Sheffield Betting ring raids of 1876, various Sheffield pubs

[Aaron James Hartley]

Have been doing my partners family tree for her and came across a few pub related stories before betting shops became legal in the 50’s

[Lyn 1]

My mother used to take my grandad's bets down to Popple St where a man used an entry to work from with a bookie's runner watching out for the police. I was only about 4 yr old but recall knowing we were doing something wrong.

[Ponytail]

A betting shop was proposed to open opposite us on Bellhouse Road in the 1950/60's and I remember someone coming to the house with a petition against it. Mum wasn't very pleased about it, thought it would attract "undesirables" Dad wasn't too concerned and sent them away with it unsigned. 

 

Found this, thought it might be of interest. 

Henry Steel (1832 - 1915), 'The Leviathian'

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Taken from Vanity Fair, 27th October, 1877.

"Mr Steel is a native of Sheffield and a man of genius. He first displayed his powers in the pursuit of fishmongery, but being impelled to take up the national sport of horse-racing as a profession, he established himself as one of the benefactors to the backers of horses known as 'Bookmakers'. For some time he confined himself to making what we called 'silver books' , but before long he ran into a rein of gold and having received the 'stable commission' for St. Albans, he made a great coup and became a personage on the turf. Mr Peach married his sister, he married Mr Peach's sister and they all became partners in success. They are entrusted with most of the more important betting commissions and occupy so overpowering a position that they can command the market and influence the odds. The public personality of the partnership is found in Mr. Steel, whose face is known to every frequenter of race-courses, and whose transactions are so enormous as to have won for him the name of 'The Leviathian'. He is enormously rich-perhaps the richest man ever made by books. He is the proprietor of large steel and iron works at Sheffield, and not long ago he bought up the Archbishop of York's house in town, together with all its famous wines, as an appropraite residence for himself. He however, soon got tired of London society and retired again to Sheffield where he lives in opulent splendour. His account at the Westminster Bank is the largest there." Jehu Junior.

 

[Edmund]

Presumably Henry ran Steel Peach and Tozer.  He lived at Tapton Court on Shore Lane.

[Ponytail]

23 minutes ago, Edmund said:

Presumably Henry ran Steel Peach and Tozer.  He lived at Tapton Court on Shore Lane.

 

Yes Edmund, it seems Henry Steel made his money from "betting" at the same period in history as the Publicans in the original post, who were being taken to court for being "bookmakers" Using his gains to finance a steel firm. 

https://sheffielder.net/2020/04/10/henry-steel/

 

Not sure of the law on betting at the time, hope someone can enlighten us. 

 

[Aaron James Hartley]

This is the full article, should be able to zoom in if you open the picture.

[Aaron James Hartley]

Also kind of related, i’ve been trying to find some information out about this jug, or what the date may resemble, with no success. I thought it maybe a Victorian drinking game, fuddle cup. The date on it does seem to match with the pub on waingate though.

[Lysanderix]

My first employers had a workman who took and laid bets. He was crippled following a War wound and I reckon that was why Management turned a blind eye to his activities.

I imagine other steelworks had similar entrepreneurs!