Sheffield 'Founding' Families

[mrsmills]

First of all I apologise that this thread has probably been dealt with in part elsewhere but my searching hasn't yielded a single source.

 

I am interested in the families who have had the biggest influence on Sheffield. So many of the city's major buildings and landmarks, streets, etc. seem to bear the names of these families and as I understand they were significantly responsible for developing large residential areas of the city and giving it much of its current layout.

 

There are a couple of names that come to mind, the Jessops, Mappins, etc. but what other 'dynasties' have shaped Sheffield? Where did their power/money/influence come from? What did they do for the city (good and bad) and what became of them?

[Plain Talker]

the Firths? (Sheffield steel magnates)

[hillsbro]

It's a big subject, and many of Sheffield's prominent and influential people have been individuals, rather than members of 'dynasties' as such, but the Dixon family (of the silverware firm of James Dixon & Sons) springs to mind. They lived at Hillsborough Hall (now the public library in Hillsborough Park), and the present-day park was originally the grounds of their house, as was much of the adjoining land. This was sold off for development, and some of the roads that were built on former Dixon land bear the names of family members, such as Dorothy Road, Lennox Road, Wynyard Road and Willis Road, as well as Dixon Road itself. The family firm was very prosperous and provided employment for a large number of local people. It is still in existence, manufacturing quality silverware, but I don't think any of the family are now involved.

[mrsmills]

That's great, thank you, I realised as I was typing this is potentially a very big topic taking in various different strands of history over a huge period of time. I suppose working at the University it is families like the Firths and the Mappins and Jessops who come most instantly to mind, but having lived in various parts if West Sheffield the families who effectively developed or commenced development of that part of the city are also very interesting.

[hazel]

Graves

as in Graves Art Gallery and Graves Trust Houses, Graves Park

hazel

[Vasquez Rich]

Huntsman... owner of some of the first steelworks and charcoal production sites out in the East end.

[mrsmills]

Do the ancestors of these people still have local connexions? The Graves, Jessops, etc. still have monuments to their philanthropy all over the place, are they maybe involved with these? Any SF member with connexions?

[Albert T Smith]

What is required is for a list of names of people to be gathered. Then a small group made up of volunteers formed to raise funding to support anyone who would like to do a thesis on one of those people who have been listed. These would be published and obtained free from the Sheffield library or on the Forum.

Probably some thesis have already been written.

If Anyone is interested in getting this idea off?

[Greybeard]

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[mrsmills]

That's fascinating, hence Kenwood Road, etc. Swallow Hotel? Now the Marriott? I agree Albert, certainly a list would be a good start, seems there maybe many influential Sheffielders, I think your proposal is very interesting but we'd perhaps need some criteria for a list otherwise I feel it may end up being rather long.