Illustrated Guide to Sheffield
Pawson & Brailsford - 1862

BAKES, NEWSPAPERS, PUBLIC COMPANIES, &c.

BANKS.

There are the following banks in Sheffield:- SHEFFIELD BANKING COMPANY, George-street (draw on Smith, Payne, and Smiths), J. H. Barber, manager; SHEFFIELD AND ROTHERHAM BANKING COMPONY, Church street (draw on London and Westminster Bank, and on Barclay, Bevan, Tritton, and Co.), W. Wild, manager; SHEFFIELD AND HALLAMSHIRE BANKING COMPANY, Church-street (draw on Glyn, Halifax, Mills, and Co.), W. Waterfall, manager; SHEFFIELD UNION BANKING COMPANY, Bank-street (draw on Prescott, Grote, and Co.), E. Liddell, manager.

SAVINGS BANKS.

The Sheffield and Hallamshire Savings Bank was established in 1819, and has prospered greatly, the managers having been enabled to build out of the surplus fund, at a cost of between £6,000 and £7,000, the present very handsome and commodious stone structure in Norfolk- street. In 1836 the total amount deposited was £147,186, and in 1861 it was £331,958, though this was a year of great commercial depression. Mr. Frank Wever is the actuary. The bank is open for the reception of deposits every day except Thursday. The Sheffield Penny Savings Bank was opened in 1857 under the auspices of Mr. Ald. Mycock and others. When the bank had been in existence twelve months the number of depositors amounted to 900, and there had been paid into the bank the sum of £231 168. 3d. in deposits of one penny and upwards. From that period the business gradually increased till in 1862 the number of depositors had reached 10,000, and there had been paid in no less a sum than £7,600, and paid out in withdrawals, wholly and partially, the sum of £6,320, thus leaving in the treasurer's hands a balance of £1,280. There have been 123,530 deposits made during the existence of the bank, and 10,830 withdrawals, making a total of 124,360 individual transactions. The average number of weekly deposits is from 800 to 1,000, and the amount from £50 to £60. The business is transacted at the Council Hall. Mr. A. F. Charles, of High-street, is the general manager. The Ecclesall Penny Savings Bank is the offspring of the penny bank at the Council Hall, and was opened in 1860. It numbers 800 depositors, and £260 has been received in sums of one penny and upwards. There is a balance in hand of ~100. Mr. A. F. Charles is the manager. The business is transacted at the Vestry Hall, Cemetery-road, on Monday evenings.

NEWSPAPERS.

There are three weekly and the same number of daily newspapers now published in Sheffield. The oldest of these, the Independent, was commenced in 1819, and under the editorial management of Mr. R. Leader has attained a position of great prosperity. Since the repeal of the paper duty in October, 1861, the proprietors (Messrs. Leader and Sons) have issued a penny Daily Independent, but the old form of weekly issue has also been kept up, and by a great reduction in price the circulation has largely increased. The Sheffield Times , a weekly (Saturday) newspaper, was first published in 1846, and has since had incorporated with it the Iris and Mercury, the former being the paper with which the poet Montgomery was so long connected, and the latter a well-conducted paper, long the organ of the Conservatives; Mr. S. Harrison is now the proprietor of the Times. The Daily Telegraph, which is published by Mr. Joseph Pearce, jun., was the first daily newspaper issued in Sheffield, being one of several provincial daily papers which the repeal of the newspaper stamp duty, in 1855, brought into existence. It was carried on for years with heavy 1088, but has now become a well established property. The proprietor has latterly commenced the publication of a Weekly Telegraph, on Saturday, at 2d. The remaining daily paper is the Daily News, published by Mr. S. Harrison, every afternoon, at a halfpenny.

GAS AND WATER WORKS.

There is only one Gas Company in Sheffield, two others which have been started at different times having been amalgamated with it. The offices are in Shude-hill. Mr. Edwin Unwin is managing director, and Mr. T. Roberts is secretary.

The Waterworks Company have very extensive reservoirs for the supply of the town. Two of the principal of them are at Redmires, about six miles outside. From these the water is conveyed to the town in culverts. The offices are in Division-street. Mr. G. B. Greening is secretary.

FIRE OFFICES.

There are two fire insurance establishments in the town. The Sheffield Company has its offices and engines in George-street. The Liverpool and London Company has a branch office in the Old Haymarket, and its engines in Norfolk-street. There is a fire escape kept under the care of the police at the Town Hall.

TELEGRAPH COMPANIES.

There are two companies for the conveyance of messages by telegraph. The Electric Telegraph Company has an office in the Old Haymarket, at the corner of the Fruit-market. The other, the British and Irish Magnetic Company, has its office on the opposite side of the Haymarket.

RAILWAY COMPANIES.

The Midland Railway Company connects Sheffield with the north and south of England. At present, however, owing to a blunder in the original selection of the route, it does not come nearer than six miles of Sheffield, and passengers to the town have to change carriages at Masbro' Station, in order to get on a branch line which has been constructed to Sheffield. In order to remedy this inconvenience, the directors have proposed to change the direction of the trunk line, so as to carry it directly through Sheffield. Surveys have been made for the purpose, and it is believed that the Directors will next session apply for parliamentary power. They have also determined to build a new station, the present structure in the Wicker having become quite inadequate in size. The route taken by the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway is sufficiently indicated by its title. By alliance of this with the Great Northern, the town of Sheffield is now brought on the direct route of traffic between Liverpool and London. The Company have provided the Victoria Station, a handsome structure near the Cattle Market. The South Yorkshire Railway also runs into Sheffield, and the Company have the use of the Midland station in the Wicker.

HOTELS.

Since the destruction of the old Tontine Hotel, a place of accommodation upon a similarly large scale has been greatly needed in Sheffield. This has been supplied by a number of shareholders, who have erected, at a cost of about £15,000, the Victoria Hotel, a spacious building adjoining the station of the Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway, of which we give an engraving. The hotel is one of the finest and most complete in the kingdom. It is five stories high and along with the ordinary range of lofty public rooms, on the ground floor has billiard and smoke rooms, suites of private rooms, and upwards of fifty bed rooms. It is leased to Mr. George Meyer, of Manchester, who has expended near £10,000 in fittings and furnishing, and will be opened in July. There are other excellent inn~, in the town. Such, for instance, are the Royal Hotel, at the corner of Waingate and Castle-folds; the Angel, in Angel-street; l the King's Head, in Change-alley; the Commercial, Old Haymarket; the Black Swan, in Snig-hill; The George, Market-place; and others. A great convenience to persons residing in the suburbs and strangers liLL L ~LUBTB~q'ED 8~EP~ELD ~ ! _ _ visiting the town are the Commercial Dining-rooms, the best of which are Mr. Eaton's, in High-street; Mr. Bland's, in the Haymarket; and ~r. Steer's, at the top of Dixon-lane. .
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Last modified on: Saturday, 9 September 2000