Quote Originally Posted by manah View Post
Possibly, he managed to do something.
Thomas John Creswick was born in Norton, Derbyshire, in about 1827, the son of James and Hannah Creswick. By 1852, T.J. Creswick was listed in his own right as a silver plater in Gell Street. He was in partnership with W.W. Harrison, though that was dissolved in 1856. A partnership with John Waterhouse Sansom followed, but that ended in the following year. Creswick announced that he was starting work as a commission agent, but by December 1857 he was bankrupt. In his later years, he was a butcher, but was bankrupt again in 1868. Apparently, he returned to the silver trade in St Philip's Road. In 1881, the Census enumerated his as a retired silver merchant, living at Birley House, Birley Carr. He may have died in 1884.
He may have done, but I have two troubles with him:

(a) His first name is Thomas, John is his middle name. Not that it's unusual for someone to use a middle name in preference, but I can't find any listing for him that calls him just 'John' - they all say T. J. or Thomas John; and
(b) He is listed as a silver-plater, not a cutler.

His first business partner, William Wheatcroft Harrison was an electro-plater, so that does not seem to point to any razor output and even if they did dabble in razors surely Harrison's name would be on the product too? After that partnership fell through he went into business with John Waterhouse Sansom, formerly of Sansom and Davenport (1853-6) who were silver and electro platers. After the partnership with T. J. Creswick was dissolved Sansom went to live in Le Havre - as a wine merchant. Again, not a particularly promising lead.

Regards,
Neil