On 11 Mar 1864, 150 years ago today, the Dale Dike Dam at
Bradfield collapsed causing a devastating flood. Water swept down the Loxley valley through
Low Bradfield on down to Hillsborough and into Sheffield destroying mills,
grinding wheels and warehouses as well as inns and domestic dwellings. Over 4,000 houses were flooded and 240 deaths
were reported.
Last weekend a commemorative event organised by Bradfield Parish Council at Bradfield Village
Hall brought together 1,500 people, many of whom travelled thousands of miles, to
remember their ancestors lost in the Great Sheffield Flood. Visitors were able to read first-hand
accounts and find the names of their ancestors in the volumes brought along by
Sheffield Archives and Local Studies Library.
Two of the visitors we met were Millie Carter and Judith
Hall. They found out they were related
by researching their family trees and met only recently. They lost most of their ancestors in the
Great Sheffield Flood. They were able to
find the Wostenholme, Spooner and Sellars families in the Sheffield Police Book
from Sheffield Archives – a long and sad list of whole families that
perished. The only survivor that
terrible night was their great-great-grandmother, Emma Wostenholme who was away
in Wales with her husband. She later had
a son called Wilfred and the family line survived. Many more remarkable tales were shared over
the weekend of loss, survival and the bringing together of families 150 years
after this devastating event.
The Chairman of the British Dam Society will unveil a new
memorial stone at Dale Dike Reservoir tomorrow (12 March) at 11am and further events
are scheduled this week: http://www.mick-armitage.staff.shef.ac.uk/sheffield/flood/anniversary.html
If any of your ancestors were affected by the Great
Sheffield Flood, search the Flood Claims website set up by Sheffield Archives
and Sheffield Hallam University: https://www2.shu.ac.uk/sfca/
This lists everyone who made a claim for
loss of property, bodily injury or loss of life. The original ledgers are available to view at
Sheffield Archives.
Pictured (above): Millie
Carter and Judith Hall finding their ancestors in the archives, Bradfield
Village Hall, 8 March 2014; extract from a Flood Claim ledger detailing the claim made by a confectioner for cough drops, lemon lozenges, aniseed balls, everton toffy etc.
