On 18th July, the Clerk of the Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire welcomed guests who presented a historic Freedom certificate belonging to Ezra Hutton of Ridgeway, son of Joseph Hutton, a renowned “Maker of Sickles.”

Ridgeway and its surrounding villages were once the heart of sickle and scythe manufacturing in Sheffield, a tradition that spanned centuries. The certificate, dated 26th October 1972 and signed by then Master Cutler John Henfrey, has been proudly displayed in Ridgeway House for over 40 years. As the house is now due to be sold, the current owners have chosen to entrust the certificate to the Company of Cutlers for safekeeping.

This remarkable document includes the original maker’s mark—both handwritten in the margin and preserved as a lead seal—offering a tangible link to Sheffield’s industrial past.

Brothers Joseph and Ezra Hutton formed a partnership in 1791, with their first workshop, the Palais Royal, which later became the Queen’s Head pub. The firm continued under various names until its closure in 1988, marking the end of British scythe and sickle manufacturing.