Catalogue description Joseph Bramall and Sons, horse-nail and file makers, subsequently Henry Bramall and Sons

This collection comprises:

Office Correspondence 1854 - 1934 (BramR/1/1).

Office Books 1851 - 1942 (BramR/1/2).

Printed Miscellany 1852 - [1960s] (BramR/1/3)

A few of the business records of members of the Bramall family who were engaged in the mining, manufacturing and merchandising of gannister in the Yorkshire West Riding, viz. of Joseph Bramall and Sons of Hazlehead and Birtin Works, Oughtbridge 1867 - 1924 (BramR/2):

Office Correspondence 1867 - 1911 (BramR/2/1).

Office Books 1871 - 1924 (BramR/2/2).

Family records, mostly personal correspondence from Clarrie Merryman to Mary Bramall, her cousin 1849 - 1892 (BramR/3):

Correspondence 1872 - 1892 (BramR/3/1).

Miscellaneous 1849 - 1886 (BramR/3/2).

The bulk of the records are annual bundles of orders, invoices and general correspondence, beginning in 1866. The letters include many billheads of local firms. There is a selection of order and delivery books, also of statements, and receipts. Twenty-seven small note books contain lists of men's wages and payments to persons who appear to be outworkers. There are also payment books, and price lists etc.

The collection includes a few items relating to the Bramall's ganister business at Oughtibridge and Hazlehead, including some leases, plans, reports on workings 1867-1913. The correspondence of the nail and file business also includes some ganister business.

Joseph Bramall and Sons, subsequently Henry Bramall and Sons

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The collection came into Sheffield City Archives in 1966, 1969 and 1986. However, there is little information regarding the circumstances regarding entering Sheffield City Archives. For two accessions the depositor is unknown, and for the other two accessions where the depositor is known, it is not possible to establish their connection to the firm. Therefore, the custodial history of these records cannot be established.

• Family
• Steel
• Manufacturing
• Tools
• Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire
• Oughtibridge, Bradfield, Ecclesfield, West Riding of Yorkshire
• Hazlehead, Thurlstone, Penistone, West Riding of Yorkshire

Records of Joseph Bramall and Sons of Birtin Farm (Works), Oughtibridge, and later of Henry Bramall and Sons of Birtin Works, Henry Street, Sheffield.

Joseph Bramall and Sons was a family business, involving several brothers, established in 1836. The firm manufactured files and nails and acted as factors in these products and for small quantities of steel. One of the brothers, Henry, subsequently set up a separate business as Henry Bramall and Sons and it was this firm which moved to Henry Street, Sheffield, in 1889.

The firm would seem to be typical of the small file and nail businesses which flourished particularly in the Ecclesfield district in the nineteenth century.

Bramalls' business was not confined to Sheffield, but extended over the Midlands and the West Riding and even imported files from Christiana [Oslo, Norway].

It is possible that some of the later records were destroyed in a fire at the works in 1957.

In the 1960s the firm displayed a delivery book dated 1905 - 1910 and 34 order books dated 16 Nov 1891 - 13 Dec 1927 in the industrial museum at Abbeydale Works, Abbeydale Road South, Sheffield. In each case there were similar records deposited as part of this collection, but the records displayed at the Industrial Museum do not appear to have been deposited at Sheffield City Archives.