Sheffield Daily Telepraph

Re Charles H Staniforth Deceased Freehold Dwelling Houses Hackenthorpe, Near Sheffield To be sold by Auction by C. F. Ward & Son at the New Inn, Hackenthorpe, THIS DAY (WES= NESDAY), July 25th 1917 at 6.30 o'clock. and subject to the Conditions to be then read:- and being Nos. 1,3,5,7,8,11, Brook Lane, Hackenthorpe Each House contains Room, Kitchen, Pantry, 2 Bedrooms, except No 1, which contains 2 Rooms, Kitchen, Pantry, and 3 Bedrooms. The property is well Let and produces a Gross Annual Rental of £60 0s 4d. For further particulars apply to the Auctioneers, 63, Station road, Woodhouse, Mr T.S. Smith, 78 Queen's Road, Beighton; or to Albert E. Hall, Solicitor Eckington and Chesterfield

Derbyshire Times/Chesterfield Herald

Derbyshire Firm's Bicentenary

Proud record of progress

Few industrial firms of today can boast a 200 years existence but that is the proud claim of Messrs Thos. Staniforth and Co Ltd. whose Severquick Works at Hackenthorpe are renowned throughout the world for the quality of their scythesm hooks, sickles, axes and agricultural and garden tools of all descriptions. For many generations, the products of this old, but very modernly run works set in an unpretentious yet charming village on the Derbyshire border, have found their way in ever growing numbers to the far corners of the globe, and made their mark. Today in addition to its large export trade, the firm is playing no mean part in the national effort and holds many Government contracts for the manufacture of agricultural and horticultural tools and butchers implements. The origin of the association of the Staniforth family members of which are buried in Beighton cemetery, with the ancient craft which is still carried on under their name, is lost to obscurity, but that it was at least 300 years ago is proved by a trade mark "T.S Since 1743" which is incorporated on the firm's present letter heads that the association dates back even further than that - to the 16th Century - is evidenced by a mark which was referred to by the Master Cutler of Sheffield at a luncheon in 1940. This mark is referred to in a document in Latin which is in the British Museum and records that in 1565 in addition to 17 marks granted in respect of Iron Knives, a mark was granted to one John Stanyford to be impressed on his iron sickles. It is known that about 1740, a Mr. John Staniforth erected the oldest of the present buildings of the Hackenthorpe Works and began to forge sickles by hand. The larger portion of the present buildings was erected in 1820. In 1912 the firm was purchased from the Staniforth Family by Ald. W.A Fox, Ald E. Peat, Coun, A.B Hall, Mr J.J Hutton and Mr. Chas Helliwell. In recent years the firm has followed an ever-progressive policy and has incorporated the businesses or good will of such local firms as John Cox and Son, John Riley and Sons, W. Fox and Sons, Castle and Turton, and C. Lowcock and Co, Mr. W.H. Roddis is chairman of directors, Mr Geo. Thos Carter, managing director and secretary, with Mr. G.G Thurgarland and Mrs. G.T Carter as co-directors with Mr. Carter whose only son, Mr. Alan T Carter entered the business and was assistant secretary and manager of the Government contracts department before joining the Army. The good name which Severquick products holds throughout many countries is due first and foremost to the excellant workmanship which goes to their making, but another factor is the rigid tests in which each bladed implement is subjected before it is "passed out". An iron bar is used to test hatchets, butchers cleavers etc. The iron bar is notched by the force of the stroke but if the blade of the implement turns in the slightest - a rare occurance - it is discarded as useless.