Smithfields, Sheffield 1932

[AlanBoyd]

There are various newspaper items about slum clearance in the area. The earliest that I have seen dates from 1926 and it implies that there had already been clearances by then (65 rehoused). On the other hand, this item from 1934 indicates that the process was still going on then.

21 March 1934: Sheffield Independent

[AlanBoyd]

MollyC’s first link to the photo says that it dates from 1937. The second link is much vaguer.

Added: and they refer to some demolition having already taken place.

[ASB74]

Now I've found the photo: Picture Sheffield ref s19505
https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=zoom&keywords=s19505&continueUrl=ZnJvbnRlbmQucGhwP2FjdGlvbj1zZWFyY2g=
which has a reference to page 119 in your book.

And another similar photo: ref s19360
https://www.picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=zoom&keywords=s19360&continueUrl=ZnJvbnRlbmQucGhwP2FjdGlvbj1zZWFyY2g=

That’s brilliant! Thanks

[MollyC]

Yes, I had just noticed the catalogue entry for s19505 gives a date of 1937, suggesting it had a date on the back, but the other one does not.  Is 1932 a misprint?  They were probably taken on the same occasion, but not catalogued together with consecutive numbers.

[ASB74]

Yes, I had just noticed the catalogue entry for s19505 gives a date of 1937, suggesting it had a date on the back, but the other one does not.  Is 1932 a misprint?  They were probably taken on the same occasion, but not catalogued together with consecutive numbers.

That’s brilliant makes more sense as my grandparents didn’t marry until December 1932. Thanks for your help

[Annie65115]

I have a copy of the 1939 Kelly's directory for Sheffield and Rotherham. The only listings for Smithfields are manufacturers - small businesses all involved in production of steel items.So it looks as though the resident population had been rehoused by 1939.

[ASB74]

Thank you! I think if I’ve worked it out correctly I need to look at the residents if 7 Smithfield’s and also the houses opposite, maybe 4&6. Can you recommend the best site to research this please? Thanks again

[AlanBoyd]

I imagine that if you are interested in dates after 1921 then it might be difficult — electoral registers as mentioned in reply #3?

The image below is Smithfield in White's Directory of 1919. This only gives details of businesses, but it indicates that Smithfield was organised into courts, so an address like "4 Smithfield" will relate to several households. Here are links to two large scale maps from 1889 (Smithfield is split across them) to show where the individual courts were – perhaps you already have this information, but it will flesh out this thread for any future readers.

OS Town Plans 1889
[Covered entrances or alleyways to courts are denoted by crossed lines.]
—lower section of Smithfield
https://maps.nls.uk/view/231282486#zoom=4.8&lat=9996&lon=13294&layers=BT
Courts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 (part) all on the west side below Cross Smithfield.
 Courts 2, 4, 6 (part) on the east side.

—upper section of Smithfield
https://maps.nls.uk/view/231282471#zoom=5.3&lat=1786&lon=12744&layers=BT
Court 13 (part including entrance) on the west side.
Courts 6 (part) and 8 on the east side. Court 6 looks to be particularly complicated.

Going back to the first photo linked by MollyC in reply #7, the notes say that it is taken from near the entrance to Court 5, and that Court 9 "on the left has been demolished." Incidentally I discovered that if you click on Zoom above the image you get a higher resolution image (the basis of the 'magnify' function.

[AlanBoyd]

Looking at the addresses in the 1921 census it seems that numbers were associated with a specific house and also with a court. I assume that the house was entered directly off the street, then the court was accessed through an entry way.

Going back to the first photo in reply #7, I suggest that the group of three people on the extreme left are positioned at the doorway of house no. 5 (man in doorway) and immediately adjacent to that the entry way to court no. 5 (couple).

In 1921 there are entries for 5 Smithfield and also 5/1 and 5/2 Smithfield.