By 1811, J. & T. Deakin operated in Norfolk Street (at the corner of Change Alley) and Pond Hill, as a merchant and steel founder.  It also sold table knives and scissors.  The partners were James Deakin (bapt.1780-1842) and Thomas Deakin (bapt. 1782-1849).  Their father, Samuel Deakin (1743-1808), was from a well-known Attercliffe family (Vine, 1936¹).  He was originally a currier, who became a letter case maker and factor in Change Alley.  He prospered and in 1798 acquired the Morehall estate at Bradfield.  He died ‘after a painful indisposition’ at his residence, Moor Hall, in July 1808, aged 68 (York Herald, 16 July 1808).  He was buried at St Paul’s churchyard, Sheffield.  During the 1820s, James & Thomas Deakin sold shoemakers’ tools, cut sprigs, heel and toe plates, and had a cast steel foundry and warehouse in Pond Street.  In 1829, they registered a patent for working horn into handles for cutlery and other items.  In 1833, they described themselves as merchants and patentees of East India buffalo horn knobs, besides trading in cast steel and cutlery.  James Deakin, of East Bank, died on 13 August 1842, aged 61.  He was buried at Ecclesall.  

Thomas – a bachelor, who lived in Change Alley – continued the business with his brother’s sons: James Brightmore Deakin (1823-1856) and Samuel Scott Deakin (1818-1858).  Thomas retired in 1847 and died on 26 August 1849, aged 67.  He was buried in St Paul’s churchyard.  He left £3,000 to establish the Deakin Institution for single Protestant women (on condition that another £3,000 was raised).  Thomas Asline Ward commented tartly: ‘So the old bachelor makes amends for neglecting the ladies in his life time’ (Bell, 1909²).  James and Samuel (who was Master Cutler in 1850) formed Deakin Bros.   It was dissolved in 1853 and its stock of cutlery and hardware sold (Sheffield Independent, 22 September 1854).  James died at East Bank on 22 February 1856, aged 32, and was buried at Ecclesall.  Samuel, who lived at Woodville House, Ecclesfield, died on 1 February 1858, aged 39.  He left under £1,000.  Other members of this family included Samuel Deakin, merchant, who was another son of the Samuel of Change Alley.  He died on 17 July 1838, aged 67, at Pisa, Italy, where he had lived for many years.  

^1. Vine, G R, The Story of Old Attercliffe (Sheffield, 1936)

^2. Bell , Alexander B (ed), Peeps into the Past: Being Passages from the Diary of Thomas Asline Ward (Sheffield, 1909)