Contents

Hammerton

Early Life

Death of Granddad William

36, Carr Road, Walkley

Barnes and Co.

A Marriage of Consequence

Success 1889- 1891

Tragedy 1891- 1892

Thomas Hammerton Barnes of Sheffield

Thomas Hammerton Barnes, the father of James Parker Barnes, was born in Waldershelf Farm , near Bolsterstone, Sheffield, on the 3rd February 1857 [1] . He was the only son of Elizabeth Barnes.

Waldershelf, sometimes recorded as Waldershelf, is the ancient Scandinavian name for the area between the rivers Don, Little Don, Porter and Ewden Beck. It comprised the manors of Bolsterstone and Midhopestones. Therefore, Waldershelf originally defined a large area, the Waldershelf Byrlaw, as well as a single property and it was at Waldershelf Farm where Thomas was born.

Neither Waldershelf the area nor Waldershelf the property now exist but one kilometre to the East of Bolsterstone is ‘Walders Low’ and the same distance to the west is a large house called ‘Waldershaigh’. These properties were built by Charles Macro Wilson in the 1880s whose imagination had been captured by a Scandinavian legend which led to these names.

 

Elizabeth Barnes gave birth to Thomas Hammerton Barnes when she was about 23 years of age. Thomas was christened in Bolsterstone four months after his birth on the 14th June 1857 - as Thomas Barnes, not as Thomas Hammerton Barnes [2] . There is no record of a father on Thomas’s birth certificate, and he was illegitimate [3] . In a tight-knit rural community in mid-Victorian England this would have been difficult for Thomas to grow up with. He had no father figure, and his grandfather William Barnes was sixty-two when he was born and unlikely to have been a surrogate father figure.

Hammerton- the Search for a Father

It is possible that Thomas’s middle name (Hammerton), an unusual forename, was in some way connected with that of his father. As a surname, 'Hammerton' is the usual form but there are other spellings such as 'Hammaton'. ‘Hammerton’ was a fairly common surname in the Bradfield area over the period 1861-1881 [4] but there is no sign of them before or after this period [5] . The various branches of the Hammerton family were scattered around the Bradfield area, particularly in the hamlets of Ughill, Sugworth and Moor Lodge. They were all involved in farming [6] .

If this is pursued, there is a Thomas Hammerton who was 35 at the time of Thomas’s birth and who is a likely candidate. This Thomas Hammerton was a farmer who, in 1861, lived at Walker House, Bradfield which is about one kilometre to the West of the village of Low Bradfield and about four kilometres away as the crow flies from the site of Waldershelf. Thomas Hammerton lived at Walker House with his wife, Jane, a son called William, a daughter called Elizabeth and a servant.

Another candidate would be a second Thomas Hammerton, living at Sugworth, which is only a couple of kilometres from Walker House. He was the father of a Joseph Thomas Hammerton, christened at Bradfield on the 31st May 1857 - a couple of weeks before Thomas Hammerton Barnes was christened at Bolsterstone. The mother of Joseph Thomas Hammerton was a Sarah Hammerton. This second Thomas Hammerton has not been researched beyond one reference. It's possible that he had a second forename – Jonathan - and this would resolve a lot of uncertainty. It's also possible, but seems unlikely, that while a Jonathan Hammerton was the wife of Sarah, Thomas Hammerton was the father of her child and that there is only one Thomas Hammerton rather than two. For the time being, such complex possibilities cannot be untangled but there remains a remote possibility that a certain Thomas Hammerton put it about quite a bit amongst what was no doubt a very intimate rural community.What is also possible is that at the time and in this community, the siring of illegitimate children was not a major issue. Whoever the father of Thomas Hammerton Barnes might have been; if this general conjecture proves to be correct, the family name should be Hammerton and not Barnes -arguably [7] .

Early Life

Little is known of Thomas's earlier years. In 1861, when Thomas was four years of age, the family unit was still living at Waldershelf [8] . That unit included William and Mary Barnes, Thomas's grandparents, and his mother Elizabeth Barnes who was 25 at that time. William Barnes was a farmer and the farm covered some 36 acres.

When Thomas was seven, he may have witnessed the floods over in the Loxley Valley, which killed around 240 people on the 11th March 1864. This flooding was caused by the collapse of the Dale Dyke Reservoir when the newly completed dam wall collapsed. Whether members of the Hammerton family were included amongst the casualties has yet to be ascertained. Walker House, where some of them were still living, is directly underneath the present dam which holds back the waters of the Dale Dyke reservoir.

Further downstream, lives were definitely lost at Annett House. While Hammertons still lived at Walker House in 1871, by 1881, only a Joshua Hammerton with his wife Eliza still lived in this vicinity - at Moor Lodge. These were difficult times for farming communities and the employment offered by industry and commerce further down the valleys may have been an irresistible lure for the Hammertons and for many others who had hitherto been committed to farming. In the Walkley area of Sheffield, which was the setting for Thomas’s early adult life, there is a ‘Hammerton Road’ and this may in some way be connected with the movement of population from agriculture to industry.

It is worth noting that the name ‘Thomas Barnes’ rather than ‘Thomas Hammerton Barnes’ was fairly common in the Sheffield area. Thus, for example, a Thomas Barnes working as a ‘Slater’ and based in Wadsley Bridge almost certainly did witness the floods of 1864, at least indirectly, in that he submitted an invoice to John Rollin, Forge man at Slack Steel Works for the supply of slating to the value of £9 15s 9d. John Rollin’s premises had suffered substantial damage from the floods and the total agreed settlement with the Sheffield Water Company amounted to £1150. The interesting connection here is that while this Thomas Barnes, the Slater, has no connection with Thomas Hammerton Barnes, some 20 years later the son of John Rollin, one Francis Thomas Rollin, became a business partner of Thomas Hammerton Barnes.

After Granddad William Died

William Barnes died aged 75 on the 12th May 1866 at ‘Moor Hole’ [9] . At the time of his death, he was still described as a ‘Farmer’ which may be connected with the cause of death given as ‘Decay of Nature’ and this might translate best as ‘worn out’. The death was witnessed by his wife Mary who could still not manage to write her own name. ‘Moor Hole’ could be a location which no longer exists in the area to the South of Ewden Beck, around Broomhead Moor, where a number of settlements carry similar names. It could also be a corruption of ‘More Hall’ which still stands, close to Manchester Road where Ewden Beck meets the River Don. Of course, the lower reservoir in the valley is called More Hall Reservoir.

The farm at Waldershelf still existed, but by 1871 Mary Barnes had moved to 56 Town End, Bolsterstone [10] . The house was probably a farm cottage belonging to Samuel Fox, a steel manufacturer, who lived at Town End House. Thomas, aged 14, lived there with Mary, his grandmother. Elizabeth, his mother, was residing with the Kenworthy family at 88 Henholmes [11] . She was a servant, presumably living with and working for this farming family. She was still unmarried. Thomas was a 'scholar' which is significant because at that time, most children were working by the age of 12 so this indicates a degree of wealth in spite of the constrained circumstances of his mother and his grandparents.

At some point in the 1870's, Mary Barnes, Elizabeth Barnes and Thomas Hammerton Barnes moved to the Walkley area of Sheffield. Thomas worked initially in the offices of Mr. R. Fairburn, Solicitor and again, this indicates a level of education not enjoyed by many.

36 Carr Road, Walkley

In 1881, Thomas, aged 24, was living at at 36, Carr Road in Walkley. Thomas lived there with his mother, Elizabeth, probably aged 48, and his grandmother, Mary Barnes. By 1881, Mary Barnes was 75 years of age. Mary Barnes was identified as the head of the household and also as an 'annuitant' which means she was in receipt of a pension. Elizabeth Barnes was described as a 'housekeeper' and Thomas was working as a ‘Commercial Clerk' [12] .This was most likely with Messrs. Butcher based at the Rutland Works where he soon rose to the position of 'manager'. By 1876, W. Butcher and Son had moved on to 41 Eyre Street where they operated as ‘steel converters, refiners and manufacturers [13] .

Mary Barnes died on the 18th February 1882, aged 79 [14] .The cause of death was given as ‘senile decay’ or more colloquially ‘old age’ - as with her husband. Thomas was the informant. The event of Mary Barnes’ death may be connected with imminent developments in Thomas’s life. Although Mary Barnes was an ‘annuitant’ it seems unlikely, given her history, that she was wealthy but the possibility remains that Thomas inherited some funds with which he initiated his brief business career [15] .Thomas’s grandparents, William and Mary Barnes, are buried together in the graveyard of the Parish Church of St. Nicholas, Bradfield.

36 Carr Road, Walkley

In 1997, the house at 36 Carr Road no longer existed. It had been replaced by modern housing but apart from double-glazing, satellite dishes and parked cars;large sections of Carr Road remain very much as they would have been in 1881. Most of the remaining houses are stone-built terraced houses. At the bottom of the road, a short distance from 36 Carr Road, are two pubs, the Firwood Cottage and the Belle Vue. The Belle Vue pub is aptly named. It looks out across the valley; over to what is now the artificial ski slope. In fact, the frequency of both chapels as well as pubs is a notable feature of the Walkley area and the lives of many of the Barnes and the Parker families were set in this area. The influence of the chapel and the pub in those days will apply to much of Sheffield where the social history would often revolve around one or the other and both shared in very different ways an encouragement of non-conformity. This is no longer the case and a significant number of both chapels and pubs are now closing down including the Belle Vue which was up for sale in 2009.

Barnes and Co.

In 1883, the Rutland Works closed down although two years later it was bought by Samuel Osborn, one of the ‘founders of Sheffield steel’ and a former mayor of Sheffield. In 1883 or thereabouts and along with partners, Thomas became involved with the manufacture of steel forgings and other goods at the Slack Steel Works based on Penistone Road, Owlerton. The Slack Steel Works was probably part of the ‘Owlerton Forge’, a large industrial complex based on the site of what, in 2009, is now B&Q. The Hillfoot Forging Company was also based here.

This operation at the Slack Steel Works was initially known as Barnes Craig and Co., but the exact constitution of the organisation is unclear because the business was apparently undertaken as a partnership between Thomas Hammerton Barnes, Francis Thomas Rollin and Robert Craig [16] . However, Robert Craig was soon to exit and on the 23rd March 1885 [17] , he relinquished his partnership by ‘mutual consent’ and the business became known as Barnes and Co.  [18] .After an interval of a couple of years, Francis Thomas Rollin also left the partnership again by ‘mutual consent’ with effect from the 31st December 1887 at which point Thomas had sole responsibility for the business. Francis Thomas Rollin had earlier, prior to 1881, been in partnership with John Rollin and Stafford Rollin his father and brother respectively. The business was called ‘John Rollin and Sons’ and they were identified as ‘Steel and File Makers and General Merchants’ based at the Slack Steel Works but that partnership was dissolved on the 19th September 1881.It is possible that the Slacks Steel Works housed a number of separate business activities but what seems more likely is that Barnes Craig and Co followed by Barnes and Co emerged from the ashes of John Rollin and Sons. The rise and fall of partnerships appear to have been a major feature of Thomas’s business career.

In 1884, Thomas still lived at 36 Carr Road with his mother but soon after, he moved to Belle Mount in the Nether Hallam area. Belle Mount is where Thomas was living in 1885 when, on the 3rd June 1885 Thomas married Elizabeth Parker, thus giving to his wife the same name as his mother [19] . By then, he was 28 years of age and his wife, born in 1855, was 30 years old. Prior to marrying Thomas, Elizabeth Parker lived with her parents at 125 Upperthorpe Road and worked as a ‘Stationer' [20] .

Thomas and Elizabeth were married by special licence in the Oxford Street Chapel, Sheffield – a ‘United Methodist and Free Church’. At the time, the Oxford Street Chapel was registered for worship but not for marriage ceremonies and the special licence may indicate some significance to this choice of venue. The fact that together or individually, they later showed signs of being fervent Methodists. The marriage between Thomas and Elizabeth was witnessed by Elizabeth's brother, John H. Parker, and by Maggie Parker, presumably John's second wife [21] .

A Marriage of Consequence

This marriage was very significant for Thomas's future career. Elizabeth Parker's father James Parker was a builder. The firm of J. Parker and Sons was established in Sheffield in the 1850s. In 1855, James Parker was a book-keeper but by 1870, James Parker and his son, John Parker, were based at premises in Greaves Street [22] . They were suppliers to the building trade, specialising in drainpipes, chimney tops and fire bricks. Given the massive growth in Sheffield's housing stock at this time, and other signals, it seems likely that the business was prospering. The Parker family could also have been influential in making connections with Thomas Hammerton's early business partners. In 1871, a Robert Craig aged 17 was a visitor at the house of James Parker, Thomas’s future father-in-law. A Robert Craig, was one of Thomas Hammerton Barnes' first partners in Barnes, Craig and Co. If this is the same Robert Craig then it looks as though Thomas had been involved for some years with the Parker family, either personally or for business. The two families lived in the same vicinity and the Methodist church may also have presented common ground, as it would have done for many families at that time. This Robert Craig probably also makes an appearance in 1881 but with a reported age of 30. He is identified as an ‘Iron Moulder’ living at 146 Shoreham Street with his wife and their six children, two of whom were step children to Robert Craig [23] .

While Thomas was establishing Barnes Craig and Co, in 1883 or 1884, the Parker family had established premises at 45, Silver Street Head, Paradise Square and at 2, Langsett Road. However, this would not have been a good time for the Parker family because James Parker died of an enlarged prostrate at the age of 70 on the 31st of July 1883 [24] .He is buried in the graveyard at St Nicholas Church, Bradfield, not far from the grave of William and Mary Barnes. That they are buried in the same graveyard might suggest early connections of some kind between the Barnes and the Parker families. According to the grave inscription, James Parker had been Master of Stannington National School over the period 1839-41. On the death of James Parker, the business passed to his son, John H. Parker who lived at Brookhouse Hill, Upper Hallam at that time.

At the time of his marriage, Thomas was enjoying meteoric progress in his business life and the period 1883-1888 was a golden age. It looks as though he continued with operations at the Slacks Steel Works (also known as Slack's Works) [25] for some time and certainly up to 1890 [26] but presumably this was eclipsed by the acquisition of new premises at the Cardigan Works, Brightside Lane which were adapted for steel forging and manufacturing. Previous owners of the business at Cardigan Works were ‘Iron, Steel and Wire Manufacturers’ and that business was liquidated in 1874. In 2009, little remained of the original Brightside Lane which had been one of the major steel processing locations for a century or more but there still existed a narrow canyon of sombre brick buildings running for a kilometre or so which had probably changed little over the intervening years.

It seems highly likely that the continuing development and maintenance of the railways provided at least one lucrative market. Thomas is known to have visited Crewe and this was presumably for business purposes. Signs of material advance are in the house Thomas and Elizabeth lived in following their marriage. The house was at 186, Slinn Street, Walkley, a mile or so away from the relatively humble terrace house at Carr Road. The house is far more impressive that the address would suggest and it still stood in 2009 - a large, stone-built, double-fronted detached house. In 1885, it would have been a recent or new construction with extensive surrounding gardens and an entrance on the corner with Western Road. Fairly recently, two modern houses have been built in what would have been the gardens to either side of the house which is now called Steel Bank House after the immediate area, known as Steel Bank. Apparently, it has also been known as Arundel House.

Their first son arrived quickly, when they were still living at 186 Slinn Street. This was James Parker Barnes [27] .  He picked up his mother’s maiden name as a middle name which follows a pattern seen in the Parker family and possibly in the Barnes family as well. The son also picked up the best part of his grandfather’s name, Elizabeth’s father, who was called James Parker. James Parker Barnes was born on the 5th March 1886; just nine months after his parents were married. A silver christening mug with the inscription ‘JPB’ - James Parker Barnes, still survives, in the care of Ray Wilson. Thomas had been working in partnership but the exact constitutional status of Messrs. Barnes and Co has not been established. It is possible that the uncertainty about the status of the company reflects what was actually happening at the time and may hold clues to subsequent events. At one point, Thomas was the 'senior partner' in this firm and following the departure of Frances Thomas Rollin and Robert Craig, his new associates were John Dodd Ward and a Charles Williams. In the 1880's, a Charles Williams lived at 41, Baltic Road, Attercliffe and he was identified as a ‘BoilerComposition Manufacturer’.It is assumed that this is the same Charles Williams [28] .

There was certainly a Williams family resident at this address in 1881 and the head of household was an Elias Williams aged 50, also a ‘Boiler Composition Manufacturer’ [29] . Similarly, but with greater certainty, in 1891 a John Dodd described as a ‘Manufacturer/Steel Forger’ aged 47 was living at 135 Wood Land Street with his son George, a ‘Manufacturer’s Clerk’ and his sister Emma who worked as a ‘Housekeeper’ [30] . Exactly when this new partnership between Thomas, John Dodd Ward and Charles Williams was established is not known but it must have been between 1887 and 1891. What is known is that late in 1889, an effort had been made to float the business as a limited company. The retirement of partners, presumably Francis Thomas Rollin in the first instance and then Robert Craig followed by John Dodd Ward, together with other unspecified issues were given as the reasons for this attempted flotation with £5,000 of capital in £20 shares but according to reports at the time, the flotation was not a success. By then, Thomas was the Chairman of Messrs. Barnes and Co. but Thomas and Charles were also referred to as 'partners' and John Dodd Ward received no mention so it looks as though John Dodd Ward’s tenure as a partner was short-lived. The exact constitution of Messrs Barnes and Co may well have some bearing on later events.

Only one substantial textual reference has been located for Barnes and Co although others may be available with diligent searching. This steel manufacturing concern, while it appears to have been lucrative for a short period of time, was not on the scale of some other Sheffield operations such as Brown, Firth, Cammell, Vickers and Hadfield and it has therefore left little by way of historical record. This reference [31] is repeated below because of its singular nature but it is important to note that many of these glowing terms, given the source, can be seen as a good example of indirect advertising. 'As one of the principal sources of supply for steel, Sheffield bears a world-wide reputation, and the manufacture thereof is a leading element in the industrial and mercantile system of the town, representing great wealth and employing many hands. In connection therewith it is a pleasure to make mention of so well known and thoroughly representative firm as that of Messrs Barnes and Co, Cardigan Steel Works, Brightside Lane; Slack Steel Works, Penistone Road. Established ten years ago, the house since that date has made great progress and has built up an extensive trade and has attained a stirling reputation entirely upon the merits of the manufactures. The premises in Pensitone Road are conveniently located on the banks of the Don, and consist of a subtsantial block of one-storied buildings excellently arranged, and in every way suitable for the business; while the Cardigan Steel Works, which have been recently acquired, and are undergoing extensive alterations, will be of larger dimensions. The machinery and appliances in use are of the latest improvements, and in conjunction therewith, and under close and able supervision, an efficient staff is engaged in manufacturing steel and steel forgings in Bessemer, Siemens Martin, Swedish-Bessemer, and special steels. As above intimated, the productions are widely noted for general excellence, and the business reputations of the house are of an extensive and widespread character. No expense is spared in maintaining the reputation enjoyed, and by carrying large stocks all orders can be executed at the shortest notice. The gentlemen of the firm are by all respected and esteemed by reason of their strict integrity and business habits, and there can be no doubt of the influential place their house holds in this line’.

Success: 1889-1890

In the late 1880's, Thomas and Elizabeth certainly moved around, as well as upwards to more affluence. By 1888 they were living in the Rivelin area and this was a move to an opulent lifestyle as far as the more obvious signs are concerned. They were installed in a large, imposing, stone-built house standing in extensive grounds. Thomas and Elizabeth may have commissioned this house but if they didn’t, it was a recent construction [32] . 

Rivelin House

They were installed in a large, imposing, stone-built house standing in extensive grounds. Thomas and Elizabeth may have commissioned this house but if they didn’t, it was a recent construction. The house was, and still is, typical of the kind of residence associated with successful Victorian industrialists. Then, it was known as 'Rivelin House' but later it became 'Rivelin Glen' and is now called 'Glen House'. It is located on the North side of the A6101 just after it crosses the River Rivelin. This road, the A601, was built some time later and when Thomas and his family lived at Rivelin House, there was no road between the house and the river. Access was via Roscoe Bank and a grand entrance drive running alongside the quarry. There might also have been another entrance reached by continuing towards the Rivelin Hotel and then doubling back down what would have been a small lane. Any connection between Rivelin House and the quarry, if it existed in 1888, has not been established.

At that time, Rivelin House was therefore very secluded. It was set on a good site in over 13 acres of land and included various cottages as well as a coach house and extensive gardens. The line of terraced cottages facing the road was known as 'Rivelin Cottages' or possibly ‘The Cabin’. These cottages were part of the estate. The house itself had servants' quarters and it is known that Thomas and Elizabeth had two female servants called Ellen and Anne and a third servant or gardner/handyman named Samuel Wooding [33] . There may have been a third female servant, Susannah, living in the cottages. Samuel Wooding lived with his wife Adelaide in ‘The Cabin’ (possibly ‘Rivelin Cottages’) which was also occupied by sixteen other persons and the men were all employed as either general labourers or as farm labourers.

From the available information, it seems that Elizabeth was the legal owner of Rivelin House and its land while Thomas was a ‘beneficial owner’ which could be interpreted in a number of ways [34] .The more obvious is that the house was bought in Elizabeth’s name but Thomas, as her husband, was entitled to his beneficial interest. Alternatively, the house could have been bought by Thomas or by both of them in some proportions but the legal ownership was invested in Elizabeth for financial planning purposes and this may be relevant to later events. It seems there was a mortgage on the property for £1,100 which was established in 1887 but it is not known to what extent this covered the full value of the property [35] .In 2009, ‘Glen House’ was on the market for £625,000 but by this time, the property was much reduced and was confined to the main house and its immediate gardens. Rivelin Valley Road had also reduced its seclusion.

In the late nineteenth century, this spot in Rivelin Glen would have constituted a small hamlet consisting of fine houses and small-scale industry. What is now residential property close to Glen House included a blacksmith and a pin manufacturer in the nineteenth century. Four mill dams on the river powered wheels that drove machinery for cutlery manufacture. The four wheels were known as Iron Wheel, Upper Cut Wheel, New Wheel and Home Head Wheel. It is likely that there was other manufacturing and service activity of which there is now no trace. It is not known when the quarry at the back of Rivelin House was developed but the assumption is that this area was also included in the property. It seems unlikely that a grand house with a sweeping drive would have originally been built next to a working quarry.

There were other measures of success, in terms of the conventions of the day. In 1889, Thomas was elected to represent the Handsworth Electoral Division of the West Riding County Council [36] . He was returned unopposed because a Mr. B.J. Young withdrew his candidature at the last moment. This was the first Borough election in Sheffield after the 1884 Reform Act, and the Local Government Act of 1888. For the first time men with an income less than forty shillings a year were permitted to vote if they occupied a house worth £10 a year. For the first time men inhabiting a dwelling-house as an employee, whose employer did not live there, were to be treated as if they were occupying as tenants for franchise purposes. This was a great extension of the vote to the upper working class or skilled artisan classes. The Local Government Act of 1888 meant that Sheffield attained county borough status in 1889. Thomas Hammerton Barnes stood in the very first election. In all, there were ninety councilors with three in each of the thirty districts.

It is difficult to know which political affiliation Thomas Hammerton Barnes was associated with. Sheffield had been for a long time associated with political protest. In 1822, the Sheffield Mechanical Trades Association was an early attempt to bring together six cutlery trades. In the 1830s and 1840s this movement gradually moved towards an amalgamation of Trades Unions and in 1858 Sheffield Trades and Unions Council was formed.The membership was mostly of unions based in the cutlery trade. On formation, there were 17 branches, with 3,100 members. Anthony John Mundella, the Liberal MP for Sheffield Brightside, 1885-97, initially supported this movement, and served as President on the second day of the first ever Co-operative Congress in 1869. If Thomas Hammerton Barnes did support the Liberal party in Sheffield, Anthony Mundella would have been an exceptionally good choice as a colleague as he was President of the Board of Trade in 1886. As a Methodist, it is highly probable that he would have supported this party.

In 1890, Thomas also became a guardian for the Stannington Ward of the Wortley Union [37] . The Wortley Board of Guardians met on a fortnightly basis and in 1890/91, Thomas put in 20 attendances out of a maximum of 26. At one meeting in April 1890 and perhaps reflecting his Methodism, Thomas seconded a motion that the officials of the workhouse be paid £4.00 per annum in lieu of beer but this motion was lost on the vote [38] . At the same meeting and also of interest, a decision was made to appoint Dr. Edwin Whitfield Dawson Kite of Home Lane as the medical officer for the district.

There were other signs of progress and also of the religiously devout nature of Thomas and Elizabeth, or at least one of them, and Methodism appears to have played a major part in the unfolding of their lives. This was no doubt the case for many individuals and families in South Yorkshire which had a radical religious and political history during the nineteenth century and the influence merits a slight digression.

John Wesley was the founder of the Methodist Church which described itself at that time as 'believing in a disciplined, simple lifestyle'. From this simple starting point, there were many factions within the Church and included amongst these was 'Free Methodism' and ‘Primitive Methodism’ which seceded in 1807 [39] .The Primitive Methodists, also known as ‘Ranters’, had many traveling evangelists and while sometimes derided, including in the present day, many of their basic tenets were well ahead of their time. They were also noted for their encouragement of women evangelists and they provided many leaders of the trade union movement in the late nineteenth century. Thomas and Elizabeth were probably exposed to various strands of Methodism including the Primitive Methodists but their specific affiliation in 1890 was to the United Methodist Free Church.

In the case of Thomas and Elizabeth Barnes and also of the Parker family, this immersion in Methodism has left numerous traces and the most obvious tangible relic of this can be found in the Glen View Mission chapel which originally belonged to the United Free Methodist Church and was located in the Hanover Circuit. This chapel, now dilapidated, stands two hundred metres to the east of Rivelin House/Rivelin Glen/Glen View and in 1890; it would have been on what was the main road - Roscoe Bank.

Thomas and Elizabeth were key individuals in the development of this chapel which began with the selling of the land for its construction. Indentures reveal a somewhat tortuous procedure whereby the land was passed from Elizabeth to Thomas through £50 being paid off the outstanding mortgage for the whole property – the £1,100 identified earlier. The land for the chapel was then sold for £50 by Thomas to a group of seventeen individuals, including Thomas, who all became the trustees. It is difficult to understand why the sale of the land was not a direct sale between Elizabeth and the trustees. No doubt there was a good reason at the time but a possible connection is that in spite of the creed of the United Methodist Free Church, none of the trustees was female. They were all male and most were skilled craftsmen of one kind or another. They included a John Dodd Ward, occupation given as ‘Forge man’, and Thomas’s business partner.

On the 4th April 1890, Elizabeth along with others laid the foundation stone at the Glen View Mission Chapel Inscribed on the east wall of the chapel are the names of five women, one of whom is Elizabeth Barnes. See the trowel above, which is is in the care of Reginald Barnes. Ignominiously, the inscription for Elizabeth Barnes is now part concealed by a drainpipe. This chapel was in use right up to 2008 and since the 1930s, the Methodist church has reunited most of its earlier factions so recent congregations would not have been the ‘bible bashers’ of a hundred years ago and more. In 2009, the chapel was about to be sold for redevelopment. Thomas’s apparent business success, his work as a councilor and the deep engagement of the family in the Methodist church all suggest that they had become worthy citizens.

Thomas lived at Rivelin House with his wife and child and also with his mother, and his mother-in-law. Keeping track of the women in this household can be tricky and it might have been so at the time. There were two Elizabeths - Elizabeth Barnes, Thomas's wife; Elizabeth Barnes, his mother; and Mary Parker, his mother-in-law. In 1891, both mothers were living on private means, or so they reported. It is not known why Thomas's mother-in-law was living with Thomas and Elizabeth. Her husband, James Parker had died in 1883 but she had an extended family of her own. As for Elizabeth Barnes, Thomas's mother, she must have been happy to have moved from being a servant, to having servants.

Tragedy: 1891-1892

It certainly looks as though Thomas and Elizabeth saw some good times but trouble was lurking and while this trouble may have been in the background for some time, this brief two year interval saw great turmoil and probably great sadness in the Barnes and also the Parker families. It was certainly a massive turning point in the fortunes of the Barnes family group and faint effects may still ripple through current generations.

The first calamity was the death of Thomas and Elizabeth’s second child. Their daughter Mary Isabel was born on the 6th September 1890 at Rivelin Glen [40] . Tragically, Mary died at the age of seven months on the 4th April 1891 which was exactly one year after the foundation stones had been laid for the Glen View Mission Chapel [41] . The cause of death was given as bronchitis and what was probably bronchial pneumonia. Her mother, Elizabeth, was present at the death which occurred at the family home, Rivelin House. It is assumed that Thomas and Elizabeth did not have any other children between the birth of James Parker Barnes on the 5th March 1886 and that of Mary Isabel in August 1890. The effects of this child’s death on Elizabeth and Thomas would have been profound .

Further trouble surfaced around 1891 and was financial in nature - or at least, that was the more obvious measure. Thomas's business was doing badly, very badly. The precise cause of subsequent failure of the business is not known but this was variously put down to a decline in trade, falling prices, bad debts, under-capitalisation and 'other adverse circumstances [42] .In the UK and also worldwide, this period was one of general economic malaise. As far as iron and steel manufacturing were concerned, the period 1860 to 1873 has been referred to as the ‘steel boom’ after which growth stabilised and then fell – particularly for volume manufacturing but less so for specialist products [43] . This was attributed to the completion of the main phase of railway and shipbuilding development, the emergence of strong domestic competition overseas, and the invention of new processes. British manufacturers have also been criticised for not having seen the need for stronger vertical integration and for continuing with what were, in many cases, small and specialised family-owned businesses. Some of this background may well have applied to Barnes and Co in that they entered the market after the main growth period but the company did appear to be offering a range of manufacturing processes including Bessemer,Siemens Martin and Swedish-Bessemer together with the production of special steels. Nothing is known about the vague but perhaps pointed comment ‘other adverse circumstances’.

The retirement of partners has earlier been mentioned as an issue, presumably linked with the constraints of undercapitalisation and the unsuccessful flotation, all set alongside the problems of not being either big enough or specialised enough in what was at best a static market. Whatever the legal status of the relatively modest operations of Messrs. Barnes and Co, the working assumption given imminent developments is that Thomas had invested considerable amounts of his own capital into the operation. Thomas was seriously in debt. The scale of the debt was enormous and had perhaps accumulated over a number of years. Using a rough measure to convert to today's price levels, Thomas was between £1.5 and £2.0 million pounds in debt.

The first known signal that something might have been amiss came with yet another resignation. By 1891, Thomas Hammerton Barnes, John Dodd Ward and Charles Williams were operating as ‘Barnes and Co’ and they were engaged as ‘Steel Forging Manufacturers’. John Dodd Ward bailed out in June 1891 [44] and this may be because he saw the writing on the wall. This left Thomas and Charles with joint responsibility for ‘Barnes and Co’. Of some possible significance, the news of John Dodd Ward’s exit was not announced until eight months later on the 12th February 1892 and this is when the crisis surrounding Thomas was about to break. What also appears to be more than an odd coincidence is the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Hillfoot Forging Company based at Slack Steel Works, a day earlier on the 11th February 1892, which saw the announcement that this business could not continue and should be liquidated.The Chairman of Hillfoot Forging Company was the same John Dodd Ward [45] .

Clearly, there were some complex businesses networks operating at the Slack Steel Works and at Cardigan Steel Works and why there was such a rapid turnover in the identified partnerships is not known. Maybe John Dodd Ward should have kept his involvement with this company and Thomas should have joined him because in 1923 Hillfoot Steel Forge Co Ltd was resurrected by Tom Green and it still existed in 2008, based on Herries Road very close to the original site. Murray Metals Group acquired the Hillfoot Steel Group in 2008 - for £43 million when the majority shareholding was still in the ownership of the Green family. However, Thomas Hammerton Barnes was not to see such continuing business success.

A likely measure of Thomas’s anxieties and preoccupations at this time is seen in his attendance as a Guardian of the Wortley Union [46] . Thomas missed ten meetings in a row between April and July 1890 and then made only eight appearances between April 1891 and February 1892. Of course, his daughter Mary Isabel had died in April 1891 and it is very likely that he was under great pressure with Barnes and Co. His last attendance for the Wortley Union was on the 22nd January 1892.

Thomas's creditors were chasing him. He appeared to believe that the business could survive but on the 8th February 1892, a meeting of his creditors took place and according to reports of the day, it was made clear to him by the creditors that his business was insolvent and that the only course open to him was to file a petition for bankruptcy. The formalities were initiated and this is said to have had a very 'depressing' effect on Thomas. Thomas became very ill but it appears that he had been unwell for some time and that at least some of this could be attributed to existing anxiety concerning his business and its failings. While he had been elected as a County Councilor in 1889, he had already stated his intention of not standing for re-election on the grounds of failing health. Again, looking at photographs from this period, he certainly seems to have aged very quickly and even when the sombrero clothes and grim expressions are discounted, he looked at lot older than a man in his mid 30s. He certainly lost his hair very quickly and went from having a thick head of hair in 1886 to being completely bald on top some four or five years later.

Following the meeting with his creditors on the 8th February 1892, Thomas attended a class with the Free Methodist Church, presumably at the Glen View Mission Chapel. He spoke there with his friends and said that he did not know what the outcome would be of his financial difficulties. On returning home, he suffered what was said to be a 'complete collapse of the mental system' and for the next eight days, he lost the power of speech, stayed in bed and was effectively unconscious. Dr. Dawson Kite, mentioned earlier, attended to Thomas but this was to no avail and Thomas died during the night of Tuesday, 16th February 1892 [47] .

He was only 35 at the time, had been married six years and his son, James Parker Barnes, was five years of age [48] . Thomas died of ‘Cerebral Softening’ and ‘Cerebral Effusion’. The meaning of diagnoses changes over time but in today’s language this translates roughly as ‘brain haemorrhage’. A more precise interpretation isn’t possible but whatever it was, it got him when he was very young. The informant of Thomas’s death was Samuel Wooding, one of the servants. Samuel Wooding, reported to be present at Thomas’s death, was illiterate and left a mark rather than a signature on Thomas’s death certificate. Dawson Kite certified the cause of death.

Thomas was buried in the St Nicholas graveyard, High Bradfield, on Saturday, 20th February 1892. The funeral cortege left Rivelin Glen at 1.00pm for the long and often steep drive to High Bradfield and the mourners included a deputation from the Handsworth Division of the West Riding County Council as well as family and friends.

This deputation consisted of Mr. J. Siddall and Mr. W. Pye who bore a letter from a Mr. J White, secretary to a meeting which passed the resolution … 'That this representative meeting hereby regrets the loss it has sustained by the death of Mr. T.H. Barnes and respectfully tenders its sympathy and condolences with Mrs. Barnes in her bereavement'. The cortege made its way over to High Bradfield some five kilometres away. The burial service was conducted by Rev. A.B. Browne (possibly Brown) known as Briarly Browne, the rector at Bradfield.

In the St Nicholas graveyard, there is no obvious gravestone for Thomas Hammerton Barnes beyond one very simple headstone with the inscription ‘TB’ and this is assumed to be the final resting place of Thomas Hammerton Barnes [50] . If so, Thomas is not buried with either his wife or his parents. Given Thomas’s short lived business success and his work as a good citizen, a more substantial record might have been expected but perhaps no funds were available for something a little more eloquent or, more tragically, because nobody was prepared to pay. This sad relic of the life of Thomas Hammerton Barnes may in some ways have been a fitting finale for someone who could have fallen from grace in various ways. For the record, it should also be mentioned that there is also a paupers’ grave at St Nicholas but there are no records for those interred in this grave.

The bankruptcy proceedings coincided in a brutal way with Thomas's death. The day after Thomas's death, a receiving order was made in the Sheffield Bankruptcy Court on a creditors' petition which had been submitted on the 12th February. The order was made against Thomas Hammerton Barnes and Charles Williams, together trading via Messrs Barnes & Co. at the Cardigan Steel Works, Brightside Lane, as steel forging manufacturers. When the receiving order was made, Charles Williams was definitely living at 64, Robert Street, Sheffield although he was not living at this address in the previous year [51] .The petitioning creditor was a David Haigh, also the petitioning solicitor. Thomas and Charles were declared bankrupt under the terms of Section 4-1 of the Bankruptcy Act of 1883. The date of Public Examination and of Adjudication was the 17th March 1892.

The creditors made claims on Barnes and Co but also and individually against Thomas and Charles Williams [52] . Due process continued throughout 1892 with creditors ultimately receiving about 11 shillings in the pound on money owed. Thus, total company and personal assets were some 55% of liabilities. Of the funds available to creditors, Thomas was the biggest contributor at around 51% of available funds followed by Barnes and Co at 42% and Charles Williams contributing a fairly small 7 ½ d in the pound equal to about 6%. It seems clear from this that Thomas had put everything on the line. Notice of the release of trustees which marked the formal end of the bankruptcy proceedings occurred almost two years later on the 18th January 1894 [53] .

For the time being, it has to be assumed that Thomas's whole estate was forfeit to reimburse creditors following the bankruptcy proceedings. Whether or not this included the family home is not known but it seems highly likely that as a ‘beneficial owner’ if not the legal owner with full title, at least half the value of the property would have gone to repay creditors.

Thomas died intestate which is surprising given his former wealth [54] .Very quickly, by July of 1892, the house had been sold. Benjamin Greaves became the owner and he was one of the 'Greaves' family which figures large and frequently in the history of Sheffield. Earlier, in the 1820s, the first integrated steel and cutlery factory, 'Greaves Sheaf Works' in Effingham Street, had been established and of course the Parker family had premises at 'Greaves Street'. By early 1901, the house was occupied by the Gosney family and Henry Gosney the head of household was a ‘Stone Merchant’ who became a trustee of the Rivelin Valley Mission Chapel in 1905. This is the first known reference to the quarry which still exists at the back of Rivelin House but the working assumption is that while Thomas and his family were resident, the quarry had not been developed and the area was part of the property.

A little later on the 6th August 1901, the property was bought by Sheffield Corporation. This is thought to be connected with the further development of water supply in the Rivelin valley. During the 1960’s or 1970’s, the Sheffield City Architect lived at Glen House. It is now in private ownership and in 2009 it had just changed hands.

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