Sheffield Lives: The Birth of a City

Introduction Lives is a walking trail through Sheffield’s past. Starting at the castle in 1570, with the arrival of Mary Queen of Scots, it takes users on a chronological journey through the city before returning to the castle to witness its demolition in 1649. Practicalities The trail is just under three miles in length and follows pavements and pedestrianised routes through Sheffield as well as a short section on Sheffield’s Upper Don Walk.

(Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been taken to use traffic free routes, this audio trail takes place in an urban environment. Users of the trail following the route do so at their own rish and the trail’s curators do not accept any liability for damage or injury caused whilst following the trail) Begin the Tour

The tour begins at the junction of Exchange Street with Haymarket. If unfamiliar with the area, from the - tram stop, walk for a short distance uphill and take the first right (Haymarket); the second pedestrianised lane to your right is Exchange Street.

Key

of Scots

The earliest plan of Sheffield, published in 1736 by Ralph Gosling (Sheffield Archives FC She 1S) Picture Captions and Permissions

Stop 1:Section through the castle ditch (© ); Reconstruction of (© Sheffield Newspapers); Portrait of Mary, Queen of Scots after Nicholas Hilliard (© National Portrait Gallery, London. NPG 429)

Stop 2:19th-century sketch of the junction of Change Alley and High Street (© Sheffield Archives and Local Library, Picture Sheffield Collection s14248); William Dickenson's building accounts (©Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, MD 192); Late 19th-century photograph of High Street (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, Picture Sheffield Collection s13695)

Stop 3:The Old Queen's Head (© Rachel Askew); The Old Queen's Head, c.1821 (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, Picture Sheffield Collection s05462); Carving detail (© Rachel Askew); George Talbot, 6th by Unknown Artist (© National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG 6343)

Stop 4:The excavated well (© University of Sheffield); 14th-century jug recovered from the well (© University of Sheffield); 18th-century image of street flushing near Barker's Pool (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, Picture Sheffield Collection s13279)

Stop 5:Sheffield (Source: Wikipedia); Funeral of Mary, Queen of Scots (© The Board, Add. 35324, f.4); Trees; (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, Picture Sheffield Collection s05239)

Stop 6:Location of the School House (© Rachel Askew); Seal of the Grammar School (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, Picture Sheffield Collection t00174); Location of the School House from the 1771 Fairbank map of Sheffield (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, JC 1771)

Stop 7: Old Cutlers' Hall (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, Picture Sheffield Collection s05131); The crest of the Worshipful Company of Cutlers in (© Rachel Askew)

Stop 8: Lady Alethea Talbot (Source: Wikipedia); Detail of West Bar from the 1771 Fairbank map of Sheffield (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, JC 1771); Detail from sculpture depicting Sheffield on West Bar (© Rachel Askew); Detail of Royal Coat of Arms from Sheffield Law Courts (© Rachel Askew)

Stop 9: Detail of Kelham Island from the 1771 Fairbank map of Sheffield (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, JC 1771); Kelham Island (© Rachel Askew); Early 17th-century Blacksmith (Source: Wikipedia); Civil War woodcut of Prince Rupert attacking Birmingham (Source: Wikipedia); Detail from Kelham Island (© Rachel Askew)

Stop 10: Detail of Town Mill from the 1771 Fairbank map of Sheffield (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, JC 1771); 16th-century woodcut depicting exorcism (Source: Wikipedia); Elizabeth Talbot (Bess of Hardwick) by Unknown artist (© National Portrait Gallery, London, NPG 203); 17th-century woodcut of a woman spinning (Source: Wikipedia)

Stop 11:Mid-20th-century photograph of the underside of Lady's Bridge (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, Picture Sheffield Collection y01705); The Chapel of St Mary on the Bridge, (Source: Wikipedia)

Stop 12: Detail of the site of the castle from the 1771 Fairbank map of Sheffield (© Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library, JC 1771); The demolition accounts (Reproduced with the permission of Special Collections, Leeds University Library, MS 295/57 fol 3); Image from the 1927 excavations of the castle (Reproduced with permission of Museums Sheffield) Stop 1: Sheffield Castle

The castle dominated the 16th-century town of Sheffield, and was one of the largest in the North of . We don’t know exactly when the castle was first built, although there was a castle here by 1266, when it was burnt down by rebellious barons. It was rebuilt soon after, and stood until the 17th century, when it was described as being “fairly built with stone & very A section through the castle ditch spacious”.

How do we know what it looked like?

There are no drawings or plans of the castle, and it was destroyed long before the first map of Sheffield in 1736. Documents and archaeological excavations have given us small insights into its form, and have resulted in reconstructions such as the one above. Since then, our knowledge has developed and, whilst there are some things reconstructions got right, there are also things that are wrong.

1) The moat. Whilst our usual image of a castle is of a building surrounded by water, the height of Sheffield Castle above the river means this was impossible here. This was by no means unusual; many medieval castles did not have water in their moats, the ditch alone being a sufficient defence. However, at Sheffield, water was held in the moat through a series of sluices.

2) The gatehouse. We know the exact location of the gatehouse as it was discovered during the 1920s excavations. However, we only have the foundations, so can only guess at how it may have looked above the ground based on other gatehouses of a similar period, such as Bodiam in .

3) The castle's interior. The lack of archaeological work carried out here means much of this is guesswork, but through historical documents we do have tantalising glimpses of rooms such as the hall, kitchen, armoury and even a 'blacke chamber'.

4) What lay beyond the moat? Only half the castle is depicted here, if a 17th-century survey is to be believed, as the outer courtyard extended to Fitzalan Square and beyond. However, was this as fortified as the inner courtyard, or was it a collection of buildings defined by a fence or even just a street? We can only guess as there is no evidence from documents or archaeology. The arrival of Mary, Queen of Scots

In 1570, the castle hosted one of the most famous women of the 16th-century, Mary, Queen of Scots, who had fled from Scotland to seek refuge with her cousin, . However, at this time of political upheaval, the Protestant Elizabeth saw the Catholic Mary as a threat and imprisoned her. Her choice of gaoler was George, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, one of the richest men in the country, whose principal home was here in Sheffield.

In 1570, George was 50 and was newly wedded to Bess of Hardwick; he had much to be proud of. Having already imprisoned Mary at Tutbury Castle and Chatsworth, in 1570 Elizabeth I finally gave George permission to bring Mary to Sheffield.

Directions to Stop 2 Ÿ From the site of the castle, walk up the hill along Haymarket until you reach the tram tracks. Ÿ Turn right here and walk along High Street to the Castle Square tram stop. Ÿ At the stop, cross the tracks to the paved area and look slightly to your left at the junction of Arundel Gate and High Street. Ÿ Although there little sign of it today, this is the site of William Dickenson’s house.

Stop 2: William Dickenson’s House?

Whilst the Earls of Shrewsbury were the Lords of the Manor, they relied on bailiffs to conduct the day to day running of their estates. During the late 16th century, the bailiff for Sheffield was William Dickenson, who has left us a series of accounts, letters and a notebook containing his everyday dealings. This book contains the records of a house Dickenson built in Sheffield 'next to Mistress Bray' between 1574 and 1575; unfortunately, we have no clue as to where Mistress Bray's house was situated, but local tradition holds that the grand building that once stood here was the house that William built.

As bailiff, William Dickenson was responsible for overseeing the running of the Lord’s Hallamshire estates and collecting rent, which came in the form of money and other goods such as chickens.

The house he built in Sheffield reflected his status and took over thirteen months to build. All Dickenson’s costs were jotted down in his notebook, including £4 (around £1,000) spent on a party when the houses’ wooden frame was completed. Demolition and a near miss

The building survived until the late 19th-century, when it was demolished during the widening of High Street. However, it had a narrow escape a hundred years earlier, when an apprentice put a burning candle into what he thought was a barrel of linseed. On hearing this, his master rushed off to remove the candle from the barrel which contained, rather than linseed, gunpowder!

Directions to Stop 3 Ÿ Walk slightly uphill to the pedestrian crossing over Arundel Gate. Ÿ Turn left and cross over Arundel Gate again at the next pedestrian crossing. Ÿ Bear left slightly to go back downhill along High Steet and take the next right along Flat Street, passing the open area (Fitzalan Square) on your left. Ÿ Once pass the square, cross the road using the pedestrian crossing and continue along Flat Street (which becomes Pond Street) until you reach . Ÿ Turn left here and waklk down Pond Hill a short distance to reach the Old Queen’s Head Pub (the next stage on the tour) on your right).

Stop 3: The Old Queen’s Head

The Old Queen's Head is, with the exception of the Cathedral, the oldest upstanding building in Sheffield's centre. Although we have no documentary evidence for when it was built, timbers within the building have been dated between 1503 and 1510. Our first reference to it is in 1582, when it was referred to as the Hall in the Ponds. Originally it was twice the size it is now; the other half was demolished at some point during the 18th century.

We do not know what the hall was used for, although suggestions have included a banqueting house next to the , or a laundry. If it was the former, it was quickly overshadowed by Sheffield Manor Lodge, a former hunting lodge which was remodelled by the Earls of Shrewsbury into a grand retreat from the town of Sheffield. The 1582 inventory

In 1582, an inventory was made of the Earl's possessions at the castle, Sheffield Manor and the Old Queen's Head (then known as the Hall in the Ponds). It includes references to furniture and hangings owned by the Earl that he had lent to Mary, Queen of Scots, as well as a large number of old and broken items owned by the Earl that were kept in the building in front of you.

The inventory indicates that the hall was only used as a storehouse by the Earl, which may be why it became one of many other houses in the town which was rented by the Earl to Sheffield's inhabitants. In 1637, when a survey of the town was made, two men and their families inhabited the hall: William Shooter and Rowland Lard.

George’s troublesome women

By the 1580s, George was having huge problems with the three principal women in his life: Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots and his wife, Bess. Elizabeth never paid more than half the cost of keeping Mary and George's custodianship of her had turned out to be a curse rather than a blessing. In addition to the cost of her household and the stresses of preventing her from escaping, George also had to deal with rumours concerning their supposed relationship, including one story that Mary had borne him twins.

This was one factor in the breakdown of the Earl's marriage to the strong-minded Bess. She departed to Hardwick in 1585, where she set about building her famous house. When she died in 1608 she was buried separately from her husband in . All in all, it is no wonder that George looks so gloomy in later portraits!

Directions to Stop 4

Ÿ From the Old Queen’s Head, retrace your steps to Pond Street and turn left, keeping Sheffield Interchange on your left. Ÿ Continue along here for about 1/4 of a mile until you reach The Howard pub on your right. Ÿ Turn right immediately after it and go up the pedestrianised hill. Ÿ At the top, bear right to cross the road at the pedestrian crossing and walk up the ramp to Street. Ÿ Continue along here, passing the Winter Gardens on your left, turn right into Norfolk Street and take the first left (Norfolk Row). Ÿ At the top of the street, at the junction with , turn to look at the building on your left- Carmel House. Stop 4: Fargate Well and Barker’s Pool

The 19th-century development of Sheffield often involved the creation of large cellars that destroyed evidence of previous occupation on the site. As a result, archaeologists only have small glimpses of the past, which can make occasional discoveries all the more important. In 2005, excavations at the rear of Carmel House uncovered the base of a medieval well that provides an insight into Sheffield and its development.

Water use in Sheffield

Pottery found within the well suggests it was constructed during the late 11th to 12th centuries, a period when Sheffield, under the lordship of the Lovetots, started to develop as a market town. Its presence highlights the need for a supply of water that was not only closer than the Rivers Sheaf and Don but also free from the sewage and other waste that contaminated these Sheffield waterways.

Why was the well filled in?

At some point during the 16th century, the well fell out of use and was filled in. Whilst we cannot be sure why this occurred; one reason may be Barker's Pool, which literally was a pool and which was probably constructed during this period. The pool is first mentioned in 1555, and it acted as the town's reservoir until its demolition in 1793. Situated above the town, the pool was enlarged in 1613 and not only acted as the town's water supply but also helped to keep it clean, with water being released to wash out the street's open gutters.

Directions to Stop 5 Ÿ From Norfolk Row, turn right to walk down Fargate towards the tram tracks. Ÿ At the end of the street, bear slightly left and cross the road to the large pedestrianised area in front of the cathedral. Ÿ Go slightly down the walkway to the right of the cathedral (East Parade) until you are standing by the statue of James Montgomery, outside the East End of the cathedral. Stop 5:

As in many towns, the church and castle in Sheffield were intimately linked; most of the church before you was built by John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury around 1430, whilst George Talbot's grandfather, the 4th Earl, built the Shrewsbury Chapel in the southeast corner around 1520, the stone being taken from the quarries at Roche.

On 13th January 1591, the cathedral witnessed the funeral of George, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury. Worn out from many years of illness, family troubles and the strains of being the Queen of Scots' jailor, he had died on 18th November 1590 at Handsworth Hall, just southeast of the town.

George’s Funeral

George’s funeral was one of the most spectacular events to have even been held in Sheffield. Although funerals during this period were traditionally on horseback, given the proximity of castle and church, it was decided that the funeral would be on foot. No expense was spared and the hearse was accompanied by the , some of the greatest nobles in the land and 70 poor men dressed in black (one for each year of the Earl’s life).

Disaster in the Park

Records of the funeral document a tragedy on the night of the Earl's funeral. The traditional feast after the funeral was intended to feed six thousand poor people, but an account of the funeral states that a far larger number descended on Sheffield in the hope of a good meal. As the funeral took place in the middle of winter, in order to keep warm some of the paupers cut down trees within Sheffield Park to make a fire. Unfortunately, two of the trees fell prematurely, killing three men; the Town's Records record the payment of 8 shillings to the Coroner for their inquest.

George’s mistress

George's death was not without controversy. For the last few years of his life he had lived with his housekeeper and probable mistress, Eleanor Britton, despite his wife still being alive. After his death, Eleanor and her nephew were accused by George's son and heir, Gilbert, of stealing money, jewels and other valuable items; Gilbert said Eleanor 'instead of nursing my father, did continually lead him, as all those who were about him did well know.' Sadly, we do not know Eleanor's fate but given the fact that she was up against one of the most powerful men in the kingdom, it is unlikely to have been a happy one. Directions to Stop 6 Ÿ Continue down East Parade until you come to the junction with Campo Lane. Ÿ Turn left here, passing four streets on your right until you reach the junction of Campo Lane with Townhead St. Ÿ Pause here and look across to the other side of Campo Lane, which is the next stop on the tour.

Stage 6: The School House

When Henry VIII abolished the monasteries, he also got rid of the system through which many people were educated. However, in Sheffield the townspeople now in charge of governing the Church's funds, the Church Burgesses, made sure that the children within their could still learn to read and write.

The Burgess accounts include several references from the 1560s onwards to teaching, including paying Mr Young the Schoolmaster in 1564-68 and in 1595 they also paid £3 to Sir William Sampson to teach '20 poor scholars'. In 1604, however, things were about to change.

Thomas Smith and William Lee

In 1603, Thomas Smith of Croyland, , died. Despite, on the surface, having little to do with Sheffield, his will left provision for £30 a year for 2 schoolmasters. A year later, in 1604, King James I granted a patent for the foundation of the Free Grammar School of Sheffield and a new building was constructed to house it. One of the governors appointed by the Earl of Shrewsbury for the new school was William Lee; a pauper who, several decades earlier, had been given 8 shillings and 4 pence by the Burgesses so he could attend the University of Cambridge. The school building

The schoolhouse stood until the 1640s, when it was described as being uninhabitable. As a result, it was replaced, on the same site, around 1648; a date commemorated by a stone above its door. Tradition has it that some of the stones used to build it came from the castle, although as the demolition accounts for the latter do not commence until 1649, this seems unlikely.

This school, sunk below the road surface and described as 'a low building, with high pitched roof, lead-framed windows, and a porch' survived until 1825, when the school was moved to St George's Square (now Mappin Street). Directions to Stop 7 Ÿ From Campo Lane, turn left up Townhead Street. Ÿ At the junction, turn left again to the Cathedral Tram stop and turn to face the building with flagpoles on your right; this is Cutlers’ Hall.

Stop 7: Cutlers’ Hall

Sheffield had been famous for its since the Middle Ages; Robert the Cutler is cited in town documents in 1297, 'a Sheffield thwitel' (a type of knife) is mentioned in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and during the 16th century the Earls of Sheffield often gave cases of knives as gifts. The trade was regulated by the Earls themselves, and by the mid-16th century cutlers were starting to register personal marks that could identify who had made individual pieces.

This system worked whilst the Earls were in residence, but in 1616 Gilbert, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, died without a male heir and Sheffield came into the possession of nobles who did not live in Sheffield. Without anyone to register marks or resolve problems this could have led to chaos in the cutlery trade, but fortunately Gilbert had foreseen this problem and laid the foundations for what would become the Worshipful Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire.

The Company originally had no official place of business and rented a room that may have been in a pub in Fargate. However, by 1637 they had earned enough from income including fines, mark rents and apprenticeship fees that they were able to buy a house for £68 10s on the site of the present day building. The building stood until 1724, when it was demolished and replaced by a second hall. The hall you now see before you has elements of the earlier buildings, but was largely built in 1832.

Alice Hall

Whilst the first female Freeman was not elected by the Cutlers' Company until 1973, women have been associated with the cutlery trade for centuries. This can be seen in the will of Alice Hall, written in September 1644. In it, she describes herself as 'Alice Hall wife of John Hall of Sheffield in the county of York Cutler and late wife of John Hall deceased'.

The phrasing of this suggests that she is describing herself, as opposed to her husband, as a cutler, something which is borne out by the fact that, before their marriage, she passed over to him a debt of £160, an extremely large sum of money, suggesting she had her own private source of income. Directions to Stop 8

With the cathedral on your left, walk down High Street, also passing East Parade on your left, and take the next left down York Street. At the junction with Campo Lane, cross over the road and go down the street slightly to your right; Figtree Lane. At the bottom of the lane, cross over Bank Street and, passing the Old County Court on your right, continue down the hill to West Bar. Cross over the road to reach the Law Courts and your next stop.

Stop 8: Social tensions in Sheffield

Gilbert, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury died without a son in 1617 and his younger brother, Edward, who was childless, only outlived him a year. As a result, the lordship of Sheffield passed to Gilbert's three daughters; Mary, Countess of Pembroke, Elizabeth, Countess of Kent and Alethea , Countess of Arundel and Surrey.

By 1651, the elder sisters had died without issue and Alethea inherited Sheffield in its entirety, putting Sheffield into the hands of the Earls of Arundel. However, for the intervening three decades there was some confusion over Sheffield's lordship; a fact that some inhabitants were more than happy to take advantage of.

John Harrison’s survey

It was natural that the new Lords of Sheffield would want to know what they actually owned, and in 1636 John Harrison spent six and a half weeks surveying the parcels of land belonging to Sheffield, their size and their value. The survey, produced the following year, is famous for having one of the only descriptions we have of the castle, but it also provides a fascinating insight into who lived in Sheffield during this period; for example, Robert Rollinson held land in West Bar.

Other documents include leases for cottages and land, informing us who lived on which Sheffield streets; for example in 1631, Robert Brodebent, Thomas Crosley and Laurence Shawre rented land near where you are standing from the Church Burgesses. Social tensions

The fact that none of the heiresses resided in Sheffield meant that some of the townspeople felt they no longer owed service to their absent Lord. This led to incidents such as that in 1639, when fifty landholders failed to provide service to the Lord and, as a result, ran the risk of having their land seized.

Other incidents reveal how the town's approach to non- residents extended beyond the nobility. In 1633, the town's courts fined John Marr, Gilbert Otes and William Mawre for letting houses to strangers without getting any assurances that the town would be kept 'harmless from any charge or burden by reason of the same stranger'.

Law and Order within Sheffield

The unrest in the town can also be viewed through the town's courts. Held twice a year, the Sheffield Leet consisted of a jury of twelve men from the most respected families in Sheffield who heard petty offences and passed judgement in the form of a fine. Offences including fighting in the street, failing to clear the rubbish from outside your house or letting your pig run wild around the town.

Directions to Stop 9

Ÿ Keeping the Law Courts on your right, walk down West Bar towards the traffic island. Ÿ Cross over the road and continue down West Bar (which turns into Gibraltar Street) until you meet the main road (A61). Ÿ Bear slightly right to the pedestrian crossing and cross over the road to go straight ahead into Russel Street. Ÿ Follow the street as it curves to your left and, at the junction with Alma Street, turn right. Ÿ Shortly after passing the Fat Cat pub on your left, turn left (signposted ) and stop shortly afterwards on the pedestrianised area to your left. You should be looking straight upstream with Kelham Island museum and the Chimney House on your right. Stop 9: Kelham Island

Kelham Island is now famous for its brewery and industrial museum, but in the 17th century it was a small island outside Sheffield, formed through the creation of a mill race to feed the town's corn mill downstream. The reason for its development is the man after whom it was named; Kellam Homer. Whilst we know little else about him, his close relative (and probable nephew), also called Kellam, has an extremely interesting story to tell. The spelling of the island appears to have changed in the early 19th century, although even when he was alive Kellam was often written as Kenhelm, the 'proper' spelling of the name.

The birth of Kelham Island

The first time we get a record of a mill on Kelham Island is in 1609, in the records of Sheffield's manorial court, also known as Sheffield Court Leet. Kellam Homer's mill had evidently been preventing water reaching the town's corn mill; he was ordered to make sure enough water reached this buildingl or pay a fine of 10 shillings. Homer's water-driven mill was for grinding and polishing cutlery, evidence of how widespread the trade was throughout the town, but at this time the piece of land was not known as Kelham Island, but Colston Croft. The island could have easily have been called something else; in 1638, repairs were made to 'Homer waire', so you could have been standing on Homer Island!

Kellam Homer: the handyman

Kellam senior not only had a mill, but was also the town's armorer. Upon his death, in 1619, another Homer, George (probably his brother) seems to have inherited this role as he presents regular bills for undertaking this task.

George not only looked after armour but was also the glazier for the Lords of Arundel; many of his receipts for repairs made at the Manor and the Castle still survive and some of these mention his son, Kellam junior, as his helper. Later, this Kellam became the Lord's Armorer at the castle but evidence suggests he was also the castle's keeper, a job of far greater status. The Lord's accounts for 1639 record charges submitted by Kellam for hosting Commissioners at the castle, showing that he was considered to be more than just a craftsman. Kellam and the

In 1642, Civil War broke out between King and Parliament. Like many industrial towns, many of Sheffield's inhabitants sided with Parliament and, although the Earl of Arundel had transported the castle's guns to Doncaster for the use of the King, the castle was initially held for Parliament.

However, Kellam Homer was a Royalist as well as a suspected Catholic. In 1642, before war had been declared, a letter had been read out in the House of Lords that stated Kellam and a Catholic called Jackson had tried to cause a revolt in Sheffield, much to the disquiet of the local Parliamentarians who were ordered to remove all the armour in the castle for the good of the country.

Despite this, Kellam remained loyal to the King's cause; when the castle surrendered to Parliament in 1644, he is specifically mentioned in the conditions for surrender as 'living in the Castle' and was given 'liberty to remove his goods into the town, or elsewhere, without molestation'.

Having been forced out of the castle, he moved to another of the Arundel estates at Worksop where, in October 1649, he had a son and named him Charles. This was a controversial choice as Charles I had been beheaded the previous January, but it does reflect Kellam's beliefs and loyalties.

Directions to Stop 10

Ÿ Turning to put the pedestrianised area to your left again, go straight ahead into Kelham Square (ignore the road towards the Chimney House and museum). Ÿ In the square, and following signs for National Cycle Network 627, turn right and, towards of the square, left to join the River Don and the Upper Don Trail. Ÿ Turn right and walk along the river and, when you reach the main road, cross over using the pedestrian crossing to continue along the river and Upper Don Walk. Ÿ Just before the footbridge across the river, look to your right at the large open square, at the end of which the town mill was originally situated. However, stop by the river and start the next stop on your tour. Stop 10: Widow Revell and the town’s mills

Early 17th-century Sheffield still had many links with its medieval self. One of these was the town mill and bakehouse where inhabitants were obliged to come to have their wheat ground and bread baked under threat of punishment; in 1601 Thomas Shawe was fined 12d and William Dickenson (a relative of the man we met earlier) 3s 4d for not baking their bread here. Records for 1638 tell us that the mill was in the hands of Thomas Revell but, after his death in July of the same year, his widow, Mary, inherited the lease. She continued to pay rent until the early 1650s, when she appears to have moved elsewhere.

Sorcery in the Revell household

The Revell family had had various run-ins with Sheffield's former lords, the Earls of Shrewsbury. Back in February 1573, there is a record that a certain John Revell had hosted a night of sorcery where :

‘they conjured for divers[e] causes...for hid[den] money, for helping a diseased [person], for knowing some secret place to hid[e] them and to have certain knowledge also touching the state of this Realm'.

The incident was part of a longer pattern of disquiet between the Revells and the Earl. Six years earlier, John Hall, a former servant of the 6th Earl, George, had deserted his master in favour of John Revell's service as he disapproved of the Earl's marriage to Bess of Hardwick; Hall was later implicated in a plot to free Mary, Queen of Scots.

Although John Revell was not mentioned in the plot, he was a Catholic in a time of religious tension and, as seen above, this meant he was vulnerable to accusations of sorcery and treachery.

Widow Revell

Whilst it is often thought that women were subordinate to men during this period, there were exceptions, particularly widows who inherited their husband's property or managed it on behalf of their children.

One such woman was Widow Revell, as she is known in the accounts. She didn’t have an easy relationship with the Earl’s officials: shortly after the Civil War she was asked repeatedly to pay £20 in owed rent. Despite this, she stood up for herself and ensured that the weir and mill were repaired at the Earl’s expense. Directions to Stop 11 Continue along Upper Don Walk towards the stone bridge ahead. This is Lady’s Bridge, so pause at the weir in front of the bridge (just before the walk does a sharp right away from the river).

Stop 11: Lady’s Bridge and the Almshouse

You are now standing next to Lady's Bridge, one of the surviving remnants of medieval Sheffield. Although this was always a major crossing point for the river, in 1486 a mason, William Hill, was recruited by Sir John Pleasaunce, the then vicar, to build a bridge in stone.

When the bridge was widened from 1760 onwards, the original medieval structure was retained at its core and is still visible today. Less fortunate was the medieval Chapel of Our Lady, after which the bridge is named. After the Reformation, when the Chapel was taken out of religious service, the building briefly became a store house for local merchants but it did not survive the 18th-century demand for better transport links. The Town Burgesses' accounts for July 5th 1784 record a payment to 'John Scena for the House at Lady's Bridge to pull down and widen the Bridge'; it is likely that the 'House' in question was the old medieval chapel.

The Almshouse

Whilst we have no documentary proof, it is likely that an almshouse recorded in the late 16th century as standing near Lady's Bridge was the same building as the Chapel. Our first record for the almshouse comes in 1590, and later records inform us that it was intended to house four poor widows who each received £1 from the Lord of the Manor.

When the 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, Gilbert, died in 1616, he left provision in his will for the construction of a new hospital to care for the poor and elderly of the parish but the uncertainties of his heirs' inheritance, and the Civil War, meant his wish was not fulfilled until 1673. This building, which stood near Pond's Forge, has long been demolished, but its successor, the , stands to this day.

Directions to Stop 12 Ÿ Continue to the end of Upper Don Walk before turning left along Bridge Street to reach a crossroads with Lady’s Bridge on your left. Ÿ Turn right up Waingate and stop just before Castle Street with the Old Town Hall on your right. Ÿ Turn so you have your back to the hall and look straight across Waingate towards the site of the castle. Stop 12: The Demolition of the Castle

After the castle had surrendered to Parliament in 1644, it was held as an active garrison for several years. However, in April 1646, Parliament ordered that Sheffield's garrison should be removed, along with many others across the country. In July 1647 a law was passed that 'all the new works about Sheffield Castle be dismantled and slighted; and the Castle disgarisoned'. Although the law only referred to the most recent works - defences constructed by the Royalists that are mentioned in a detailed account of the siege - 18 months later the demolition of the whole castle began.

The demolition accounts

The demolition of the castle was officially overseen by the Parliamentarian Major Andrew Carter but it was actually the Earl's men who supervised its destruction and compiled the detailed set of demolition accounts that survive to the present day. The accounts, one of only four known to have survived, are written in the same hand as a letter from one of the Earl's servants, John Staniforth. They detail the costs of demolition and the profits from selling materials (£208 8s 8d and £225 6s 7d respectively), who bought particular goods and other events associated with the demolition, such as the infilling of the castle's ditches by the local townspeople.

One incident, also captured in the accounts, is the theft of the castle’s lead, which took place in November 1649. The thieves were quickly caught by three brothers: Humphrey, Robert and John Shore, who lay in wait for them overnight.

Why did the castle disappear?

Whilst the demolition of the castle begun in 1649 evidently caused considerable damage, enough of it was still standing in January 1650 for the Earl of Arundel to contemplate making the upstanding rooms habitable. However, 80 years later, when Ralph Gosling produced the first map of the town in 1736, not a trace of the castle remained and the site had become a bowling green. So, why did the castle finally disappear?

One reason is circumstance; the Earl died in 1652 and was succeeded by his son, Thomas, a man said to be mentally unstable and who was largely confined to a mental institution in Padua. Without any impetus for change from the Earl, it is likely that the castle came to be seen as a convenient source of stone and, over time, its stones were taken to build or repair other buildings. Today, only the buried foundations of the castle remain as a testament to the great building that once stood here. Further information

Thank you for taking part in this audio trail. We hope you have enjoyed it and have learnt something about Sheffield's fascinating past. If you would like to find out more, or visit some of the places connected to this period of Sheffield, please read the following sections.

Read more

An excellent introduction to Sheffield's past is David Hey's A (Carnegie, 2010). Available online are Joseph Hunter's Hallamshire: the history and topography of Sheffield (Lackington et al. 1819) and Robert Leader's fascinating and entertaining Reminiscences of Old Sheffield (Leader, 1875) which, whilst providing an insight into 18th and 19th century Sheffield rather than its older predecessor, is written in an extremely readable conversational style. Many of the original documents which formed the basis of this tour are held by Sheffield Archives.

Places to visit

Sheffield Manor: Originally a hunting lodge for the Earls of Shrewsbury, Sheffield Lodge became their luxurious retreat from the hubbub of the town. From the mid-17th century onwards it was no longer used as a residence and fell into disuse until it was largely demolished in the early 1700s.

Bishop's Manor: During the Civil War, this was the home of Captain Blithe, who purchased boards and plasterwork from the castle during its demolition. Local tradition states that plaster friezes in the house depicting fanged beasts are in fact Talbots, the emblem of the Earls of Shrewsbury, and thus originated in the castle, although this interpretation has been questioned.

Carbrook Hall: Now a pub, was the home of Stephen Bright, bailiff for the Earls of Arundel until his death in 1642. His son, Colonel John Bright, was the Parliamentarian governor of Sheffield Castle after its surrender in 1644.

Derby Cathedral: Burial place of Bess of Hardwick, George's wife. You can also visit the house she built at Hardwick Hall which is, famously, 'more glass than wall'.

Acknowledgements

The content for this trail was created by Dr Rachel Askew through an Arts and Humanities Research Council Fellowship and compiled by Llama Digital. It could not have been completed without the following assistance:

Dramaturgy: Nick Nuttgens Additional research: Bethany Parker

Ron Clayton (http://sheffieldhistorytours.com/) University of Sheffield Castlegate Steering Group, especially Prof John Moreland Friends of Sheffield Castle (http://friendsofsheffieldcastle.org.uk) Sheffield Archives College of Arms, London Lambeth Palace Library Sheffield Newspapers Special Collections, University of Leeds Library Steelworks Studio

Actors:

Roger Bingham, John Burstow, Liam Gerrard, Louise O'Leary, Blue Merrick, Stacey Sampson, Tom Tunstall, David Walker, Kate Wood