Where are/were the Chartist's meeting rooms?

[duckweed]

This is Figtree Lane in Sheffield near the Cathedral. The large building was the Lying in Hospital for Women, the forerunner of Jessop Hospital. It is mentioned in the history books as being where the Chartists had their meeting room.

It is said they met at the Figtree tavern, proprietor Hardwick and then it was taken over by Joseph Knapton in 1847.

However as yet I have no street number for the Tavern so don't know if the building remains or was knocked down.

 

[jay]

Would your local library have a street plan for that period. I'd have thought that a pub might be in the trade directory for the town which would give an idea of its location. I had difficulty enlarging the photograph so couldn't see any external clues as to which building may have been a tarvern.

 

[DaveHam9]

Figtree Tavern not listed in

Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades"
for SHEFFIELD in Baines's Directory and Gazetteer Directory of 1822.

Fig tree lane, 12, Bank street.


I'm finding references such as this one from The Northern Star, 21 March 1840:

Samuel Thompson ... I belonged to a Chartist Association, of which I became a member on the Sunday after the disturbance in Wales ... There was a room in Fig Tree Lane where the Chartists met. There were two sorts of meetings, one a public meeting, to whom any person was admitted; and a private meeting, which was a secret meeting, to which none but members were admitted. I was admitted ...

but not one that says they met in Figtree Tavern.

 

[duckweed]

The rooms were next to Figtree Tavern and were later incorporated into it. There is an advert from the Inn keeper Joseph Knapton in 1845 who says he has incorporated the rooms into his premises.

You can find landlords in the Trades Index but there is no mention of a street number. I have been trawling through adverts and found that 21 was a tailors and workshops. 23 was similar accommodation. 19 was a surgeon called Mr. Scott. 13 was a Girl's school and later became an accountants. 14 became the official receivers.

 

[duckweed]

The building themselves may not be there now but it would be nice to know roughly the spot. The lane has been shortened but I think that was before the Chartists. Perhaps it was knocked down to build the hospital. It could be why the Womens Rights group met round the corner in Queen Street in 1851.

That and the fact that one of the women ran the Temperance Hotel with her husband. All future Radical History seems to focus round the Temperance hotel. However the fact that the other ex Chartist site served the demon drink might also have been a factor.

 

[duckweed]

I tried asking at the Estate Agents in the Lane but they hadn't even heard of the Fig Lane Chartists. Amazing considering there is a monument next to the Sheffield Council Buildings to Holberry the Chartist Martyr.

 

[leefer]

The Chartists had such a short life in terms of years up and running.
Many people do not know much about the Chartists...untill you have documented them i must admit i knew little Duckweed.
Were not mentioned in any of my history lessons....the fear of being prosecuted probably meant that records were not in abundance.

Very interesting never the less.

 

[duckweed]

In Sheffield however it is a major part of local history and is taught in the schools here as part of the local history curriculum but apparently goes in one ear and out the other.