Joseph Henry Peace (1867-1937) was born in Sheffield, the son of George Peace – a scissors forger in Bernard Street – and his wife, Jane.   Joseph followed his father’s trade and by 1893 was in business at Frugal Works, Button Lane (formerly the address of Henry Toothill).   Directories listed him as a manufacturer of scissors, razors, pocket, and table knives.  But this was directory ‘copy’: he mostly produced razors and scissors.  Button Lane was a grimy backstreet of small tenement workshops.   An insight into Peace’s business was provided by a county court case in 1898, when he sued a paper supplier.   What was supposed to be seasoned paper used to wrap cutlery (in this case, scissors) had allegedly caused a batch of cutlery to become rusty.   Peace was awarded about £12.   His testimony, accurate or not, was that his profit margin was so slim that it was dependent on workers supplying ‘fourteen to the dozen’ scissors.   Judge:  ‘I hardly understand how anyone could live at that rate’.   Plaintiff: ‘It’s a very thin job’ (Sheffield Independent, 29 January 1898).  The Census (1911) showed that most of Peace’s family – a son, Joseph Henry Jun. (1894-1979), two daughters, and two sisters – were involved with the business, either at home or at the workshops.   

In 1912, Peace was in court again: this time charged with receiving about 200 stolen spring knives, but the case was dismissed (Sheffield Evening Telegraph, 7 February 1912).   Four years later, he acquired a lease on South Street Brewery, which was being dismantled.   He stole copper goods worth £75 and was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment (Sheffield Evening Telegraph, 10 April 1916).  In 1917, Peace also operated briefly S. Cauldwell & Co, a maker of razor and cabinet cases.

In 1929, J. H. Peace Sen. was sentenced to a year’s hard labour for two offences for stealing and receiving cutlery and brass castings.  One witness stated that he had known Peace for fifteen years and ‘had often seen him in the company of convicted thieves and receivers’ (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 9 March 1929).  By 1930, the firm was styled J. H. Peace & Son at Button Lane, where it produced mostly traditional razors.  Joseph Henry Peace died on 11 November 1937, aged 70.  He was buried at City Road.  His business was continued by his son.  In 1939, Joseph Henry Jun. was living at Walton Road and described himself as a tool and cutlery manufacturer (Register of England & Wales, 1939).  The firm apparently ceased trading during the War.  The trade mark ‘’JHP’ was stamped on the firm’s stainless table knives.