John George Graves was born on 22 August 1866 in Horncastle, Lincolnshire, the son of Thomas and Julia Graves.  In 1880, he was apprenticed to a German émigré watchmaker in Sheffield and by the end of the decade had launched his own business as a watchmaker in Furnival Street.  By the early 1890s, he had expanded into jewellery, silver smithing, and cutlery in Arundel Street.

Graves was a merchant, who recognised the potential of ordering products (watches, cutlery, and hardware) by post.  In 1897, he launched a mail order business, which was to make his fortune.  As one journalist noted: ‘He aspires to be the universal middleman and has almost succeeded’ (Derry, 1902).  His motto was: ‘We Have Everything You Require’.  By 1902, his turnover was £1 million a year from about two dozen sites in Sheffield, including:  Deakin, Sons’ former Tiger Works (clocks); Advance Works, Denby Street (cutlery): and Enterprise Works, St Mary’s Road (electro-plate).  The business employed 2,000 workers, half of them working at the firm’s administrative heart, Westville, which was a large house on Durham Road (opposite the university).  Enterprise Works apparently employed 450.  J.G Graves became ‘Ltd’ in 1906 with an authorised capital of £300,000.  By 1916, J.G. Graves Ltd was listed as general merchant at Durham Road, Shoreham Street, and Gell Street.  After the war, Enterprise Works in St Mary’s Road was the main finishing and packaging plant for cutlery and electro-plate products.  In the 1930s, the business was taken over by Wigfalls, who later sold the mail order side to Great Universal Stores. 

Graves retired a rich man.  He lived at Riverdale House, Ranmoor.  He became involved in local politics and his Methodism led him to become one of the city’s greatest benefactors.  He bought and donated parks to the city, which reflected his love of the outdoors and walking and cycling (he once cycled from Sheffield to London).  He was also an art collector and endowed the Graves Art Gallery, which opened in 1934 on the top floor of the Central Library in Surrey Street (Barnes, 1984; Farnsworth, 1991).  Over the years, its paintings, exhibitions, and peaceful galleries have provided this author with a welcome refuge from the task of scanning trade directories and microfilm newspapers on the floor below.  Graves died on 18 July 1945, aged 78, and his ashes were placed in Sheffield Cathedral.  His will was proved at £584,426, with the residue of his estate left to the J.G. Graves Charitable Trust.  He had donated over £1 million to his adopted city.  His firm was wound up in 1967.