Local history question

Does anyone know which firm of solicitors were used when the first rules of football were laid down. Someone told me it was on Surrey St. but Ive never seen a blue sign or anything.

Want to point it out to some visitors

According to "Sheffield Football - A History" (Keith Farnsworth) two of the founding members of Sheffield FC - who's rules were adopted nationally - were Nathaniel Creswick (solicitor) and William Prest (wine merchant).

I wodul guess that Creswick helped draw up the rules. There is a firm of solicitors, Russell & Creswick, off Trippet Lane. I wonder if they are related?

Nathaniel Creswick was one of the two founder members of Sheffield FC and was a solicitor.

Sheffield FC were formed 24th October 1857 at a meeting held at Parkfield House in Highfields. This was the home of Harry Water Chambers, another solictor, who for some reason despite his pivotal role did not appear on the original committee.

He did however become club secretary at a later date and was the Club's representative at the meeting in London which led to the formation of the Football Association in 1863.

Another solictor Thomas Pierson was a member of the original committee as was Frederick Ward, son of a past master Cutler Thomas Asline Ward, who was the Club's first president. The two vice-presidents were TA Sorby & Joseph Ellison, like Ward prominent local manufaturers and the committee also included Tom Vickers, a leading steelmaking figure.

Vickers together with another Sheffield FC member JC Shaw went on to found Hallam FC.

too late (by 6 months !) for your visitors, but the blue plaque in Norfolk Row may be of interest - not about drawing up the rules, but the founding of the Blades in 1889...

see here

Hugh

(Walkley)