Richard Jessap (as the name was spelled in directories in 1774, 1787, and 1797) was a cutlery and brass inkpot maker, who operated at Coalpit Lane and Carver Street (trade mark ‘JESSAP’).  He may have been the son of John Jessop, who was apprenticed to cutler Thomas Scott and became a Freeman in 1763.  Jessop brass writing sets – which included a case, inkwell, and knife for cutting quills – are illustrated in Jim Marshall’s study of ‘penners’ (n.d.)¹.   By his wife, Ann, Richard had three sons, who followed him into the trade:  James (bapt.  1763-1844), Richard (bapt.1767-1843), and William (bapt.1773-1846).   Richard Sen. may have died in 1797: the name Richard ‘Jessep’ appeared in the burial register of the parish church on 11 August in that year.  James Jessop continued as a brass inkpot manufacturer at Carver Street.  His brothers, Richard and William, launched cutlers Jessop, Owen, & Jessop.  But this partnership with Joseph Owen ended in 1805. 

During the 1820s, James Jessop operated at Wellington Street as a brass and iron hoop maker.  Meanwhile, Richard and William traded as pen knife cutlers and brass inkstand manufacturers at Allen Street.  During the early 1820s, they moved to Radford Street, where they continued to manufacture brass inkstands, but also became cutlery and tortoiseshell dealers.  Richard and William later lived in adjacent houses at Western Bank.  According to Leader (1876)²:

In their business they were both together in one room, and for years did not speak to each other.  When one wanted the other’s opinion, he wrote a question on a bit of paper and passed it over to his brother, who wrote a reply underneath.  They said they were of the family of Jessops, of Broomhall …

The three brothers died in the early 1840s.  Richard Jessop apparently died in 1843: the name appeared in the burial register of St Peter & St Paul on 23 June, though no obituary has been found in the local press.  William died at Western Bank after ‘a short illness’ on 1 July 1846 and was buried at St George’s churchyard, Portobello (Sheffield Independent, 11 July 1846).  Their warehouse and workshops at Radford Street (with two dwelling houses fronting the street) had been offered ‘to let’ (Sheffield Independent, 5 April 1845).  James, who lived at Victoria Street (where he was enumerated in the Census in 1841 as a brass hoop manufacturer) was buried at St Paul’s on 25 June 1844.  James had two sons by his wife, Ann: Richard (1800-1876) and William (1802-1867).  Richard was living with his father and working as a cowkeeper in the 1841 Census.  William was trained as a cutler, but later lived on his own means.  ‘Owd Billy’ was a regular drinker, who died after falling down stone steps at a local pub (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 17 December 1867).

^1. Marshall, Jim, Penners, Etuis & Writing Compendia – Early Portable Writing Equipment from 1700 to 1850 (Penrith, Cumbria, nd)

^2. Leader, Robert E, Reminiscences of Old Sheffield (Sheffield, 2nd edn 1876)