Researching the Egginton family I have come across William b1757 who was a cutler when 4 of his children were born between 1783 and 1788. I have also found 3 other baptisms from 1790 to 1796 that gives William's occupation as an optician.

Is it feasible that he changed occupations or is there another family?

Jenny

From an article in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph of Christmas Eve 1867 entitled "Reminiscences of an Old Sheffield Workshop Chapter 2" discussing an Opticians workshops around 1897 - they also made a variety of other items such as tinder-boxes and ink pots:

'William Egginton made long "six-glass", or, as they were called from their form, "trumpet" telescopes. Billy was somewhat of a bird-catcher, and, living on the banks of the Don, had included in his captives, not only kingfishers, but a "christian-grebe! as he called it..." A workman who worked by the side of Billy was John Taylor who made similar articles, and possibly also musical instruments.

In 1802 William Egginton, son of William Egginton, optician, was apprenticed as a scissorsmith to James Ashburn.

The William Egginton who married Mary Johnson on Boxing Day 1781 at Sheffield, was able to sign his name, so was presumably educated to some degree.

I don't see any reason why a cutler could not progress to becoming a telescope maker, even if he had to buy lenses in from Chadburns or another lens grinder. However proving it is another question.

It is clear from the Apprentices and Freemans list that William Eginton born 1757 became a cutler apprentice in 1771 when he was 14. The baptisms Jenny has found indicate that he completed his apprenticeship and carried on doing cutlery for a few years. However, he did not purchase his freedom so he must have continued working as a cutler, presumably for his master. He married and had children while working as a cutler.
He definitely became an optician because when his son went to an apprenticeship in 1802 William senior was an optician. He must have tried the glass working and presumably taken to it like a duck to water and therefore he switched to what was presumably a more lucrative calling..
Dave

Hi Jenny,
Nothing to do with the above post but do you have a Sydney Egginton in your family born 1895? Came across him when doing some research on Soldiers from Sheffield dying in WW1 Not heard of the name before.

I also have a relative (Smedley) who was a cutler then became an optician.

I wonder if they made the frames for glasses rather than the lens?

Elaine in Ottawa.

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Thank you everyone for your replies. It seems possible now that William did become an optician after all. I thought there might have been another family but Egginton is an unusual name.

Ted - thank you for the newspaper article. I don't know how I missed that one as I have found others relating to the family.

Lois - unfortunately Sydney is not in this family tree. I've had a quick look on BMD and it looks as though he was born in Aston, Birmingham and a Henry Egginton married Ann Elizabeth Smitten there in 1877.

Thanks once again

Jenny

Hi Jenny,
Thanks for your reply,
It was this family in 1901 census I was looking at

Frederick Eggington Head Married Male 41 1860 Silver Finisher Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Eliza E Eggington Wife Married Female 39 1862 - Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Emily Eggington Daughter Single Female 20 1881 Tailoress Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Eliza A Eggington Daughter Single Female 17 1884 Tailoress Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Sidney Eggington Son - Male 6 1895 - Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Florence Lilly Eggington Daughter - Female 13 1888 - Sheffield, Yorkshire, Engla

Jenny, adding to Teds find may i suggest the article about William is Chapter 2 in a series of chapters entit Remenisscences of an old Sheffield workshop. If you search for chapter one in that series you get the detailed background to the whole thing
Dave

Thanks Dave, I'll do that now.

Just one last query. Does anyone know when William died and where he was buried. I think I've found his father's death 1769 ( a year after his son Barnabus died).

William's last child was born in 1793.

Jenny

William Egginbottom (an error? - there were no Egginbottoms resident in Sheffield) a brass turner of Mill Sands, aged 70, was buried at St Peters on 3rd December 1826. Millsands is by the Don, and the age matches the William under discussion. The career change to brass turner is supported by his son James, who died aged 72 on 3rd November 1858 and was also a brass turner, resident at Broad lane. James was a brass turner (of Meadow street) when his children were buried in 1814, 1815,1818 and 1825. Williams son Joseph was a screwmaker of Lambert street when he was buried aged 37 on 10th August 1928.

Ted thank you so much for finding his burial and also for the other information you have supplied me with.

Jenny

William (1757) was baptised Novemeber of that year and his father was called William also a cutler. I have not found a marraige of an Eggington at Sheffield parish church but my book only goes to 1754 so he either married after 1754 or elsewhere.

John

The Scientific Instrument Society journal for 1994 has an article by Alison Morrison-Low whhich includes a tidied up version of the "Workshop" article - it appears that the author was John Holland and the workshop where Mr Egginton worked belonged to Proctor and Beilby:

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54ec9b40e4b02904f4e09b74/t/567fdccfbfe873f15c0e10ac/1451220175870/SIS_Bulletin_041.pdf

Ms Morrison-Low's PhD thesis on instrument making 1760 to 1851 may be useful for backgound information:

https://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/14003/1/270096.pdf

Ted thanks again for taking the time to find extra information for me. I was reading some of the workshop articles last night so I'll look at the one you've found now. These pieces of information give an insight into William's life.

Much appreciated

Jenny