Page:The National Gazetteer - A Topographical Dictionary of the British Islands, Volume 3.djvu/451

Rh SHEFFIELD. 439 SHEFFIELD. baths, two tepid plunge baths, and a concert-room, the royal theatre, built in 1773 and enlarged and redeco- rated in 185/3 ; the Adelphi theatre, built in 1837 ; the free public library, in Surrey-street, established by tho town council in 1855, and supported by a rate of a halfpenny in the pound ; the Sheffield library, with 30,000 volumes ; the literary and philosophical society, with a valuable museum, also at the music-hall ; the gasworks, which were originally constructed by three several companies, amalgamated by Act of Parliament are situate at Sheaf Bridge, Shude Hill, Effingham- strect, and Neepsend. The water works are situated on Crookesmoor, and the reservoirs at Redmires, 6 miles W. of the town. There are three extramural ceme- teries, the general cemetery, comprising about 14 acres, situated in the vale of the Porter, was formed in 1836, and is approached by the Ecclesall and cemetery roads ; tho Brightside Bierlow cemetery, situated on the N. side of the town, comprises about 26 acres, and was opened in 1860 ; and St. Philips' cemetery, comprising about 6 aeres on a sloping bank near the base of Old Park Wood. The botanical gardens, comprising about 18 acres, were laid out in 1836 by Robert Marnock, the landscape gardener, who afterwards designed the Royal botanical gardens in Regent's Park. There are three newspapers published in the town, viz. the Daily Tele- graph, the Sheffield and Sotherham Independent, and the Sheffield Times the two first are daily papers, and' the last is published weekly on Saturday. There is a statue to Ebenezer Elliott, who long resided in the town. James Montgomery died here in 1854. Chantrey, the sculptor, was born in the neighbouring village of Norton, and in the parish of Sheffield is the first bust executed by him. At Loxley Wood, in the vicinity, Robin Hood is said to have been bom. From this point a view of the town is obtained, as also from Sky Edge, theCrookes, Derbyshire Lane, Wharnecliffe Crags, and Cholera Mount, which last place took its name from having been the burial place of 339 persons who died from cholera in 1832. The cutlers keep two or three subscription packs of harriers. The limits of the muni- cipal and parliamentary boroughs, comprise the town, with tho whole parish of Sheffield, and in 1851 contained 27,099 houses, inhabited by a population of 135,310, which in 1861 had increased to 38,052 houses, with a population of 185,172. It has returned two members to parliament since the passing of tho Reform Act, by which it was enfranchised, and is a polling-place for the county elections of the West Riding. Its first charter of incorporation as a municipal borough was granted in August, 1343, under which it is divided into nine wards or districts, and is governed by a mayor, 13 alder- men, and 42 town councillors, with the style of " mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Sheffield." The corporation revenue is about 7,000. The corporation hold their meeting at the Council-hall in Norfolk-street. The October quarter sessions are held at the townhall ; and petty sessions for the bo- rough, before the mayor and bench of magistrates, daily at twelve o'clock, also petty sessions for the West Riding district, beyond the boundaries of the borough, twice a week. It is the seat of a new County Court, insolvent debtors' court, court of bankruptcy in the northern cir- cuit, also of an excise district, and of a superintendent registry district. It is divided into two Poor-law Unions, the Sheffield union comprising the four townships of Attercliffe-cum-Darnall, Brightside, Bierlow, Hands- worth and Sheffield; and that of Ecclesall Bierlow comprising the remaining townships of Ecclesall, Nether Hallam, and Upper Hallum, besides four others situated in Derbyshire. The parish is divided into 25 eccle- siastical districts, some of which are new parishes under a late Act of Parliament. Nearly the whole of the land on which the town is built was the property of the Dukes of Norfolk, till 1802, when an Act of Parlia- ment was passed enabling them to alienate certain portions of their Sheffield estates. Under this Act con- siderable portions of the town have subsequently passed into the hands of freeholders. Most of the cutlers are men of small capital, and many building societies have been formed to enable tho more provident artizans to become possessors of their own tenements. The living is a vie.* in the dioc. of York, val. 500, besides an en- dowment for three assistant ministers. The parish church, situated near the centre of tho town, is a cruci- form structure, with Norman traces, founded in the reign of Henry I., but nearly rebuilt in the reign of Henry VIII. It is 240 feet long by 130 feet broad, and has a lofty spired tower arising from the centre and con- taining a peal of ten bells, a set of chimes, and an illu- minated clock. In the interior are several monuments of the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury, of Elizabeth, Countess of Lennox, sister-in-law to Mary Queen of Scots, and of Walker, the supposed executioner of Charles I. ; also several pieces of sculpture by Chantrey and others. The parochial register dates from 1560. In addition to the parish church are the following dis- trict churches, viz. St. Paul, St. James, St. George, St. Philip, St. Mary, St. John the Evangelist, St. Thomas Crookes, Holy 'Trinity Wicker, St. Stephen's, Atter- cliffe, Brights'ide, St. Matthew's, Darnall, Dyer's Hill, Ecclesall Bierlow, St. Judo, Eldon-street, Fulwood Heely, Hollis Croft, St. Jade's, Moorfields, and Pits- moor; the livings of which are all perpet. curs., vary- ing in val. from 400 to 100. Of these twelve are situated within the town, and the others in the rural districts. St. George's, built by the Parliamentary Commissioners in 1825, at a cost of above 14,800, has a western tower 139 feet high, and is situated in St. George's-square. It has an altar-piece by Paris, repre- senting Christ blessing little children. St. Philip's (in the Peniston-road) was erected in 1B33 at a cost of 11,874. St. Stephen's, in Bramall-lane, was built and endowed at the sole expense of a munificent townsman, Henry Wilson, Esq., of Wcstbrook. This church, situated at the junction of ISelfield and Fawcett streets, was erected in 1857 at a cost of about 4,500. The district church at tho village of Attercliffe, called Christ Church, was erected in 1822, at a cost of over 14,000. Tho Roman Catholics havo two churches : St. Mary's, in Norfolk-row, was completed in 1850 at a cost of 8,000, and has a tower surmounted by a spire, and containing a peal of eight cast-steel bolls ; and St. Vincent's, at White Croft, was erected in 1856, at a cost of 3,800. The Catholic Apostolic church in Victoria- street was finished in 1851. The Presbyterian church is in Hanover-street. The other places of worship belong- ing to the various Dissenting communions are more than 30 in number, comprising many spacious structures ; the Independents and Wesleyans have each six chapels, the Baptists and New Connexion Methodists three each, the Association Methodists two, the Primitive Methodists and Wesleyan Reformers several, and the Unitarians, Society of Friends, and Plymouth Brethren, each one ; tho Jews also have two synagogues, and tho Mormonites several meeting- rooms. There are two public bodies in- trusted with endowments applicable to the benefit and general improvement of the town, viz. the Town Trus- tees and the Church-Burgesses ; the former hold their property under a charter granted in 1297 by Thomas, third Lord Furnival, and the latter by a charter of Queen Mary in 1554, by which their body was incor- porated. The funds of the latter body having greatly augmented, their application was regulated by an order in Chancery obtained in 1854. The local charities be- sides are numerous, including the general infirmary, on 31 acres, erected in 1794, at a cost of 20,000, and en- larged in 1841, mainly supported by public subscription ; the public hospital and dispensary in West-street, erected in 1835, and enlarged in 1858, containing 51 beds ; the Deakin institution^ for the advancement of single women of good character, originated in 1849 ; the Hanbey and Hadfield charities; the blind-school in West-street, founded in 1860 for the instruction of the blind in mat and basket making and other useful occupations ; the Shrewsbury or Norfolk hospital founded in 1616 with an income from endowment of 2,000 ; Hollis' s hospital for cutlers' widows, with an income of i'680 ; the li-