A History of Sheffield

The city of Sheffield has long been synonymous with cutlery and steel, and most previous books have understandably concentrated on the momentous changes which industrialisation wrought on the area over the last two hundred years. The figures are astonishing: as early as the seventeenth century three out of every five men in the town worked in one branch or another of the cutlery trades and, in all, Sheffield had a smithy to every 2.2 houses; a hundred years later there were as many as six watermills per mile on rivers such as the Don, Porter and Rivelin, driving a wide range of industrial machinery and processes; local innovations included Old Sheffield Plate, crucible steel and stainless steel; during the mid-nineteenth century 60 per cent of all British cutlers worked in the Sheffield area, and the region manufactured 90 per cent of British steel, and nearly half the entire European output; small, specialised workshops producing a wide range of goods such as edge-tools and cutlery existed side by side with enormous steel factories (it has been estimated that in 1871 Brown's and Cammell's alone exported to the United States about three times more than the whole American output). Yet, as David Hey shows, the city's history goes back way beyond this. Occupying a commanding position on Wincobank, high above the River Don, are the substantial remains of an Iron Age hillfort, built to defend the local population. Celts, Vikings and Anglo-Saxons came and left a legacy recalled in many local names. By the twelfth century William de Lovetot had built a castle at the confluence of the Don and the Sheaf, and it is likely that is was he who founded the town of Sheffield alongside his residence. A century later can be found the first reference to a Sheffield cutler, so industry in the area can be said to be at least 700 years old, and no doubt stretches back even further. Highly respected local historian David Hey has written a fine, up-to-date history of Sheffield. His excellent text is complemented by over 300 illustrations, many in colour.

About the Author :
David Hey is Emeritus Professor of Local and Family History at the University of Sheffield, where he taught in the Division of Adult Continuing Education. His recent books include Journeys in Family History (The National Archives, 2004), Medieval South Yorkshire (Landmark, 2003), How Our Ancestors Lived (The National Archives, 2003), Historic Hallamshire (Landmark, 2002) and A History of Penistone (Wharncliffe, 2002). His 'County of the Broad Acres': A History of Yorkshire will be published by Carnegie in 2005. He and his wife live in Dronfield Woodhouse. They have two grown-up children and a granddaughter.

Review :
... This substantial volume ... is an authoritative work, for its author draws on his own deep knowledge of the citys past and shows himself well able to distil and present the researches of professional scholars (including his own) ... in a text both sound and readable. (Northern History) This fascinating book ... scores highly because of its detailed references to the social aspects of the citys history. These are woven into all the chapters, giving it the human touch many history books seem to lack. (Sheffield Telegraph) ... A fascinating account of the special alloy which is Sheffield ... Highly recommended. (The Tilt Hammer)