Wheat collection

Wheat Collection

Donors: Mr. J. B. Wheat, 1920, 1929, 1935; Mr. G. Wheat, 1937.

This collection was accumulated at the offices of the Wheat family, solicitors of Sheffield, the last of whom, Mr. J. B. Wheat, died in 1936. James Wheat, the first of the family, was active from about 1766 (when he took over the practice of William Battie, another active Sheffield attorney), to his death in 1805. He was clerk to a number of Sheffield trusts, charities and commissions, and the bulk of the papers, particularly those relating to public affairs of the town, are his. The collection reached the Library piecemeal, and was catalogued similarly.

Records including:

Manorial records:

Sheffield: Copy inquisition of the customs of the manor, 1650.

Draft charges to court leet, Easter jury and constables, 1800-1803 (several appear to be treatises on constable's office).

Parish and other local government records:

Burgery (Sheffield): Maps, surveys and report on estates, 1692-1799 (20); counterparts of lease, 1604-1662 (22).

Capital Burgesses (Sheffield): Maps and plans of estates in Sheffield and London, road schemes, etc., 1779-1850 (50).

Charities (Ecclesfield): Maps of lands for charitable uses.

Church and Churchyard (Sheffield): Petitions for enlargement and repair, 1774-1775.

Constables' orders, receipts, for Ingbirchworth and Thurlston (relate to soldiers, ship money, bridges, assessments), 1607-1655 (17).

Enclosure: Hallam: claims, maps, allotments, 1789-1806.

Handsworth: claims, surveys, assessments, 1804.

Ulley: commissioners' minute book, survey, 1798-1800.

Wadsley (bills), 1785-1788.

Brightside, 1788, Hope, 1805, Lowdham (Lincolnshire), 1754-1765 (letters).

Workhouse: (Sheffield) new building. Heads of bill, Committee's minute book, report, 1789-1791; Brightside Bierlow township: minutes of meeting, 1801.

Institutions, Trusts, Societies, "ad hoc" committees, records:

Birley's Charity (Sheffield): Maps of estate in Ashopdale, 1795-1830 (6).

Boys' Charity School (Sheffield): Title deeds and drafts (few), rental, 1791, maps (3), odd bills.

Dissenters' Meeting House (Rotherham): List of trustees and plan, 1778-1791.

Free Grammar School (Sheffield): Maps of estates and plans of new school buildings, 1817-1850(14).

Hollis Hospital (Sheffield): Abstract of title, maps, 1787-1827

Hunt Committee (Sheffield): Papers relating to balls, 1786.

Monthly Club (Sheffield): Rules, n.d.

Sheffield Committee supporting Wilberforce (Yorkshire election, 1807). Subscription books (2), papers.

Sheffield Committee of Trade: Minutes and letters concerning Irish trade, 1785.

Turnpike Trusts: Sheffield-Wakefield: oath of trustees, minutes, 1777-1780, letters, 1777-1830, accounts, vouchers, statute labour books, 1782-1832, maps.

Sheffield-Gander Lane: assignment of tolls, 1788; miscellaneous plans.

Waterworks (Sheffield): Plans and leases, 1693-1834 (7).

West Riding Medical Charitable Society: Letters, 1840-1857.

Deeds (these include wills, settlements, etc., and have been analysed on a family basis): Allen: Chapeltown, 1726-1763 (6).

Bayes: Sheffield and Thurgoland, 1670-1725 (16).

Booth: Longley alias Brushes, 1658-1721 (28), Whitley, 1542-1784 (16), Ecclesfield, 1665-1784(12).

Bright: Chesterfield and Sheffield, 1589-1743 (45).

Broadbent: Hartshead, 1704-1783 (24) and other Sheffield, 1590-1784 (40), Owlerton (cutler wheels), 1675-1745 (12), family (including bankruptcy) (17).

Broomhead-Thompson: Bradfield and Ughill, 1295-1683 (45), Worksop and Kylton (Notts.), 1520-1531 (2).

Brownell: Brightside and Southey, 1555-1761 (55).

Burton and Bamforth: Wadsley manor, 1335-1741 (8).

Cheney: Sheffield, 1725-1761 (12).

Creswick: Wadsley and Owlerton, 13th century-1800 (170), Cartworth, 1618-1706 (20).

Downes: Sheffield, Tytherington (Chester) and personal, 1594-1754 (16).

Hall: Oughtibridge, 1495-1783 (14).

Micklethwaite: Ingbirchworth and Cawthome, 1433-1670 (100).

Parker: Dronfield, 1609-1783 (10), Whitley Hall, 1587 (1).

Rawson: Wincobank, 1523-1750 (30), Creswick, 1468-1681 (10), family, 1650-1787 (21).

Roebuck: Family and business, 1742-1777 (19).

Smith: Bellhouse (Southey), 1663-1752 (7).

Staniforth: Eckington, 1602-1784 (100), Brightside, 1659-1672 (5), Wincobank, 1421-1830 (30).

Steade: Onesacre, 1286-1795 (18), Worrall, 1441-1700 (14), Stannington, Bradfield, Bentihaugh, 1328-1646 (32), More Hall, 1556-1641 (12), Westmundhalgh [Westnall], a.1279-1604 (23), miscellaneous, 1594-1794 (20).

Swift: Bradfield, 1437-1540 (6).

Thompson: Rotherham and business, 1600-1744 (45).

Walker: Manor of Barugh, 1787-1788 (2).

Wilson and Cockshutt: Hunshelf and business, 1659-1785 (24).

West Riding: Emley, 1577-1737 (12), Dewsbury, 1672-1790 (14), Dodworth, 1545-1789 (38), Hallamshire (miscellaneous, about 100).

Lincolnshire: Anderby (7), Billinghay, Walcott and North Kime (35), Lincoln (7), Tilney and Timberland (3), Huttoft (3), Cherry Willingham (3), 1653-1767.

Nottinghamshire: Stoke Bardolph (1), Mansfield (3).

Northamptonshire: Litchborough (6).

Other counties: North Mimms (Hertfordshire), Endfield (Middlesex), 1553-1784 (4).

Miscellaneous wills, deeds of partnership and bankruptcy, mainly Sheffield (about 100).

Estate records:

Maps and plans: In addition to those noted in connection with public bodies, a large number of maps relates to private estates, mainly in Sheffield, Wadsley and Ecclesfield but also in Tankersley, Barley Hole, Thorpe, Dronfield Woodhouse, Masborough, Barugh, Bilham Grange, Fieldhead in Dodworth; they are mainly connected with the deeds above and date from 1692 to c1850.

Miscellaneous: Wincobank estate: memoranda, 1694-1709 (12) and rental, 1703; Eckington rental, 1730-1731; tithes of Dewsbury and Gawthorpe: letters and surveys, 1789-1833; Wakefield tithes: notes.

Personal, Professional and Business records:

James Wheat, father and son, attorneys. Correspondence (professional, some private and family), 1779-1809 (numerous bundles); bills (professional and household), 1746-1841; office cash book, 1785-1788; attorneys'certificates, 1804.

Arthur Elliott. Diary (as commissioner for several local enclosures), 1795-1800.

White Lead Works. Letters and papers, 1774-1783 (1 bundle). Legal cases. Papers, miscellaneous.

Pedigrees:

Carr, Steade, Rawson, Greaves, Langley (notes).

Public Business, Charitable Trusts etc: These consist mainly of small additions to earlier deposits relating to enclosure (appointments of commissioners, assessments), Dun Navigation (construction of tramroad 1835), Sheffield water-works, turnpike roads (leases of tolls), and conveyances to new trustees: Nether Bradfield School, Queen's St. Chapel Sheffield, Rotherham Dissenters' Chapel.

Deed, Wills: etc. of the following families (Sheffield unless otherwise stated): Booth, Binks, Hartop and Sayle. Partnership, and assignments of ironworks; land in Crookesmoor, and Mosborough, Derbyshire; family wills. 1754-1840 (50).

Broadbent. Paradise Sq., Campo Lane, Bridgehouses, Crookesmoor; deeds relating to partnerships with Cockshutt (Wortley Ironworks) and Bland; deeds re Broadbent bankruptcy. 1738-1827 (50).

Burton of Royds Mill. Wadsley Hall and manor, farms in Attercliffe. 1768-1787; (14).

Chadwick. Land at Broombank. 1859-1867 (10).

Downes of Ecclesfield. Mortgages 1768-1781; Castle Green. 1688 (7).

Fletcher of Meadow Hall. Wincobank property (formerly Roberts, Milner and Empson). 1768-1850 (30).

Kirk of Meadow Hall. Messuage and land at Gilberthorpe Hill. 1736-1867 (18).

Staniforth. Mosborough and Plumley, capital massuage and land, Derbyshire (previously Stones and Pearson). 1688-1784 (16).

Rawson of Wardsend. Settlements of property at Wardsend (mansion and tanyard), Barley Hall, Thorpe Hesley, Wath, Tankersley, Hunshelf; assignments of shares in leadmines, Sheffield white lead works and "cold bath", and the brewery in Pond Lane; also of several public houses; agreement concerning Wadsley Bridge mill and tilt. 1777-1864 (40).

Roebuck. Dissolution of partnerships and transfer of shares of Sheffield business and the Carron Co., Stirling; land at Powick, Worcestershire 1761-1796 (11).

Pegge of Beauchief. Blackburn wheel and matters re Steade settlements. 1771-1802.

Walker of Masborough. Two volumes of abstracted deeds to their works, forges, partnerships, shares and land (including some property of Messrs. Walker and Booth), 1757-1812; further original deeds to property at Holmes, Masborough, Rotherham, Ecclesfield, Barugh, Emley and London (Anchor Wharf). 1761-1825 (24).

Taylor of Treeton. Treeton and Woodhouse mills and partnership as millers 1746-1851 (18)

Other partnerships, bankruptcies and miscellaneous deeds.