THE FREEMASONS ARMS

[Sheffield History]

THE FREEMASONS ARMS

LOCATION

 

Walkley Lane, Hillsborough, Sheffield S6 2PB

INFORMATION

As you can see in the pictures the Masons took the full brunt of the Sheffield flood. A lot of the pubs history is soaked in stories of the flood so we've put some below for you to have a read..

A little girl saved, her friends sadly drown

'Very near to the house of Henry Whittles at Hill Bridge, was the Masons' Arms public house, kept by William Pickering. The house was almost destroyed, the interior exposed, and all the furniture swept away. In the house at the time of the flood, besides Pickering himself, were his wife, his sister, a lodger, and a little girl, a niece, eight years of age.

All were drowned, except the little girl. She slept by herself in a bed in a chamber on the top storey of the house, higher than the line to which the water rose. When the neighbours went to the house on the morning after the flood, they found that nearly everything had been swept away, but on going to the upper chamber they were astonished to find the little girl in bed and fast asleep. They awoke her, and took her to a place of safety.

The house was swept away except a little corner on which the girl's bed stood. Upon being questioned she said-- "I heard a noise in the middle of the night. I thought the gas was blowing up down stairs. I heard my uncle go down stairs, and thought he was going to see if the gas had blown up. I then heard my aunt go down, and call out for help. Her sister went to her, and I then heard them both cry out for help. I heard nothing more, and went to sleep soon afterwards."'

 

 

[Sheffield History]

MORE FROM THE FLOOD

HEROIC RESCUE OF A FAMILY

'In another house at Hill Bridge, lived Thomas Booth, his wife and four or five children, and in the next house lived a man named Proctor. Being sensible of the peril to which the Booths were exposed, Proctor broke a hole through his own bedroom into the bedroom of the Booths, and rescued Mr. Booth and all his family.' (GFAS)

A MAN JUMPS OUT OF A WINDOW AND IS KILLED

'At Bower's Row, Hill Bridge, on somewhat higher ground than that occupied by the houses whose destruction has been described, lived a man named William Crookes. When the flood came, he heard the roar of the water, and the screams of the neighbours. He was so alarmed that he thought his own house was going to be swept away; and so to save himself, as he thought, he jumped out of his bedroom window on to the road.

His wife tried to prevent him from adopting such a course, but he was so frightened that he could not be persuaded to stay in the house. The water flooded the chamber, but not to such an extent as to imperil the lives of those who were in it. When Crookes jumped out of the window, he of course fell into the water and a quantity of it got into his mouth and down his throat.

The water was thick with mud and dirt brought down from the embankment. Crookes was soon got out of the water, and taken into the house again; but he died next morning from the bruises he had received, and from mud getting into the organs of digestion.'

THE ORIGINAL HILL BRIDGE

This ancient sketch shows the original 'Hill Bridge' which was totally washed away by the flood. It is viewed here from Hillsborough Bridge - looking in the direction of Malin Bridge: The Mason's Arms is behind the trees on the left (if, indeed, it existed at the time this sketch was produced!). By comparing this picture with the three previous photographs, it can be seen that the weir was also washed away by the flood - but was re-built afterwards, and remains today.

[Sheffield History]

EXTRAORDINARY ESCAPE OF A FAMILY AT HILL BRIDGE

Henry Whittles house - Hill Bridge - Hillsborough

The rear of Henry Whittles House at Hill Bridge

'One of the most extraordinary cases of narrow escape was that of the family of Henry Whittles, of Hill Bridge. The gable of his house was swept away, exposing the interior. In one of the bedrooms, which rested only upon a corner of the building, two of the walls having been washed down, was a stump bedstead. On that bed Whittles placed his wife and five children, and held them firmly upon it, while he supported himself with one hand against the wall. The following is the account given by Whittles himself of this extraordinary escape. He says :-- I was awoke by the flood breaking open the doors and windows. I thought at first it was some one breaking in to rob the house.

I jumped out of bed, and set off to go down stairs. The first step I took I was in the water. I ran back, took my wife out of bed, and also the two children who were in the same bed. One of the children was only nine days old. When I had taken them out of bed, the outside walls of the house went directly, and the bed on which my wife and children had been lying was swept away.

Another little boy, two years old, I snatched from the bed, just as it was going down, and flung him over my head into another corner of the chamber, which hung by a piece of the wall, and where was a mattress. The whole house was then swept away, except the corner on which I had placed my wife and five children, on the little bed.

The corner stood, and I held them there a long time. They were covered with water, and of course were quite undressed. The water tore my shirt off my back, and left me naked. I held my wife and children on the mattress in the corner for more than an hour. While I was holding them, I saw two persons float past in the water, so near to me that I could have touched them both; but if I had attempted to do so I should have lost my wife and children, as they were only kept where they were by my holding them on.

The water smelt awful, like a grave that had been newly opened. In about an hour and a quarter George Allen, of Hillsbro', saw grinder, came to see what was the matter. When he saw the house had been destroyed he cried out to his companions that we were all lost. When I heard him say that, I cried out, "No, we are safe in the corner." I reached the children down one by one, and they were all taken out of the house, and conveyed, just as they were, to a place of safety.

The water ran clean over the bed, and they had all to stand up on the bed to keep their heads out of the water. We were all very much exhausted, but we all recovered, even the baby which was only nine days old.' (GFAS)

[Sheffield History]

The Great Flood had its share of what would have otherwise have been comical incidents as well as a number of bizarre episodes. When the water bounded into the modest home of a Hillsborough tailor called Joseph Chapman, he promptly clambered into a wooden box and pulled the lid over himself. Thus enclosed, he floated around for a while until some neighbours hauled him clear of danger and Chapman, used to creating items of sartorial elegance, stepped out triumphantly--in a state of near nudity.

Then there was the story of a domestic row which saved two others from drowning. A man, frustrated by his wife's nagging about his drinking habits, decided to return to a late night concert hall to submerge his sorrows in ale.

The wife, not to be outdone, followed him and kept up her carping commentary. When they finally returned to their home, only half of it was still standing. Stranger still was the case of a man who, earlier that day, had attempted to commit suicide by throwing himself into the river. He was fished out and locked in a cell at Hillsborough police station, pending an appearance in court. When the flood rushed into the building and began to rise alarmingly he no longer relished the idea of sudden departure by immersion and shouted to be let out.

Inspector Thomas Smalley and his wife, Victoria, sleeping in a room above the lock up, were aroused by the commotion and, by the time the policeman got to the screaming prisoner, the water was up to his armpits. With difficulty, Smalley rescued the man who by now was trembling and appeared to have abandoned all thoughts of a self inflicted demise. The inspector, who spent the remainder of that night and the following few days assisting the many sufferers in the area, caught a chill. He confided to his wife and his doctor: 'I got my death on the night of the flood and shall never get better.' His premonition was sadly accurate. He also contracted typhus (probably through swallowing dirty water) and died two months after saving a man who, for a time at least, had not wanted to live.

[deejayone]

Just found this frontage picture of the Freemasons Arms, not sure about the time but the landlord pictured with his staff is apparently Alfred Michael Firth (if you look closely his name is written, along with the name of the pub, on the long stone running under the first floor windows).

[deejayone]

Next time you're that way - turn around and take a shot over the wall, looking at the corner.

I have an old picture that I think is Hillsborough corner (with the river below) from that type of view, but am really struggling to see which angle it was taken from in my minds-eye. I suspect it is taken from the Walkley lane side, but there are things putting me off!!!

[deejayone]

This needs a new thread for 'Hillsborough Corner'

Ask and you will get: http://www.sheffieldhistory.co.uk/forums/i...sborough+corner

[Sheffield History]

[RichardB]

and round the back of the Freemasons, my grandfathers chisel was made by Ward and Payne, on Limbrick Road ...

[Sandroulla]

I wasn't aware that the Freemasons had so much history - despite the fact that I worked behind the bar there during the early 80's, when Neil and Jackie had the tenancy. There was always a good atmosphere in the place, with the regulars sitting in their usual places (and drinking from their own tankards) on the left hand side, whilst the young'uns took over the right hand side. We had some good nights in the pub - and some good parties back at mine and other's houses after time was called.

[docmel]

I wasn't aware that the Freemasons had so much history - despite the fact that I worked behind the bar there during the early 80's, when Neil and Jackie had the tenancy. There was always a good atmosphere in the place, with the regulars sitting in their usual places (and drinking from their own tankards) on the left hand side, whilst the young'uns took over the right hand side. We had some good nights in the pub - and some good parties back at mine and other's houses after time was called.

Don't suppose you happen to know what became of Neil do you?

I had heard they moved out to Tickhill or somwhere like that - I went to school with his younger brother Roger.

[Sandroulla]

Don't suppose you happen to know what became of Neil do you?

I had heard they moved out to Tickhill or somwhere like that - I went to school with his younger brother Roger.

Sorry - no idea where they moved to - I remember Roger from the pub though!

[docmel]

Sorry - no idea where they moved to - I remember Roger from the pub though!

Roger was a good mate up to me meeting my wife - not that she dragged me away but these things do happen. You may also know a couple of other mates that used to drink in the Freemasons - Rod and Jane Robinson (nee Frudd)?

[Sandroulla]

Roger was a good mate up to me meeting my wife - not that she dragged me away but these things do happen. You may also know a couple of other mates that used to drink in the Freemasons - Rod and Jane Robinson (nee Frudd)?

The name doesn't mean anything to me I'm afraid, but then I didn't know many surnames of the customers.

[docmel]

The name doesn't mean anything to me I'm afraid, but then I didn't know many surnames of the customers.

Ok - no bother - Rod was a london boy - carpet fitter, who before he married Jane used to lodge with Neils Mum and Dad

[Sheffield History]

The Freemasons Arms, Hillsborough