Catalogue description Records of Rabone Chesterman of Bow Works, Sheffield

Customers' book 1905; records of material produced 1925-1952; price lists for rules; ready reckoners for engineers' squares and rules; reports, bulletins and process charts for products; reports on product tests and manufacturing processes; wages accounts; order books; minutes of meetings 1950-1955; correspondence relating to an expedition to Iceland by Sheffield students 1964; photographs of products; trade and manufacturers' catalogues; advertising literature and news cuttings; notes on firm's history and the merger which formed Rabone Chesterman in 1977

Rabone Chesterman

• Rabone, Michael, fl 1780, rule maker, of Sheffield
• Rabone, John, fl 19th century, rule maker, of Sheffield
• Rabone, Eric, fl 19th century, rule maker, of Sheffield
• Chesterman, James, fl 1821, measuring instrument manufacturer, of Sheffield
• Chesterman, William, fl 1868-1880, Master Cutler, of Sheffield
• Housfield, fl 1821, measuring instrument manufacturer, of Sheffield
• Birmingham
• Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire
• Measuring instruments

Michael Rabone carried on a business as rule maker at 8 Snow Hill, Sheffield in c1780; the business was continued by John Rabone and his (John's) grandson, Eric Rabone. It worked under the name of John Rabone & Sons c1784-1953, becoming a public company in 1948. The Headquarters were in Birmingham. James Chesterman had set up business with Mr Housfield in 1821 with a factory in Nursery Street. Known as James Chesterman and Co Ltd from c1832 the business specialised in making measuring tapes and instruments. In 1837 James Chesterman was listed as patentee of the spring tape measure and self rolling window blind. William Chesterman was elected Master Cutler in 1880, with his premises being badly damaged by fire in the same year. The businesses were amalgamated in 1963. In 1990 it was taken over by Stanley.