William Marples & Sons worked out of the Hibernia Works Sheffield, the company being founded in 1828 (although his father, also William Marples, was working with William junior in the early 1820s.
The company moved a couple of times, ending up in Westfield Terrace, Sheffield, for over a hundred years. In 1860 William junior's sons became partners, the firm now being Wm Marples & Sons.
This gives us a date to investigate what was on offer by people serving the edged tool and grinding trades. I cn't find a catalogue by Marples, but I have found one by a prolific hone, etc, supplier of c, 1890 - A. B. Salmen. Their standard stones, according to their own literature of the time has this description:
"Importer & quarrier. Hones, oilstones, grindstones, scythestones &c, carpenters tool & hand basket importer. Office 1 Castle St. Houndsditch. E.C. Steam works, Salmen St. South Grove, Mile End, London. E. ... [On the reverse] Turkey oilstones, Arkansa ... Water of Ayr stone, Ragstones, Scythe stones, Devon batts, Indian pond stones. Yellow Lake hones, German ... Blue & grey stone slips, Gold testing stones, Clearing stones and curriers' blocks, Turkey, Arkansa & Putty powder, Holy stones, Circular stones, all kinds. Bilston, Blue grit, Newcastle, Yorkshire and other grindstones, also mounted in Iron and Wooden troughs. Importers of tool and painters' baskets".
None of those sound that promising, but most suppliers also imported from the continent and applied their own marks, such as this Salmen branded Belgian coticule:
Attachment 195825
Not very helpful I know, but at least it shows what we could expect to be on offer hone-wise at the time.
Regards,
Neil