The McClellands came from County Down, Ireland, and settled in Birmingham.  By 1874, McClelland Bros was a hardware and export merchant in Birmingham, with Hugh McClelland (born c.1830) and John McClelland (born c.1834) as partners.  By 1880, they had become involved as ironmongers with Joseph Hall in Manchester.  However, this was dissolved in 1881.  In the following year, they joined Hepworth, Pilley & Co, Sheffield, and when this firm was dissolved they immediately formed McClelland Bros in Sheffield.

In 1883, a stock clearance of McClelland Bros was advertised (Sheffield Independent, 24 February 1883).   The firm became James R. McClelland, cutlery manufacturer and merchant, Market Street.  James Robert McClelland had been born in Birmingham on 1 May 1860, the son of John and his wife Frances.  James’s firm was listed as ‘formerly Hepworth, Pilley & Co’.  McClelland’s trade mark depicted a selection of cutlery and tools.   The words ‘GRENADA SILVER’ and ‘J. R. McC’ were also used.   This cutlery venture was short-lived and James was not listed by 1888.  Apparently, in 1899 he moved to the USA and by 1920 was a real estate agent in New Haven, Connecticut.  He apparently died in about 1932.