Markets history - 1700's and before

1200's

• 1279 – Thomas de Furnival, Lord of the Manor, claims the right to hold a market in Sheffield.

• 1293 - Thomas de Furnival claims the right to hold a Sunday market and a fair on the eve and day of Holy Trinity.

• 1296 - A Royal Charter to hold markets and fairs in Sheffield was granted by Edward I to Thomas de Furnival. This Charter allowed a weekly market to be held every Tuesday and a three-day fair to be held once a year.

1300's

• 1332 - The tolls of the fair and market were recorded as being worth six shillings and eight pence a year.

• 1379 - Poll tax returns show Sheffield was the third largest urban centre in the West Riding area.

• 1383 - By now tolls for the fair and market had increase to forty shillings a year, this maybe have been due to the previous increase in Poll tax.

1600’s

• By the 17^th Century parish registers reveal that there were more births than deaths and that the population of Sheffield was growing. This created an increase in the demand placed upon the market, which the trades struggled to cope with.

• 1609 - In response to the increase in demand two officers were appointed with the specific duties of ensuring that butter and eggs were only sold at the market, and not in the field or farms they were produced. Two more officers were also appointed to ensure that corn was only sold at market, and that it was not sold until the market bell had been rung.

1700’s

• The number people dependent on others to produce food and transport it to the towns for them to purchase, is still increasing. Farmers and traders had to continue to adapt so they could supply enough produce to meet demand.

Mid 1700’s

• The market place in Sheffield consisted of an irregular sprawl of shops and stalls, surrounded by High Street, Swine Market, Bullstake (latter renamed Haymarket) and King Street (also known as Pudding Lane). Stalls may also have spread beyond the Market Place stretching up High Street to Church Gates. Tradition has it that farmer's wives would come to the market with baskets of butter and eggs which they would sell standing around the Market Cross.

Late 1700’s

• Towards the end of the 18th century the butchers were among the first to be affected by the pressure for change. The problems and nuisance caused by the increased number of animals being driven into the town centre promoted local inhabitants to petition the owner of the markets Charles Howard the Earl of Surrey (later the 11th Duke of Norfolk) to provide them with a larger market place with better access for animals, carts and pedestrians.

• 1784 - An Act of Parliament was passed to enlarge the Market Place, and regulate the markets within the town of Sheffield.

• 1786 - A new market hall, Fitzalan Market, was built on site of the old market and opened on 31 August. The live cattle market was moved from the Bullstake to The Wicker, and new slaughterhouses were erected next to the River Don near Lady's Bridge. Joseph Hodgkinson provided plans and designs for the new hall at a cost of £10-10s-0d. To fund the scheme, the Duke of Norfolk sold "Chief Rents" and "Fridleys". Between 1784 and 1801 a total of £4,136-17s-11d was raised from these sales. Further money was raised by mortgaging tolls and other market revenues. The Duke of Norfolk continued to be paid a toll by all market traders for the privilege of selling their goods. The traders also paid rents for stalls and shops, which were collected twice yearly at Michaelmas (29th September) and Lady Day (25th March).