Little is known about the background of Thomas Sheldon (c.1775-1828).  His first notable business venture was in partnership with Thomas Shaw, John Shaw, and Jonathan Marshall.  They were edge tool makers, but Thomas Sheldon withdrew in 1808.  For the next few years, Thomas was a merchant and table knife manufacturer, first with George Marriott and George Mullins (dissolved in 1809, when the latter withdrew); and then with Marriott only.  Thomas Sheldon had married Ann Marriott in 1801, so presumably a family connection existed.  In 1812, Sheldon and Marriott parted company.  Thereafter, Sheldon’s name disappeared from directories.  He was a commercial traveller, when he died on a business trip in February 1828.  He was buried at St Matthew’s churchyard, Ipswich.  A newspaper provided these details:

On the 5th instant, after a few days illness, at the Golden Lion, Ipswich, Mr Thomas Sheldon, aged 53, Commercial Traveller for the firm of Messrs Colley and Hargreaves, Sheffield, leaving a widow and eight children unprovided for.  His remains were only consigned to that ‘bourne from whence no traveller returns’, on Sunday last, when Mr Lappage (of the Lion Inn), and 11 Commercial Gentlemen, at that time in Ipswich, attended to pay their last tribute and respect to the deceased.  In the evening an excellent and appropriate sermon was preached on the occasion, at the Methodist Chapel, by Mr Beharrell, a member of the Commercial Travellers’ Association (Sheffield Independent, 16 February 1828).