The Queens Brush Works

My thanks go to Holly Smart for sending me this photograph of the Queen's Brush Works in Sheffield. My blog posting of 23rd February 2009 describes the Hoyland family as follows:

Edith Haywood Hoyland, (my grandmother) was the daughter of Charles Haywood Hoyland, the third of three generations of brush manufacturers and bristle merchants in Sheffield. His father was another Charles Hoyland, who inherited the business from his father, Jonathon Hoyland. Jonathon had three sons, all of whom became involved in the business, including Charles.

The earliest information I have found is the 1841 Census where Jonathon, now 40, resides with his family in Queen Street, with his wife Elizabeth, three daughters and four sons, including Charles who is eleven. They already have one servant in residence. By 1861, Jonathon has retired, but he is living with four children (two of whom, Arthur and Walter, carry on the business) in Adelaide Place. The 1857 Sheffield Directory has Hoyland Bros, brush manufacturers of 16 Paradise Square, as well as Charles Hoyland,

But in 1861, there is no sign of Charles. But the following year he did marry Hannah Selina Wynne from Holywell, Flintshire, so I have to look a the 1861 Census for Wales. By 1879, the Sheffield Directory has Charles Hoyland as a brush manufacturer of both Victoria Road and Queen Street, the latter probably the same address as his father in 1841. I do remember my father mentioning the Queens Brush Works.

And again on the 13th December 2013:

On 23rd February 2009, I published an article on my blog entitled "Three Generations of Brush Manufacturers". The business was started in Sheffield by Jonathon Hoyland (1797 - 1867) around 1816 according to an obituary of his son. But that would make him eighteen or nineteen years old, so he started very young. We do know, according to White's Directory of 1857, he listed as "Jonathon Hoyland, bristle merchant, 53 Queen Street and Adelaide Place". The business was known as The Queen's Brushworks.

When Jonathon died in 1867, it is likely that all his three sons carried on the business. In the 1861 Census, his sons Walter (28) and Arthur (20) and both living at Jonathon's home in Adelaide Place and their occupations are given as brush manufacturers. In the same Census, son Charles (31) was boarding with the Dickerson family in West Derby, Lancashire and his occupation was given as brush manufacturer.

I have no knowledge of what happened to Walter and Arthur, but we do know that Charles built up the business to become quite wealthy. By 1881 he and his family were living in at a smart address in Heeley. The Charles White Directory of 1857 lists "Charles Hoyland, Brush Manufacturer of Victoria Road". Charles died on 23rd June 1905. His obituary was published in The Independent newspaper on 26th June 1905. It said his business was an extensive one. He also did a considerable amount of philanthropic work. His son Charles had taken over the management of the business.

On the 22nd June 2009 I posted an article on my visit to Sheffield that included a visit to Queen Street:

I started at Paradise Square, Queen Street and West Bar. These are where Jonathon Hoyland (who started the business before 1852), his son Charles and his sons including Charles Haywood Hoyland based their brush manufacturing premises. Paradise Square was built in the 18th century and following bomb damage in the war, has been restored using salvaged materials (numbers 18 and 26). All are Grade 2 listed. 53 Queen Street is no longer there, instead there is brand new development called Queens Buildings.