The founder was John Himsworth (1876-1935), who was born in Sheffield, the son of John (a spring knife cutler) and his wife, Ann.   By 1909, John the younger had left Sheffield.  He became a cutler, tool dealer, and ironmonger, who traded as J. Himsworth & Co at Buttermarket Street, Warrington.  He died at Walton, Warrington, on 16 November 1935, aged 59.  He left £1,331 to his widow, Annie Elizabeth.  They had two sons – John Horace (1905-1960) and James Cyril (1911-1967) – who continued the family firm.  They lived at Runcorn.  In 1939, John Horace was enumerated in the Register of England & Wales as a ‘wholesale cutlery merchant [and] traveller’; his brother was a ‘cutlery merchant’. 

A third generation became active in the firm: namely, Peter John Himsworth (1937-2003), who was John Horace’s son; and John Cyril Himsworth (1938-1968), who was the son of James Cyril. J. C. Himsworth’s obituary described him as a partner in J.  Himsworth & Co (Cutlers), Market Street, Warrington (Liverpool Echo, 17 October 1968).  The firm seems to have traded as a cutlers and jewellers until at least the 1970s.