Sheffield In 1685

[RichardB]

Most of the Hallamshire forges were collected in a market town which had sprung up near the castle of the proprietor, and which, in the reign of James the First, had been a singularly miserable place, containing about two thousand inhabitants, of whom a third were half starved and half naked beggars.

The effects of a species of toil singularly unfavourable to the health and vigour of the human frame were at once discerned by every traveller A large proportion of the people had distorted limbs.

Source

[duckweed]

This is typical of Victorian publications. We all know Sheffield was no picnic in Victorian times the population massively exploded, but where is the exact evidence in this article that it was equally as horrible then. The population had dropped considerably due to the plague in 1675 and was just picking up again. Trade had slumped a bit due to the Anglo Dutch Wars but where is there the evidence for all these starving misshapen children? Have they got eye witness reports? Where is their source?