Sheffield Districts Jericho, Philadelphia, Gatefield

[Grantham 10]

".......old Sheffield place-names are one of my chief interests." by Greybeard

 

 

 

Hi Greybeard - Given you note in previous message maybe you can help us!

 

On the International Genealogical Index some of our potential ancestors have 'Otter, Sheffield' given as place of birth (this is 17th/18th century).

 

Do you know what this means; and/or where it might be?

 

Ta!

[Greybeard 10]

On the International Genealogical Index some of our potential ancestors have 'Otter, Sheffield' given as place of birth (this is 17th/18th century).

 

Do you know what this means; and/or where it might be?

 

Ta!

 

There was an Otter street in Attercliffe behind the old 'Zion' congegational chapel, but that's the only reference I have.

[Grantham 10]

Thank you Greybeard - maybe the street is long established (to go back to 1680's or so) or built on a farm or a field with that name.

 

By the way, when you say there 'was' a street of that name; do you mean that the street is no longer standing?

 

Thanks again!

[HughW 10]

The first official census was taken in 1801, but the raw data for the early ones doesn't survive. There are rare survivals of census books for 1831, of which the Nether Hallam book is one, transcribed and published by the Sheffield &DFHS.

 

column headings include:

 

name [head of household only]

street or place

families

males

females

males 20+ [inlcuded in males above]

employment [occupations for those employed]

servants [sub columns on gender and age]

 

Concerning Port Mahon. The following was posted on the ENG-Sheffield list (Rootweb) last year:

 

Port Mahon is located on the Island of Minorca. It is a strategic

deep- water Harbour, and was vital to the defence of the Island of

Minorca... which had come under British control as a result of the War of

the Spanish Succession in 1708. Gibraltar previously came under Brtitish

control in 1702-4 I wonder if this is not when the Sheffield Street, 'Port

Mahon' was named! just a thought...to view more key into Google 'War of

the Spanish Succession and Port Mahon for more detailed information...

 

However, in the early 18th Century it would been a hamlet or farm in a rural area rather than a street in the town.

 

Hugh

[HughW 10]

...having said that, the name may have something to do with the famous siege of Puerto Mahon in 1756 - a heroic and eventually unsuccessful defence against the French by British forces under William, Baron Blakeney. Blakeney and his men were welcomed home as heroes (perhaps they included men from Sheffield?).

 

Admiral Byng had brought a fleet to life the siege, but fought an indecisive battle and then retired. He was executed, which led to Voltaire's famous statement that every once in a while the British had to execute an admiral "pour encourager les autres".

 

Hugh

[Greybeard 10]

Thank you Greybeard - maybe the street is long established (to go back to 1680's or so) or built on a farm or a field with that name.

 

By the way, when you say there 'was' a street of that name; do you mean that the street is no longer standing?

 

Thanks again!

 

Don't know if it is still standing, there have been many changes in Attercliffe, - I said 'was' because I was looking at a map of about 1903

 

But it doesn't appear on a map I have dated 1832., or the1850s map available on-line.

 

What record from the 1680s do you have - a parish register entry ?

[Greybeard 10]

...having said that, the name may have something to do with the famous siege of Puerto Mahon in 1756 - a heroic and eventually unsuccessful defence against the French by British forces under William, Baron Blakeney. Blakeney and his men were welcomed home as heroes (perhaps they included men from Sheffield?).

 

Hugh

 

I feel sure I've read of that association somewhere, but it isn't in either of the Leader books I have. It may have been in Woolhouse's 'Reminiscences' ?

[Grantham 10]

Hi Greybeard - yes it is an IGI entry - when we go to Sheffield next year we plan to check these as some IGI enties do not have parish records to back them up.

 

But a friend once told me that she had checked some IGI entries through access to a v old family bible and that had a family record of details that pretty much matched what she found on IGI for her family.

 

I guess that when you get that far back you just have to go with what is available!

 

It could be that this 'Otter, Sheffield. entry was added via a family 'knowledge' source by someone unknown to us has rather than parish source - we do not know!

 

But is interesting to know that an Otter Street was there in 1903 - thanks for that; perhaps it was once an area with a few houses or a farm or something.

 

Thanks for your help Greybeard

[Grantham 10]

Hi - re: Philadelphia Steels Works

 

We have just found some piccies on Picture Sheffield - it was Samuel and William Butcher who owned the works - going by the pictures on PS the works were badly damage by the big Sheffield Flood.

[Grantham 10]

Hi, just noticed:

 

Port Mahon

 

There are two pics of Port Mahon Post Office and other shops from 1930 on Picture Sheffield.

[Greybeard 10]

Hi - re: Philadelphia Steels Works

 

We have just found some piccies on Picture Sheffield - it was Samuel and William Butcher who owned the works - going by the pictures on PS the works were badly damage by the big Sheffield Flood.

 

I think it was William Butcher who ran an American steel company for several years in Philadelphia, - he also attempted to found his own company there but the project failed for some reason.

[Greybeard 10]

Hi Greybeard - yes it is an IGI entry - when we go to Sheffield next year we plan to check these as some IGI enties do not have parish records to back them up.

 

With IGI data it's always worth double checking the original source if you can I believe the PRs for Sheffield parish church for the 1680s are in print.

 

It could be that this 'Otter, Sheffield. entry was added via a family 'knowledge' source by someone unknown to us has rather than parish source - we do not know!

 

But is interesting to know that an Otter Street was there in 1903 - thanks for that; perhaps it was once an area with a few houses or a farm or something.

 

Otter street lies close to the steep bank of an old bend in the river which some people speculate gave rise to the name 'Attercliffe', or 'Ottercliffe'. With the diversion of the river and subsequent development this bank or 'cliffe' is now not as remarkable a feature as it must have appeared a thousand or more years ago when Atterclife first became an organised settlement.

 

And of course none of this may have any relevance whatsoever to your ancestors