George Oxspring
George Oxspring, a fork maker, was born in the Shiregreen area in about 1750. He was apparently the son of George, a husbandman, and after apprenticeship to various masters was granted his Freedom in 1775 (Leader, 1905-61). George Oxspring then trained other fork makers at Shiregreen, such as John Gregory, William Haslehurst, and William Holmes (Unwin, 20022). Little is known about Oxspring’s subsequent career, though he was listed in directories in 1797, 1816, and 1818; and he was also a public....
