The Marsden family originated in west Yorkshire and by the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries many Marsdens had settled in Sheffield and were active in the cutlery and edge tool trades.  During the nineteenth century, they specialised in pen, pocket, and table knives.  They achieved neither public prominence nor joined the roster of Master Cutlers, but between about 1815 and 1880 they were among the most active of working-class cutlery families.  The partners in this enterprise were Christopher Lowe and Joshua Marsden, based in Pond Street, who manufactured pen, pocket and table knives.  It is not known how long the business was in operation, though Joseph (and Joshua) Marsden were listed in directories in Pond Street between 1816 and 1822.  Certainly, Marsden & Lowe was insolvent in 1822, when Lowe had relocated to Scotland Street, Liverpool.