42. William and Mary Green

William Green was born in 1823 in Darfield, Barnsley. His parents were John and Sarah Green.

Mary Rowland was born in 1828 in Saxton in Elmet. Her parents were Richard and Harriet Rowland.

William and Mary were married in 1848 in Saxton.

They had nine children, mainly in Stainborough nr Barnsley:

• 53.2.1 - John Green (1849)
• 53.2.2 - William Rowland Green (1851)
• 53.2.3 - Richard Green (1853)
• 53.2.4 - Harriet Green (1854)
• 53.2.5 - Henry Green (1856)
• 53.2.6 - Mary Letitia Green (1858)
• 53.2.7 - Charles Joseph Green (1861)
• 53.2.8 - Edwin Arthur Green (1863)
• 53.2.9 - Walter Ernest Green (1865)

More on these families in Chapter 53.

In 1841, William was with farmer Harriot Barker in Darfield, Barnsley. In 1851, the family are in Stainborough Folds, where William was a farmer of 180 acres, employing 5 labourers. In 1861, William was an iron founder, employing 13, on Ecclesfield Common. By 1871, this had risen to 28 men and 12 boys.

According to Aspects of Sheffield (ed. Jones), William set up his own small foundry on West Bar Green, to manufacture hammers, vices, and other small tools. He was a family member of the Green family of Ecclesfield, of which the brothers Edward and Samuel operated a corn mill on the Common, and a John Green who had a small foundry, the Ecclesfield Foundry, next to the corn mill. [ed. This is interesting: brother Edmund was a miller in Darfield, brother Samuel was an iron founder in central Sheffield; there was a spring knife cutler called John Green in Ecclesfield] John Green, in 1855, claimed to have been established as a maker of cooking equipment upon his filing of Patent No 1000188.

On the map, Sheffield City Centre is bottom centre, Ecclesfield Common is top centre. The City Centre is Victorian. My photos are here. The photo set includes the grand civic buildings, and also several notable Victorian iron and steelworks in various states of repair.

Map of Sheffield (via OpenStreetMap)

In 1860 William Green's address was given as 14, Cleveland Place, Infirmary Road, where he was operating as a whitesmith. By 1862, he was listed as an ironfounder on Ecclesfield common and at 4, Corporation Street, Sheffield, having inherited his relative's Ecclesfield foundry. The 1889 directory listed William Green at 111-115 West Bar, and at the Norfolk Foundry, Ecclesfield. By that date the small Ecclesfield foundry had expanded into and taken over the old cornmill, using the mill's water wheel to drive the machinery, a practice which continued through to the 1920s.

Advertisement for William Green grate and mantel (my collection)

The real thing (courtesy of my friend Budby)

Fireplace detail - Abbeydale (Budby)

From the days of John Green, the Company specialised in the making of cooking equipment. They were among the first to manufacture small, compact, portable cooking ranges for emigrants who undertook the long treks by 'covered wagons' across to America's west [ed. I wonder if the Civil War was more likely], and they also made similar appliances for ships' galleys.

Covered wagon at High Desert Museum (credit)

In 1889 the firm was listed as 'Manufacturers of all kinds of cooking ranges, grill stoves, hot plates, confectioners' ovens, steam closets, gas hobs and carving tables, stove grates, tile registers, dog grates, mantels, and overmantels, kerbs, fenders, ash pans etc. Later directories show them to have been makers of machine tools such as steam and hydraulic hammers and presses, and the makers of sluice and lock gate castings and equipment.

Filing with US Patent Office regarding Military or Camp Kitchen, 1916

William Green & Co. became a private limited liability company in 1914 registered as William Green & Co (Ecclesfield) Ltd. with a works at the Norfolk Foundry, Ecclesfield and show rooms at West Bar, Sheffield. The products of the Norfolk Foundry were listed as: stove grates, ranges, ships' galley and cabin stoves, general engineering products and castings, and machine tools. During both world wars Green’s supplied catering equipment to all three of the armed forces.

Norfolk Foundry, Ecclesfield (Sheffield City Council)

To see what it looks like now, click here. Note that there is a specialist steel holding company, a metal fabricator, and a forging and extrusion company on the small industrial estate (2020).

Green's withdrew from stove grate production during the late 1960s but continued with the manufacture of large scale catering equipment and sub-contract castings. This side was bought out by local competitor Brightside Engineering, and closed in 1983-4. As above, the site has been occupied by a Morrisons supermarket since 1997, and there are, apparently historical pictures in the entrance foyer. The West Bar showroom became an ironmongers and heating and plumbing distributors, which closed in 1980.

William Green machine label (my collection)

Next (William's siblings)