Immense And Irregular

[RichardB]

Sheffield is an immense irregular town, with at least 40,000 inhabitants. The principal houses are in the suburbs. The streets of the town are narrow, and the smoke of steam engines used for the forges and coal pits &c is constant and dissgreeable.

The chief objects of curiosity are the plating manufactures, and the grinding of knives, razors, scissors &c.

In the large forges, one of which we examined, the machinery for grinding goes by a steam engine, and, like a cotton mill, the number of grind stones may be in proportion to the powers of the engine and the size of the work.

Sheffield is not a borough and notwithstanding its size and importance, it has no political consequence !

1800