Archives of the Sheffield Church Burgesses Trust

Two celebrated Sheffield professional families were responsible for the production of many of the Burgesses' archives. James Wheat (d.1805) was appointed Law Clerk to the Burgesses in Mar 1766, and established his practice in Paradise Square from 1777. On 24 Jun 1778, Wheat was elected one of the Burgesses. This family and practice continued to serve as Law Clerk, through to John James Wheat (1825-1915) and John Bristow Wheat (1858-1936). After the death of the latter, the practice and the clerkship changed hands. Where original arrangements survive, they are undoubtedly the work of the Wheats, and have been retained. 

The other family was the Fairbanks who acted as surveyors for the Burgesses. The Fairbanks were responsible for the maps and plans, the plans inserted in the margins of building leases, but also for the specifications for houses in building leases. As many of these houses are still extant, the townscape of parts of Sheffield bears additional testimony to the influence of the Fairbanks. 

Although the administrative papers of the Burgesses are a fine, continuous series, it is, perhaps, the documents which throw additional light on Sheffield's topography which will be of immediate interest. The development of the Burgesses' property in Sheffield in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century complements what is known of the development of the far larger Norfolk estate. The rentals, 1743-1949, are useful, but the building leases (for 99 years) are even more so. They furnish an additional list of builders, joiners, carpenters, and their activities. The leases specify the number of dwellinghouses to be erected and their value, indicating the scale of individual builder's operations and the initial character of the housing. Furthermore, something of the policy of the Trust is detected. The bundles of deeds of mortgage and assignment of leasehold property illuminate the finances of builders and an aspect of the urban property market.

The Wheat collection also includes leases relating to the Burgesses, as might be expected. Equally, the Fairbank collection includes material relating to the Burgesses' estates. A survey of 1794 probably related to CB 1633 (volume of plans, 1768, revised to 1794) is Arundel Castle MSS.X.1.

Access is restricted to some documents Application to consult these documents must be made to: Mr G. J. Smallman, Law Clerk, Wrigleys solicitors, 4th Floor, Fountain Precinct, Leopold Street, Sheffield S1 2GZ. Tel: 0114 267 5588/5594 Fax: 0114 276 3176 Email: godfrey.smallman@wrigleys.co.uk

Sheffield was one of the numerous seignorial boroughs established by charter of a tenant-in-chief in the thirteenth century. By the same charter of 1297 granted by Furnival, the free tenants of Sheffield acquired the borough in fee farm. The corporate body which developed in response was the Burgery, which was evident from 1498. The functions of the Burgery were both spiritual and secular. Consequently, the Burgery was sequestered under the Act for the Suppression of Chantries of 1548. In the Marian Counter-Reformation, the functions were restored, but under distinct and separate trusts. By letters patent of 1554, the Twelve Capital Burgesses and Commonalty of the Town and Parish of Sheffield were incorporated to oversee the spiritual and ecclesiastical aspects of parish and parish church. The principal responsibilities of the Burgesses were therefore the repair of the fabric, administration of trust property, payment of stipends of the vicar and curates and some charitable expenditure. The Burgesses also presented to the office of the 3 assistant ministers of the parish church of Sheffield and paid the stipends. In the nineteenth century, these responsibilities were somewhat modified. The 1854 Chancery Scheme regulated the expenditure of income, 5/7 to ecclesiastical and 2/7 to secular purposes. The most significant change, however, was the creation of new parishes to meet the needs of a rapidly expanding urban population. In 1874, the Charity Commissioners granted the Burgesses additional powers for endowing new parish churches.