he moved his business to larger premises on Norfolk Street (now the location of the Crucible Theatre stage door), in the same year he bought Whiteley Wood Hall from his initial patron Strelley Pegge. Now a member of the gentry, Boulsover's guidance as a leading townsman was eagerly sought; he became involved in discussions on the Sheffield to Leeds turnpike road and became one of the original trustees. Later life In 1760 Boulsover turned his interest to manufacturing better quality steel. He purchased land from the Duke of Norfolk on the Porter Brook just below Whiteley Wood Hall and commenced rolling steel. He discovered that cast steel gave a much better edge to saws and concentrated on saw making, with his product being far superior to those made by the old method of hammering. In 1774 Boulsover & Co., based at Whiteley Woods and Norfolk Street, was described as “makers of saws, fenders, edge tools, cast steel and emory”. However button production continued at a site further up the Porter at Forge Dam, Fulwood. In 1772 Hannah Boulsover, Thomas's wife died and was buried in the churchyard of St Paul's Church on 9 July. The couple had been married for almost 44 years. As Thomas Boulsover grew older, he was helped by Anthony Thompson whom he had taken into partnership and who eventually took over the management of the rolling mills and saw manufacture. Thomas Boulsover died at Whiteley Wood Hall on Tuesday 9 September 1788 and was buried on 13 September at St Paul's church alongside Hannah. Early in 1789, Boulsover's two surviving children Mary Mitchell and Sarah Hutton built a small Methodist chapel near to Whiteley Wood Hall in memory of their father. The chapel still stands today although it is now an outbuilding of Meadow Farm. It has an plaque which reads “This chapel was built by Mary Mitchell and Sarah Hutton in 1789 in memory of their father Thomas Boulsover the inventor of Sheffield Plate (1705 - 1788). References People from Ecclesfield English inventors History of Sheffield 1705 births 1788 deaths British industrialists Businesspeople from Sheffield