Green Pastures Pre Industrial Revolution

[Guest shelagh scholfield]

What was Sheffield like before the steel industry? Did the people that worked in the industry always live in Sheffield and did they adapt or were they attracted here because of the work? I've noticed a lot of people are small and dark,I'm wondering if we came from a particular tribe.Any thoughts.

[ukelele lady]

What was Sheffield like before the steel industry? Did the people that worked in the industry always live in Sheffield and did they adapt or were they attracted here because of the work? I've noticed a lot of people are small and dark,I'm wondering if we came from a particular tribe.Any thoughts.

I know mine came from Westmorland but I don't know if it was for work at the time

because he was a white collar man and a gentleman might I add [ not many of those around today]

but having said that all his family then had file making workshops in Smithfield and some then moved

into the steel business.

Why my ancesters travelled here before all the industry started I'll never know but I know thousands

did travel to Sheffield when it all began as to get work.

[History dude]

My understanding is that a lot of the development of Sheffield is connected to the River Don and all those rivers and streams that flow into it. Water wheels providing the power for the early industries. There was also quite a bit of mining going on. Evidence of pits and Bell pits can still be found.

As for the population, pre-mobile era telephone books are good indications of the names that have flooded into the Sheffield area. If you compare phone books from other parts of the country you can tell where a lot of surnames have there roots. I did it with mine and found that "Appleyard" is most common in Yorkshire, with a higher level around Leeds & Bradford. I also found out that the main chap responsible for our branch here in Sheffield came from Wakefield around 1800. Another branch of mine, the Bentons, all came from Birmingham, almost certainly connected with both towns links with the silver trade.

To find out if a surname has always been around in Sheffield for a longer time than pre steel works days, you need to compare the phone book, with say the 1379 poll tax returns. I can tell you now that Schofield is a Sheffield connected name, from the 14th Century! Other clues include the Sheffield town center street names, as some tell you who was around in the 1400's. As their surnames have become street names. Lambert being an example.

[Guest shelagh scholfield]

That is so interesting,thanks.

[THYLACINE]

Found this lecture on the internet by David Hey of Sheffield University.

Although it doesn't answer all your question, it's a good start.

http://www.wkfinetools.com/hUK/z-UKReading/sYorshireSteel/sYorshireSteel1.asp

[Bayleaf]

Once the industrial revolution got under way, people began to move in large numbers from the country to the towns and the industries. My family name is quite rare in Sheffield, but very common in Northamptonshire and Staffordshire. The Sheffield branch seems to trace back to a filecutter from Northampton who came to Sheffield in the early 1800's to follow his trade.

You might find this interesting for your own name.

On History Dude's suggestion, try following these links from elsewhere on the Forum.

In 1615 the Lord of the Manor had a census produced, which said that in January of that year, the total population of Sheffield was 2,207, of whom " 725 are begging poor, unable to live without the charity of their neighbours".

There were 100 householders who relieve others. These are "but poor artificers; among them is not one which can keep a teme on his own land, and not above tenn who have grounds of their own that wil keepe a cow".

There were 160 householders who were unable to relieve others. "These are such (though they beg not) are not able to abide the storme of one fortnight's sickness, but would be thereby driven to beggary".

There were 1,222 children and servants of the said householders; the greatest part of which are such as live on small wages and are constrained to work sore, to provide them necessaries".

Not a wealthy place then by any means.

By 1801, the population was 31,314. This was accounted for by a reduction in the death rate, and the expansion of trade, so people were arriving in numbers. It was shortly after this that the industrial revolution began in earnest.

In the 50 years from 1843, the population trebled. By 1893 it was estimated to be 333,922.

[ukelele lady]

Great stuff Bayleaf, very interesting.

[RichardB]

Quality work that man. Thank you.

[duckweed]

I think you have to look at around Sheffield too. Places like Ecclesfield and Norton were equally involved in the metal working industry. David Hey did 2 great books one on Hallamshire and one on Medieval South Yorkshire.

Several factors for the development of Sheffield.

1. Close on the border between Mercia and Northumbria.

2. Close to Derbyshire lead mines.

3. Huge woodland areas to supply charcoal (coal was not useful in early metal production)

4. Iron ore

5. Technology introduced by the Monasteries including water wheels, bloomeries, blast furnaces.

Various assessments of the poor in Sheffield may not be totally accurate of Sheffield economy. There were several dips in the economy due to Sheffield relying on exporting goods. Wars and trade embargos hit Sheffield hard especially the embargo of trading with the USA during the Corn Laws. Cutlers could be working flat out for several weeks and then reach the end of that contract and be laid off for several weeks. So how wealthy Sheffield was depended on outside demand. One week everybody could be working and an outside observer would be marvelling on their industriouness and the next week an observer could come and find everyone idle and hungry.

Looking at my husbands family tree, his family is quite typical of what happened in the 1840s. His family had been farmers in Lincolnshire. After losing several children due to starvation and having to get support from the local workhouse, the family moved to Rotherham Sheffield and Leeds. They found work in the cloth trade, quarrying and the iron and steelworks and as cutlers. From their point of view it seemed on the whole a good move as they didn't return to the workhouse and even infant mortality dropped for a while.