Thomas (Tom) Ibbotson was born in 1878 in Worral, near Sheffield.  He was the son of Albert, a spring knife manufacturer, and his wife, Harriet.   Tom may have been the pen knife manufacturer listed in 1919 at Progress Works, Sudbury Street.  By 1922, Thomas Ibbotson & Co was listed at Owl Works, Charles Street (a later address was Wellington Street).   Ibbotson was joined by Sidney Edgar Leppington, but this arrangement ended in 1931.  In the following year, Ibbotson registered the firm as a private limited company, with £2,000 capital, using the trade mark ‘OWLTIC’.  (The ‘owl’ perhaps referred to Owlerton, where he lived.)  Later he resided at Middlewood Estate, Oughtibridge.   He died on 12 July 1936, aged 58.  He left £5,261 to his widow, Edith.  The firm was not listed by 1940.