The partners were Thomas Boswell (1846-1912) and William Barker Hatfield (1846-1929).  The former was born at Eckington, the son of Thomas (a scythesmith) and his wife, Sarah.  Initially, Thomas Jun. had followed his father’s trade.  Later he operated Boswell Bros, file forgers, Cyprus Works, Mary Street.  W. B. Hatfield was apparently the son of John (a table knife hafter) and his wife, Harriett.  Aged 21, he travelled to the USA to assess the strength of American competition in cutlery.  He was at Meriden Cutlery Co for about 2½ years and concluded that America could produce the quantity but not the quality of Sheffield products.  Interestingly, a letter on ‘The American Cutlery Trade: Sheffielders in Connecticut’, Sheffield Independent, 22 June 1869, was signed by Wm. B. Hatfield (and John W.  Brown) from South Meriden.  In 1870, William B. Hatfield married Eliza, the daughter of Charles Furness, a brace bit maker.  He then served twenty-five years as manager of table knife manufacture at Joseph Rodgers & Sons.  It was said that his transatlantic experience enabled him to ensure that cutlery patterns were tailored for American and Colonial markets (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 8 December 1919).   

Hatfield visited the USA again.  These visits led him to recognise that Sheffield needed to follow the American example.  Thus he became ‘the first to introduce into Sheffield machinery for the mechanical production of cutlery on a mass scale’ (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 12 December 1929).   The vehicle was Boswell, Hatfield & Co Ltd, which was launched in 1899 at Hawk Works, Mary Street.  Norman V. Ward was the company promoter and the venture was capitalised at £80,000.   In 1900, the first batch of patent American machinery for forging and grinding table knife blades was delivered to Mary Street.  The consignment consisted of ‘one full series of machines, which filled fourteen railway wagons, and weighed about fifty tons.  A further series is expected in a week or two’ (Yorkshire Telegraph & Star, 11 April 1900).  The intention was to manufacture one-piece (all steel) finished knives and forks, besides table blades for local firms (Sheffield Independent, 22 July 1899; Ironmonger, 11 May 1901).  

But almost immediately Boswell and Hatfield parted.  By 1905, the company was liquidated and sold.  It was revived as Boswell, Hatfield (1907) Ltd, with £30,000 capital; went bust again; and reappeared in 1911 as Boswell, Hatfield Ltd (capital £35,000).  In 1918,  it was swallowed by the ill-fated Sheffield Steel Products.  Thomas Boswell, Brook Road, died on 20 May 1912, leaving £1,481.  W. B. Hatfield had retired: he died at his home at Abbeydale Road South on 11 December 1929, aged 84.  His funeral was at Norton Cemetery.  He left £909 (net personalty £117).   Boswell, Hatfield used the trade marks ‘OPOBA’ and ‘XY’.