Sudbury Street fire December 1921

[jatk]

Hello,

I doubt if anyone will remeber this but maybe your parents or grandparents have mentioned it??

 

The fire swept through a number of "little mesters" workshops on Sudbury Street in sheffield. The streets were narrow and the yards very small which made it difficult to get ladders up to the windows to help people escape . It was said in the newspapers at the time that it only took a couple of minutes for the fire to spread through the whole building. People climbed onto the roof and ran across the top of adjoining buildings to get away. Four people were killed, including my great grandad and his father. At the inquest it was said that although tragic that four people died it was miraculous there werent more casulaties. The funeral was in all the local newspapers and it was said that 100s of people lined the streets on the route.

 

I read the newspaper reports of this about 20 years ago but looking back at that part of my family history now I wondered if anyone had been told of it by their relatives or if any actually remebers it, although its such a long time ago now.

 

Is there anyone out there?? It would be really great to get an insight from "real people" instead of just newspapers!

 

[cuttsie]

Hello,

I doubt if anyone will remeber this but maybe your parents or grandparents have mentioned it??

 

The fire swept through a number of "little mesters" workshops on Sudbury Street in sheffield. The streets were narrow and the yards very small which made it difficult to get ladders up to the windows to help people escape . It was said in the newspapers at the time that it only took a couple of minutes for the fire to spread through the whole building. People climbed onto the roof and ran across the top of adjoining buildings to get away. Four people were killed, including my great grandad and his father. At the inquest it was said that although tragic that four people died it was miraculous there werent more casulaties. The funeral was in all the local newspapers and it was said that 100s of people lined the streets on the route.

 

I read the newspaper reports of this about 20 years ago but looking back at that part of my family history now I wondered if anyone had been told of it by their relatives or if any actually remebers it, although its such a long time ago now.

 

Is there anyone out there?? It would be really great to get an insight from "real people" instead of just newspapers!

 

My mother in law was a buffer and lived on Meadow St which is just round the corner from Sudbury although she is 98 she still remembers lots about the district and the little mesters shops that were around that area .

I will ask her when i see her next week.

[jatk]

Hi Cuttsie

Thank you so much, that is really kind of you. I would be very interested in anything your mother in law can remember of the area and the fire in particular. She may have known my family as my gt grandmother had a confectioners shop at 43 Meadow Street although I that may have been a bit later than 1921. They lived at 36 Creswick Street in 1921 and their names were Tom (Thomas) and Annie Clark. Tom's dad, also called Tom died in the fire too. They were 39 and 61 years of age respectively. I will look forward to hearing from you, thank you again

[cuttsie]

Hi Cuttsie

Thank you so much, that is really kind of you. I would be very interested in anything your mother in law can remember of the area and the fire in particular. She may have known my family as my gt grandmother had a confectioners shop at 43 Meadow Street although I that may have been a bit later than 1921. They lived at 36 Creswick Street in 1921 and their names were Tom (Thomas) and Annie Clark. Tom's dad, also called Tom died in the fire too. They were 39 and 61 years of age respectively. I will look forward to hearing from you, thank you again

Cheers Jajk, will do my best it usualy depends what mood she is in but at 98 she,s entitled i suppose.

Will print this page and take it with me next time i visit probably next week.

Cheers.

[jatk]

Thank you Cuttsie, that really kind. Of course I do understand if your mother in law isnt able to tell me anything but its so good of you to ask her. Just to find someone who may remember something is a bonus

[cuttsie]

Thank you Cuttsie, that really kind. Of course I do understand if your mother in law isnt able to tell me anything but its so good of you to ask her. Just to find someone who may remember something is a bonus

Hello again jatk,

Well i have spoken to my motherin law Ida Burgar and ,even though she was only 8 at the time she remembers that there was a big fire in the district and that her mam and dad used to talk about it years after.

Ida herself worked in the many little cutlery works in the district as a buffer along with her dad who was a grinder and died himself at 40 years old from the dust.

So i am sorry to say that she is the only one left from that era and all the memory,s have gone with them.

Your sad story has set me thinking that maybe Kelham Island Industrial museum may have some info on the Sudbury St works ,any way all the best hope you are successful with your quest.