Apprenticeship records show that cutlers from the Water’s family were active in the eighteenth century.  They descended from weavers and woollen manufacturers.  In 1774, Godfrey Water was listed in a directory as a penknife cutler at Pinstone Croft Lane, using the trade mark ‘WATER’.  He was apparently the son of Samuel, a scissorsmith, who had been apprenticed to cutler John Smith in 1733.  Godfrey became a Freeman in 1747 (Leader, 1905-06¹).  In the next Sheffield directory (1787), Godfrey Water & Son was a pen and pocket knife maker (trade mark ‘WATER’) at Pond Lane.  The son may have been George, who had been granted his Freedom in 1769.  Godfrey Water died on 14 January 1793 (Sheffield Register, 18 January 1793).  The burial of George Water, cutler, on 9 January 1800, was recorded in the register of St Paul’s Church.

^1. Leader, R E, History of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire in the County of York (Sheffield, 1905-6)