Place:Handsworth, Yorkshire, England

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

source: Family History Library Catalog

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

Handsworth is a suburb of south eastern Sheffield, in South Yorkshire, England. Handsworth has a population of approximately 15,000. It covers an area of approximately . It has five schools, four churches, a variety of small shops, a large supermarket (whose former site was featured in The Full Monty), and a range of commercial and light industrial businesses.

Today, Handsworth is a busy suburb in the south-east part of the City of Sheffield, although some of the older citizens of Handsworth still refer to it as "the village". Politically, Handsworth is part of the Woodhouse ward in the Sheffield South East parliamentary constituency.

St Mary's Parish Centre holds displays of artefacts, documents, records, photographs and maps relating to Handsworth and its history.

History

the text in this section is copied from an article in Wikipedia

There is little recorded detail about Handsworth prior to the Norman Conquest. Roman soldiers had a settlement and fort nearby at Templeborough, although no evidence of Roman remains have been unearthed in Handsworth. Names such as Ballifield ("Bale Enclosure") indicate later Scandinavian settlements at the same site.

Under Norman rule, the parish of Handsworth grew to include Darnall, Gleadless, Richmond and Woodhouse.

Domesday Book

In the Domesday Book account, Handsworth is spelt "Handeswrde" and is joined to Whiston ("Witestan") to form a single manor.^[1] Before the Conquest, Torchil (or Turchil) is reported as being the Lord of the Manor, but following the Conquest lordship was transferred to Robert, Count of Mortain, who was the half-brother of William the Conqueror. Richard de Sourdeval held it for Count Robert. The Manor then passed, through marriage, to the Paynel and Lovetot families. It was a member of the Lovetot family who built the parish church in Handsworth.

In a survey in 1379 there were reported to be 9 smiths and perhaps one cutler in Sheffield, but by that time, Handsworth had 13 smiths and 3 cutlers. Clearly, the ancient parish of Handsworth had its own identity and history, almost as extensive as that of the City into which it became absorbed.

St. Mary's Church

St Mary's was built in about 1170. It was founded by the Norman lord William de Lovetot, or his father Richard, and the foundations were planned by William Paynel. (This church is not to be confused with St. Mary's Church, Handsworth in Birmingham UK).

Close to St Mary's Church is the Cross Keys Inn, a very old building that has not always been a public house. It was originally built in the mid-13th century as a Church House for the chaplains and lay clerks attached to St Mary's Church.

Not much of the Tudor Rectory remains today. Handsworth Parish Registers, dating back as far as the reign of Queen Elizabeth I still exist. There are written documents from 1558, the year that Elizabeth I ascended the throne, recording all baptisms, marriages, and burials which took place in the Parish of St Mary's.^[2]

Research Tips