Hayball, Keeling and Beet families of Sheffield

Records relating to Arthur Hayball's wood carving business, Cavendish Street, 1841 - 1952 (HAYBALL/1)

Some of the glass negatives are in very poor condition; please refer to the Conservation Unit at Sheffield City Archives for advice on accessing these items.

Arthur Hayball (1822 - 1887) was the second son of Thomas Hayball and Mary (nee Taylor). He was born in Tudor Street, Little Sheffield (now Thomas Street) in Sep 1822. His father was a joiner and builder who helped construct a number of buildings including Banner Cross Hall and St Philip's Church. Arthur Hayball spent much time as a child in the joiner's shop. Following an accident he broke his leg and during his convalescence, his father gave him some pieces of waste wood to carve. He attended George Wilkinson's day and boarding school in Broomhall from 1830 to 1838, although much of his spare time was spent learning wood-carving. At the age of 16 he left school and joined his father in the wood-working shop at 60 Rockingham Street.

In 1845, Arthur married his cousin, Hannah Lenton (1818-1895) of London and they moved to 29 Clarence Street, opposite to where Godfrey Sykes lived. Prior to 1845 he started attending classes at the Sheffield School of Design, Victoria Street. He was so successful the School elected him a 'Free Student for Life'. He remained connected to the School until his death in 1887 and he was Master of the Wood-Carving Class from 1875 to 1887, being succeeded by Frank Tory. He entered a specimen of his own design in the Great Exhibition of 1851, a cabinet of English walnut, 8 feet hight and 4 feet wide for which he was awarded first prize and a medal from the Exhibition Committee. Shortly afterwards he designed and executed the Great Rood with its figures of Our Lady and St John, and the oak choir stalls and lectern in St Marie's Church, Sheffield.

By 1851 Arthur and Hannah had three daughters (Edith, Miriam and Laura - a fourth daughter, Clara, was born in 1852); in order to support his family he suggested to his father he might do better independently. This caused father and son to be estranged for ten years. Two houses were designed and built (50 and 52 Hanover Street, now 112 and 114 opposite the top of Aberdeen Street) and in the back garden a workshop was built. The upper level of the workshop was used for photographic work in which he had become interested in c.1853, with the intention of supplementing his income through portraiture work. In 1862 he moved to nos. 9-13 Cavendish Street built by his father with whom he became reconciled. Here his work focused on fine wood-carving and he was helped by his daughters, especially Clara. In 1860 he was asked to restore the woodwork at Ecclesfield Church under the direction of Messrs. Hadfield and Goldie and the Reverend Alfred Gatty. He was also Treasurer of the Ruskin Society in Sheffield. Arthur Hayball died in 1887.

Source: Arthur E. Beet, 'Arthur Hayball - a dreamer in wood', Transactions of the Hunter Archaeological Society (vol.7, part 5), 1956.

Hannah Hayball (nee Lenton) (c.1818 - 1895)was born in London in c.1818. She married Arthur Hayball of Sheffield in 1845. She died aged 77 in 1895.

Clara Keeling (nee Hayball) (1852 - 1954) was the fourth daughter of Arthur and Hannah Hayball. Clara was born in 1852. She married the landscape artist, William Keeling in 1895. She died on 28 Apr 1954 aged 101.

William Keeling (1860 - 1930) was born in 1860 (probably Crookes area of Sheffield). He was a landscape painter working in oils and watercolours. He exhibited at the Royal Academy, London and also in Birmingham and Manchester. He was an exhibitor and member of Shefield Society of Artists, becoming President of the Society in 1900 (and Vice President from 1910-1912). He married Clara Hayball in 1895. He died 29 Sep 1930, Bank Cottage, Ashover, Derbyshire.

Arthur Edgar Beet (1897 - 1968) was born in 1897. Son of Sarah Ellen Keeling (sister of William Keeling) and John Henry Beet. Nephew of William Keeling and Clara Keeling (nee Hayball). He was educated at the Central Secondary School (later High Storrs Grammar School), graduating in 1918 with a B.MET under J.O. Arnold. After a few months with the Brown-Firth Laboratories he returned to the Department of Applied Chemistry, University of Sheffield in Sep 1919 to work on sampling and Coal Washing problems with Professor L.T. O'Shea. Beet joined Samuel Fox and Company Limited in Jul 1920 as Fuel Chemist. He joined the academic staff at the University later in 1920. He contributed much research to the Department's work, especially on 'The nitrogenous constituents of coal' which gained him his Ph.D. in 1948. During the Second World War he was a Sector Captain for Fire Prevention in Sheffield. During the war he also undertook micro-analytical work for the Ministry of Supply on fuse-powder charcoals and new explosives. He was a lecturer in fuel technology at the University of Sheffield in the first half of the 20th cent. He was an amateur local historian who developed an interest in collecting lantern slides and projection equipment. Beet died in 1968.

Source: Obituary, Quality of Sheffield, vol.15, p.40 (3 Mar 1968).