The founder was John Copley (1803-1864), who had been born at High Hoyland, near Barnsley.  An advertisement stated that his firm was established in 1824, though Copley’s name as a spring-knife maker did not appear in directories until 1845 in Wellmeadow Row.  By 1852, John Copley & Sons was making pocket knives and sailors’ and gardeners’ knives at Richmond Works, Creswick Street, in Walkley.  The firm made a popular version of the flatback knife of John Burgin.  It also made Bowie knives.   In the 1851 Census, John Copley was enumerated as a master pen knife cutler, employing a dozen men.  Two of his sons, James (1825-1873) and Charles (1828-1899), were already pen knife cutlers; and he had another younger son, John (1835-1903)).   The family lived in dwellings next to the factory.   In 1863, Copley advertised table cutlery, pen and pocket knives, dagger, lock, and Bowie knives.   Britannia metal spoons were added by the following year.  The trade mark was ‘XX’, which probably originated with George Savage, and was acquired by Copley’s in about 1870.   

John Copley died on 5 March 1864, aged 60, and was buried in Ecclesall churchyard.   His eldest son, James, then became the senior partner.   In 1871, the firm employed fifty men and twenty boys, producing cutlery for export worldwide, but especially to India and Burma.  John’s first son, James, died (aged 48) at Richmond Villa, Whitehouse Lane, Walkley, on 11 November 1873.  He left under £3,000 and was buried in Ecclesall.  Charles then became the senior partner, who by 1881 employed 104 workers (72 men, 24 boys, five women, and three girls).  Charles died, aged 71, at Hardwicke House, Walkley, on 6 January 1899.  He was buried at Walkley cemetery, leaving £4,359.  John Copley Jun. took charge, but died on 10 April 1903, aged 68, after collapsing at his home in Carr Road.  He was buried in Walkley, leaving £3,888.  The succession passed to Albert Ernest Copley (1860-1912), who was the son of Charles.  He suffered a seizure during a game of billiards and died on 30 November 1912, aged 53.  He, too, was buried in Walkley.  The last ‘Copley’ in the firm was John Waterfall Copley (1859-1924), who was the son of John Jun. and his wife, Harriet.   In 1913 and 1918, attempts were made to auction the factory and its stock.  Eventually, the business was sold to J. Dewsnap Bowler.  The latter sold the business in 1932.  Richmond Works fetched only £180 (Walkley Historians, 2022).