Hi! I hope someone can help me with some information. Was there a Toy Manufacturer in Sheffield back in 1911? If so can I please have the name of the company. According to the 1911 Census Emma Truelove worked there as a Machinist. She was a resident of Ecclesall Bierlow, Sheffield with her mother and father Herbert Truelove a blade forger for a Cutlery Manufacturer.
My Truelove family branch came across to the US (Rhode Island) from Sheffield back in the late 1880's but there was some family that stayed in England. Herbert was the brother of my 2nd great grandmother Sarah Jane (nee Truelove) Cutts. Sarah was the daughter of William and Harriet (nee Fisher) Truelove.
Thank you in advance for any information on the toy manufacturer (or the Trueloves).
Lorrie Sommerville
loso2604@gmail.com

PARKIN, Harold (~, Toy Manufacturer).
Address: 168 Thomas Street, ~ in 1925.
Recorded in: Sheffield & Rotherham Kelly?s Directory. Could be what you are looking for!

Thank you for the quick reply and the information! I will put that information into my notes for Emma.

Hello Lorrie,

There are five children buried in a grave in Wardsend Cemetery (St Philip's Parish). Three of them are children of William and Harriet TRUELOVE and two are children of John Henry and Sarah Jane CUTTS. According to our plans there is no gravestone. Let me know if you would like details of these burials.

I was ineterested to see that Emma (although the 1911 census lists her as Ellen) was a 'Kite Machinist'.

The parents of Emma/Ellen, Herbert and Emma, are buried in the consecrated part of the General Cemetery, Sharrow.

Hugh

A keyword search of the 1911 census gives 3 young women with the occupation "kite machinist". Doris Mable Bell (Upper Valley Road) is employed in the industry: "Maker of patent kites".

Searching on just Kite gets more results. Sarah Elizebeth Makinson, 23, 166 Cambridge Road, is Manageress Kite Works. If you can find more about S E M, then you might find the employer of Emma Truelove.

It was 166 Cambridge Road, Heely. Could be a bit out of the target area.

In April 1913 there was a fire at Messrs. C.E.Richardson Limited, of 74 Napier street, Sheffield. The fire was confined to the top floor (of 3), which was principally used for the manufacture of toys, the main items being patent kites. The varnishing room was also on this floor, and was well alight.The twenty or so girls employed in the workshops were temporarily out of work. Mr. Richardson thought the cause was likely a spark from one of the nearby chimneys landing on the roof. In September of that year sixty girls went out on strike for several days regarding the issue of fines.

Clarence street was about 200 yards away, on the other side of Ecclesall Road. It is on this map
https://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/uploads/monthly_09_2008/post-188-1220941199.jpg
on the east side about halfway between the junctions with Milton street and Hodgson street.
Napier street is to the south, and the factory would be on the north side of the street, numbers starting at the east end.

There are several aerial photos from the 1940's here: https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/search?keywords=napier%20sheffield&country=global&year=all
If you create a free account you can zoom in very closely.

Hi Lorrie et al,

To add to Ted's find. C.E.RICHARDSON LTD (address 74 Napier Street) is recorded as being established in 1912 and started out by producing children's scooters. Then as Ted wrote, in 1913 there was a fire. Records show between 1919-1922 Richardson's were producing cars of 8-10 HP.
Eventually they were producing cutlery ie: kitchen knives and scissors.

In 1911 Emma Truelove was recorded working as a kite machinist and if C.E. Richardson's were not established until 1912, we could be back to square one OR maybe HAROLD PARKIN who was a toy manufacturer in 1925 at 168 Thomas Street, had a smaller operation going in 1911 somewhere..?? possibly at 74 Napier Street before Richardson's moved in...?
HAPPY HUNTING:sleuth_or_spy:

Richardson's had a mechanical toy factory on Napier St before 1912. There's a newspaper article from September 1908 about some poor girl getting her hair caught in revolving shafting there.

Heths

Just found an article from August 1909 which says that C.E. Richardsons were fined under the Factory Acts for employing young people under the age of 16 without obtaining medical certificates of fitness. It said they carried on "the manufacture of toys, including kites and flying machines."

C E Richardson of Sheffield put in his kites Patent Application No. 3455 in February 1909. The patent in full is a public record.
Dave

Thank you all very much for all the useful information you have given me! I greatly appreciate it! Will be adding it all to my notes. I have been working on my family tree for years but just now getting deeper into my Truelove branch. This website for Sheffield has a lot of very helpful information and I thank you all again!