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Darnall Hall was a large hall that was constructed in 1723 in
''He laid the first stone and she laid the second (most likely referencing Samuel and his wife) on a back corner, that cellar corner next way (or road) and corner as one goes from my gate to John Spartley's. He gave half-a-guinea and she gave two half -crowns; John Staniforth one shilling, and John has a house fronting this and in the line; it was day, about three o'clock p.m.''
There was also an inscription in place in the leadwork near the roof of the hall which read:
'This house was built as you may see
In seventeen hundred twenty-three;
This house was built as you may hear;
By Samuel Staniforth in one year.'
When the hall was eventually sold by the Staniforth family, this inscription was recovered and can now be found in the nearby village of
Darnall
Darnall is a suburb of eastern Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Darnall is approximately east-north-east of Sheffield city centre.
History
Darnall was initially a small hamlet usually included with Attercliffe. William Walker, a resident ...
, Sheffield
Sheffield is a city status in the United Kingdom, city in South Yorkshire, England, whose name derives from the River Sheaf which runs through it. The city serves as the administrative centre of the City of Sheffield. It is Historic counties o ...
, England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. The house was constructed by Samuel Staniforth (1698-1748) as a residence for himself and his wife Alethea Macro, daughter of Thomas Macro of Bury St Edmunds
Bury St Edmunds (), commonly referred to locally as Bury, is a historic market town, market, cathedral town and civil parish in Suffolk, England.OS Explorer map 211: Bury St.Edmunds and Stowmarket Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – ...
.
History
In ''Staniforthiana or Recollections'' a book published in 1863 byFrances Margery Hext
Frances Margery Hext (1819–1896) was a local historian and author from Lostwithiel, Cornwall, best known for her work ''Memorials of Lostwithiel nd of Restormell', which continues to be referenced in studies of the history of Cornwall.
Biogr ...
, great-granddaughter of Samuel Staniforth Esq. and daughter of Thomas Staniforth
Thomas Staniforth (1735–1803) was an English slave-trader, merchant and politician. He was originally from Sheffield, but spent most of his life in Liverpool.
Staniforth was the son of Samuel Staniforth Esq. and Alethea Macro of Darnall Hall ...
former mayor of Liverpool, it is noted that a smaller residence once stood in the halls place which was demolished and the first foundation stone of the new Darnall Hall was laid 22 April 1723.
In the possessions of Samuel's great granddaughter Elizabeth Younge, a note was found, although no name is featured:
''He laid the first stone and she laid the second (most likely referencing Samuel and his wife) on a back corner, that cellar corner next way (or road) and corner as one goes from my gate to John Spartley's. He gave half-a-guinea and she gave two half -crowns; John Staniforth one shilling, and John has a house fronting this and in the line; it was day, about three o'clock p.m.''
There was also an inscription in place in the leadwork near the roof of the hall which read:
'This house was built as you may see
In seventeen hundred twenty-three;
This house was built as you may hear;
By Samuel Staniforth in one year.'
When the hall was eventually sold by the Staniforth family, this inscription was recovered and can now be found in the nearby village of Kirk Hammerton
Kirk Hammerton is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is near the River Nidd and the A59 road, west of York. The village suffix refers to the ''Hamerton'' family who owned the land until the ...
.
In 1845 the hall was used as a lunatic asylum
The lunatic asylum (or insane asylum) was an early precursor of the modern psychiatric hospital.
The fall of the lunatic asylum and its eventual replacement by modern psychiatric hospitals explains the rise of organized, institutional psychiatry ...
.The Transactions of the Provincial Medical and Surgical ..., Volume 2; Volume 14
Later years
Sometime in the later years of the hall's existence it was reduced to holding only 2 floors. It was later used to house the Darnall Liberal Club & Institute before being completely destroyed in a fire in April 2010.References
{{reflist Houses completed in 1723 Country houses in South Yorkshire