THE FAIRBANKS OF SHEFFIELD From early in the 18th century, there was no name better known in Sheffield than Fairbank; and although the family seems to have left the town nearly a hundred years ago, the name is yet known to Sheffield antiquaries, lawyers and surveyors, through what has for many years been called The Fairbank Collection, which consists of thousands of maps, plans, sections, elevations, surveys, field-books, letters, diaries, account-books, office-drafts and pap