This enterprise can be traced to Thomas Colley (1742-1821), a Quaker, whose family apparently came from Womersley.  He was listed in 1774 as a table knife manufacturer at Campo Lane (trade mark ‘WALDO’).  In 1781, Thomas Colley was listed as a table knife cutler at Back Lane.  In 1783, Thomas Colley registered a silver mark from Burgess Street.  By 1787, ‘WALDO’ and ‘OCOLOS’ were used by Colley & Brady, table knife manufacturers, Burgess Street.  ‘Brady’ was likely Jarvis (or Gervase) Brady, though within a year or so he had left the partnership.  Thomas and his wife, Jane née Rosseter, had two sons: Thomas (1783-1805) and Benjamin (1770-1838).  The latter was baptised at a Quaker Meeting House.  In 1792, Benjamin married Mary Oates, the daughter of Christopher Oates (a factor).  This led to the formation of Oates, Colley & Wigham at Hollis Croft (later Oates & Colley).  The partners later included John Parkin, but this arrangement was dissolved in 1802.

By 1797, the original Colley business at Burgess Street had become Colley & Hargreaves, a table knife maker.  The mark remained ‘WALDO’.  The new partner was a fellow Quaker, William Hargreaves (1769-1834), who had been baptised at Settle.  His father, Robert, was a worsted manufacturer; his mother was Deborah.  William had a sister, Lydia (1796-1859).  In 1783, William was apprenticed with a £10 premium to Robert Sutcliffe and became a Freeman in 1791.   Three years later, William married Rachel Holbem, the daughter of John and Lydia Holbem.

Thomas Colley died in 1821.  His will (proved on 12 July 1821) mentioned his brother, Emmanuel Colley – possibly the scissorsmith.   Emmanuel had died in 1813, but Thomas’ will may have been drawn up some years before his death.  By the mid-1820s, Colley & Hargreaves was listed as a merchant and manufacturer of table knives and forks at Eyre Lane.  The partners were Benjamin Colley, Henry Colley, and William Hargreaves.  Henry Colley was probably Benjamin’s son.  After Benjamin withdrew from Colley & Hargreaves in 1823, he left son Henry to partner William Hargreaves.  It seems that Benjamin planned to retire to his farm at Norton Lees and began selling various properties at Hollis Croft and Burgess Street.  He also had a share in Little Matlock, a water wheel, forge, and rolling mill complex on the River Loxley (Sheffield Independent, 7 August 1824).  In 1824, however, Henry and William Hargreaves dissolved their partnership.   

Henry Colley died on 7 June 1826, aged 29.   Colley & Hargreaves was still operating at Eyre Lane, under William Hargreaves (and at some point, also under William Hargreaves Jun.).  It seems that Benjamin maintained an interest in the concern, until William Hargreaves’ death at Brookhill on 6 May 1834, aged 64.  (Hargreaves’ wife had died on 8 December 1822.)  Benjamin Colley, merchant, of Norton Lees, died on 29 January 1838, aged 67.  William Hargreaves Jun. next established Hargreaves, Smith.