This timeline of Sheffield history summarises key events in the

history of Sheffield The history of Sheffield, a city in South Yorkshire, England, can be traced back to the founding of a settlement in a clearing beside the River Sheaf in the second half of the 1st millennium AD. The area now known as Sheffield had seen human o ...

, a city in

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 origins of the city can be traced back to the founding of a settlement in a clearing beside the

River Sheaf The River Sheaf in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, flows northwards, past Dore, through Abbeydale and north of Heeley. It then passes into a culvert, through which it flows under the centre of Sheffield before joining the River Don. T ...

in the second half of the 1st millennium AD. The area had seen human occupation since at least the last

ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

, but significant growth in the settlements that are now incorporated into the city did not occur until the

industrial revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

Early history

* Mesolithic: Maglemosians are known to have occupied the

Deepcar Deepcar is a village located on the eastern fringe of the town of Stocksbridge, South Yorkshire, England. It is in the electoral ward of Stocksbridge and Upper Don, approximately north-west of Sheffield city centre.Ordnance survey. 1:25000. c ...

area of Sheffield. * Late

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

period: Evidence of occupation can be found in

Ecclesall Woods Ecclesall Woods is an area of woodland in south-west Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, between Abbeydale Road South and Ecclesall. It covers approximately of mature semi-natural deciduous woodland which was previously used for timber and cha ...

where early inhabitants carved a 'cup and ring' stone. *

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostl ...

: Brigantes constructed forts at

Wincobank Shiregreen and Brightside ward—which includes the districts of Brightside, Shiregreen, and Wincobank—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the northern part of the city and covers an area ...

and Carl Wark, and the

Roman Rig The Roman Rig (also known as Roman Ridge, Scotland Balk, Barber Balk, Devil's Bank or Danes Bank) is the name given to a series of earthworks in the north of Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. They are believed to originally have formed ...

dyke. * ca.70 : A

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

fort was constructed at

Templeborough Templeborough (historically Templebrough) is a suburb of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The suburb falls within the Brinsworth and Catcliffe ward of Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. The area takes its name from the remains of the ...

. * 1st or 2nd C.: Romans built a rural estate centre, or ‘

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became s ...

’ on what is believed to be a pre-existing Brigantian farmstead at Whirlow Hall Farm.

Roman auxiliaries The (, lit. "auxiliaries") were introduced as non-citizen troops attached to the citizen legions by Augustus after his reorganisation of the Imperial Roman army from 30 BC. By the 2nd century, the Auxilia contained the same number of inf ...

of the Sunuci tribe were granted land in the Stannington area of Sheffield in A.D. 124. Other evidence of Roman occupation near to Stannington comes from finds on Walkley Bank Road. * 9th C.: The Sheffield area was part of the

Danelaw The Danelaw (, also known as the Danelagh; ang, Dena lagu; da, Danelagen) was the part of England in which the laws of the Danes held sway and dominated those of the Anglo-Saxons. The Danelaw contrasts with the West Saxon law and the Mercian ...

. Evidence of

Viking Vikings ; non, víkingr is the modern name given to seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded and se ...

occupation comes from the roots of place names in and around Sheffield such as Lescar, Carbrook, Carsick Hill, Hooks Carr Sick, the Hurkling stone, Grimesthorpe, Upperthorpe, Netherthorpe and many more. * Early 9th C.: The Sheffield Cross, an Anglo-Saxon cross was carved. It is thought that this was erected on the (future) site of

Sheffield Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St Peter and St Paul, Sheffield, more commonly known as Sheffield Cathedral, is the cathedral church for the Church of England diocese of Sheffield, England. Originally a parish church, it was elevated to cathedral st ...

. * 829: According to the '' Anglo-Saxon Chronicle'', King Egbert of

Wessex la, Regnum Occidentalium Saxonum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of the West Saxons , common_name = Wessex , image_map = Southern British Isles 9th century.svg , map_caption = S ...

received the submission of King Eanred of

Northumbria la, Regnum Northanhymbrorum , conventional_long_name = Kingdom of Northumbria , common_name = Northumbria , status = State , status_text = Unified Anglian kingdom (before 876)North: Anglian kingdom (af ...

at the hamlet of Dore (now a suburb of Sheffield). * 942:

Edmund I of England Edmund I or Eadmund I (920/921 – 26 May 946) was King of the English from 27 October 939 until his death in 946. He was the elder son of King Edward the Elder and his third wife, Queen Eadgifu, and a grandson of King Alfred the Great. After ...

re-conquered the Midlands, and advanced as far as Dore.

1000–1099

* 1069/70: Any settlements in the Sheffield area were likely destroyed in the harrying of the North. * 1076: Waltheof, 1st Earl of Northampton and Lord of the manor of Hallam, was executed.

1100–1199

* ca.1102:

Hallamshire Hallamshire (or Hallam) is the historical name for an area of South Yorkshire, England, approximating to the current City of Sheffield local government area. The origin of the name is uncertain. The English Place-Name Society describe "Hall ...

passes to Roger de Lovetot, along with the Honour of

Tickhill Tickhill is a market town and civil parish in the City of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England, close to the border with Nottinghamshire. At the 2001 census it had a population of 5,301, reducing to 5,228 at the 2011 Census. Geography It l ...

David Hey David G. Hey (18 July 1938 – 14 February 2016) was an English historian, and was an authority on surnames and the local history of Yorkshire. Hey was the president of the British Association for Local History, and was a published author of seve ...

, ''Medieval South Yorkshire'' * ca.1130: William de Lovetot founded a church on the (future) site of Sheffield Cathedral.Harman & Minnis, ''Sheffield'', pp. 45–56 Around this time, Sheffield becomes a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

, having previously been part of the parish of

Ecclesfield Ecclesfield is a village and civil parish in the City of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, about 4 miles (6 km) north of Sheffield City Centre. Ecclesfield civil parish had a population of 32,073 at the 2011 Census. Ecclesfield wards ...

. * ca.1150: William de Lovetot built a castle in Sheffield. He also had the first

Lady's Bridge Lady's Bridge is the oldest bridge across the River Don in the City of Sheffield, England. It is located in the central section of the city, linking the Wicker to the north with Waingate to the south. History The first bridge The original woo ...

built, established a corn mill and hospital in the town, and founded St Mary's church at nearby Handsworth (now a suburb of the city). * 1176 (or 1183): Beauchief Abbey was established, 4 miles southwest of the town of Sheffield, in Beauchief.

1200–1299

* ca.1250: Church House at Handsworth (now the ''Cross Keys'' public house) was built. * 1266: A party of barons, led by John de Eyvill, marching from north

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a Counties of England, county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-we ...

Derbyshire Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands, England. It includes much of the Peak District National Park, the southern end of the Pennine range of hills and part of the National Forest. It borders Greater Manchester to the nor ...

passed through Sheffield and destroyed the town, burning the church and castle. * 1270: Thomas de Furnival, son of

Gerard de Furnival Gerard de Furnival (c.1175–1219) was a Norman knight and Lord of Hallamshire (now part of Sheffield, England) and Worksop. De Furnival's father was also called Gerard de Furnival, and had fought with Richard I at the Siege of Acre. De Furni ...

, is given

licence to crenellate In medieval England, Wales and the Channel Islands a licence to crenellate (or licence to fortify) granted the holder permission to fortify his property. Such licences were granted by the king, and by the rulers of the counties palatine within th ...

and subsequently builds a large stone castle to replace the wooden castle destroyed in 1266. * 1279–81: In the

Quo Warranto In law, especially English and American common law, ''quo warranto'' (Medieval Latin for "by what warrant?") is a prerogative writ requiring the person to whom it is directed to show what authority they have for exercising some right, power, or ...

enquiries, Thomas de Furnival claims the right to hold a

market Market is a term used to describe concepts such as: *Market (economics), system in which parties engage in transactions according to supply and demand *Market economy *Marketplace, a physical marketplace or public market Geography *Märket, an ...

in Sheffield, to hunt, and to enforce the death penalty. * ca.1280: A new church was consecrated by William II Wickwane the

Archbishop of York The archbishop of York is a senior bishop in the Church of England, second only to the archbishop of Canterbury. The archbishop is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and the metropolitan bishop of the province of York, which covers th ...

. * 1293–94: In further

enquiries, Thomas de Furnival claims the right to hold a Sunday market and a fair on the eve and day of Holy Trinity. * 1296: On 12 November, Sheffield is granted a

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but s ...

to hold a weekly

and a three-day annual fair around Holy Trinity. The first reference to Sheffield's Town Mill appears. * 1297: ** "Robert the Cutler" is recorded in a tax return, the earliest surviving reference to the manufacture of cutlery in Sheffield. ** Thomas de Furnival grants a charter to the people of Sheffield establishing the

Burgery of Sheffield The Sheffield Town Trust, formerly officially known as the Burgery of Sheffield,Robert Tittler, ''The Reformation and the Towns in England'' is a charitable trust operating in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Mediaeval period The Town Trust w ...

1300–1399

* 1387: Geoffrey Chaucer in

The Reeve's Tale "The Reeve's Tale" is the third story told in Geoffrey Chaucer's '' The Canterbury Tales''. The reeve, named Oswald in the text, is the manager of a large estate who reaped incredible profits for his master and himself. He is described in the ...

from his book '' The Canterbury Tales'' gave an early reference to Sheffield and the metal industry for which the town would become famous.

1400–1499

* 1430: The 1280 parish church was pulled down and replaced with a new building, the core of the present cathedral. * 1434: "Barker of Balme" is mentioned in a deed dated this year. He is thought to have constructed "

Barker's Pool Barker's Pool is a public city square and street in the centre of Sheffield, England. The focus of Barker's Pool is the Grade II* listed war memorial that was unveiled on 28 October 1925 to commemorate the First World War. The Grade II* listed ...

", Sheffield's first

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

. Once a month the reservoir gates were opened allowing water to wash the filth from the town's streets (with open sewers along their centres) into the River Don. * ca.1475: "The hawle at the Poandes" (now the Old Queen's Head public house) was built. * 1485:

was replaced with a new stone-built bridge, still in existence.

1500–1599

* ca.1500: Bishops' House built. * ca.1510: George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury, built the Manor Lodge outside the town. * 1520: The Shrewsbury Chapel was added to Sheffield Parish Church. * 1530: Cardinal Wolsey, following his arrest, was detained at the Manor Lodge for eighteen days. * 1537: Beauchief Abbey was dissolved, the estate becoming the property of Sir Nicholas Strelley. * 1554: A charter establishes the Twelve Capital Burgesses and Commonality of the Town and Parish of Sheffield.''Clyde Binfield et al., The History of the City of Sheffield 1843-1993: Volume I: Politics'' * 1570:

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of S ...

, began her 14-year imprisonment at

Sheffield Castle Sheffield Castle was a castle in Sheffield, England, constructed at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don, possibly on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon long house, and dominating the early town. A motte and bailey castle had been ...

and the Manor Lodge, under the guard of

George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, 6th Earl of Waterford, 12th Baron Talbot, KG, Earl Marshal (c. 1522/1528 – 18 November 1590) was an English magnate and military commander. He also held the subsidiary titles of 15th Baron Strange of ...

* 1584: Shepherd Wheel passed to the sons of William Beighton in his will.

1600–1699

* 1604: Sheffield Grammar School began. * 1621: Carbrook Hall was built. * 1624: The

Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire is a trade guild of metalworkers based in Sheffield, England. It was incorporated in 1624 by an Act of Parliament. The head is called the Master Cutler. Its motto is french: 1=Pour Y Parvenir a Bonne Foi, ...

was formed to oversee the cutlery trade in the town. * 1630: Attercliffe Chapel was built. * 1638: The Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire erect the first Cutlers' Hall. * 1642–1651: The

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I ("Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of re ...

s: * 1642: The people of Sheffield led by Sir John Gell seized

for the Parliamentarians. * 1643: The castle was taken by

Royalist A royalist supports a particular monarch as head of state for a particular kingdom, or of a particular dynastic claim. In the abstract, this position is royalism. It is distinct from monarchism, which advocates a monarchical system of governm ...

forces. * 1648: After a long siege the castle was once again taken by Parliamentarian forces, and an Act of Parliament passed for its demolition (

slighting Slighting is the deliberate damage of high-status buildings to reduce their value as military, administrative or social structures. This destruction of property sometimes extended to the contents of buildings and the surrounding landscape. It is ...

1700–1799

* 1700: Upper Chapel, the first non-conformist chapel in the city, was built. * 1721: St Paul's Church was built as a

chapel-of-ease A chapel of ease (or chapel-of-ease) is a church building other than the parish church, built within the bounds of a parish for the attendance of those who cannot reach the parish church conveniently. Often a chapel of ease is deliberately bu ...

to the parish church, but due to a dispute it did not open until 1740. * 1736: The first buildings in

Paradise Square Paradise Square is a Georgian square in the City of Sheffield, England. Located to the northwest of Sheffield Cathedral, the square is set on a slope and was formerly used for public meetings. History Paradise Square was built in the 18th c ...

are constructed.Harman & Minnis, ''Sheffield'', pp. 113–114. * 1740s:

Benjamin Huntsman Benjamin Huntsman (4 June 170420 June 1776) was an English inventor and manufacturer of cast or crucible steel. Biography Huntsman was born the fourth child of William and Mary (née Nainby) Huntsman, a Quaker farming couple, in Epworth, Li ...

, a clock maker in Handsworth invented a form of the

crucible steel Crucible steel is steel made by melting pig iron (cast iron), iron, and sometimes steel, often along with sand, glass, ashes, and other fluxes, in a crucible. In ancient times steel and iron were impossible to melt using charcoal or coal fires ...

process for making a better quality of steel than had previously been available. * 1743: Thomas Boulsover, working in Sheffield, invented " Sheffield plate". * 1751:

River Don Navigation The River Don Navigation was the result of early efforts to make the River Don in South Yorkshire, England, navigable between Fishlake and Sheffield. The Dutch engineer Cornelius Vermuyden had re-routed the mouth of the river in 1626, to imp ...

extended to Tinsley. * 1756: An

Act of Parliament Acts of Parliament, sometimes referred to as primary legislation, are texts of law passed by the Legislature, legislative body of a jurisdiction (often a parliament or council). In most countries with a parliamentary system of government, acts of ...

undertakes to

turnpike Turnpike often refers to: * A type of gate, another word for a turnstile * In the United States, a toll road Turnpike may also refer to: Roads United Kingdom * A turnpike road, a principal road maintained by a turnpike trust, a body with powers ...

the road south from Sheffield, to Chesterfield and

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. * ca.1769:

Britannia metal Britannia metal (also called britannium or Britannia ware) is a specific type of pewter alloy, favoured for its silvery appearance and smooth surface. The composition by weight is typically about 92% tin, 6% antimony, and 2% copper. Britannia ...

was invented in Sheffield, originally being known as "Vickers white metal". * 1771: **

is completed. ** Sheffield Book Society founded. * 1773: Sheffield was given a silver assay office. * ca.1775: The

Duke of Norfolk Duke of Norfolk is a title in the peerage of England. The seat of the Duke of Norfolk is Arundel Castle in Sussex, although the title refers to the county of Norfolk. The current duke is Edward Fitzalan-Howard, 18th Duke of Norfolk. The dukes ...

commissioned plans for a new quarter, to be constructed on Alsop Fields. * 1779: John Wesley preached in

on 15 July. * 1789: 769 Sheffield metalworkers submit a petition to Parliament advocating the

abolition of slavery Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the movement to end slavery. In Western Europe and the Americas, abolitionism was a historic movement that sought to end the Atlantic slave trade and liberate the enslaved people. The British ...

.Alison Twells,
Abolition in Sheffield
* 1792: The body of Spence Broughton, convicted for robbing the Sheffield and Rotherham mail, was hung in a

gibbet A gibbet is any instrument of public execution (including guillotine, executioner's block, impalement stake, hanging gallows, or related scaffold). Gibbeting is the use of a gallows-type structure from which the dead or dying bodies of cri ...

on Attercliffe Common. It remained there for the next 36 years. * 1793: A petition against slavery with 8,000 names is submitted from Sheffield to Parliament. * 1797:

Sheffield Royal Infirmary The Royal Infirmary was a hospital in Upperthorpe, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. History Founding an infirmary for Sheffield was suggested in an anonymous letter written 1789 and following a public meeting in April 1792, public subscri ...

opened.

1800–1899

* 1805: A new

nave The nave () is the central part of a church, stretching from the (normally western) main entrance or rear wall, to the transepts, or in a church without transepts, to the chancel. When a church contains side aisles, as in a basilica-type ...

was added to the parish church. * 1808: The small town hall that had stood near the parish church was replaced with a new building at the corner of Waingate and Castle Street. * 1818: The Sheffield Improvement Act 1818 established an Improvement Commission to maintain cleaning, lighting and watching within three-quarters of a mile of the parish church, and also the Sheffield Gas Light Company. * 1819:

Sheffield Canal The Sheffield & Tinsley Canal is a canal in the City of Sheffield, England. It runs from Tinsley, where it leaves the River Don, to the Sheffield Canal Basin (now Victoria Quays) in the city centre, passing through 11 locks. The maximum craft ...

opened. * 1828: Sheffield Medical School established. * 1832: ** A cholera epidemic claimed 402 lives in the town, later commemorated by the Cholera Monument. ** Sheffield gained representation in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of parliament. T ...

as a Parliamentary Borough. The first election is marred by rioting. * 1836:

Sheffield Botanical Gardens The Sheffield Botanical Gardens are botanical gardens situated off Ecclesall Road in Sheffield, England, with 5,000 species of plants in 19 acres (77,000 m2) of land. The gardens were designed by Robert Marnock and first opened in 1836 ...

and Sheffield General Cemetery opened. * 1838: ** A new Cutlers' Hall was built, forming the core of the current building. ** The first railway station in Sheffield,

Sheffield Wicker station Wicker railway station (later Wicker Goods railway station) was the first railway station to be built in Sheffield, England. It was to the north of the city centre, at the northern end of the Wicker, in the fork formed by Spital Hill and Savile ...

, opened on 31 October as the southern terminus of the

Sheffield and Rotherham Railway The Sheffield and Rotherham Railway was a railway line in England, between the named places. The North Midland Railway was being promoted but its route was planned to go through Rotherham and by-pass Sheffield, so the S&RR was built as a connecti ...

. * 1843: ** Sheffield was incorporated as a

municipal borough Municipal boroughs were a type of local government district which existed in England and Wales between 1835 and 1974, in Northern Ireland from 1840 to 1973 and in the Republic of Ireland from 1840 to 2002. Broadly similar structures existed in S ...

. ** Sheffield School of Design foundedl renamed Sheffield School of Art in 1850. * 1845:

Bridgehouses railway station Bridgehouses railway station was the terminal station of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway from its opening in 1845 until the opening of the Wicker Arches, a long viaduct across the Don Valley, which supported the new She ...

, the terminal station of the

Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway The Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway was an early British railway company which opened in stages between 1841 and 1845 between Sheffield and Manchester via Ashton-under-Lyne. The Peak District formed a formidable barrier, and ...

opened * 1846: Sheffield, Rotherham, Barnsley, Wakefield, Huddersfield and Goole Railway formed (closed in 1858) * 1847:

Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway The Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway (MS&LR) was formed in 1847 when the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway joined with authorised but unbuilt railway companies, forming a proposed network from Manchester to Grimsb ...

formed. * 1848: ** The Roman Catholic Church of St Marie (later a cathedral) was completed. ** The Wicker Arches were constructed. ** The parish of Sheffield was subdivided into smaller parishes. * 1851: **

Sheffield Victoria Station Sheffield Victoria was the main railway station in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, on the Great Central Railway, between Chesterfield and Penistone. History Early history Engineered by Joseph Locke, the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manch ...

opened on 15 September. ** Sheffield Female Political Association founded. * 1853: Sheffield Public Library established. * 1855: Bramall Lane opened as a cricket ground. * 1857:

Sheffield F.C. Sheffield Football Club is an English football club from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, although now based in nearby Dronfield, across the county boundary in Derbyshire. They currently compete in the . Founded in October 1857,

, the oldest football club in the world among those that have played, or do play,

Association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

(soccer), was founded. * 1858: Sheffield Trades and Labour Council founded as the "Sheffield Association of Organised Trades". * 1860: Hallam F.C. was founded. * 1862: A 3,000-strong riot occurred at Wardsend Cemetery in the Hillsborough district of the city, against accusations of

body-snatcher Body snatching is the illicit removal of corpses from graves, morgues, and other burial sites. Body snatching is distinct from the act of grave robbery as grave robbing does not explicitly involve the removal of the corpse, but rather theft from ...

s operating. * 1864: ** The Great Sheffield flood devastated large parts of the town, killing 270 people. **

By-law A by-law (bye-law, by(e)law, by(e) law), or as it is most commonly known in the United States bylaws, is a set of rules or law established by an organization or community so as to regulate itself, as allowed or provided for by some higher authorit ...

s were passed prohibiting the construction of

back-to-back houses Back-to-backs are a form of terraced houses in the United Kingdom, built from the late 18th century through to the early 20th century in various guises. Many thousands of these dwellings were built during the Industrial Revolution for the rapidl ...

in the town. * 1866: The

United Kingdom Alliance of Organised Trades The UK Association of Organised Trades was founded in Sheffield in July 1866. It was an important predecessor organization to the Trades Union Congress. The organisation was largely inspired by William Dronfield, who was elected as its secretary ...

, a forerunner of the

Trades Union Congress The Trades Union Congress (TUC) is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in England and Wales, representing the majority of trade unions. There are 48 affiliated unions, with a total of about 5.5 million members. Frances ...

(TUC), was founded in Sheffield . * 1867: ** The

Sheffield Football Association The Sheffield and Hallamshire Football Association is a County Football Association in England. It was formed in Sheffield in 1867 as the Sheffield Football Association, and is the second-oldest football governing body after the Football Associ ...

founded **

Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...

was founded. * 1870:

Midland Main Line The Midland Main Line is a major railway line in England from London to Nottingham and Sheffield in the Midlands. It comprises the lines from London's St Pancras station via Leicester, Derby/Nottingham and Chesterfield in the East Midlands ...

extension from Chesterfield to Sheffield opened, with the new terminus at

Sheffield Midland station Sheffield station, formerly ''Pond Street'' and later ''Sheffield Midland'', is a combined railway station and tram stop in Sheffield, England; it is the busiest station in South Yorkshire. Adjacent is Sheffield station/Sheffield Hallam Unive ...

. * 1871: New head post office opened at 2 Haymarket.Ruth Harman and John Minnis, ''Pevsner Architectural Guides: Sheffield'', p.149 * 1873: The first horse-drawn

trams A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport ar ...

ran in Sheffield. * 1875:

Weston Park Weston Park is a country house in Weston-under-Lizard, Staffordshire, England, set in more than of park landscaped by Capability Brown. The park is located north-west of Wolverhampton, and north-east of Telford, close to the border with Shrop ...

Firth Park Firth Park ward—which includes the districts of Firth Park, Longley, Parson Cross and parts of Wincobank—is one of the 28 electoral wards in City of Sheffield, England located in the northern part of the city and covering an area o ...

opened. * 1878: The first ever floodlit football match was played at Bramall Lane on 14 October. * 1879: Portland Works opened. * 1885: ** The

Mappin Art Gallery Weston Park Museum is a museum in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is one mile west of Sheffield city centre within Weston Park. It is Sheffield's largest museum and is housed in a Grade II* listed building and managed by Museums Sheffi ...

opened. **

Henderson's Relish Henderson's Relish is a condiment produced in Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is similar in appearance to Worcestershire sauce, but contains no anchovies. It is made of water, sugar and spirit vinegar with a selection of spices and c ...

first produced. * 1888: Became a county borough. * 1889: Sheffield United F.C. was founded. * 1893: A Royal Charter granted the municipal borough of Sheffield the style and title of "

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

". * 1897: ** The

University of Sheffield , mottoeng = To discover the causes of things , established = – University of SheffieldPredecessor institutions: – Sheffield Medical School – Firth College – Sheffield Technical School – University College of Sheffield , type = Pu ...

was established. ** A new town hall was opened on Pinstone Street, the old building subsequently being used as the county court. ** The Lyceum Theatre opened.Harman & Minnis, ''Sheffield'', p. 103 * 1899: ** Hillsborough Stadium opened. ** The first electric tram ran on the

Sheffield Tramway Sheffield Tramway was an extensive tramway network serving the English city of Sheffield and its suburbs. The first tramway line, horse-drawn, opened in 1873 between Lady's Bridge and Attercliffe, subsequently extended to Brightside and Tins ...

1900–1999

* 1901: Population:409,070. * 1913: Stainless steel was invented by

Harry Brearley Harry Brearley (18 February 1871 – 14 July 1948) was an English metallurgist, credited with the invention of "rustless steel" (later to be called "stainless steel" in the anglophone world). Based in Sheffield, his invention brought affordabl ...

whilst working at the Brown Firth Laboratories in Sheffield. * 1914: Sheffield became a

diocese In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...

of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

, and the parish church became a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

. * 1919:

Sheffield City Council Sheffield City Council is the city council for the metropolitan borough of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It consists of 84 councillors, elected to represent 28 wards, each with three councillors. It is currently under No Overall Con ...

began building

council house A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 ...

s, mostly to the north and east of the city centre. * 1925: Sheffield War Memorial unveiled. * 1926: The Labour Party first took control of the city council. * 1928:

Sheffield Repertory Theatre The Sheffield Repertory Theatre was a theatre company in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Herbert Prince, a railway clerk, founded the amateur dramatics society in 1919,Frank Long "Sheffield" in Colin Chambers ''Twentieth Century Theatre'', ...

opens. * 1934: **

Sheffield City Hall Sheffield City Hall is a Grade II* listed building in Sheffield, England in Barker's Pool, one of the city's central squares. It was built and is owned by Sheffield City Council but is now managed by the Sheffield City Trust, under a 99-year l ...

completed. **

Sheffield Central Library Sheffield Central Library is a public library in Sheffield, England. It houses the city library service's single largest general lending and reference collection, as well as Graves Art Gallery, on the third floor, and a theatre in the basemen ...

Graves Art Gallery Graves Art Gallery is an art gallery in Sheffield, England. The gallery is located above the Central Library in Sheffield city centre. It houses permanent displays from the city’s historic and contemporary collection of British and European ar ...

opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother. * 1934/1935: Districts formerly in

including Beauchief, Dore, Totley,

Norton Norton may refer to: Places Norton, meaning 'north settlement' in Old English, is a common place name. Places named Norton include: Canada * Rural Municipality of Norton No. 69, Saskatchewan *Norton Parish, New Brunswick **Norton, New Brunswick, a ...

, and Woodseats were annexed by Sheffield. * 1938: St Paul's Church was demolished to make way for an extension to the Town Hall. The extension was never built, and the site subsequently became the Peace Gardens. * 1940: The "

Sheffield Blitz The Sheffield Blitz is the name given to the worst nights of German ''Luftwaffe'' bombing in Sheffield, England, during the Second World War. It took place over the nights of 12 December and 15 December 1940. In 1940, Sheffield was a city o ...

"—heavy bombing over the nights of 12 and 15 December led to the loss of over 660 lives, and the destruction of numerous buildings. * 1955–1962: The

Gleadless Valley Gleadless Valley is a housing estate and electoral ward of the City of Sheffield in England. The population of the ward at the 2011 Census was 21,089. It lies south-southeast of the city centre. Formerly a rural area, Gleadless Valley was deve ...

estate was built. * 1957–1961:

Park Hill flats Park Hill is a housing estate in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It was built between 1957 and 1961, and in 1998 was given Grade II* listed building status. Following a period of decline, the estate is being renovated by developers Urban ...

were built. * 1962: The city is devastated by the Great Sheffield Gale, killing four people and damaging more than 150,000 houses. * 1965: The

Arts Tower The Arts Tower is a building at 12 Bolsover Street in Sheffield, England belonging to the University of Sheffield and opened in 1966. A spokesperson for English Heritage described it as "the most elegant university tower block in Britain of its ...

was completed. * 1971: The

Crucible Theatre The Crucible Theatre (often referred to simply as "The Crucible") is a theatre in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England which opened in 1971. Although it hosts regular theatrical performances, it is best known for hosting professional snooker's ...

opened. * 1974: ** The Local Government Act of 1972 led to the formation of the Metropolitan borough of Sheffield. ** Sheffield Parkway was opened. * 1977: The ''"eggbox"'' extension to the Town Hall was built. * 1979: ** The

Royal Hallamshire Hospital The Royal Hallamshire Hospital is a general and teaching hospital located in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. It is in the city's West End, facing Glossop Road and close to the main campus of University of Sheffield and the Collegiate Cresc ...

opened. ** The

hosts the

World Snooker Championship The World Snooker Championship is the longest-running and most prestigious tournament in professional snooker. It is also the wealthiest, with total prize money in 2022 of £2,395,000, including £500,000 for the winner. First held in 1927, it ...

for the first time. * 1980: The Roman Catholic Diocese of Hallam was created with the Church of St Marie as its Cathedral. * 1981: The film '' Looks and Smiles'', which depicts the economic depression of the city, wins Best Contemporary Screenplay prize at the Cannes Film Festival. * 1984: ** The television film '' Threads'', which simulates the effect of a nuclear attack on Sheffield, becomes the subject of debate in the British media. ** The

Battle of Orgreave The Battle of Orgreave was a violent confrontation on 18 June 1984 between pickets and officers of the South Yorkshire Police (SYP) and other police forces, including the Metropolitan Police, at a British Steel Corporation (BSC) coking plant a ...

takes place at the Orgreave Coke Works * 1988: The Sheffield Development Corporation was established. * 1989: The Hillsborough disaster—96

Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has p ...

fans were crushed to death at Hillsborough Stadium. * 1990: ** The Meadowhall shopping centre opened. ** The

Don Valley Stadium Don Valley Stadium was a sports stadium in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The venue, which was completed in September 1990, hosted the 1991 World Student Games. It was designed by Sheffield City Council's Design & Building Services and nam ...

opened. **

Meadowhall Interchange Meadowhall Interchange is a transport interchange located in north-east Sheffield, consisting of a combined heavy rail station, tram stop and bus and coach station. The second-busiest heavy rail station in the city in terms of passenger numb ...

opened. * 1991: **

Sheffield Arena Sheffield Arena, known for sponsorship purposes as Utilita Arena Sheffield, is a multi-purpose arena located in Sheffield, England. It is situated near Meadowhall and lies between Sheffield city centre and Rotherham town centre. Opened in 1991 ...

and Ponds Forge opened. ** Sheffield hosted the World Student Games. * 1994: The first section of the

Sheffield Supertram The Sheffield Supertram is a tram and tram-train network covering Sheffield and Rotherham in South Yorkshire, England. The infrastructure is owned by the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE), with Stagecoach responsible for t ...

network was opened. * 1995:

Brightside railway station Brightside railway station is a former railway station in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The station served the communities of Brightside and Wincobank and was situated on the Midland Main Line on Holywell Road, lying between Attercliffe ...

is closed. * 1997: ** The

Gatecrasher Gatecrasher is an international clubbing brand made famous by the "Gatecrasher" (later "Crasher") dance music events, which were held at the Republic nightclub in Sheffield, UK during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The promoters of the brand ...

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

moved to Sheffield. ** The film ''

The Full Monty ''The Full Monty'' is a 1997 British comedy film directed by Peter Cattaneo, starring Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, William Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer. The screenplay was written by Simon Beaufoy. The film ...

'' (set in Sheffield) was released. * 1997:

Sheffield City Airport Sheffield City Airport was a small airport in Sheffield; it is now closed. It was in the Tinsley Park area of the city, near the M1 motorway and Sheffield Parkway, and opened in 1997. The airport's CAA licence was withdrawn on 21 April 2008 ...

opened.

2000–''present''

* 2001: The Millennium Galleries opened.Harman & Minnis, ''Sheffield'', pp. 74–76. * 2003: ** The Winter Gardens opened on the former site of the 1977 Town Hall ''"Egg Box"'' extension. ** English Institute of Sport, Sheffield, opens. * 2007: ** The

burnt down. ** Flooding in June caused millions of pounds worth of damage to buildings in the city and led to the loss of two lives. * 2008: **

closed. ** The two remaining cooling towers by the

Tinsley Viaduct Tinsley Viaduct is a two-tier road bridge in Sheffield, England; it was the first of its kind in the United Kingdom. It carries the M1 and the A631 for a distance of over the Don Valley, from Tinsley to Wincobank, also crossing the Sheffie ...

were demolished. * 2013: The

closed due financial problems. * 2018: Sheffield Supertram is extended to Rotherham Parkgate via Tinsley using tram-train motive power. * 2022: Thousands of homes are left without a gas supply for more than a week amid below-freezing temperatures following a failure of the local network in Stannington.

References and notes

Bibliography

* (

wikisource Wikisource is an online digital library of free-content textual sources on a wiki, operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Wikisource is the name of the project as a whole and the name for each instance of that project (each instance usually re ...

) * * * * * (

) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Sheffield History History of Sheffield

Sheffield Sheffield is a 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 historically part of the West Riding of Yorkshire a ...