. According to the 50's map, No 17 was just beyond the junction with Grimesthorpe Road. There are a few Picture Sheffield views which mention Clun Road but sadly nothing of the actual road itself.These will at least let you see what the area was like back then. There is one just below your relatives house, showing bomb damage at the junction with Grimesthorpe Road in the 1940's. ===== All the houses on the bottom section of Cemetery road have gone now, but Lansdowne Chapel is Number 104. I can't find out exactly when Lansdowne Chapel was built but it "seems likely" that your relative either lived in the houses which were demolished to make way for it, or next door but one, a few yards further up the hill. There are some Picture Sheffield shots taken from the very bottom of Cemetery Road looking up, but nothing very clear. (Google Street View) Hope these are of some interest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveHB Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Looks like we all had better chip in on this one then .. First premises of J.G Graves Ltd., 3, Howard Street, here occupied by W.T. Wood, candle agent, G.V. Johnson, Chaser and Wehle andamp; Co., manufacturers of cut glass. Link to .. picturesheffield 01 & .. 02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest standardcrow Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Thank you to both of you. That has really touched me. How kind! standardcrow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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