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Old 17th October 2017, 09:16 PM   #150
urbanspaceman
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Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Tyneside. North-East England
Posts: 496
Default where's the money gone

I think that, considering the Oley's substantial empire noted in probate, that they, being the only ones able to produce from stock to finished blade, began to make serious money after c.1730, by which time there were only them and English mill owners left in the village. Also, the Oleys were making and selling anything and everything with a sharp edge: and good domestic and commercial tools were ever more important until Crowley got firmly established but even he had to buy sword-blades from Oley. Crowley boasted, and was probably perfectly honest, that he could supply everything from a pin to an anchor but I suspect that he left the production of sharp edges to Oley.
The Johnsons and the Leatons both had mills that were run by progeny who had been apprenticed to the Germans. Also, I have mentioned before that Hayford supposedly had a mill in SB. I need to ascertain who exactly owned what and when.
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