Established in Sheffield in 1852, probably by Joseph Ashforth & Co. and known variously as the Bruce File & Steel Works, the Bruce Steel & File Works, or just the Bruce Works. By October 1854 the works were operated by Ashforth's stepsons as Marchinton Brothers, being John Moreton Marchinton and James Marchinton plus employee William Arthur Henry. The following year they developed and obtained patents for a swiveling-jaw bench vise. It is uncertain whether the vise actually made it to market under the Marchinton Brothers name because the partnership was dissolved sometime in late 1855. Operation of the Bruce Works reverted to Joseph Ashforth & Co. Ltd., and we believe that they manufactured the patent vise. In any event the Works remained under the control of Joseph Ashforth & Co. until at least 1889, when they introduced the "Triumph" patent bench vice for holding regular and tapered work.

At present day the Bruce Works are occupied by a group of independent artisans.

Illustration from article in 1889-05-03 "Industries"

Information Sources

• 1854 Post office directory of Sheffield with the neighbouring towns and villages lists "Ashforth Joseph & Co. file & steel manufacturer, Bruce works, Bridge street, & Mowbray street, Harvest lane; & at 63 St. Vincent st. Glasgow (J. H. Swan, agent)".
• 1855 issue of Practical Mechanic's Journal (Vol. VIII, No. 85, p. 154). Article, "Adjustable Vice. W. A. Henry, Sheffield.—Patent dated May 29, 1855. This invention, which is being worked out by Messrs. Marchinton, Brothers, of the Bruce Works, Sheffield,..."
• 1856 Catalogue of the Eight Exhibition of Inventions lists exhibitors, including "Marchinton Brothers, Bruce Works, Sheffield." They exhibited a Patent Vice, for Gripping Tapered Objects, &c..
• 1856 General Directory of Sheffield, Rotherham lists, on page 313, file manufacturers, including "Marchinton Brothers, 72 Bridge st". The same firm is also listed under "Screw and bolt makers", "Spindle & Flyer manfrs.", and "Steel converters". You can also download a full-page text ad for Marchinton Bros. (PDF) from page 168 of this volume. The ad reads, "Marchinton Brothers / Steel converters and refiners, / Manufacturers of superior cast steel / Engineering & Machine Files, / Improved Screw Stocks, Taps and Dies, Screw Jacks, Rigging Screws, Press Screws, Copying Presses, &c. / All kinds of screws for carpenters and machinists, Ratchet Drills and Railway Wrenches, / Mule, Jenny, and Loom Spindles, / spring bolts, washers, &c., Bruce Works, / Sheffield."
• 1889-05-03 Industries article on the "Triumph" Vice
• Grace's Guide page on Marchinton Brothers.
• 1862 Directory & Topography of Sheffield, page 129, lists "Marchinton James, steel mnfr. (Makin W. and Sons); h 133 Hillfoot".
• An undated record of an insurance claim for flooding by "James Marchinton and Benjamin Makin, carrying on business under the firm of 'William Makin & Sons'". James Marchinton's address was the Clifton Works, Hillfoot, and Benjamin Makin was at Attercliffe, near Sheffield.
• 2016 ebook Adjustable Spanner: History, Origins and Development to 1970, by Ron Geesin, has a section on Joseph Ashforth & Co., Bruce Works.
• 2019 book, Directory of Sheffield Tool Manufacturers 1740-2018.

  Marchinton Brothers—The 'brothers' were John and James Marchinton. They were born in 1830 and 1831, respectively, and were the sons of James Marchinton (a coach driver and publican) and his wife, Jane. James Sen. died in 1836, aged 38, and was buried at Ecclesfield. In the same year, Jane married Joseph Ashforth (qv), the steel and tool manufacturer, of Bridge Street.

  In 1856, Marchinton Bros advertised in the local directory as steel converters and refiners, and manufacturers of files, screws, and spindles—a range of products similar to Joseph Ashforth's at Bruce Works, Mowbray Street. The brothers had announced themselves as 'successors' to 'Joseph Ashforth & Co' (Sheffield Independent, 14 October 1854). Presumably, this would have been with Ashforth's blessing, perhaps as a way of launching the careers of his wife's sons. If that was so, Ashforth's patronage did not bear fruit. Marchinton Bros had been dissolved in 1855 before the advertisement was posteed. James became a partner in William Makin & Sons (qv).