John Tasker (1819-1895)
John Tasker, founder of John Tasker and Sons, entrepreneur and benefactor
1819 Born in Devon
1839 Started work as a shoemaker in Pond Hill, Sheffield
1848 Birth of son John Henry Royle Tasker
1851 Shoemaker, employing 6 men, living in Sheffield with Emma Tasker 31, Adela Tasker 5, John Henry Royle Tasker 2, William Tasker 2 months[1]
c.1855 Moved to Devonshire Street
Introduced gutta-percha and india rubber to Sheffield
c.1866 took premises in Angel Street, Sheffield, supplying leather belting; also developed the engineering side of the business which expanded rapidly, taking larger premises in Station Road - eventually becoming Tasker's Engineering Co
1871 Mill strap manufacturer, india rubber and gutta percha dealer, employing 8 men, 1 boy and 2 women; lived in Nether Hallam, Sheffield, with Emma Tasker 51, Eliz H R Tasker 22, William Tasker 21, Robert C. Tasker 17, Catherine E Tasker 15, Mary E Tasker 13, Fred Tasker 10[2]
1877 Established one of the first telephone exchanges in the provinces, at his Angel Street store; this became the Sheffield Telephone Exchange but demand was slow to build up.
1878 Mayor of Sheffield
1878 Installed generating plant for electric lighting which was demonstrated to the public[3]
1882 Joined IEE as an associate[4]
1886 Member of IEE, of the Telephone Exchange Co, Angel St, Sheffield [5]
1892 The telephone exchange was acquired by the National Telephone Co; the generating station was incorporated as the Sheffield Electric Light and Power Co
By 1892 had largely retired from business; his wife died this year
1895 Died