Letters
from one of the most famous - or infamous - characters in this country’s
history are housed right here in Sheffield’s archives. Mary Queen of Scots was locked up by her
cousin Elizabeth I in Tudor times after she abdicated the Scottish throne and
fled to England in 1568. She was
considered such a threat to the English throne that she was held prisoner for
19 years until her execution in 1587. But
what most people don’t know is that much of her imprisonment was spent right
here in Sheffield at Manor Lodge under the care of George Talbot, sixth Earl of
Shrewsbury. And two of Mary Queen of
Scots’ letters written during her imprisonment in Sheffield are housed at
Sheffield City Archives on Shoreham Street.
These
are just some examples of the amazing exhibits stored at Sheffield City
Council’s archives building in Shoreham Street. More than six kilometres of archives are
carefully stacked inside, with thousands of photographs available on online
through an ongoing programme of conservation and digitisation.
Other
exhibits include records from the Sheffield blitz in World War II which tell
the incredible story of the city’s bomb damage and how it affected everyday
life. Records of the city’s former
workhouses also survive which show what life was like for those who fell on
hard times, along with archives from the city’s Victorian police force
including mug shots of the city’s most well- known ne’er-do-wells.
And
now the archives team have been given national recognition for the work they
have done to preserve these historic artefacts and make them accessible for
generations to come.
Councillor
Sioned-Mair Richards, acting cabinet member for neighbourhoods at Sheffield
City Council, said: “The archives are brilliant. They have so much information
about our past and really bring history to life. There’s so much to discover here - more than
50,000 of boxes of material from the 12th century up to modern times, charting
the history of the city. All freely
available to anyone to wants to look anything up about the history of the
community or their family. We’re very
lucky to have such a treasure trove here in Sheffield and it’s great that our
work has been nationally recognised. Congratulations to the archives and
heritage team for all their hard work.”
Sheffield
City Archives is the first to have met the highest national standards in
Yorkshire for archives and is one of 44 in the country to have been awarded the
status of 'Accredited Archive Service' by The National Archives.
More
than 50,000 people use the service every year. To plan a visit or for more
information see www.sheffield.gov.uk/archives
