London Gazette 3 January 1824 p135
The Kebberling family apparently came to Sheffield early in the nineteenth century. Previously, its members had lived in London. The head of the family was John Conrad Kebberling (c.1752-1832), who was a sugar refiner. As Conrad Kebberling, he had partnered Ambrose Eyre at Upper Thames Street, London – an arrangement that ended in 1796. His next partners in sugar refining until 1798 were Robert and Charles Lukin. Information on Kebberling’s background is scarce, but he may have been German (perhaps from Hanover or Hamburg). German migrants were particularly active in the English sugar industry at that time. In 1784 at St Ann’s Church, Soho, in London, Conrad married Sophia Bock, the daughter of Christopher Lewis and Harriot Bock. Their son Samuel Ebenezer Kebberling was born in about 1791.
The earliest mention of Samuel in Sheffield was in 1818, when a partnership manufacturing table knives with Jared Yates was dissolved. He next joined John Wild (possibly the cutler and publican at Pond Hill). Wild & Kebberling was listed at Pinstone Street as a factor and manufacturer of table knives, razors, and scissors. They parted in 1824, though Samuel continued to trade at Pinstone Street. He made his last appearance as a factor and manufacturer in a Sheffield directory in 1828. In 1833, John Kebberling, gent., was listed as living at West Street. However, John Conrad had died on 4 November 1832, aged 80. He was described as a man of ‘strictest integrity and uprightness’ (Sheffield Independent, 10 November 1832). His burial has not been traced, but he left a will. It made due allowance for his wife, Sophia, and also left an annuity of £30 to Samuel for life. In the Census (1841), Samuel (a warehouseman at Nursery Street) was residing in West Street at the house of John Bembridge, a painter. The latter’s wife was Maria (c.1791-1859), who was Samuel’s sister and had been born in London. She had married John Bembridge in 1817. They had a son, James Kebberling Bembridge, who became senior partner of Hawksworth, Eyre.
Samuel Ebenezer Kebberling died ‘rather suddenly’ on 25 January 1843, aged 52 (Sheffield Iris, 28 January 1843). His mother, Sophia, died on 28 May 1843, aged 77 (Sheffield Iris, 1 April 1843). Mother and son were buried at Ecclesall. So, too, was Maria Bembridge and her other son, John Conrad Bembridge (1833-1857).