This silver and electro-plate enterprise was launched in 1905 in Backfields by William Osborne. He had been born in Carlton, Nottinghamshire, in about 1858. By 1881, he was living in Shrewsbury Road, Sheffield. He was a wholesale draper and fent dealer by profession, but branched into silver and electro-plate manufacture. Later he was apparently joined by David Gilpin (1845-1916), who was the son of a plasterer. Gilpin was a silver cutlery polisher, though he was also once listed as a fent dealer. By 1907, Gilpin was a silver finisher at 82 Backfields (with Osborne at 84). Osborne’s became ‘& Co’ in 1909.  David Gilpin died on 22 December 1916, aged 71, leaving £11,607. Probate was to William Osborne ‘out of business’ and Page John Goulson. Osborne seems to have returned to his trade of draper. He died on 6 January 1934, leaving £14,414. 

After Gilpin’s death, his sons – David Gilpin (1869-1953) and Tom Gilpin (1881-1967) – took over Osborne & Co. In 1919, it was listed at Abbey Works, Rockingham Street. The ‘ABBEY’ trade mark (registered in 1913) depicted Beauchief Abbey. In 1926, Osborne & Co (Sheffield) Ltd was formed, with £15,000 authorised capital (of which £1,200 was issued in ordinary shares). The firm traded in Rockingham Street until about 1939, when Tom Gilpin started his own business. Osborne & Co (Sheffield) Ltd apparently became part of Sipelia Group, but was liquidated in 1970.