The 'lost' Town Halls

[Calvin72]

Many times in the past this site debated the site of, or evidence for, the first two Town Halls. We don't seem to have ever solved the mystery. Do we know where they were? And did we ever find an engraving or painting...? Can such important buildings have been lost to history? Would there be anything there if a dig took place anytime in the future?

[Bayleaf]

There's this;

"In 1700 the Town Hall was built, partly within the south-east corner of the Churchyard, separated from the Creswick house by only the width of the [Church] entrance gates."

[RLongden]

Only robbed from Wiki, but it seems the 3 town halls were Pinfold Street, Waingate (still standing as the old law courts) and the current one on Pinstone Street? Pinfold Street doesn't seem right, as the 1736 map of Sheffield clearly shows it in the SE corner of the churchyard, as Bayleaf rightly says:

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Town_Hall

"Sheffield's first town hall was referred to in a 1637 survey of the area. It is thought to have been at 10 Pinfold Street. From 1700–1808 there was a small brick-built community hall in the corner of the Churchyard. It was owned by the Town Trustees, as was its replacement, now Sheffield Old Town Hall. In 1886 the council cleared a number of premises in the Pinstone Street area to make way for the current Town Hall, and the old building was converted for use as a court, with further additions by Flockton, Gibbs & Flockton in 1896–7."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheffield_Old_Town_Hall

Sheffield Old Town Hall stands on Waingate in central Sheffield, England, opposite Castle Market. The building was commissioned to replace Sheffield's first town hall, which had opened in 1700 to a design by William Renny.[1] This first structure stood by the parish church, on a site with little prospect for extension.[2]

So, in answer to the question, of the first two town halls, the remains of the first is possibly under the flagstones between the tram stop and the churchyard and the second is still standing, awaiting demolition (if what is read is to be believed?)

[RichardB]

Obviously four Town Halls, Pinfold Street, around the end of Trippet Lane, wooden, long gone.

"Sam Hall's Parlour" - by the Church Gates, if any remains I'll eat my hat.

Waingate

and the current chappie.

[RLongden]

Yes, apologies. Having re-read the text again, it seems to have been >1700 at Pinfold Street, 1700-1808 in the churchyard, 1808-1897 on Waingate and from then to present, the current building on Pinstone Street.

Some references to Town Hall's #2 and #1 in this book:

http://books.google.com/books?id=UGADAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA262&lpg=PA262&dq=sheffield+town+hall+pinfold+street&source=bl&ots=aO79AAIZEB&sig=FQlROVsfn336zPYlAM1t7NElNXU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=7h53VKWoJ8vbsATkowI&ved=0CDwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=sheffield%20town%20hall%20pinfold%20street&f=false

Pages 261-264, unless the link takes you straight there

An interesting read and a free download...

[Old rider]

Currently reading book "The Making of Sheffield" quote:-

At the junction of High Street and Church Street at the south eastern corner of the churchyard, stood the early town hall, the meeting place for the twelve Capital Burgesses, a body of men set up in 1554 by the 5th Earl of Shrewsbury to regulate the town's affairs. To the north of this was the medieval parish church, now the cathedral.