John Richard Brook was born in Birmingham in 1821.  He was working as an electro-plater by 1851 and later formed Brook & Co, Church Street, Birmingham.   He partnered Charles Henry Walters, of Harborne, Staffordshire, but this was dissolved in 1860.  In the 1860s, J. R. Brook formed John Brook & Son, electro-bronzers, Wellington Street.  However, this was dissolved in 1868.  J. R. Brook then reached an agreement with John Unwin (Unwin & Rodgers).  A directory advertisement (1871) showed John Brook & Son occupying part of the Unwin & Rodgers’ Globe Works on Penistone Road.  Brook told the Census in 1871 that he employed nine workers.  However, the Brook-Unwin partnership was dissolved in 1871.  On 31 July 1871 John R.  Brook died at his residence in Gloucester Crescent, aged 50.  John Unwin and the Brook family then launched Sheffield Nickel & Silver Plating Co Ltd (see Edward G. Draper).  After that enterprise hit financial problems in 1877 Brooks Bros – nickel and silver platers and electro-bronzers – was formed by J. R. Brook’s sons, Heber Alfred Brook (1851-1911) and Walter Frederick Brook (1853-1921).  It was at Albert Works, Cambridge Street.  According to one source, it employed forty hands by the late 1880s (Industries of Sheffield, 1888).   Walter withdrew in 1894 and moved to Newport (he died in New York).  In 1896, the firm became Brook Bros Ltd, with £10,000 capital and Heber A. Brook as chairman (at a salary £300 a year).  The firm was liquidated in 1899, but was revived and continued in Cambridge Street until it was liquidated again in 1956.  The name was acquired by Firma Chrome Plating Co Ltd.