The Chadburn Engraving "Fancy" Lathe was made in 1835 by Alfred Chadburn of Chadburn Brothers, a company based in Sheffield at the Albion Works, 27 Nursery Street (1837 to 1884); the "Shilo Wheel" at 44 Stanley Street (1841) and in Liverpool at 71 Lord Street.  The Company's main business was as opticians, but their range of products was vast and included "Spectacle glasses & lenses. Telescopes and mic scopes, in various stages of manufacture. Agricultural and surveyor's levels, magnets, steam and vacuum gauges, barometers, syringes, Galvano electric machines. Craig's charactograph etc." In 1847 they gained a Prince Consort Royal Warrant that allowed them to advertise as"opticians to HRH Prince Albert" and, to further their fame, exhibited at the Great Exhibition of 1851 being listed as "Exhibitor 259 in Class 10 - Philosophical, Musical, Horological & Surgical Instruments." From 1898 Chadburns were succeeded by Chadburn's (Ship) Telegraph Co. Limited, a Company that appears to have survived until perhaps 1946.
With such a background, and being based in Sheffield with its many highly-skilled craftsmen, it's not surprising that Alfred Chadburn was able to construct his own "gentleman's" lathe - a type that could be used for serious commercial work, or like others of its type - for example Goyen, Holtzapffel, Kennan and Evans - for the amusement of wealthy and serious amateurs.
Around 6 feet long, the Chadburn lathe is engraved with the date of its manufacture and the maker's name - with one gear stamped "Alfred Chadburn Fecit" - Latin for "he/she made it". With only one example made, it survived in the hands of the Chadburn family until 2024 complete and in working order on its treadle stand. The latter, with a mahogany and oak frame and metal bracing had five mahogany drawers holding various documents including glass plates, spiral designs in what appears to be gold leaf and a document confirming the lathe's provenance.
In 1922 Losehill Hall, Castleton in the Peak District was bought by Col. William Chadburn and his wife, Helena where the lathe - complete with its set of 120 hand-made turning tools - was stored for many years before being passed down through relatives who lived in Sheffield.
Although no large industrial lathes were ever made in Sheffield, many decades after the Chadburn, several makers of small ones started in business including Adept, Portass, Eclipse, Flexispeed, Faircut, Kay, Adept the very rare Bunting. Later, the tradition was continued by the manufacturer of woodworking tools, Sorby who, during the 1990s, produced a top-quality wood-turning lathe (and a range of other wood-turning-related products) in premises not 100 yards from what had been the Portass factory..