Nottingham 5 tree & mails

1. Nottingham 5: Spent a couple of days or more looking  and building a tree that 'starts with Matthew Needham a 18th century Nottingham surgeon. I haven't to date found where he was born but it's interesting to see how his children go onto marry into money -     a common occurrence. The ancestral line stops at the end of the 19th century because the offspring are mainly female and the males either die young, have girls or do not have issue

2. Help: Had a mail asking about a Jeffey Nedham b in the 1930's and his mother Lydia Needham. Was able  to help:
'I started the nons website just over a year ago because of the number of records I'd accrued in looking for my own ancestors. I've kept away from the records after 1837 because they are all available on sites like Ancestryor Find my Past or Family Search. I presume you've not used these sites so I've had a quick look to see if I can find you relatives. I've used Ancestry where you pay a subscription but you can use it for free at most libraries. FMP is also subscription but Family Search is free. Anyway what I've found is the following:
I've presumed your great grandmother was Lydia and married to a Needham. I've then looked for the birth of Jeffrey Needham in the 1930's - there are 6, found the mothers maiden name and looked for the marriage of a Needham to each of the 6 mothers. One had a Christian name of Lydia:

A William E Needham married a Lydia Millward in Q1 1933 and the marriage  was registered at Ashbourne

They had three children Joy b Q21933,registered in Derby, Joseph K b Q21935 reg Belper and Jeffrey E b Q3 1936 reg Derby. So you grandfather was born in 1936 had 2 older siblings

At a guess William probably worked in a knitwear factory

From this you could now
1. Purchase a copy of your grandfathers birth cert which will tell you were he was born and the name and occupation of his father (you know this) and the maiden name of his mother (you know this); cost £9.25
2.Purchase a copy of your grandparents marriage cert. This will tell you where they lived and got married, their occupations, age and father's name and occupation cost £9.25
3. use one of the above sites to work backwards

The sites are:
https://www.ancestry.co.uk/
https://familysearch.org/search/
http://www.findmypast.co.uk/

and to purchase certificates;
http://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/certificates/default.asp '


3 Assay Office. I'd written asking if  they could provide any info on Needham's who were silversmiths
'

I've set up a website dedicated to the Needham's: http://www.nons.co.uk. A number were described as silversmiths and I'd be interested if you have any records on the following, all of whom  had registered marks;

1810	2 Aug.	Charles Needham	Plate Worker,Wicker,
1848	5 Oct.	John Needham.	Jehu Lane Sheffield.
1881	3 Mar.	John Needham.	69 Arundel St., Sheffield
1890	12 May	Needham, Yeall & Tyzaek.	Eye Witness Works Milton Street Sheffield
1891	30 Jun	Wm Needham.	Jessop Street Sheffield
1892	27 Apr	Needham, Yeall &Co Tyzack.	Eye Witness Works Milton Street Sheffield
	(Subsequently	Needham Veall&Tyzack,Limited.)
1900	10 Jul	Needham Bros Ltd.	Baker's Hill,Sheffield
1901	9 Oct.	Needham Bros Ltd.	Baker's Hill,Sheffield
1903	02 Oct	Needham Bros Ltd.	36, Matilda Street Sheffield
1906	21 Feb	Needham	36, Matilda Street Sheffield

Needham Veall & tyzack are  major company and Needham Bross ltd were quite well known at the time.

In the Trade Directories there are a number of Needham's mentioned working with silver:

Charles	NEEDHAM	plated measure & silver knife handle manufacturer	58 Wicker	White's 1833
Charles	NEEDHAM	Silver plater	65 Wicker	Baine's 1822
Charles	NEEDHAM	Silversmith	3 Willey Street	Pigot's 1841
Charles	NEEDHAM	Silver and plated measure manufacturer and vict. Royal Lancers	Willey Street and 18 Penistone Road	White's 1852
Henry	NEEDHAM	Silversmith	Machon Bank	White's 1852
Henry	NEEDHAM	Silversmith (journeyman)	Machon Bank	White's 1849
John	NEEDHAM	Cap & ferrule & silver handle maker	13 Commercial Street; h. Fitzalan Street	White's 1849
Ralph Clarke	NEEDHAM	Silver fruit knife manufacturer (William Needham)	h. 17 Harefield Road	White's 1919
Ralph Clarke	NEEDHAM	Silver fruit knife manufacturer (William Needham)	h. 17 Harefield Road	Kelly's 1925
William	NEEDHAM	Silver fruit knife manufacturer	146 Eyre Street	White's 1919
William	NEEDHAM	Silver fruit knife manufacturer	146 Eyre Street	Kelly's 1925
William	NEEDHAM	silver fruit-knife manufacturer	146 Eyre Street; h 7 Harefield Road	White's 1911
William Henry	NEEDHAM	Silver fruit knife manufacturer (William Needham)	h. 11 Harefield Road	White's 1919
William Henry	NEEDHAM	Silver fruit knife manufacturer (William Needham)	h. 7 Harefield Road	Kelly's 1925

You can see Charles, John and William have registered marks. But what of Henry and Ralph Needham?

But the person I'm really interested in is my 5x great grandfather Matthew Needham. Baptism records of his children between 1770 & 1779 describe him as a scissorsmith but in 1786 he is described as a silversmith; he died in 1787. It is not uncommon for cutlers to become silversmiths  so I believe they are the same person. Do you have any records of him around this period ie 1779 to 1787? '

The reply I received was very helpful:

'I have traced the marks from your initial list and I will pop in the post to you a copy of “The Sheffield Assay Office Register”, this shows all the marks and gives the address you have identified below  up to 1906. I am afraid I have been unable to find any record of  your 5x great grandfather Matthew Needham, the Assay Office  opened in 1773, but the early records don’t list him individually, he may have worked for a firm? If anything comes to light I will certainly let you know. Perhaps worth contacting the Cutlers’ Hall, as he was a cutler first before becoming a silversmith. Dr Joan Unwin is the Archivist and can be contacted on admin@cutlers-hallamshire.org.uk

The second list you kindly provided I have identified the following from our records;

·         Needham Veall & Tyzack registered with Sheffield Assay Office in 1911, based at Milton Street, Sheffield and they continued trading until sold/ bought out by Taylors Eye Witness in 1964 (attached  image of their mark).

·         Needham Bros Ltd registered with the Sheffield Assay office on the 27^th February 1920, they were initially based at 36 Matilda Street and then moved to 82 Tenter Street, Sheffield (attached image of their mark).

·         Needham Bros  registered a further mark on the 19^th May 1933, the company was based at 111 Matilda Street, Sheffield.

·         The final mark I have identified is  that of William and Ralph Needham listed as Partners of the firm, 15^th July 1936, based at Portland Works, Hill Street, Sheffield.  This company appears to have been operational until 1973.

I am afraid we do not have specific information on the individuals but hope the above information is useful along with images of their marks that are registered with the Sheffield Assay Office.'