Sykes & Co manufactured silver-hafted table knives, under John Sykes (1745-1816) and Dennis Sykes (1748-1819).  They were the sons of John, a filesmith, whose family came from Derbyshire (Roberts, 1862¹).  In 1773, John and Dennis were partners in Birks, Withers & Sykes.  This ended in 1780.  Between 1781 and 1810, Sykes’ and Withers’ remained connected and combined their skills.  Sykes’ was a specialist in silver handles for table knives (according to Bradbury, 1912², they made ‘some of the best specimens of silver-handled cutlery’), while Withers’ made the blades.  Their links can be tracked in the register of the Assay Office.  In 1781, John and Dennis Sykes and Benjamin Withers registered a silver mark from Pinstone Lane.  In 1784, Sykes & Co registered an ‘equal cross’ mark for use on silver wares.   A directory (1787) showed Sykes & Co using the trade mark ‘SYKES’ with a lion.  In January 1792, a silver mark was registered by John Sykes and John Sykes Jun. and Benjamin and Joseph Withers; and in the same month Dennis Sykes also registered silver mark in his own name.  In 1808, John Sykes & Co registered another silver mark at Pinstone Lane.  John Sykes died on 27 September 1816, aged 71, and was buried at St Paul’s.  Dennis Sykes died on 20 November 1819, at the same age, and was buried at Ecclesall.

^1. Reference: Samuel Roberts, Some Memorials of the Family of Roberts of Queen’s Tower (1862).

^2. Bradbury, F, History of Old Sheffield Plate (London, 1912)