Taylor's Eye Witness Works
Encyclopedia
Taylor's Eye Witness Works is an industrial building situated on Milton Street in the Devonshire Quarter
area of Sheffield
city centre, South Yorkshire
, England. The works are a Grade II listed building which since their foundation in 1852 have always specialised in producing kitchen
and pocket
knives along with various associated products. The building is believed to be the only traditional works in Sheffield which still manufactures its original products. It stands next to the Beehive Works
another listed cutlery works on Milton Street.
for his goods, it is said he chose it after being inspired by the line “No eye hath seen such” from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1
. In 1852 Taylor moved to the newly built Eye Witness Works on Milton Street. At the time the works only consisted of five single storey bays and were driven by steam power
with a 40 foot chimney
stack which is still in place today. Upon the death of John Taylor in 1854 the firm passed to his daughter who had married into the Needham family who were also knife producers.
The company became known as Needhams Ltd, joining forces with James Veall in 1876 and the well known local firm of Tyzack’s in 1879 to form Needham, Veall & Tyzack. In 1870 the firm only employed 30 people but such was its success in the latter years of the 19th century that by 1890s there were several hundred people employed at the works. In 1875 the Eye Witness Works were extended by making the original single floor building into three storeys plus the addition of a further nine bays, which were also on three levels. The firm become a limited company in 1897 with capital of £60,000 with Walter Tyzack as chairman and James and William Veall as directors.
An account of the mechanised procedure and products at the Eye Witness Works can be found in a 1897 edition of Sheffield and Rotherham Illustrated, here is an excerpt:
After World War I
the firm was hit by the downturn in demand for high quality pocket knives brought on by the invention of stainless steel
, but mechanised its production process and survived. The firm started to expand again, taking over several well-known Sheffield cutlery companies and their trademarks. The works continued to enlarge with this upturn in business, with new buildings being added on Thomas Street in 1950. In 1965 Needham, Veall & Tyzack became known as Taylor’s Eye Witness to take advantage of its well-known trade mark. In 1975 it was bought by Harrison Fisher & Co who continued to use the Taylor’s Eye Witness brand name for many of its products as well as producing "own label" goods for department stores including John Lewis
, Tesco
and Sainsbury's.
On 1 June 2007 Harrison Fisher & Co Ltd changed its name to Taylors Eye Witness Limited.
In February 2007 the works were upgraded as a listed building from Grade 2 to Grade 2*, but later reverted to Grade 2. Although the building has an interesting frontage, after 20th century intervention there are few internal features of historical interest.
Devonshire Quarter
The Devonshire Quarter is an area in the centre of Sheffield, England. It is based around the Division Street and Devonshire Street shopping areas, known for their small independent shops and variety of pubs and bars...
area of Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
city centre, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England. The works are a Grade II listed building which since their foundation in 1852 have always specialised in producing kitchen
Kitchen knife
A kitchen knife is any knife that is intended to be used in food preparation. While much of this work can be accomplished with a few general-purpose knives – notably a large chef's knife, a tough cleaver, and a small paring knife – there are also many specialized knives that are designed for...
and pocket
Pocket knife
A pocket knife is a folding knife with one or more blades that fit inside the handle that can still fit in a pocket. It is also known as a jackknife or jack-knife...
knives along with various associated products. The building is believed to be the only traditional works in Sheffield which still manufactures its original products. It stands next to the Beehive Works
Beehive Works
The Beehive Works are a purpose built cutlery works located on Milton Street in the Devonshire Quarter area of Sheffield city centre. The works were built in stages in the second half of the 19th century and are designated as a Grade II* listed building with English Heritage stating that they are...
another listed cutlery works on Milton Street.
History
John Taylor founded a knife and edge tools firm around the year 1820 in St. Phillip’s Road in the Netherthorpe area of the city. In 1838 Taylor applied for and was granted the Eye Witness trademarkTrademark
A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...
for his goods, it is said he chose it after being inspired by the line “No eye hath seen such” from Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1
Henry IV, Part 1 is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written no later than 1597. It is the second play in Shakespeare's tetralogy dealing with the successive reigns of Richard II, Henry IV , and Henry V...
. In 1852 Taylor moved to the newly built Eye Witness Works on Milton Street. At the time the works only consisted of five single storey bays and were driven by steam power
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
with a 40 foot chimney
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
stack which is still in place today. Upon the death of John Taylor in 1854 the firm passed to his daughter who had married into the Needham family who were also knife producers.
The company became known as Needhams Ltd, joining forces with James Veall in 1876 and the well known local firm of Tyzack’s in 1879 to form Needham, Veall & Tyzack. In 1870 the firm only employed 30 people but such was its success in the latter years of the 19th century that by 1890s there were several hundred people employed at the works. In 1875 the Eye Witness Works were extended by making the original single floor building into three storeys plus the addition of a further nine bays, which were also on three levels. The firm become a limited company in 1897 with capital of £60,000 with Walter Tyzack as chairman and James and William Veall as directors.
An account of the mechanised procedure and products at the Eye Witness Works can be found in a 1897 edition of Sheffield and Rotherham Illustrated, here is an excerpt:
After World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
the firm was hit by the downturn in demand for high quality pocket knives brought on by the invention of stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
, but mechanised its production process and survived. The firm started to expand again, taking over several well-known Sheffield cutlery companies and their trademarks. The works continued to enlarge with this upturn in business, with new buildings being added on Thomas Street in 1950. In 1965 Needham, Veall & Tyzack became known as Taylor’s Eye Witness to take advantage of its well-known trade mark. In 1975 it was bought by Harrison Fisher & Co who continued to use the Taylor’s Eye Witness brand name for many of its products as well as producing "own label" goods for department stores including John Lewis
John Lewis (department store)
-Recent developments:In June 2004, John Lewis announced plans to open its first store in Northern Ireland at the Sprucefield Park development, the province's largest out of town shopping centre, located outside Lisburn and from Belfast. The application was approved in June 2005 and the opening of...
, Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
and Sainsbury's.
On 1 June 2007 Harrison Fisher & Co Ltd changed its name to Taylors Eye Witness Limited.
In February 2007 the works were upgraded as a listed building from Grade 2 to Grade 2*, but later reverted to Grade 2. Although the building has an interesting frontage, after 20th century intervention there are few internal features of historical interest.