Sheffield Castle was a castle in Sheffield, England, constructed at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don, possibly on the site of a former Anglo-Saxon long house, and dominating the early town. A motte and bailey castle had been constructed on the site at some time in the century following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. This was destroyed in the Second Barons' War, and construction of a second stone castle began four years later in 1270. Mary, Queen of Scots was held prisoner in this castle and its associated estates for 14 years between 1570 and 1584. The castle was held by Royalist forces for part of the English Civil War, but was surrendered to the Parliamentarians in 1644 following a short siege; its demolition was ordered soon after, and the castle was razed. There are no known surviving drawings or plans of the castle, but excavations in the 1920s revealed stone foundations from the castle begun in 1270 as well as evidence of earlier structures.
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Sheffield castle was located at the confluence of the River Sheaf and the River Don (), on the western bank of the Sheaf and the southern bank of the Don. The rivers provided defence to the north and east and there was a moat on the south and western sides of the castle.[1] This site is now largely covered by the castle market.
The site of the castle is the place where the earliest settlement at Sheffield was founded sometime in the second half of the 1st millennium AD.[2] The Domesday Book of 1086 states that, prior to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, Waltheof II, Earl of Northumbria had an aula (hall) in the manor of Hallam. In the same entry, it is reported that the manor of Sheffield—which had previously been part of Hallam—was under the Lordship of Sweyn at the time of the conquest. It has been speculated that Waltheof's aula or Sweyn's stronghold may have been at this site, and excavations between 1927 and 1930 were claimed to have uncovered evidence of a Saxon structure.[3]
The construction of the first castle at Sheffield following the Norman invasion of England is usually attributed to William de Lovetot, an Anglo-Norman Baron from Huntingdonshire.[1][4] De Lovetot acquired the lordship of the manor of Hallamshire (including Sheffield) in the early twelfth century during the reign of Henry I.[4] However, the earliest known reference to a castle at Sheffield is a return made by Ralph Murdac, sheriff of Derbyshire, concerning the wardship of Maud de Lovetot (the great granddaughter of William), dating from around 1188.[5] It is thought that this castle was a wooden motte and bailey type. Maud de Lovetot married Gerard de Furnival in 1204 and the castle and town of Sheffield passed to the Furnival family. Gerard de Furnival's grandson, Thomas, supported the royalist cause during the Second Barons' War of 1264–1267. In 1266 a party of anti-monarchy barons, led by John de Eyvill, marching from north Lincolnshire to Derbyshire passed through Sheffield and destroyed the town, burning the church and castle.[2]
In 1270 Thomas de Furnival obtained a charter from King Henry III to build a castle at Sheffield. Thomas died soon after the castle was completed and was buried in the castle. In 1707 a report was published stating that, when the castle was demolished in 1648, a large flat stone was found engraved I Lord Furnival; I built this castle-hall; And under this wall; Within this tomb was my burial.[6]
De Furnival's castle was built of stone, and extended from the river Sheaf to Waingate and from the river Don to Dixon Lane, an area of about 4.2 acres (17,000 m2; 180,000 sq ft). A 2,461-acre (9.96 km2; 3.845 sq mi) park was attached to the castle, it extended from the castle to Gleadless to the south and Handsworth to the east.[7] In 1516, George Talbot, 4th Earl of Shrewsbury built the alternative residence of Sheffield Manor in the park.
On 11 October 1642, as England moved toward civil war, the town and castle was seized by Sir John Gell for the Parliamentarians.[8][9] In April 1643, Royalist forces led by the Earl of Newcastle entered Yorkshire and took Leeds, Wakefield, and Rotherham before approaching Sheffield. The Parliamentary defenders of Sheffield castle fled into Derbyshire allowing the Royalists to take the castle without a fight.[7] Newcastle left a garrison at the castle, under the control of Sir William Savile, as recounted by Margaret Cavendish, Newcastle's wife:
…he marched with his army to Sheffield, another market-town of large extent, in which there was an ancient castle; which when the enemies forces that kept the town came to hear of, being terrified with the fame of my Lord's hitherto victorious army, they fled away from thence into Derbyshire, and left both town and castle (without any blow) to my Lord's mercy; and though the people in the town were most of them rebelliously affected, yet my Lord so prudently ordered the business, that within a short time he reduced most of them to their allegiance by love, and the rest by fear, and recruited his army daily; he put a garrison of soldiers into the castle, and fortified it in all respects, and constituted a gentleman of quality, [Sir William Savile knight and baronet] governor both of the castle, town and country; and finding near that place some ironworks, he gave present order for the casting of iron cannon for his garrisons, and for the making of other instruments and engines of war.—Margaret Cavendish, The Life of William Duke of Newcastle[10]
Sir William Savile left Sheffield and the castle under the control of his deputy, Major Thomas Beaumont, who held Sheffield until August 1644 when the Earl of Manchester sent Major-General Crawford and Colonel Pickering, a force of 1200 soldiers to recapture Sheffield for the Parliamentarians. At first the castle resisted, and finding their artillery—the largest of which was a demi-culverin—was insufficient to breach the castle wall, General Crawford sent a letter to Lord Fairfax for a demi-cannon (the Queen's pocket-pistoll) and a whole culverin. These extra cannon were able to breach the castle wall, after which terms for the surrender of the castle were agreed:[8]
Articles of Agreement, between the commanders authorised by Major-General Crawford, and Major Thomas Beaumont, Governor of Sheffield Castle, for surrendering the same to the Right Honourable the Earl of Manchester.
- ART. I. The Castle, with all the fire-arms, ordnance, and ammunition, all their furniture of war, and all their provisions (except what is in the following articles), to be delivered to Major-General Crawford to morrow, by three o'clock in the afternoon, being the 11th of this instant August, without any diminution or embezzlement.
- ART. II. That the Governor, and all other officers, shall march out of the Castle upon the delivery thereof, with their drums and colours, and each his own horse saddled, sword and pistol, to Pomfret Castle, or wheresoever they please, with a sufficient convoy or pass, for their security; the common soldiers to their own home, or where they please.
- ART. III. That all officers and soldiers, so marching out, on this agreement, shall have liberty to carry with them their wives, children, and servants, with their own goods, properly belonging to them, and shall have all convenient accommodation for carrying the same away.
- ART. IV. That the Lady Savill, and her children and family, with her own proper goods, shall and may pass with coaches, horses, and waggons to Thornhill, or elsewhere, with a sufficient guard, befitting her quality; and without injury to any of their persons, or plundering any of their goods or otherwise. She, they, or any of them, to go or stay at their own pleasure, until she or they be in a condition to remove themselves.
- ART. V. That the gentlemen in the Castle being no soldiers, shall march out with each his own horse saddled, sword and pistol, and shall have liberty to remove their goods, and to live in their own house, or elsewhere, without molestation; they conforming to the ordinances of Parliament, and they shall have protection of the Earl of Manchester and Lords. And all officers and soldiers, who chuae to lay down their arms, shall have the same protection.
- ART. VI. That the governor, officers, soldiers, gentlemen, and all others who are by this agreement to carry their own goods with them, shall have a week's time for removing the same; and in the mean time they are to be in the Castle, and secure from embezzlement. And this article is to be understood of all such goods as are at present within the Castle, or under the absolute command thereof.
- АRT. VII. That Kellam Homer, now living in the Castle, shall have liberty to remove his goods into the town, or elsewhere, without molestation.
- ART. VIII. That the governor, officers, gentlemen, and all other persons, shall (according to the articles above-mentioned) march out without injury or molestation.
- ART. IX. That hostages, such as Major Crawford shall approve, shall be delivered by the governor, upon signing the articles for delivery of the Castle, and safe return of the envoy; which hostages shall be returned safe, upon the performance thereof, unto such place as they desire.
Signed by us, Commissioners authorised by Major CRAWFORD, at Sheffield, this, 11th of August 1644.
J. PlCKERING
MARK GRIMSTON
WILLIAM HAMILTONSigned by us, Commissioners authorised by Major ВEAUMONT, Governor of Sheffield Castle, this 11th of August 1644.
GABRIEL HEMSWORTH
SAM. SAVILL
THOS. ROBINSON—Agreement for the surrender of Sheffield Castle, quoted in Hunter 1819, pp. 111–112.
Lady Savile (mentioned in this agreement) was the widow of Sir William Savile. She was pregnant at the time of the siege, and went into labour the night after the castle was surrendered.[8]
Following the siege Colonel John Bright of Carbrook Hall was left as governor of the castle. He was soon appointed governor of the city of York, and so left Captain Edward Gill in charge of Sheffield. On 30 April 1646 the House of Commons passed a resolution that Sheffield Castle should be made untenable, and on 13 July 1647 a resolution was passed for the castle to be demolished. Despite considerable demolition work, in 1649 the Earl of Arundel repurchased Sheffield castle with the intention of restoring it, however the damage was too great and no restoration work was ever started[8] The castle was soon completely razed; for a while it was used as an orchard, and then a bowling green, before being built over.[11]
An excavation led by Leslie Armstrong in 1927, prior to the construction of the Brightside and Carbrook Co-operative Society store, uncovered the base of one of the gateway bastion towers, as well as part of the gateway itself.[12][13] These remains of the castle are preserved under the city's Castle Market: they are Grade II listed[14] and are open for viewing.
The visible remains are situated in two rooms below Castle Market. One room is open to the public, pending booking of a tour, the other room is walled and the only access is via a manhole in the market's food court. Due to the precarious access down a narrow tunnel, tours are no longer conducted in the main room though the second room is accessible.[15] The remaining ruins, approximately 32 feet above the River Don, are those of one of the gate towers, they represent a quarter of the Eastern tower.
More recent excavations in 1999 and 2001[13] by ARCUS, Sheffield University's archaeological research and consultancy unit, revealed the castle to have been much larger than previously was thought: among the largest medieval castles in England.[16] Drilling was done in the upper food court delivery yard and flag stones left in situ to mark boundaries of the castle.