I'm finding more Cutlers now amongst the ancestors. I was fine with the first couple as I had taken a photo of the list in the Cutlers Hall where their names were hanging.
Can anyone send me a link of a listing of them through the ages please?
Does such a beast even exist?
LEISA,See the Apprentices and Freemen link over to the left here. The system was stopped by law about 1814 so there is nothing more thereafter, other than lists of The Master cutler which you can find on the Cutlers Hall website
Dave
Edit, unusually in the list over to the left is a George Barnsley who chose to purchase as late as 1871 a trade mark for Knives and files.
This is only the third case I have come across for the purchase of trade mark from the Cutlers company so long after 1814.
Pauline Bell has researched the Barnsley family for a number of years, she has written two articles for The Sheffield & District FHS journal.
I suggest you look at wills from the Borthwick Institute to separate these Georges. Pauline has just written a book about the Barnsley Wills and it is available at www.lulu.com
I have recorded the history of the firm of George Barnsley and Sons in the book: Forging history, the story of George Barnsley and Sons toolmakers and the family members who helped forge local and national history. The above account is a limited selection of my research for the book in which there is much more about their lives. I worked closely with Colin Barnsley my distant cousin and still a Sheffield toolmaker and am grateful to Chris Hobbs for use of information about William Barnsley Allen taken from his brilliant website.
I purchased that book several years ago. Pauline Bell has only researched a section of Barnsley clan and I've been in contact with her. I'll ask her about the book and see if it's relevant to me. I can always ask family to purchase and send to me as they did with the other book. I'm in Western Australia so purchasing overseas is often fraught.
The link to the Mayoral Index is for Master Cutlers. This particularly George Barnsley was not a Master Cutler - just a garden variety of Cutler. I'm assuming the difference is that not all cutler's are master cutlers. Master Cutler being a prestigious position/title.
Thank you for the information on the Freemen - I had no idea what that was so not looked at.
the link you posted about Pauline's second book on the wills does not work. Do you know what the book is called so I can see if it's available on Amazon or Bookd Depositry please?