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Mushroom Lane


duckweed

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I was taking a few photos of houses in Mushroom Lane as they would appear to have some age to them. They now belong to the University. One large Victorian Mansion (I think) and an impressive terrace. Can't find any history to these houses. Can anyone tell me their age and who lived their? Are they connected with Dam House?

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So basically the large Victorian mansion is Mushroom Hall and the elegant Terrace is Goldthorp Terrace? I have found the Terrace mentioned in Trade indexes but not Mushroom Hall. Who was it built for?

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He was fined £5. The magistrates would have liked to send him to prison, but felt it would be stretching the bye laws (they didn't commit him to the sessions because they thought he would probably be acquitted on technicalities).

His possessions to be sold after his death...

Independent 29 Oct 1863

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He was fined £5. The magistrates would have liked to send him to prison, but felt it would be stretching the bye laws (they didn't commit him to the sessions because they thought he would probably be acquitted on technicalities).

His possessions to be sold after his death...

Independent 29 Oct 1863

attachicon.gif1863-10-29 Gouldthorpe Place house sale.jpg

Died; September 4th 1863

Mr. Wm Penistone, Goldthorpe Place, aged 71.

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According to J Edward Vickers in his book "Old Sheffield Town" it was traditionally held that if a person could build a dwelling on waste land between sunset and sunrise and raise smoke (light a fire) before dawn he could remain there.

According to him a chap called Pinder did just that at a site near Crookesmoor using turf sods and waste materials.

He states that because it appeared overnight it became known as "Mushroom Hall" (like the mushrooms).

If it is true then it must have been rebuilt a few times because the present edifice didn't spring up overnight.

Nice story if it's true.

HD

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Yorkshire Agricultural Society Show, Hillsbro Park.

Mr. T. T. Rowley, of Goldthorpe Place, Western bank, Sheffield,
shows, at stand 121,
a specimen dry closet, with ashes screen combined.
The object of the closet is to economise light, heat, and fuel,
and preserve a valuable manure for the field or garden.

published August 03, 1886

==========================

Edit: Mr. John Jepson Rowley.

White's 1879

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I have found a John Roebuck at Mushroom Hall in 1839 so am supposing that might be around the date it was built. There does seem to be some Bagshawe connections too. I think there may have been earlier buildings on the site. There is a reference in Leader about a horse falling down a quarry nearby.

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A building in the same place as Mushroom Hall is marked on the 1832 Sheffield map by J. Tayler and is named as Mushroom hall in the map in White's History of Yorkshire published 1838. Both maps can be found on Picture Sheffield.

HD

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The cluster of buildings now houses the Department of Psychology.

I attended a series of evening computer programing courses in that building during the 1980's.

What struck me was the extremely oppressive atmosphere within the building. It really did feel spooky.

I guess it must have been connected with the work that went on during the day.

It makes me shiver to think about it all these years later.

HD

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Firth Edward, merchant and mnfr. (Firth Thomas and Sons) ;

house, Mushroom Hall, 276 Western bank.

Roebuck John, Mushroom Hall, Wesern Bank.

1862 directory.

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I have found a John Roebuck at Mushroom Hall in 1839 so am supposing that might be around the date it was built. There does seem to be some Bagshawe connections too. I think there may have been earlier buildings on the site. There is a reference in Leader about a horse falling down a quarry nearby.

Sheffield in the Eighteenth Century, R E Leader, page 297

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That certainly implies an earlier building because present house doesn't look Georgian. Very interesting.

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re Samuel Eadon's Academy...

In the 1851 census his address is "Mushroom Hall Goldthorpe Place".

William Penistone's address is the same (presumably in the other half of the building)

In the 1852 directory Eadon's entry is:

"Eadon Samuel, Ph. Dr., A.M. and F.S.A., South street Academy, foot of Eldon street ; house: Mushroom View ."

Mushroom View is the other side of Western Bank (see 1853 map above)

It seems that "Mushroom" and "Mushroom Hall" are sometimes used to mean the location of all these houses as well as a particular house.

I also note the reference from 1862 to Mushroom Hall 276 Western Bank. That adds confusion as the building from the above maps is currently nos. 300-302.

No. 302 was at one time the vicarage for St Luke's in the crofts.

.

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A building in the same place as Mushroom Hall is marked on the 1832 Sheffield map by J. Tayler and is named as Mushroom hall in the map in White's History of Yorkshire published 1838. Both maps can be found on Picture Sheffield.

HD

The 1808 map on picturesheffield by 'Ward & Fairbank' is also worth a look.

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Thanks for that.

The small building on that map could well be the original Mushroom Hall.

HD

I can't remember where I read it, but I do remember reading that 'Mushroom Hall' was a tongue in cheek name often given to dwellings raised in this way.

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