William Trickett was Master Cutler in 1771.  The Cutlers’ Feast of that year was remembered as a notable event, which was ‘observed as a great holiday, the bells were kept constantly ringing during the three days it lasted, booths were erected in the churchyard, High-street, and Church-street, for the sale of fruit, spices, &c. and all business was generally suspended’ (Sheffield Courant, quoted in Sheffield Independent, 5 June 1830).  But biographical details of William Trickett are scanty.  R. E. Leader (1905-06) in his history of the Company of Cutlers stated that Trickett resided in Coalpit Lane and was the brother of Enoch Trickett, a file maker (about whom rather more is known).  However, Enoch may have been from a different branch of the family (Tweedale, 2020¹).  

Individuals named William Trickett appeared in a few printed sources, but cannot be linked with certainty to the above Master Cutler.  In the Sheffield directory (1774), William Trickett was a cutler at Sycamore Street (mark ‘TURIN’).   Among the ‘additions’ at the front of this directory, William Trickett Jun. appeared as a table and desk knife cutler, Sycamore Street (trade mark ‘KOLA’).  By 1781, William Trickitt [sic] was listed at Arundel Street (adjoining Sycamore Street).  Apprenticeship records offer some tantalising clues: namely, William Trickett, the son of Thomas (a cutler), who became a Freeman in 1740; and Thomas, son of William, cutler, who was granted his Freedom in 1774.   In the directory of 1787, William and Thomas Trickett were listed together at Arundel Street as manufacturers of ‘KOLA TURIN’ table knives and desk pen knives.   In 1797, the Tricketts (William and Thomas, ‘KOLA TURIN’) were listed as table knife makers, again at Sycamore Street.  But their appearance in the Universal British Directory in 1798 was their last.  A cutler named William Trickett was buried at the parish church on 19 December 1798.   Cutlers’ Hall has a portrait of William Trickett.

^1. Tweedale, G, Directory of Sheffield Tool Manufacturers, 1740-2018 (2020)