Frank Bartram Colver was born in Sheffield on 28 July 1873, the son of Thomas Colver (1844-1912), a bank clerk, and Elizabeth Snowden Bartram (1849-1902).  He was the grandson of William Bartram, a powder flask manufacturer.  In 1889, Frank was apprenticed at George Wostenholm:  apparently the first item he made was a lady’s pearl knife, which he gave to his mother.  He became manager of Wostenholm’s table cutlery department.  In 1912, he was made a director; and in 1922 managing director.  His visits to America and Germany led him to attempt to modernise the firm by mechanising pocket-knife manufacture, which led to clashes with the older directors (Tweedale, 1995¹).  He was founder and senior vice-president of Sheffield Cutlery Manufacturers’ Association; and member of the Wentworth Lodge of Freemasons (and a founder of Milton Lodge).  He died from a stroke at Clifford Road, Sharrow, on 14 November 1954, aged 81.  The funeral was at St Andrew’s, Sheffield, and the burial at Eyam Parish Church.  He left £15,369.

^1. Tweedale, G, Steel City:  Entrepreneurship, Strategy and Technology in Sheffield, 1743-1993 (Oxford, 1995)