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George Bassett


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George Bassetts, from The Illustrated Guide to Sheffield and Neighbourhood - Pawson and Brailsford (1862)

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I used to work next door to Bassetts in the 1970's at Abrafract. I still had a sweet tooth back then and the smell that used to come from Bassetts was fabulous... unlike the smell from the Abrafract which manufactured grinding wheels. There was also a sweet manufacturer in Hillsborough (Simpkins???), and the smell of jellies when walking past was a real torment when I was a kid.

Why isn't my Avatar animated Admin?

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I used to work next door to Bassetts in the 1970's at Abrafract. I still had a sweet tooth back then and the smell that used to come from Bassetts was fabulous... unlike the smell from the Abrafract which manufactured grinding wheels. There was also a sweet manufacturer in Hillsborough (Simpkins???), and the smell of jellies when walking past was a real torment when I was a kid.

I was going to ask about "Simpkins", only I couldn't remember the company name, or indeed which street it was on; kinda made posting a bit difficult .... looking at a street map, I think it must have been up Roselle Street, any further thoughts anyone ?

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It's a JPEG and not an animated gif

Hello Admin,

It's an animated gif when I upload it. Have just checked, definitely .gif file extension.

Regards

Andy

Sorry my mistake. It's 105 pixels square...will resize.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT A DIRECTOR OF BASSETTS, WHEN SOLD TO CADBURY'S, WAS A CERTAIN BEVERLY STOKES. NOW IS THIS NOT THE MAN IN CHARGE AT NORTHERN GENERAL HOSPITAL? MAYBE ON THE JELLY BABY WARD

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Whilst at school in the late 1970s we were "encouraged" by our teachers to get involved in the "Young Enterprise" scheme. We formed a company and issued shares which we sold to our mum and dads made some rubbish sold it and distributed a dividend ( or we would have done if we'd made a profit). Anyway George Bassett was our mentor for this and every so often we had to travel down to Hillsborough for meeting in their boardroom with a couple of executives. Our main concern however was to arrive early and raid sweets from these 6 foot high glass sweet jars in the Boardroom. The blokes were always late so this wasn't a problem until one day someone dropped the ornate glass lid from one of the jar and it smashed all over the boardroom floor.

I think that was the end of Bassets involvement in the scheme & we had disgraced the school etc lol

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George Bassett was born in Ashover in 1818 and was the third son of John Bassett's eight children.

John Bassett died when George was 12 years old.

When George was 14 he apprenticed for 7 years to a confectionerer and fruiterer, a Mr William

Haslam of Chesterfield. He stayed for three years before buying a small confectionery and wine

business at 30 Broad Street , Park.

In the 1845 Directory of Traders George Bassett is shown as the new proprietor and is described

as a Wholesale Confectioner , Lozenge Maker and British Wine Dealer.

George married his first wife Sarah Hodgson in 1842 and they had eight children. After Srah's death George

married again and had two sons.

In1851 he took on a 12 year old apprentice by the name of Samuel Meggitt Johnson, Samuel's mother

had died and Samuel went to live with the Bassett family.

At the end of his apprentice he went back to work for his father , a furniture retailer.

George Bassett acquired larger premises in Portland Street and took on a local grocer, William Lodge into

partnership but this didn't work out.. In 1860 George persuaded Samuel to return on the understanding he would

become a partner. In 1863 Samuel became a partner and later sole proprietor.

George Bassett took an interest in politics and became Mayor of Sheffield in 1876.

General Ulysses S Grant the President of the United States of America, visited Sheffield and stayed at the Bassett

home in Endcliffe Crescent.

In 1876 the Portland Street premises were extended.

In 1878 George Bassett had a stroke, he died in 1886 aged 68.

Samuel Meggitt Johnson married George's oldest daughter in 1868 but she died in childbirth in 1870.

In 1892 the Bassett factory had a serious fire which caused Samuel to have a nervous breakdown and

a family fall out because he was inadequately insured.

Samuel became sole proprietor of Bassett's and severed all links with the Don Confectionery Company

although in 1933 George's last remaining son John, sold out to Bassett's.

In 1900 a new factory was built at Owlerton , this traded under the name of S. M. Johnson & Son where

candid peel, gums, and other goods were made.

Licorice Allsorts , lozenges etc were still made at the Portland Street factory.

I love the round coconut ones best :P lol

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Sugar causing a huge fire at Bassetts

A bit like this experiment then.

THE SCREAMING JELLY BABY

<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc0KW7kXBDo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_GB"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc0KW7kXBDo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_GB" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

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So this is what you teach them in class is it Dave?

Who eats the rest of the jelly babies. :P

No, not me,

I don't want the NSPCJB (National Society For The Prevention Of Cruelty To Jelly Babies) taking me to court.

Besides which, potassium chlorate is a particularly dangerous chemical anyway.

..and with Type 2 late onset Diabetes creeping up on me I don't think I would be the one eating them either.

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Would anybody like to help "The One Show"

I have the reply email if required

the topic mentioned in the text is this topic

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am working on a story for 'The One Show' about Jelly Babies which were launched 75 Years ago as 'Peace Babies' in Sheffield by Bassett's - one of Britain's oldest sweets manufacturers - to celebrate the end of the First World War.

I would love to have the opportunity to discuss this further. I'm really interested to speak to a local who has a knowledge of the Bassett factory and who could share some personal memoris/stories. There are some really interesting comments on the message board here: http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=757 - can you point me in the direction of anyone I might speak to?

Some questions I would love to find out are:

Which individual invented Peace babies ? Was it George Bassett? Are there any descendents alive today?

Are there local people who remember working there? How has the factory changed?

What had Sheffield's experience of the war been? What had the Bassetts company experience of the war been - how many people lost? Do the Peace babies reflect a post-war Baby Boom.

Is there a local sweet shop who stocked / stocks them? Is there any memorabilia from the WW1 period - any original sweets so we can compare ?

Any ideas or contacts would be very welcome - I am on a really tight deadline so would preferably like to speak to people today at some stage if at all possible, if there is anyone at all you can recommend I could speak to?

Thanks in advance for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Raphaelle

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If this is correct we could arrange some sums to practise on.

2011-75 = 1918 !!!

Would anybody like to help "The One Show"

I have the reply email if required

the topic mentioned in the text is this topic

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am working on a story for 'The One Show' about Jelly Babies which were launched 75 Years ago as 'Peace Babies' in Sheffield by Bassett's - one of Britain's oldest sweets manufacturers - to celebrate the end of the First World War.

I would love to have the opportunity to discuss this further. I'm really interested to speak to a local who has a knowledge of the Bassett factory and who could share some personal memoris/stories. There are some really interesting comments on the message board here: http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=757 - can you point me in the direction of anyone I might speak to?

Some questions I would love to find out are:

Which individual invented Peace babies ? Was it George Bassett? Are there any descendents alive today?

Are there local people who remember working there? How has the factory changed?

What had Sheffield's experience of the war been? What had the Bassetts company experience of the war been - how many people lost? Do the Peace babies reflect a post-war Baby Boom.

Is there a local sweet shop who stocked / stocks them? Is there any memorabilia from the WW1 period - any original sweets so we can compare ?

Any ideas or contacts would be very welcome - I am on a really tight deadline so would preferably like to speak to people today at some stage if at all possible, if there is anyone at all you can recommend I could speak to?

Thanks in advance for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Kind regards,

Raphaelle

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Unlikely given the following statement :

"In 1878 George Bassett had a stroke, he died in 1886 aged 68."

Which individual invented Peace babies ? Was it George Bassett?

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