How Did Blonk Street In Sheffield Get It's Name ?

[Sheffield History]

Does anyone know how Blonk Street in Sheffield got it's name ?

[madannie77]

A bit of Blonk History

[Old rider]

The Wicker Wheel and Tilt were leased to Bonk & Co from 1785. The 1771 map of Sheffield on the Picture Sheffield web site shows these two water wheel driven sites before there was a Blonk Street. The 1808 map on Picture Sheffield shows that Blonk Street has been created between the two factories leased to Blonk &Co. At this stage the bridge has not yet been built. By the time the 1838 map was drawn the bridge has over the Don has been built and carries Furnival Road over the Don to join Blonk Street at the end of the bridge. The Blonks bought the Wicker Tilt hammer Forge from The Norfolk Estate in 1811. At some time the Company became Silcock Blonk & Co. As well as partnership there was a marriage of a Blonk daughter to a Silcock. From 1861 Benjamin Blonk and then Francis Huntsman bought up the shares from the heirs of the Silcock Blonk partners. This is the reason for the initials on the Blonk street end of the bridge over the Don. The Wicker Wheel had been leased by Cocker and in 1895 was still using the water wheel but the Wicker tilts wheel was described as an "Ancient and obsolete wheel" so it is assumed steam was being used by then. The weir diverting water to the wheel and tilts can still be seen today through the eastern arch of Lady's Bridge giving rise to a saying I heard long ago "Down t'Wicker where T'water goes o'er t'weir.

I hope this information answers the question of why Blonk Street was so named. The source of much of this information is a book entitled "Water wheels of Sheffield" on sale at Kelham Island Museum.

[unrecordings]

Here's a similar view by Jotter, circa 1905 I think