Mr Wilson's Letter

[RichardB]

MR. WILSON'S LETTER ON SHEFFIELD.

To the Editors of the Northern Star.

If you think the inclosed extract from a letter, addressed by Mr. Wilson, late of Broomhead-hall near this place, to Mr. Andrews of Sheffield,

will be sufficiently interesting for your pages, the insertion of it will oblige

ANTIQUUS.

Sheffield, Nov. 20, 1817.

The Oltl Church is said by Camden to have been built in the time of Henry I. but from what authority is uncertain : if this be the time, probably

Wm. de Lovetot wae the founder, or principal benefactor, being lord of the manor and a very religions man, for he was the founder of Worksop Priory, in the county of Notts. From them it came to the Furnivals by Maud, daughter of William de Lovetot, who married Gerald de Furnival : he gave a third part of the Tithes, Oblations, Obventions, and the glebe of Sheffield Church to the Abbey of Worksop, where several of their predecessors were buried. The Vicarage of Sheffield was first instituted in the year 1308.

Thomas Furnival procured a license from King Henry III. in the fifty-fourth year of his reign, 1270. to make a castle at Sheffield; it was a

place of considerable strength ; and was surrendered to the Earl of Manchester the 10th day of August, 1644, by Major Thomas Beaumont, the

governor, and was raised in 1648 and 1649.

Thomas de Furnival obtained a charter, twenty-fourth Edward I. 1296, for a weekly market at Sheffield, and a fair yearly, on the eve-day and morrow after the feast of Holy Trinity, with free warren in all his land« here. He granted a charter of privileges to his free tenants of the town of Sheffield, 4th August,

1297.

He claimed a custom, which had continued from the conquest, of assembling all his men. or tenants, in Sheffield, Whiston, and Treeton manors,

holding by military service, who met in the Wicker, in armour, and were led in ranks to the town-hall and back again, every Easter Tuesday,

which was continued to the year 1715. My father always lent one Thos. Bamforth, of Water-lane, his horse and sword that day ; who, from leading

them up a great many years, acquired the appellation of Captain Bamforth. I suppose the custom of heading these men up, which had continued

in my family, arose from Adam Wilson, of Broomhead, having been shield-bearer or esquire to Thomas Lord Furnival in the Scotch wars, in the time of King Edward I. who gave him some lands which I still possess, for his good services in those wars : several old men, not long since dead, remembered this custom, as old Mr. Wade, Mr. Thos. Radford, &c. and perhaps some still living.

I am uncertain who built the Manor, but think it was built by the Talbots, probably about the time of Henry VII. or perhaps sooner.

Lady's Bridge, so called from the chapel of the Virgin Mary, upon or near it, was built 1 Henry VII. 1486.

The School was first established by patent from King James I. 1604.*

The Church Burgesses were first instituted by Queen Mary's letters patent, 8th of June, the first of her reign, 1554.

The Cutlers were incorporated 21 James 1. 1623, by act of parliament.]

When clasped knives or tnrntangs came in use, or were first made, I cannot find. Before the Cutlers were incorporated, they were governed by orders

from the Earl of Shrewsbury, to whom they paid their marks-money ; when the Town Burgesses were first made I cannot find, having mislaid

the papers relating thereto. •

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* It will be seen from a former paper in our work, page 411, that the first step towards tbe formation of the school was the bequest of Smith of Crowland, Lincolnshire, though it was not regularly established an a Free Grammar-School till the grant of the patent from King James I.

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