This merchant and factor was listed in the Sheffield directory in 1774 as Greaves & Woodhead.  In 1784, it was at Norfolk Street.  The principals were George Greaves (c.1733-1801) and George Woodhead (1732-1813).  Because Greaves was briefly a church burgess in Sheffield, a biographical snapshot of his life was published in Wallis (1952-57)¹.   He was described as a merchant of Sheffield and Attercliffe and the son of George Greaves (a button maker at Lambert Street), and Mary Marriott.   He was not apparently the George Greaves, who was Master Cutler in 1762.  

George Woodhead had been apprenticed to Greaves and (according to one source) ‘being sharp and steady he was offered a partnership, after he came of age, if he could find £1,000’ (Leader, 1876²).  After borrowing the money, Woodhead’s career prospered and he became wealthy.  He apparently invested in the silverplate firm of Daniel Holy.  Greaves, too, made a fortune and purchased Page Hall at Ecclesfield: ‘one of the best houses in the parish’, according to J. Eastwood’s history of the district, 1862³ (which also contained a Greaves’ family tree).  It was said that ‘manufacturers liked to do business with Woodheads … [because] … So long as the article was good no objection was raised to the price’ (Leader, 1876²).

By 1797, these two men had been joined by Rowland Hodgson (1773-1837).  The latter had been born at Rawmarsh, the son of the Rowland Sen., the local rector.  In 1805, Rowland Jun. had married Harriet Tudor, who was the second daughter of Henry Tudor (see Tudor & Leader).  George Greaves died on 20 December 1801 and was buried at St Peter & St Paul churchyard.  The partnership then broke up.  Hodgson was later a partner in William Green & Co, an edge tool maker, alongside Jacob Roberts, Joseph Roberts, William Green, Frederick Stones, and William Ash.  This was dissolved in 1806 and became Roberts, Stones, Ash & Co (which still included Hodgson).   The latter was dissolved in 1812.

George Woodhead died on 17 November 1813, aged 81.  He left a detailed will.  According to Thomas Asline Ward, Woodhead left about £60,000 (worth about £4.3m).  About £10,000 was left to Rowland Hodgson, to whom he had a family connection – the intricacies of which are described by Ward (Bell, 1909⁴).  Rowland Hodgson died on 27 January 1837 at his house at Highfield, aged 63.  A fulsome press obituary lamented his death, which would be felt ‘throughout the kingdom and in far lands’ (Sheffield Independent, 28 January 1837).   He was buried at All Saints Parish Church, Ecclesall, where a memorial tablet includes lines from a dedication written by his friend, poet James Montgomery.  These state that Hodgson experienced ‘a long period of severe bodily suffering, aggravated latterly by blindness’.   Montgomery also wrote a memorial poem to Hogdson (Montgomery, 1854⁵).  A portrait silhouette of Hodgson (alongside James Montgomery, George Bennet, and Samuel Roberts) appeared as a frontispiece in a Memoir of Montgomery (Holland & Everett, vol. 2, 1855⁶).

^1. Wallis, P J, ‘Sheffield Church Burgesses: A Biographical Register’, THAS 7 (1952-57)

^2. Leader, Robert E, Reminiscences of Old Sheffield (Sheffield, 2nd edn 1876)

^3. Eastwood, Jonathan, History of the Parish of Ecclesfield in the County of York (London, 1862)

^4. Bell , Alexander B (ed), Peeps into the Past: Being Passages from the Diary of Thomas Asline Ward (Sheffield, 1909)

^5. Montgomery, James, Select Poetical Works of James Mongomery (Boston, 1854)

^6. Holland, John and Everett, James, Memoirs of the Life and Writings of James Montgomery (London, 7 vols, 1854-56)