John Froggatt was born in 1813 in Sheffield, the son of John Froggatt and Mary née Wilde. His father came from Calver in Derbyshire. Little is known of John Froggatt’s early career, but it appears that by 1837 he was working as a scissors manufacturer in Dunfields, and living in Hoyle Street.  By 1841, he was manufacturing scissors and running a beer house in Dun Street. By 1845, Jane Froggatt (perhaps his wife) was looking after business in Dun Street, while John was a table knife manufacturer and running a beer house in Backfields.  Eventually, Froggatt specialised in surgical instrument manufacture. In about 1850, he partnered Henry Whittles in Whittles & Froggatt, West Street, which displayed its surgical instruments and pen knives at the Great Exhibition (1851). The partnership soon broke up.  In 1854, Lawton & Froggatt was a razor and table knife manufacturer in Scotland Street.  (This may have been Samuel Lawton.)

Froggatt eventually launched his own surgical instrument and pen knife business. By 1870, he was based in Bolsover Street, and living in Reliance Place, Winter Street.  He was married three times and had nine children. His three sons from the second marriage – George Henry Froggatt (1839-1865), Thomas Froggatt (1841-1862), and James Froggatt (1845-1894) – became surgical instrument makers. One son from the second marriage, John Froggatt (1853-1885), also followed the trade. The founder of the business, John Froggatt, Gloucester Crescent, died on 9 February 1871, aged 58, leaving under £450.  His burial, like several of his family, was unconsecrated and in the General Cemetery.  John Froggatt Jun.’s burial (also unconsecrated) was in City Road Cemetery; James Froggatt was also buried in that cemetery.  After the founder’s death, the Froggatt surgical instrument dynasty died out and the business was not listed in 1876.