William Oates & Company
In 1865, Stannington-born William Oates (c.1830-1909) advertised from the ‘back of’ Monmouth Street as a maker of sardine, Bowie, butchers’, glue, putty, farriers’, hacking, scalping, and pruning knives (and knife sharpeners). He was briefly insolvent in 1869 (when he was described as William ‘the younger’, blade forger). An advertisement in 1876 has him at Sardine Works, No. 5 Court, Leicester Street, and living in Wadsley. He offered ‘Every Description of Knives t....
