The Ryland’s family came from Birmingham.  William Ryland (c.1815-1872) was born in King’s Norton and in 1856 established himself in the electro-plate trade in Rockingham Street, Sheffield.  In 1871, he employed three men and three boys.   He died on 15 November 1872, aged 57, and was buried in the General Cemetery.  His son was William Ryland (1842-1900), who by 1868 had started his own business as an electro-plater and gilder to the trade in Eyre Street.  In 1869, at St Philip’s Church he married Martha, the daughter of William Howe.  The latter operated Gatefield Works in Infirmary Road.  Howe died in 1877 and after the business was declared bankrupt in 1882, Ryland – who was owed about £2,000 – occupied Gatefield Works.  He launched Sheffield Plate Manufacturing Co, with an issued capital of £10,000 and Henry J. Rust as agent.   However, that firm was also liquidated in 1886 and the marks were sold.  These included ‘LUNALINE’, ‘RELIABLE’ (registered 1884), and ‘THE MASHER’.  The marks later passed to Alfred Ecroyd (see Henry Ecroyd) and Bramwell & Co.  Ryland then launched Ryland’s Electro-Plating Co Ltd in Eyre Street.  Ryland was the senior partner, with accountant Horace Cawood (1859-1940) as the secretary.  It appears that the latter had oversight of the business, since in the Census William Ryland was described as living on income from property.  He was involved in another vehicle – Trade Stocks Realization Ltd.  He lived in Rye Lodge, Ashland Road, and died there on 11 October 1900, aged 57, and was buried in the General Cemetery.  He left £58,371.  Cawood apparently continued to run the business until 1933, when it was liquidated.