According to Leader (1905-06)¹, John Aldam was the son of William, of Daniel Hill, who was a tanner.  John was apprenticed to cutler Robert Tricket, of Hillfoot, and was granted his Freedom in 1789 (by which time his father had died).   Further geneaological details appeared in Joseph Hunter, Familiae Minorum Gentium (Clay, vol. 3, 1895), which show that John Aldam (born on 25 June 1768) was baptised as a Quaker at Balby, Doncaster.   This source confirms that his father was William (1739-?) and his mother was Mary.  John Aldam formed a cutlery partnership – Aldam, Evatt & Co – which was dissolved in 1792.   Aldam’s partners were William Evatt and Thomas Norcross.  Aldam and Norcross continued to trade as Aldam, Norcross & Co, fine scissors and razor makers, Court 70, 1 Scotland Street.  The trade mark in the directory of 1797 was ‘JL 89 ALDHAM & CO’.  The firm was dissolved in 1799.   According to Joseph Hunter, John Aldam became a farmer at Ingbirchworth, near Penistone.  In 1809, he moved to a farm in Devonshire.  Aldam compiled a pedigree (drawn upon by Hunter), so that he could make a legal claim as heir on certain family estates.  But his death is untraced.  In Sheffield, the family was associated with the tannery business at Upperthorpe into the 1830s. 

^1. Leader, R E, History of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire in the County of York (Sheffield, 1905-6)