Website - Huge archive of northern women's history goes online (Yorkshire)

Archivists and academics combine to make 80,000 documents and photographs available at the click of a computer key

There were regular rows when I was a student about women being left out of history, a controversy which seems a bit old-fashioned these days. But if modern history is unlikely to overlook women's role, there's a great deal of the past to catch up on; so a new initiative from the West Yorkshire archive and Huddersfield university is sure to get plenty of use and appreciation.

It is a website which launches on Friday 7 under the title History to Herstory, the latter a term I remember from past ding-dongs when Juliet Gardiner and then Gordon Marsden were successively at the helm of the magazine History Today. She has subsequently done mighty work on the history of everyone in the 1930s and the Second World War while Marsden is a familiar part of northern life as Labour MP for Blackpool South since 1997.

They're both likely to pay online calls on History to Herstory which has free digital versions of more than 80,000 documents relating to Yorkshire women in the 19th and 20th centuries. This includes such well-known stars of the county as the Bronte sisters and Amy Johnson but also thousands who currently have no memorial but lead fascinating and illuminating lives.

Funded by JISC, formerly the Joint Information Systems Committee of leading universities, which gave £42,545 and Huddersfield uni which paid £11,601, the site links every online document to the whereabouts of the original. Most are at the West Yorkshire Archive, but with substantial contributions from Huddersfield and Hull universities and the Bronte Society. Naturally, the organisers are interested in getting more.

Katy Goodrum of West Yorkshire Archives Service says:We certainly don't want to deprive people of the ability to see the originals, but the website means you don't have to travel from half way around the world to use the material. The main thing for me is a huge amount of it is in women's own words, which is quite rare.

The notion of the website may be familiar to some researchers, because an earlier version was attempted in 2002 but worked only clunkily. It showed that demand was there, however, and the archives and Huddersfield made a persuasive case for a complete overhaul and reboot.

They were helped by recent examples of research on women's lives which led to excellent and widely accessible historical work – such as Jill Liddington's study of the sufragettes Rebel Girls and the immense interest in Anne Lister of Shibden Hall.

Historian Prof Tim Thornton, Huddersfield's pro-vice chancellor for teaching and learning, calls the project:

A great example of bringing underused resources back into the public gaze.

His colleague Dr Rob Ellis of the uni's history department says:

This is an archive that can be used for many purposes by anybody, from academic researchers to family historians.

And of any age; the site includes 'learning packages' for the fledgling herstorian on themes such as women and politics, women at work, women at war and women's letters and photographs.

West Yorkshire Archive is confident about getting clicks. It made 24 million parish records available in June in partnership with the subscription service Ancestry.com and by August was getting 80,000 downloads a day.

From: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/the-northerner/2011/oct/05/herstory-archive-jill-liddington-anne-lister?newsfeed=true

Website is at: http://www.historytoherstory.org.uk/

News - Elsecar Heritage Centre receive funding for beam engine

Elsecar Heritage Centre has received £40,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

 

The money will be used to put plans together to restore the Newcomen Beam Engine, believed to be the only remaining engine of its kind in its original location. 

Elsecar Heritage Centre has up to two years to submit fully developed proposals to the HLF to secure funding for redevelopment work. 

The aim is to secure a bid of over £400,000 to support a plan for a £500,000 project for the village and engine. 

Barnsley councillor Bill Newman said: "This is a crucial step in realising the full potential of this special place." 

The engine, which was built by John Bargh of Chesterfield in 1795 at a cost of £167, was used to pump water out of the colliery in Elsecar to allow the exploitation of deeper coal seams until 1923. 

The engine was later replaced with electric pumps, and remained working until the 1950s. 

The site of a former ironworks and colliery is now an antique centre and used by local craftsmen and women as workshops, as well as showcasing the village's rich past.

 

From http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sheffield/hi/people_and_places/history/newsid_9385000/9385591.stm

 

News - Go-ahead to close 14 of 26 libraries in Doncaster

Plans to close 14 out of 26 libraries in a South Yorkshire town have been given the go-ahead.

Doncaster Council's cabinet made the decision at a meeting despite a huge campaign by people opposing the cuts.

Peter Davies, Mayor of Doncaster, previously said the plans were a result of government budget cuts.

Lauren Smith, from Save Doncaster Libraries, said the council should be ashamed for "showing little regard to the needs of citizens".

She said: "Doncaster is a struggling town with a failed council.

"It needs its libraries more than ever, and this devastating package of cuts can only serve to further limit the libraries' and the council's ability to improve literacy, wellbeing, social cohesion, a sense of community and civic pride."

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-12363947

Vacancy - Teacher of History (Hays South Yorks Area)

Job type Temporary

Posting date 01 Feb 2011

Pay £180 - £200 per day

 

1347189 This forward thinking, average sized secondary school is looking for a History teacher to teach up to KS4.  Situated in Sheffield, the school has an inclusive culture that encourages every pupil to recognise their individual gifts and talents.  It is important that you follow the ethos of the school, promoting equality of opportunity and purposeful, stimulating learning experiences.

You will be working 5 days a week, teaching History at KS4.  It is essential that you have knowledge of Medicine and the American West, as these are the two main areas of subject matter you will be teaching.  Experience of classroom teaching within the last 2 years is also essential.

Go to: http://www.hays.co.uk/jobs-search/JOB_783001 for more info/to apply

News - Move for memorial to mark sacrifices in Blitz (Sheffield)

Campaigners fighting for a permanent memorial to those who died in the Sheffield Blitz have appealed to the public to give them ideas on how they would like to see the victims commemorated. Neil Anderson who wrote Sheffield's Date With Hitler to mark the 70th anniversary of the attacks and Terry Deary, creator of the multi-million selling Horrible Histories series, are behind the project.

Their campaign has already attracted hundreds of names on a petition, won cross party support at the Town Hall and the pair are now exploring ways of raising funds as well as planning a future competition for the public to come up with design ideas.

Mr Deary, who has just published a children's fiction novel, Put Out The Light, set in the Sheffield Blitz, said: "I've been amazed how little there is to mark the Sheffield Blitz and the sacrifices the city and its people made in December 1940.

"Those two nights totally changed the course of the city's history and profoundly affected the lives of everyone here.

"We need a memorial to show our respect for those who died and to create a focus for those who live to pause and reflect for a moment in our busy lives."

Mr Deary and Mr Anderson said they were keen to get the thoughts of the public on what they would like to see and build on a petition which was launched at the special Sheffield Blitz commemoration event held on The Moor, an area of the city centre that was devastated by the first night of the raid.

Mr Anderson said: "Ideas we've had to date include a high-profile Sheffield Blitz Trail with plaques on key sites around the city centre.

"Many people want a highly visible memorial.

"There are many ideas which all have cost and time implications and we want to get the views of Sheffield people."

The public are invited to sign the online petition at www.acmretro.com and leave their comments regarding what they would like to see as a fitting tribute.

 

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/Move-for-memorial-to-mark.6707464.jp

 

TV - Wentworth Estate on country show (BBC1 Sunday 30 January 19.00)

A GARDEN estate in South Yorkshire is set to feature on the BBC One television series Countryfile this Sunday.

The show team spent a day at Wentworth Castle Gardens near Barnsley earlier this month, and was given a tour by estate manager Michael Klemperer.

The feature will be screened at 7pm and looks at the development of Stainborough Castle, the parkland and the restoration of the estate’s 19th century conservatory. 

Heritage director Vicky Martin said she was “thrilled” the programme chose to film at Wentworth.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/local/estate_on_country_show_1_2977868

I'm surprised the buildings not "too old" to appear :P 

Exhibition draws on town's historical past (Barnsley)

A WEALTH of culture went on display as Barnsley's history was brought to life at an exhibition involving more than 50 organisations and 1,150 visitors.

Subjects ranged from the area's mining heritage to military traditions and included a man dressed in historical soldier's uniform standing on guard outside Barnsley Civic in Hanson Street, where Barnsley History Day was held. There was cake making, and youngsters could get creative drawing and colouring history-themed pictures.

Highlights of the free event included a performance by Barnsley folk singer Dave Cherry in aid of Barnsley Hospice, an exhibition of photographs of Barnsley Markets past and present and a special internet session, with experts helping anyone wanting to probe their family history for the first time.

There was also a 1940s-themed café, fun games and activities for all the family, a variety of plays and performances, a TV studio to record visitors' stories, previews of the Experience Barnsley Museum opening next year and a giant screen of photographs and film footage of Barnsley past and present.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/barnsley/Exhibition-draws-on-town39s-historical.6685865.jp

Museum where they call a spade a SPADE (Kelham Island)

Call it a spade or maybe a shovel, whatever it is it's a whopper - and you can see it at the newly opened Hawley Gallery at Kelham Museum in Sheffield.But you wouldn't want to use this monster to turn the allotment or shift the snow off the drive - it's 12ft high and weighs 400lbs and that's without the muck.

Made in Lancashire by Bulldog Tools to mark the firm's 230th anniversary, it's now part of the Hawley Collection of internationally important tools, cutlery and measuring instruments. The collection also includes some more ordinary-sized spades.Keith Crawshaw, chairman of the Ken Hawley Collection, said of the new addition: "The sheer scale of the spade is very impressive. "We are keen for children to bring along their own spades and a camera to have a photograph taken alongside this record breaking shovel."

From:  http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Museum-where-they-call-a.6690162.jp

Open days rescheduled at Victorian works (Sheffield)

OPEN days have been rescheduled at Portland Works near Bramall Lane in Sheffield where a community campaign is under way to buy the complex of Victorian industrial workshops.  After being postponed last month because of snow, they are being held on Sundays January 30 and March 6, both from noon to 3pm.

After opposing plans to turn the grade II* building into flats, tenants and activists are stepping up efforts to keep it as an affordable and vibrant centre for small businesses such as metalworkers, artists and musicians.  They are aiming to preserve its heritage by creating a social enterprise, setting a target of raising £750,000 by Easter through a community share issue, with shares worth £100 to £20,000.

The open days will include demonstrations of grinding, forging, knife making, engraving, plating, print making and talks.  Guided tours will be held every 15 minutes.

The Randall Street building was the first place in the world to produce stainless steel and is home to 25 small metalworking businesses.

Portland Works, and neighbouring Stag Works, have also been used by musicians such as Def Leppard, Arctic Monkeys and Reverend and the Makers.

From: http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/local/open_days_rescheduled_at_victorian_works_1_2924178

Family roots at Hatfield Library

Doncaster Archives and Local History unit is putting on a Family History on the Internet workshop at Hatfield Library on Monday January 17 from 10am to 12pm. Booking is essential so contact the library on 01302 734307.

From http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/News-in-brief-Old-plough.6679943.jp

Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone, I’m really looking forward to this coming year despite the economic cutbacks which are affecting archaeology projects across the country (both in the amount of money available for grants and the lack of building work meaning less PPG16’s are being carried out). Hopefully the Priories Historical Society will be attending more archaeology days and heritage events this year so if you see us come over and have a chat.

I’m hoping to get a proper website up and running in 2011 too if we can get a grant or funding.  This will help us post more than just news stories and little bits and bobs. I’ve been amazed at the amount of people visiting the blog this month and am happy to note we’ve now had more than a thousand visitors.

If you see any news story you think should be on the blog or if you have any articles you’d like to publish in our magazine please e-mail us at priorieshistoricalsociety@rocketmail.com

Happy New Year
Dave Cook

A Family War of the Follies Leaves a Little Reminder of Rivals

DON'T you just love a story of family rivalry – that is, so long as it doesn't concern your own kith and kin? 

 

Strolling through the hundreds of graceful acres of some of Britain's large country estates, the visitor will appreciate the planning and hard work that went into creating the sumptuous gardens and views of mansion and monuments, but we don't necessarily understand how these vast properties came about.

Take Wentworth Castle. Five minutes from junction 37 of the M1, this is the only grade one listed landscape in South Yorkshire, and it encompasses a fascinating collection of 26 listed buildings and monuments. Among them are the Rotunda, Queen Anne's Obelisk, the Duke of Argyll's Column and the majestic Stainborough Castle, a large romantic folly built by Sir Thomas Wentworth the Earl of Strafford in 1730.

Designed as an "eyecatcher", this mock castle, believed to be the second oldest Gothic garden folly in the country, is a wonderful architectural flourish with four towers named Harriet, Anne, Lucy and William after the Earl's children. The interior of each was painted a different colour.

Patrick Eyres, a landscape historian and one of the trustees of Wentworth Castle Heritage Trust, clearly enjoys telling the story of the castle and the property on which it stands.

"In 1695, when Sir Thomas's father died, he expected to inherit the estate at Wentworth Woodhouse which had been in the family for generations, six miles as the crow flies from where Wentworth Castle now stands.

"But for some reason the inheritance was passed down the female line to a cousin called Thomas Watson, who added Wentworth to his name. He was a member of the gentry, whereas Sir Thomas was an aristocrat, a renowned and respected diplomat. Finding himself disinherited, Sir Thomas bought the 500-acre Stainborough Hall Estate nearby and set about building a castle and a series of follies around his land, including the mock castle. It had a bailey wall and four turrets, a gatehouse keep with four towers and a first floor banqueting room. It was properly plastered inside, and was used regularly to entertain. The name of the estate was changed to Wentworth Castle, probably to annoy the cousin down the road.

"A lovely letter exists, written by Sir Thomas, detailing how he entertained in the folly, and even enjoyed a 'breakfast' there with Thomas Watson Wentworth, although the two men were poles apart in many ways including politically."

The disinherited Sir Thomas went about adding to his acreage by secretly buying up land from local farmers and referring to his rival in documents by the codename "the vermin". The Earl of Strafford's son continued the rivalry, and the owners vied with each other to create eye-catching follies on their land.

The pinnacle of this "folly war" really was Stainborough Castle, says Patrick Eyres. "I think we can safely say that Sir Thomas Wentworth and his family's efforts outranked, outswanked and outshone those of the cousin at Wentworth Woodhouse – although over time the family at Wentworth Woodhouse rose to become more senior within the aristocracy. The castle folly at Wentworth Castle was placed deliberately so as to be seen from the highest point of the Wentworth Woodhouse Estate. Unlike most follies, though, it was useful for entertaining and for the children to play in."

Today, Wentworth Woodhouse is still in private ownership, whereas Wentworth Castle is now the Northern College, an adult education centre. The gardens and parkland are open to the public and are looked after by the trust. In the 1960s two of the castle folly's towers collapsed after the structure was destabilised by the opening up of new coal seams beneath it. The castle fell into disrepair and became overgrown, although some thought this added to its romance.

In recent years, Stainborough Castle has been expensively restored after a campaign to raise £20m to refurbish the mansion, gardens, parkland and follies, and it can be used for picnics or to hold events, seating hundreds of visitors for theatrical and musical performances.

The folly was featured in the BBC's Restoration series and will be seen again next year in another BBC series about Britain's "hidden" houses, which will examine the famous Wentworth family rivalry.


Wentworth Castle Gardens, Low Lane, Stainborough, South Yorkshire S75 3EN. 01226 776040 or www.wentworthcastle.org

From: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/features/A-family-war-of-the.6674450.jp

Goodbye Castle Market!

A BID to have Sheffield's Castle Market listed has been turned down by English Heritage – which said the building was "not notable", did not use high quality materials and was not of artistic interest.

 

Sheffield Council had objected strongly to the application, fearing a decision to preserve the post-war building would prevent redevelopment of the area, planned for when the market is moved to a new building on The Moor.

The site is earmarked for a new open space, where sections of Sheffield's old castle hidden beneath the market will be exposed.
There will also be offices, apartments and part of the planned pedestrian Steel Route, which aims to link Victoria Quays and the Wicker with the rest of the city centre.

Victoria Ellis, Heritage Protection Co-ordinator for English Heritage, said: "Externally the building's appearance is not notable, nor is its construction technologically innovative.

"The materials used in the main are concrete with terrazzo tiling, some now rendered and painted, and metal-framed windows. There is a lack of use of high-quality materials, in contrast to the nearby Castle House – listed Grade II – the contemporary former Co-operative department store.

"Castle Market is an intelligent design for a difficult site, done by a notable architect Andrew Derbyshire, though early in his career.
It is one part of the wider post-war regeneration of Sheffield, aimed to put the city at the forefront of modern urban planning.

"However, the building does not display the quality of design or materials, the technological interest in its construction or the artistic interest which is found in the best market halls of this era and consequently does not meet the criteria for listing."

The decision was welcomed by Sheffield Council.

Leader Coun Paul Scriven said: "I'm delighted the Liberal Democrats have been successful in persuading English Heritage not to list Castle Markets. If listed the building would have been a dead weight around the neck of Sheffield's local taxpayers for generations to come.
"Now we can get on with delivering the new market at the bottom of the Moor knowing that there won't be a spanner thrown in the works.
"I only wish that local Labour politicians had taken the same approach in previous years with other similar buildings when they ran the council, such as Park Hill.

"Past experience has shown that London-based experts listing local large unpopular 1950s and '60s buildings only leads to local taxpayers having to fork out for something that they don't want."

Sheffield Council previously failed in its appeal against the decision to list Castle House Co-op department store.

An appeal can be made to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport over the English Heritage decision on Castle House.

The identity of who made the application to have Castle Market listed has not been revealed.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/39Market-will-not-be-preserved39.6668356.jp

A Grim Almanac Of South Yorkshire (New Edition now available)

Fascinating stories of the grim and grisly: Almanac of the area’s dark past includes slaughter, murders, accidents -and boring executioners...IT is a dark diary probing into the most macabre moments of South Yorkshire’s 19th and early 20th century history. There is the murder of three children by their Rotherham mother who left a suicide note for her husband saying simply: ‘I am gone mad.’ There is the day in 1832 when troops fired on a Sheffield crowd waiting for election results to be announced and the 1841 Rotherham boat disaster which left more than 50 children drowned on a sunny gala day. These are just some of the ghastly incidents recorded in a new book on our region’s most dreadful days. For every date of the year there is a different crime, disaster or tragedy.

It is called A Grim Almanac Of South Yorkshire, and it more than lives up to its name. “It’s not necessarily easy reading,” admits author Kevin Turton, who grew up in Kimberworth Park, Rotherham. “But it’s fascinating stuff. “No-one likes the thought of crimes being committed or disasters happening but there’s still a deep interest in it somehow - there’s still a need to know about it. “But it’s more than just a book about crime - it’s a social history too. It’s not about kings or queens; it’s about real South Yorkshire people and how they lived. “It’s about poverty and struggling against the odds, and, in that way, it’s not just grim, it’s also quite sad.”

Perhaps the saddest tale of all is that of the Rotherham boat disaster. It was a July day which started with huge excitement over the launch of a new 70-ton ship from the town’s Masbrough Boatyard on Forge Lane. But it ended with untold agony for countless families. Hundreds of children were taken to the gala ceremony with many, as was tradition, allowed to board the vessel - the John and William - as it was rolled into the canal. But the boat was too large for the angle of the roll and it capsized as it hit the water. Those on board were thrown into the canal and were trapped beneath the rolling boat. Despite the rescuers’ best efforts more than 50 youngsters - half of them from Rotherham’s only public school - perished. “It’s a very moving story,” says Kevin, who has released 15 books, many of them about similar foul historical events. “It’s strange because it seems largely forgotten in Rotherham - certainly I wasn’t aware of it before I started my research - but it is incredibly significant. These were children from some of the town’s wealthiest families. It scarred the place for some time.”

In a similar vein the book recalls the 1908 incident in which 16 children, aged between four and six years old, were crushed to death as they tried to get into a cinematograph show at Barnsley’s Public Hall. “It is hard work to research incidents like that,” admits Kevin, 59. “But, perhaps because of how long ago it was you can detach yourself from it - you have to.”

Alongside such disasters - which also includes the Sheffield Flood of 1864 and the Silkstone Colliery disaster of 1880 - sit crimes which are equally as morbid. And equally as fascinating.

Perhaps more than most is the tale of Charles Peace, a charming Sheffield dandy, womaniser and one-time circus lion tamer, who led a double life as a killer and crook during the 1870s. Peace was executed when he was 47 years old but by that time he was already one of the most infamous men of his generation - adored by many for carrying out a life of crime while lodging respectably with a policeman, despised by others for the murder of two men including Arthur Dyson of Banner Cross. He committed countless robberies across the country including in Hull, Nottingham, Birmingham and London. And, although many times did he tell the few women who knew his secret that he intended to give up crime and live respectably, his addiction to life on the edge always got the better of him. He committed one crime too many and was caught in Blackheath, London, in 1879. He was executed on the scaffold. “In many ways he was a British Billy The Kid figure,” says Kevin. “For a while he really was that notorious. “There were several cheap court papers around at the time, almost comic-book in their writing and the way they would exaggerate and even romanticise criminals, and Peace was one of those stories which they picked up on. I suppose in that period of poverty there was something very appealing about a former steel worker becoming rich on the profits of robbing from the rich.”

The part-time college course advisor, who now lives in Northamptonshire, adds the idea for the book came while he was researching for a previous tome - Foul Deeds And Suspicious Deaths In Rotherham. “There seemed so many odds and ends I stumbled on while I was working on it - like the story of Peace - that I thought they had a place in a second book.” He spent six painstaking months in the libraries and archives of Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham and Barnsley putting together a nasty deed or disaster for every day of the year - sometimes a murder, sometimes a riot, sometimes a witchcraft trial, and on one occasion a public talk. That was September 6, 1879, when a crowd of more than 600 people turned up at a Sheffield lecture hall to hear William Marwood, the country’s foremost public executioner, speak. When, however, he refused to talk about his job, preferring instead to lecture on The Bible and the forthcoming election, a near riot broke out. He was repeatedly heckled, while many audience members walked out threatening violence if their money was not returned.

And perhaps, therein, lies the biggest clue to why A Grim Almanac Of South Yorkshire, now in its second edition after a first version was published in 2004, is expected to prove so popular. “I suppose those people went to the talk because there was that same fascination with the dark side of things,” says Kevin. “Perhaps there is still that fascination there now.”

- A Grim Almanac Of South Yorkshire, published by The History Press, is available now, price £14.99.

From http://www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk/news/fascinating_stories_of_the_grim_and_grisly_almanac_of_the_area_s_dark_past_includes_slaughter_murders_accidents_and_boring_executioners_1_2857318

ISBN 0752456784 (2010)/ ISBN 0750938188 (2004)

Sheffield's Blitz Children Relive Dark Days for Exhibition

MEMORIES came flooding back for some of those who lived through the Blitz when they helped relaunch an exhibition at South Yorkshire's Aeroventure Museum.

 

Some of the survivors of the Sheffield Blitz of December 1940 travelled to Lakeside in Doncaster to see for themselves a depiction of what they witnessed in the darkest days of the Second World War.

Five Sheffield pensioners accepted an invitation from the South Yorkshire Aircraft Museum on Airborne Road, which has marked the 70th anniversary of the devastation with a reconstituted exhibition showing what the city centre was like on the night the Luftwaffe dropped their bombs across a wide area.

The museum purchased a Blitz diorama which used to be housed at the old John Banner building in Attercliffe in the 1990s and it has now been relocated to a more prominent position and with better lighting, recreating the searchlights during the blackout.

Chairman Frank Donnelly said: "Last September The Star published a request from the museum for the memories of people who were children aged six to 16 at the time of the Blitz. We received 15 terrific letters from a variety of boys and girls, each with their own experience to tell.

"Many recall the sheer terror of their feelings in air raid shelters, quite a few recall the excitement of those times, evacuation, and pride in their relatives doing everyday things like being firemen, air raid wardens, and serving in the Armed Forces. All these letters will become a permanent part of the display for posterity."

Museum spokesman Ian Kingsnorth said: "Everyone who turned up for the event had a very good time and it was moving to hear their recollections.

One chap had been evacuated to Melton Mowbray at the start of the war but drifted back to Sheffield because there had been no bombing just weeks before the Blitz. They were getting quite emotional talking about what they saw. I think it also helped people take stock of the fact that they had been spared."

 

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Sheffield39s-Blitz-children-relive-dark.6660900.jp

 

Blitz 70th: Silent tribute to remember Sheffield victims

A SNOWY Sheffield cemetery fell silent in tribute to hundreds who lost their lives when the city was devastated by German bombers 70 years ago.

Wreaths were laid and a minute's silence observed at City Road Cemetery to mark the anniversary of the Sheffield Blitz.

The ceremony took place yesterday at the mass grave for victims of the World War II bombings.

Several local community groups took part alongside police officers, MP Paul Blomfield, Manor and Castle Development Trust, Park Community Action, Skye Edge Group, Manor Top PA and one of The Star's Women of Steel, Dorothy Slingsby.

Children from Wybourn Primary School joined in and laid their own floral tribute.

A total of 668 Sheffield civilians and 25 servicemen died, 1,586 were injured, and 40,000 made homeless during two nights of bombing in 1940.

Yesterday's event was organised to remember effect war has on the ordinary people and pay tribute to their sacrifices.

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/Blitz-70th-Silent-tribute-to.6657742.jp

Tickhill Medieval Glass Windows now on Internet

THE stained glass windows at St Mary's Church in Tickhill can now be viewed on a website that has been established by Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevia of Great Britain.

 

St Mary's is one of hundreds of churches around the country to feature on the site dedicated to the recording of medieval stained glass. It explain's the project's activities and presents a digital picture archive, which includes 23 images of the Tickhill windows.

 

Log on to www.cvma.ac.uk

 

From: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/News-In-Brief-Church-windows.6657757.jp

 

Radford Priory in the Snow

South Yorkshire Archaeology Day (Review)

Yesterdays SYAD was yet again a brilliant event.  The venue was again the Showroom Theatre but due to the event selling out after only a few weeks, the lectures may need to be moved to a larger venue for next year.  This is excellent news as the popularity shows that history and archaeology in our area is getting more popular.

The lectures this year were all good quality and were on a wide range of subects ranging from Iron Age settlements around the local area to the Victorian steel making core of Sheffield city.


Excavation of an Iron Age to Early Medieval landscape at Pastures Road, Mexborough by Alistair Webb.
This talk was on the 2005-7 excavations and field study on this soon to be redeveloped site.  The finds included Mesolithic flints, a beehive quern, round house, tracks and a field system with multi period use.  There was also evidence of an Anglo-Saxon burial although due to the acidity of the soil no skeleton was recovered, there may be more on-site and further work may find these.


O'er Hill and Down Dale by Adrian Chadwick.
This talk was a reinterpretation of past studies of field systems in the South Yorkshire area and grouping past reports together to help interpret a wider picture of what life was like in this area in the early part of the first millennium. He described the damage done at Sutton Common when half the site was bull-dozed by the farmer and how opportunities were missed on the excavation and what possibilities of future work could reveal. He also described how the brickwork field systems had been modified over many centuries and how the later Roman roads didn't respect the field boundaries.


The Medieval Archaeology of Low Fishergate, Doncaster by Jane McCormish.
This lecture centres on a multi-period reuse of a site which was originally to the immediate south of the river Don.  it focused on how industry on the site had changed over time with the silting up of the river as its path had slowly moved northwards.  The early industries seem to have been focused on ship building or repairs which slowly through time had transgressed through to an iron works which possibly burnt down and was replaced by leather works and a rubbish tip!    There was plenty of evidence of medieval boats which had been reused as a wall against the riverbank as well as evidence of the Don flooding on at least two occasions.

Investingating an Industrial Archaeological site at Nursery Street, Sheffield by Neil Dransfield.

With the current flood defence plan for the river Don to prevent another flooding of 2007 proportions several areas of previous land use are being removed to allow small flood plains for water catchment.  part of the old steelworks and public house on Nursery Street are to be removed and the land scalloped with the remains of the furnace to be reburied for future generations.

Excavations at Rotherham Minster by Deborah Moretti
With part of the minster grounds being re-landscaped for easier access excavations took place where 60 burials were discovered from the 19th century (42 adults/11 infants/7 children) Several of the bodies had been badly damaged by later grave cuts which had been placed in the same plots. Finds from the corner were a Henry II short cross penny, an area of cobbles and several worked flints.  Evidence of wooden graves and shroud burials were found as well as buttons marble bottle tops and clay pipes.


Work In Progress: Re-evaluating the Archaeology of Conisbrough Castle by Kevin Booth
With the current re-evaluation of Conisbrough Castle via the Lottery fund English Heritage had planned on using the past excavations on site to help draw up a plan for future works.  This has been severely hampered by the Ministry of Work's lack of care in the 1940's and 50's and failure to keep accurate records and lack of reports from most of the 25 excavations carried out by the MoW and other parties. Finds from the site were not recorded accurately as to show there location (a central part of a horse curry comb, metal rim from a purse and a mirror case).  EH have also looked at the design of the castle and its unusual layout which is only comparable with Orford, Suffolk. English Heritage are planning some excavations in the near future (possibly 2011)


The Bolsterstone Castle Project by Wendy Goodhind and Tim Cockrell
This was a fascinating update from the group who initially set out to find if there was a castle at Bolsterstone.  There task was hard with the only evidence being a pub name and an old map marking the site.  The group managed to get a grant and assistance from the University of Sheffield to start an excavation on the football field in 2006, they managed to locate a stone wall with steps which led to further work in 2007.  This located a bread oven but no castle.  In 2008/9 the group excavated a smithy and in 2010 field walked the land on Bank Farm locating metal and ceramics.  The groups future plans include a wide scale test pitting in the village in an attempt to locate earlier settlement.


Excavations at Monk Bretton Priory by Hugh Willmott and Pete Townend
The priory at Monk Bretton was heavily rebuilt during the 1920's removing parts of the old medieval house and further work during the 1950's by the MoW saw the 'cleaning' up of the site with no regard for its post monastic heritage.  Geophysics on the site located two areas of interest for locating a Tudor Manor comparable with Worksop or other contemporary sites. one of the results showed a building range which when excavated showed three phases of occupation which appears to have been used for some industrial process possibly relating to the priory and also a stone encased drainage ditch with two phases of use.  Lots of lead and copper alloy were recovered from smelting.  Tudor glass was also recovered from the site.

Roche Abbey/Mexborough/Next meeting/Spam

This weeks BBC History magazine e-mail contains a link for Roche Abbey: http://www.bbchistorymagazine.com/visit/roche-abbey-yorkshire?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_term=&utm_content=&utm_campaign=History%2012%2F11%2F10  The way it describes the monks eviction seems quite polite!

Mexborough's now decommissioned fire station got a mention in yesterdays Yorkshire Post.  The story recounts how the stations plaque has been saved for posterity and donated to the Fire and Police Museum in Sheffield  http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/localnews/Slice-of-fire-service-history.6622896.jp

Don't forget next weeks meeting is on Monday at 19.30 and recounts the story of one of Sheffield's greatest tragedies when the Dale Dyke dam burst flooding thousands of acres of land and drowning many people and livestock 

Lastly, apologies for anyone who's received a spam e-mail from my personal e-mail address, seems some dodgy people have hacked my account! I've reported it so hopefully you won't receive any more.