HENRY and SARAH MILLS - SHEFFIELD CUTLERY MANUFACTURER

The 1851 Census shows the family living in Neepsend, Sheffield (GRO Ref HO107/2342 Page 49 - 159 Brightside Bierlow)

SURNAME	Age	Rel	Occupation	Place of Birth
HENRY MILLS	41	Head	Cutler - 15 Workers	Sheffield Yorkshire
SARAH MILLS	33	Wife		Sheffield Yorkshire
THOMAS BARLOW MILLS	8	Son	Scholar	Sheffield Yorkshire
MARY ANN MILLS	6	Daughter	Scholar	Sheffield Yorkshire
ELIZABETH MILLS	4	Daughter	Scholar	Sheffield Yorkshire

I could no trace their marriage for quite some time but in May 2009 whilst checking the FreeBMD site I came across

Marriages March 1842 MILLS Henry Sheffield Volume 22 Page 337 NUNNEY Sarah Ward
A subsequent check on the IGI Index found a SARAH NUNNEY
Event: Christening: 01 JUN 1817 Cathedral Saint Peter, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Parents Father: MATTHEW NUNNEY Mother: MARY (see note 3)

MATHEW NUNNEY Marriages: Spouse: MARY BRADLEY Marriage: 12 JUN 1808 Cathedral Saint Peter, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

SARAH'S BROTHER GEORGE NUNNEY
Event: Christening: 20 FEB 1814 Cathedral Saint Peter, Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Parents: Father: MATTHEW NUNNEY Mother: MARY

Sarah's christening in 1817 seems to fit age-wise and birth wise with the information on the 1851 Census and subsequent Censuses but to be sure I really need additional evidence. It is possible that Henry may have been married before - it was unusual for a man to marry at the age of 33 in early Victorian times.

Ten years later in 1861 the family have relocated to Parkwood, Springs which is adjacent to Neepsend district in Sheffield (GRO Ref HG9/3496 Page 22 - 116 Brightside Bierlow)

SURNAME	Age	Rel	Occupation	Place of Birth
HENRY MILLS	52	Head	Cutlery manufacturer	Sheffield Yorkshire
SARAH MILLS	42	Wife		Sheffield Yorkshire
THOMAS BARLOW MILLS	17	Son	Commercial Traveller	Sheffield Yorkshire
MARY ANN MILLS	15	Daughter		Sheffield Yorkshire
ELIZABETH MILLS	14	Daughter	Scholar	Sheffield Yorkshire
HENRY BARLOW MILLS	9	Son	Scholar	Sheffield Yorkshire

Henry Mills advert in 1859 Melville Co Commercial Directory of Sheffield Rotherham and Neighbourhood

The 1871 Census shows that the family have moved yet again, this time to 57 Prospect Road (GRO Ref RG10/4962 Page 27 - 191 Brightside Bierlow). The eldest son THOMAS BARLOW MILLS had left to get married in 1869 to MARY ELIZA MARSHALL -

MILLS, Thomas Barlow (Bachelor, age Full, Manufacturer, residing at Pitsmoor). Married Mary Eliza MARSHALL, on July 5, 1869, by Creswell Roberts (Banns) at St Philips Church, Shalesmoor. Father's name is Henry Mills (Manufacturer). Married in the presence of Robert William Marshall, Henry Abdiel Rodgers

SURNAME	Age	Rel	Occupation	Place of Birth
HENRY MILLS	62	Head	Cutlery manufacturer employing 15men 2 girls - partly employed	Sheffield Yorkshire
SARAH MILLS	53	Wife		Sheffield Yorkshire
MARY ANN MILLS	25	Daughter		Sheffield Yorkshire
ELIZABETH MILLS	24	Daughter		Sheffield Yorkshire
HENRY BARLOW MILLS	17	Son	Cutler	Sheffield Yorkshire

Also living with the family at the time of the census was a 16 year old domestic servant and two visitors

Household Record 1881 British Census
Source Information: Dwelling 51 Pickering Road Census Place Brightside Bierlow, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342126 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 4658 / 120 Page Number 30

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Henry MILLS Head M Male 71 Sheffield, York, England Cutlery Manr Emp 4 Men
Sarah MILLS Wife M Female 63 Sheffield, York, England
Mary Ann MILLS Daughter U Female 35 Sheffield, York, England
Henrietta S. FALCONBRIDGE Grand Daughter Female 9 Bridlington Quay, York, England Scholar

In the Spring of 2009 I was contacted by fellow researchers who informed me that they believed that HENRY and SARAH were buried in Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire. After careful research, it was discovered that both are buried at the Old Priory Church

Henry Mills Died 28th June 1881 Buried The Old Priory Church 1st.July 1881
Sarah Mills (possibly nee Barlow) Died 4th January 1889 Buried The Old Priory Church 8th January.1889

(GRO Ref Deaths Jun 1881 MILLS Henry Age 72 Bridlington Volume 9d Page 206 - Deaths Mar 1889 MILLS Sarah Age 71 Sheffield Volume 9c Page 334)

The supposition is that HENRY was visiting his daughter in Bridlington when he died and he was buried there. His wife SARAH seems to have remained in Sheffield

In addition the grave also contained their daughter ELIZABETH FAULCONBRIDGE who died aged 44 on 8th October 1891 and was buried four days later on the 12th October 1891. This must have been HENRY and SARAH's daughter ELIZABETH MILLS. I checked the 1881 Census and found the following entry

Household: Source Information: Dwelling 4 West Parade Bonemill Rd Census Place Hilderthorpe, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342158 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 4799 / 63 Page Number 5

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Alfred FAULCONBRIDGE Head M Male 45 Bulwell, Nottingham, England Ale & Porter Merchant
Elizabeth FAULCONBRIDGE Wife M Female 33 Sheffield, York, England

and also the FREEBMD Index which contained the following marriage - Marriages Sep 1871 - Faulconbridge Alfred Bridlington Volume 9d Page 434 MILLS Elizabeth Bridlington

And so HENRIETTA who was with HENRY and SARAH at the same time was in fact ALFRED and ELIZABETH's daughter. There is a record of ALFRED's christening in the IGI Index - he was christened on 21st October 1835 in Bulwell Nottinghamshire and was the son of ALFRED and MARIA FAULCONBRIDGE.

After Elizabeth's death ALFRED must have moved back to Nottingham where he died at the age of 70 (GRO Ref Deaths Dec 1905 - FAULCONBRIDGE Alfred Age 70 Nottingham Volume 7b Page 166)

1. Neepsend - "Parkwood Springs which contains many new houses and gardens, those in the higher part commanding extensive views of the town and neighbourhood. Some of the road names are different from the contemporary names; Orchard, Prospect, Mount, Vale and Norfolk Roads date from 1856. Orchard Road was named after the Orchard through which it was built, it was renamed Wallace Road in 1876. Prospect Road was a typically optimistic Victorian road name but was renamed Pickering Road in 1876. Vale and Mount Roads, which were named after the topography of the district, retained their original names; Norfolk Road was named after the Duke of Norfolk owner of the Old Park Wood. However there was another Norfolk Road in Sheffield so the Norfolk Road of Parkwood, was renamed Norfolk Road North to avoid confusion, it was renamed Douglas Road in 1876."

2. HENRY BARLOW MILLS - In September 2008 I found the following entry in the marriage register of St Philips Church, Shalesmoor, Sheffield

Household Record 1881 British Census
Source Information:Dwelling 49 Oxford St Census Place Nether Hallam, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342116 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 4621 / 67 Page Number 19

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Henry Barlow MILLS Head M Male 28 Sheffield, York, England Cutlery Manufacturer
Hettis D. MILLS Wife M Female 26 Sheffield, York, England
Ann E. YATES Ser U Female 14 Sheffield, York, England G Servant (Dom)

HENRY died on 8th April 1927 at the age of 75 (GRO Ref Deaths Jun 1927 Mills Henry B Age 75 Bridlington Volume 9d Page 375)

3. Source Information:
   Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
   C007752 1813 - 1814 0919328 Film 6909644 Film
   C007752 1815 - 1816 0919329 Film NONE
   C007752 1817              0919360 Film NONE
   C007752 1818 - 1822 0919361 Film NONE

4 Source Information:
Batch No.: Dates: Source Call No.: Type: Printout Call No.: Type:
M007759 1802 - 1812 0919327 Film NONE

5. The "Barlow" part of Thomas and Henry's name is a mystery. The most likely possibility is that is the surname of Henry's first wife and is in effect a "memorial" But in May 2009 a fellow researcher found the following on a Barlow Genealogy site
"William Howard Barlow was born on November 27, 1795, at Sheffield, England, and was a son of William and Hannah Barlow of Sheffield. According to George E. Williams, who compiled a genealogy of William Howard Barlow around 1940-50, William Barlow of Sheffield was the manufacturer of the Barlow pocket knife. It was planned that his son William Howard Barlow "would enter the factory and learn the trade of pocket knife making. However, son William had no such plans as the pocket knife business held no appeal for him at the time. William ran away from home and at the age of 14 was aboard an English merchant ship bound for the West Indies. He was next heard from as a marine in the British Navy where he was on a warship bound for America to take part in the War of 1812. As the British ship attempted to land at New Orleans, they found General Andrew Jackson there also. The General soon convinced the British that New Orleans would be an unhealthy place for them to stay, so they sailed back to England, and young William with them. He was next heard of with the Duke of Wellington at the battle of Waterloo. Apparently this experience changed his mind about making pocket knives. He returned home, learned his trade and settled down to a quiet life. Along the way he took on a partner named Mills, but when they quarrelled about the name to put on the knife he sold out and came to America to start his own cutlery business." He settled at Naugatuck, Connecticut, around 1850 and died there on August 07, 1880".

Was Henry's first wife a younger sister of the William Howard Barlow, and the daughter of William and Hannah Barlow of Sheffield?

There is another viewpoint - Samuel Barlow a Spring Knife Cutler last will and testament bequeathed all his property to HENRY MILLS. Was this Henry's way of acknowledging his legacy?

" This is the last will and testament of me Samuel Barlow of Sheffield in the County of York, Spring knife cutler. I give devise and bequeath to Henry Mills of Sheffield aforesaid Spring Knife Cutler, and his heirs executors, administrators or (assigns?) all and each of my freehold and other my property estate and effects situate in the parish of Sheffield aforesaid or elsewhere. In witness whereof I have (set my hand on this)? Twenty second day of June 1849 – Samuel Barlow.

Signed by the said Samuel Barlow in our presence present at the same time who in his presence and at his request and in the presence of each other have hereunto subscribed our names in witness.

There is an entry on the 1841 census for : Henry Mills b 1808 Yorkshire living at Neepsend and a Cutler. On the same sheet... looks to be Henry sharing a home with Samuel Barlow b 1801 Yorkshire also a Cutler. - There is also an apprentice named Walter Ellis aged 17

Source Citation: Class: *HO107*; Piece *1329*; Book: *4*; Civil Parish: * Sheffield*; County: *Yorkshire*; Enumeration District: *11*; Folio: *24*; Page: *2*; Line: *8*; GSU roll: *464277*.