Evening Talk Giving Sheffield the Edge - Sheffield Museums Trust

A knife and fork with ivory coloured handles on a grey background. The fork has two tines or prongs and the knife blade is monogrammed EW.

Join Joan Unwin, Archivist at the Company of Cutler’s in Hallamshire, to learn about the history of the company in celebration of their 400th anniversary.

In 1624, the Parliamentary Act of Incorporation gave the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire the legal rights to manage the cutlery trades in Sheffield and adjacent parishes in Hallamshire. As a trade organisation, it managed the training of apprentices and recording Freemen, who worked in the cutlery trades.

This Act required that all blades had an ‘edge of steel’. The Company registered identifying marks of the Freemen and could penalise anyone for disobeying its rules. Thus, Sheffield cutlers built up a reputation for quality.

Hear about the Company’s fascinating history, their ups and downs and the part they still play in Sheffield’s manufacturing today.

This talk forms part of the programme of events complementing the exhibition Show Your Metal, which opens at the Millennium Gallery on 13 June 2024, until 29 September 2024.