William de Lovetot

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William de Lovetot, lord of Hallamshire was a Norman baron from Huntingdonshire, often credited as the founder of Sheffield, England.

It is unknown when De Lovetot acquired an interest in the manor of Hallamshire, but by the early 12th century (in the reign of Henry I) he was in possession of Hallam, Attercliffe, Sheffield, Grimesthorpe, Greasbrough and Worksop. He also had interests in Handsworth, Treeton, and Whiston. He founded a priory at Worksop c.1103 and may have founded the parish church in Sheffield at around this time. Lovetot is credited with the building of a motte and bailey castle in Sheffield. Along with the castle a hospital was established at what is still called "Spital Hill", a mill was built beside the River Don, and a bridge called Lady's Bridge was constructed where there had previously only been a ford across the river. Little is known of Sheffield prior to Lovetot, but these developments established Sheffield as the main town in Hallamshire.

Following the death of William de Lovetot the manor of Hallamshire passed to his son Richard de Lovetot and then his son William de Lovetot before being passed to Gerard de Furnival by his marriage to Maud de Lovetot in about 1204.

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Brown, Cornelius (1896) A History of Nottinghamshire. Transcription at Nicholson, AP: Nottinghamshire History (Accessed 18 December 2005).
Hunter, Joseph (1819) Hallamshire. The History and Topography of the Parish of Sheffield in the County of York. London: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mayor & Jones. This book is out of print but can be purchased on CD-ROM.
Vickers, J. Edward MBE (1999). Old Sheffield Town. An Historical Miscellany (2nd ed.). Sheffield: The Hallamshire Press Limited. ISBN 1-874718-44-X.
White, Robert (1875) Worksop, The Dukery, and Sherwood Forest. Transcription at Nicholson, AP: Nottinghamshire History (Accessed 18 December 2005).