Gotthold Ephraim Imobersteg was born in 1883 at Kandersteg, Switzerland, the son of Jacob and Susanna. In 1908, when he was living in Sheffield and working as a manufacturer’s clerk, he became naturalised. In 1909, Gotthold (who had changed his name to Berkley) married Charlotte Ann Dixon, who was the daughter of a joiner. According to the Census (1911), G. E. Berkley was a foreign correspondent at a tool manufacturer, living at 20 Greenock Street, Hillsborough (the residence of his father-in-law). By 1919, Gotthold had opened an office at Goldsmith’s Chambers, 11 Fargate. He was a hardware factor and export agent, selling a wide variety of tools and cutlery (including table knives). He was listed in the 1922 directory as a householder, but not thereafter. His subsequent career in untraced, though the Census (1939) listed a George E. Berkley at Nottingham: he was a foreign correspondent. Gotthold E. Berkley apparently died in Nottinghamshire in 1954.
We have no example of their knives in our Collection and research is ongoing to find out further details about the company. If you have any information, please share it with us via enquiries@hawleytoolcollection.com.