User:JeremyA/Sandbox

1745 engraving:

Sheffield or Sheafield stands in the southern part of the West Riding of Yorkshire where the two Rivers Dun and Sheaf meet, to which last it owes it's name. This town was anciently famous for making the iron heads of arrows, and is celebated by Chaucer 300 years ago for the blades of knives worked there; by degrees it hath much improved in all manner of cutlers ware.

Its situation is delightful and somewhat uncommon, it being seated on a round hill in the midst of a valley which is surrounded by many higher hills: This supplies it with many valuable falls of water necessary for carrying on the manufacture of the place. This advantage of streams to turn their mills, together with great plenty of coal in its neighbourhood render it perhaps the fittest place in the kingdom for the business which is here carried on. It had a very strong old castle which belong'd to the Lovetofts, the Lords Furnival and the Talbots, Earls of Shrewsbury. In which Mary Queen of Scots remained a prisoner for 16 or 17 years under the custody of George Earl of Shrewsbury. This castle was built in the reign of King Henry III and after the death of King Charles I, was demolished. Here is a market every Tuesday and Thursday. Fairs, one on Tuesday after Trinity sunday, and another on the 28 November. The Manor of Sheffield, which extends in length 18 miles and in breadth upwards of 8 miles, did formerly belong to the Earls of Shrewsbury; but now to his Grace the Duke of Norfolk.