Reply by Sue OldsWidow on June 14, 2012 at 21:45
Harry E. Linton (his registered name was "Henry") was born 21-JUL-1853 in Sheffield England. His parents were William Frederick Linton (b. 1815) and his wife Ellen (b. 1815 - nee Brown). At the time of the 1841 census, William and Ellen Linton and family were living on Furnival St. (backside) within Enumeration District 15 of Sheffield South. According to 1841 and 1851 census data, Harry's siblings included: George (b. 1834), Frederick (b. 1836), Ann (b. 1838), Emily (b. 1840), William (b. 1843), Edwin (b. 1845), James (b. 1848) and Ellen (b. 1850). All of the foregoing were born in the County of York, West Riding. His siblings birthdates are from census entries and therefore approximate to +/- 1 year. Ellen Linton (nee Brown), arrived in New York on 20-OCT-1862 aboard the vessel Adelaide, accompanied by her sons Henry and William and daughter Emily (Emely). Harry Linton died 19-MAR-1930 in Pensacola Florida. He married Sarah A. Meek 28-NOV-1878 at Canton, Stark County, Ohio. Their daughter, Nora Linton, was born 24-DEC-1880 and she eventually married Charles Samuel Erbland. Sarah died 12-APR-1881 and Harry remarried to Kate Rex Dillon 30-OCT-1883. Donald Erbland told me (Mardon Erbland, Donald's son) that his grandfather, Harry Linton, was involved in the cutlery business and always had lots of fancy knives around him. According to the Directory of the City of Canton for the year 1884-85, Harry E. Linton and his brothers, William and Edward (born Edwin), were all involved in the cutlery business in Canton. According to newspaper accounts, it was referred to as the "Linton Bros. cutlery works". One of the sons of William Linton was Ralph H. Linton, who in 1920 was "Manager" at a cutlery company in Tidioute Pennsylvania. This occupation appears in the 1920 census, Roll=T625_1657,Pennsylvania, Warren County, Tidioute, ED# 172. By 1920, the Tidioute Cutlery Co. had long-since changed names and moved to Cattaraugus County NY, so the name of the company where Ralph H. Linton worked in Tidioute is unknown. Harry and his brothers, William and Edwin, were principles in the founding of the Canton Cutlery Co. According to the Canton City Directory for the years 1883·84, 1884·85 and 1899, Harry was first Supt. then Manager of The Canton Cutlery Co. I (Mardon Erbland) recall that Harry's grandson, Donald Erbland, often said to me how Harry's interest in the cutlery business had a connection with the famous Sheffield Steel of Harry's birthplace. The1841 Census for Sheffield South shows that the occupation of Harry's father, William Frederick Linton, was "pen knife grinder". The original of the upper left photograph is a tin-type. It appears that the cheeks were hand-colored.
The Canton Cutlery Works Burned.
PLAIN DEALER SPECIAL.
CANTON, O., Nov. 4. — At 7:30 o'clock tonight the cutlery works of Linton Brothers
were found on fire. The shop is a large frame structure and the flames gained such
headway that the fire department was unable to save any portion of the building and
at 9 o'clock the works were a mass of burning ruins. The shop has just been built,
citizens assisting the firm, which had met with financial troubles. The firm employ
about thirty skilled workmen and these are now again out of employment, after having
been at work only a few weeks succeeding a year of enforced idleness. The loss is about
$15,000, while the insurance will not reach half that amount. The building was insured
for $2,500, divided equally between the Michigan fire and marine company of Detroit and
the Boatman's company of Pittsburg The fire is supposed to have started from a stove
the first floor of the building.
