Leonard Crookes (1870-1947) was born on 8 August 1870 in the Owlerton district, then outside the Sheffield boundary and part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. His parents were Thomas, a saw grinder/smith, and Sarah Crookes. Leonard had two older brothers, Thomas and Albert, who were both silversmiths and he followed them into the trade as a silver engraver. On 3 July 1910 he married Elizabeth Line, the 27 year old daughter of George and Sarah Ann Line, at Wadsley Church. Elizabeth was a cabinet case liner.

The 1911 Census records Leonard Crookes’ occupation as Manager Electro Plate Cutlery while other sources indicate that he was the warehouse manager. In 1915 he was manager at Bird & Company, Imperial Silver Works, St. Thomas Street where their wartime production included knives for the army. The company closed in 1916 and sometime after this he went into business with his brother-in-law.

Herbert Line (born 1889) was Elizabeth Crookes’ younger brother. He joined the army in 1912 but was discharged after a few months. He then emigrated to the United States, leaving Liverpool on the SS Baltic on 6th February 1913 and landing at New York’s Ellis Island on 15 February. He gave his occupation as railway clerk. His destination was White Plains in New York State where his sister and brother-in-law lived. It is not known when he returned to England but some years later he was in partnership with Leonard Crookes. 

Little is known about the firm Crookes and Line which traded as Electro plated cutlery manufacturers with addresses at 13 Broughton Road and 19 and 21 Carver Lane. However it may have been a short lived venture and the partnership was formally dissolved on 24th March 1921.

Leonard Crookes continued in business and examples of table cutlery and flatware can be found bearing his mark, although it is likely that much of it was bought-in for finishing. He died in  1947.

Herbert Line married Clara Eleanor Hodgson on 8 December 1921 when he gave his occupation as cutler. However he appears to have returned to his previous work as a clerk, becoming a civil servant with the tax authorities and living in Chapel en le Frith, Derbyshire (1939 Register).