Thomas Stirling (c.1792-1863) was born in Scotland.  By 1825, he was in partnership as a merchant with John Heathcote (as Stirling & Heathcote, Pye Bank).  This was dissolved in that year.  Thomas Stirling & Co, cutlery merchant, was then listed in 1833 in Millsands.  Stirling lived at Goddard Hall, Fir Vale.  Later he moved to Western bank, with his business in Rockingham Street (1841).   After 1849, he lived and worked from a house in Gell Street.  Stirling died in Sheffield on 22 October 1863, aged 71.  His grave can be seen in the General Cemetery.  His estate was under £4,000, but apparently he left no family.