Advert from Charles Butler’s Illustrated Family Almanack 1886. Source: Sheffield Local Studies Library.
Charles Butler started in the confectionery trade in 1841, the year of his father’s death, and set up his own business in 1848. Ten years later the business had grown considerably and was supplying wholesalers, dealing in Foreign & British wines and fruits, and plain and fancy biscuits. Outside catering for schools, birthday parties and social teas became an important feature of his business.
In 1877 Butler opened a new confectionery establishment and restaurant on Snig Hill with ‘magnificent and extensive premises with the largest stock in the Kingdom of every description of genuine boiled sugar, Plum and Seed Loaf, Gingerbread, Biscuits, Pork Pies, Wedding Cakes, Christmas Cakes, an immense assortment of Bon Bons, Fancy Boxes, Tree Decorations, etc’. Tea, coffee and sandwiches were available at the Luncheon Bar while upstairs the extensive Dining Rooms served hot dinners from 12 noon.
While he was well-known around Sheffield Butler was not greatly involved in public or church life. He was a supporter of the Sheffield Royal Hospital and left bequests in his will to the Jessop Hospital for Women and the Sheffield Royal Infirmary.
Butler’s eldest daughter, Annie Burr and her husband Frederick ran a confectionery business in Manchester. When Charles Butler died in 1898 Annie returned to Sheffield and took over control of her father’s business. Charles was buried in grave G1 91 in the Anglican area. The stone is now lost.
Butler’s signature product was his ‘celebrated & world-famed Mint Rock’, for which he was the ‘original and only maker’ and which according to adverts, ‘Saves thousands from Painful Suffering from Bronchitis’. Today Charles Butler’s name lives on through products manufactured by Maxons Ltd. He would surely be amazed to discover he now really is ‘world-famed’ through his own website and internet sales of his celebrated Mint Rock.
You can read more about people who worked as confectioners and who are buried in the Cemetery in the Sheffield General Cemetery Trust’s publication Sweet Remembrance and follow the self-guided trail Sweet Remembrance.