James Turner (c.1887-1922) was born at Clayton, near Bradford, the son of a yarn spinner. James’ first job was in a woollen mill.  In 1915, he married Margaret Lydia Barden at the Methodist New Connexion Chapel at Shelley, near Huddersfield.  In the marriage register, James was a cutlery manufacturer, living at Rutland Park Road, Sheffield.  Within a year or so, he had moved house to 59 Ranmoor Crescent.  In 1919, with a co-partner H. W. Edghill,  Turner registered Majestic Manufacturing Co Ltd with £25,000 capital.  Majestic forged and machined cutlery materials, such as safety razor parts, and fittings and blades for cutlery, tools, and skates.  By 1919, James Turner had also started cutlery manufacture under his own name at City Works, Mary Street.  He advertised for spring-knife cutlers to make 3-inch, two blade knives, and promised ‘good money can be earned’ (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 26 July 1919).

In 1920, Turner was approached by James Frederick Robertson (1881-1949).  He had been born at Batley, Yorkshire, the son of saw maker John Robertson.  His mother, Clara, was the daughter of Sheffield saw maker, James Davenport.  In the Census (1911), James Frederick was living at Woodseats and working as a cutlery manager. In the next year, he established – in a nod towards his better-known grandfather – James Davenport & Co. It was capitalised at £100 and based at Hallamshire Works, Rockingham Street.  Robertson moved the firm to Thomas Street in 1915.  But a fire in 1920 led to him purchasing for £450 premises in Leicester Street.  He needed £4,000 to equip the business, so in 1920 he asked James Turner for help.  

Turner agreed and they traded first as ‘James Turner’, City Works, Mary Street.  Neither partner settled the terms of their partnership and it seems to have remained informal, though Turner’s shareholding was greater.  In 1920, James Turner & Davenport Ltd was registered by Turner and Robertson as a private limited company with £20,000 capital.  Robertson held 3,500 fully-paid £1 shares; Turner 4,500 fully-paid £1 shares. A total of £15,000 was subscribed and £3,000 debentures were issued.  The address was Leicester Street Cutlery Works, 33 Leicester Street, and City Works, Mary Street.  The firm sold (using Turner’s trade mark ‘MAJESTIC’) wholesale stainless table cutlery, carving sets, canteens of cutlery, safety razors, and even a few tools.  The firm had offices at West Bromwich and Coleman Street, London.

However, in 1922 Robertson filed for bankruptcy, with liabilities over £3,500 against assets of a few hundred pounds (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 17 February 1922).  Within weeks of the bankruptcy (in which he was only indirectly involved), James Turner collapsed and died at Shelley Railway Station on 14 April 1922, aged 35 (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 15 April 1922).  

In October 1922, T. Couse and R. Ross from Chesterfield bought the assets of James Turner & Davenport.  They registered Davenport (Sheffield) Ltd as a private limited company with £4,000 capital at Leicester Street Cutlery Works.  Presumably, the Majestic interests were sold, too.  In 1924, Majestic Cutlery Forge Ltd, Cricket Inn Road, was registered with £1,000 capital (only to be liquidated in 1933).  Robertson’s career after his bankruptcy is obscure.  In the Census (1939), he was enumerated as a retired cutlery manufacturer, living at Mosborough Hall.  James Frederick Robertson, of Fern Bank, 246 Loxley Road, died in Sheffield at The Royal Infirmary on 21 January 1949. He left £2,764.

Davenport (Sheffield) Ltd later specialised in garden shears.  In 1942, its address in one advertisement was Carver Street.  After the War, the address was Hutton’s Buildings (Holland Street entrance), West Street.  It was liquidated in 1967, when the chairman was William Ross.