BARNSLEY BROTHERS CUTLERY COMPANY, MONETT, MISSOURI HISTORY

THE BARNSLEY BROTHERS CUTLERY COMPANY

Photo courtesy of James Barnsley, Grandson of R. C. Barnsley,
One of the Original Company Founders

The Barnsley Brothers Cutlery Company was a Monett business in the early 1900's. Named after six brothers, it was a corporation whose stockholders included such prominent local businessmen as Carl W. Lenhard, a founder of the First National Bank, and S. A. Chapell, owner of a hardware store. A stock prospectus published in the Monett Times in July, 1909, said the firm did "nearly $57,000 worth of business during the panic year of 1908 on a capital of $14,700." According to an inflation calculator, in today's dollars, that would be almost $1.2 million of business on a capital of $292,000. Another Times article from 1911 said that Barnsley Brothers was responsible for Monett having home mail delivery. At the time, home delivery was available only in cities whose post offices sold a certain volume of postage, and the shipping of Barnsley products put Monett over the top.

The founder of the cutlery firm and oldest of the Barnsley Brothers was U. S. Barnsley, a tireless business promotor. From about 1908 to 1911, he and L. B. Durnil of Monett supported the efforts of at least three inventors to build an airplane, which ultimately resulted in the DeChenne airplane flown by Logan McKee in Monett in 1911. In June, 1909, Barnsley tried to raise money to start a company in Monett manufacturing hay balers. Sometime around 1919, he reportedly moved to Johnson County, Arkansas, where he engaged in the real estate business and established an early motor court, forerunner of the modern motel.

Today Barnsley Brothers knives and razors are collectibles. In August, 1981, American Blade, a magazine for knife collectors, ran an article featuring the recollections of Reece Barnsley, a son of R. C. Barnsley, one of the original brothers. According to Reece, the six brothers were born in the Esrom community southwest of Lamar, where U. S. Barnsley had a store and was postmaster before 1900. Beginning about 1906, several of the younger brothers left the firm and moved to south Texas, where they homesteaded large ranches in the Laredo area.

The photograph of the Barnsley Brothers' building at the top of this page shows the word "factory" on its side, but the company bought some of its stock from other manufacturers. In March, 1913, The Monett Times noted that U. S. Barnsley had attended the inauguration of Woodrow Wilson in Washington and "purchased a large stock of cutlery for the factory" in New York. One of the firm's suppliers was W. R. Case & Co., the famous New York knife makers, who sued Barnsley Brothers in Barry County Circuit Court in 1907-08 over a contract issue. Family tradition says that Case acquired Barnsley Brothers sometime in the 1910's.

For more information on Barnsley Brothers and U. S. Barnsley, see these pages and photographs:

1909 Barnsley Brothers Stock Prospectus. From the Monett Times of July 13, 1909. Lists the current stockholders of the Barnsley Brothers Cutlery Company and solicits new investors.
The Holbrook/DeChenne Aeroplane. Transcribed newspaper articles and photographs relating to the efforts of U. S. Barnsley and others to build an airplane.
Hay Press Solicitation. In June, 1909, U. S. Barnsley tried to raise money for a company to build hay balers in Monett. Appeals for investors appeared in the Monett Times on June 11, 14 and 22, 1909. Here is the appeal from June 14, a good example of Barnsley's salesmanship at work.

A Barnesley Brothers letterhead from August, 1905. Sometime between 1905 and 1909, the family changed the spelling of its name to Barnsley. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley. Click on the image for a larger view.
A Barnsley Brothers advertising ink blotter. Note that the spelling of the Barnsley name has changed so this is presumably after 1905. According to Reece Barnsley, some of the younger brothers left the company about 1906. This might help date the item and name change, but the firm may have used the photograph in its advertising even after they left. Advertising blotters exist with the earlier spelling as well. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
U. S. Barnsley later in life. He moved to Arkansas about 1919 and eventually settled in Ozone in Johnson County, where he died in 1957. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
Barnsley Brothers office. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
This is the photo at the top of this page, but click the image at left for an enlarged view (358 KB). This Barnsely building apparently sat at the corner of Sixth and Front Streets, with the view looking east. The grain bin on the extreme right of the photograph is still standing on Front Street. Note the earlier spelling of Barnesley on the building. This photograph is marked "Jenks," who was an early Monett photographer. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
A closer view of the Barnesley factory and road work, also marked "Jenks." Note the photographer's shadow at the bottom of the photo. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
According to The Monett Times, Barnsley's 1910 stockholders meeting was held at the company offices at the corner of Sixth and Broadway. The above photos of the Barnsley factory do not fit this location, suggesting the 1910 building was a second location, which is indirectly confirmed by Monett's centennial history, One Hundred Years of Memories (1987). On page 340, there are several photos of a flood, apparently in 1927. One of these shows the southwest corner of Sixth and Broadway with this caption, "Wagner's where McKee built his airplane."

Home: Historical Items from Barry & Newton Counties, Missouri

This site created by Bob Banks. Comments, corrections and suggestions are welcome.

James Barnsley would be interested in hearing from anyone with additional information about the Barnsley family or firm.

	A Barnesley Brothers letterhead from August, 1905. Sometime between 1905 and 1909, the family changed the spelling of its name to Barnsley. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley. Click on the image for a larger view.
	A Barnsley Brothers advertising ink blotter. Note that the spelling of the Barnsley name has changed so this is presumably after 1905. According to Reece Barnsley, some of the younger brothers left the company about 1906. This might help date the item and name change, but the firm may have used the photograph in its advertising even after they left. Advertising blotters exist with the earlier spelling as well. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
	U. S. Barnsley later in life. He moved to Arkansas about 1919 and eventually settled in Ozone in Johnson County, where he died in 1957. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
	Barnsley Brothers office. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
	This is the photo at the top of this page, but click the image at left for an enlarged view (358 KB). This Barnsely building apparently sat at the corner of Sixth and Front Streets, with the view looking east. The grain bin on the extreme right of the photograph is still standing on Front Street. Note the earlier spelling of Barnesley on the building. This photograph is marked "Jenks," who was an early Monett photographer. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
	A closer view of the Barnesley factory and road work, also marked "Jenks." Note the photographer's shadow at the bottom of the photo. Photo courtesy of James Barnsley.
	According to The Monett Times, Barnsley's 1910 stockholders meeting was held at the company offices at the corner of Sixth and Broadway. The above photos of the Barnsley factory do not fit this location, suggesting the 1910 building was a second location, which is indirectly confirmed by Monett's centennial history, One Hundred Years of Memories (1987). On page 340, there are several photos of a flood, apparently in 1927. One of these shows the southwest corner of Sixth and Broadway with this caption, "Wagner's where McKee built his airplane."