John Swift appeared in the first Sheffield directory in 1774, as a scissors maker at York Street.  His trade mark was ‘E6’.  In 1781, John Swift was listed as a cutler and scissors maker at China [Cheney] Square.  His name disappeared from subsequent Sheffield directories and presumably he had died.   In the directories of 1787 and 1797, Thomas Swift was listed as a scissors maker at Smithfield.  He was apparently John’s son (bapt. 27 March 1765) and had become a Freeman in 1786, when he was granted the mark ‘+ E6’.  Thomas did not appear in the next listing of Sheffield makers (1811) and he may have died, too.  Cutlers named Thomas Swift were buried at Attercliffe Chapel (1797) and St Peter & St Paul (1798).  Another Thomas Swift (no trade indicated) was interred at Nether Chapel, Norfolk Street (1803).  

In 1816, William and James Swift were listed as scissors manufacturers at Sheaf Island.  Perhaps they were John Swift’s sons.  Certainly, John had a son William (bapt. 16 September 1774).  William and James dissolved their partnership in 1820, after William had moved to Wadworth.  James remained in Sheffield and launched a partnership with Matthew Rhodes.  This ended in 1824.  In the following year, James was listed as a razor, scissors, scissors-knife, and pen knife manufacturer at Smithfield.  He traded until his retirement in 1836.  This ‘eminent scissor manufacturer’ offered for sale his stock-in-trade of scissors, besides a general stock of pen knives, razors, table knives, saws, scythes, adzes, fenders, iron and steel.  Also for sale were scissors manufacturers’ working tools and a large quantity of seasoned brown paper (Sheffield Independent, 13 August 1836).   In the Census (1841), James was still living at Smithfield and described himself as ‘independent’.  He died on 28 August 1843, aged 75, and was buried at St Peter & St Paul churchyard.  The church register noted the burial of William Swift, scissorsmith, Smithfield, on 5 April 1839, aged 65.