Paradise Square

Paradise Square is a Georgian square in the City of Sheffield, England. Located to the northwest of Sheffield Cathedral, the square is set on a slope and was formerly used for public meetings.

History

Paradise Square was built in the 18th century on the site of "Hicks' stile-field", the stile being one of the entrances to the church-yard. [Leader, "Sheffield in the Eighteenth Century", p. 256] Local historian Robert E leader notes that the area acquired the name "Pot Square" when crockery vendors were moved here from the High Street.Leader, "Sheffield in the Eighteenth Century", pp. 210–211.] The reason for the subsequent name change to "Paradise Square" is uncertain, but historians Leader and S.O. Addy speculate that it may be an allusion to the ancient use of "Paradise" or "Parvis" as the name for a garden or enclosed space near a church. [cite book |last=Addy |first=Sidney Oldall |title=A Glossary of Words Used in the Neighbourhood of Sheffield. Including a Selection of Local Names, and Some Notices of Folk-Lore, Games, and Customs |year=1888 |publisher=Trubner & Co. for the English Dialect Society |location=London |pages=p. 169. ]

Buildings

The east side of the square consists of five houses built in 1736 by Nicholas Broadbent on land leased from the trustees of the Shrewsbury Hospital. [cite book |last=Harman |first=R. |coauthors=Minnis, J. |title=Pevsner City Guides: Sheffield. |year=2004 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven & London |id=ISBN 0-300-10585-1 |pages=pp. 113–114 Note that Nikolaus Pevsner (1959) in "The Buildings of England: Yorkshire - The West Riding, Penguin, Harmondsworth", erroneously described these buildings as on the north side, which has caused much subsequent confusion.] The other houses in the square were built by his son Thomas Broadbent, from 1771 to c.1790. Number 11 is dated 1787.Comprehensive descriptions of the listed buildings in Paradise Square can be found at the [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=2&id=455889 Images of England] project (also [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=2&id=455887] [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=2&id=455888] [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=2&id=455890] [http://www.imagesofengland.org.uk/search/details.aspx?pid=2&id=455891] ), which is run by English Heritage (accessed 12 June 2005—free registration required).] Following bomb damage in the Second World War, parts of the square were extensively restored between 1963-6 by Hadfield, Cawkwell, Davidson and Partners, when numbers 18 and 26 were largely rebuilt using materials that were salvaged from buildings elsewhere. In the mid 1980s, an early 19th century Gothic revival stuccoed building at number 10 was rebuilt with a Neo-Georgian facade.cite book |last=Harman |first=R. |coauthors=Minnis, J. |title=Pevsner City Guides: Sheffield. |year=2004 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New Haven & London |id=ISBN 0-300-10585-1 |pages=pp. 113–114] All buildings in the square are Grade II* listed.

Public meetings

Describing Paradise Square, J.E. Manning, Minister of Upper Chapel, wrote in 1900 "Paradise Square was not then [in 1831] so quiet as it ordinarily is now. It was often thronged with excited crowds who came to hear what their leaders had to say on all the stirring topics of the time." [cite book |last=Manning |first=John Edmondson |title=A History of Upper Chapel, Sheffield |year=1900 |publisher=The Independent Press |location=Sheffield |pages=p. 120 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=TXwqCE5yJO8C ]

John Wesley visited Sheffield 35 times [cite book |last=Taylor |first=John |title=The Illustrated Guide to Sheffield and the Surrounding District |year=1879 |publisher=Pawson and Brailsford |location=Sheffield |pages=p. 90 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=0L4HAAAAQAAJ ] , and preached in the square on a number of these occasions, most notably on 15 July 1779, following which he noted in his diary: "I preached in Paradise Square, Sheffield, to the largest congregation I ever saw on a weekday". [John Wesley's Journal, reprinted in cite book |last=Wesley |first=John |title=The Works of the Rev. John Wesley, Volume IV |year=1826 |publisher=J & J Harper |location=New York |pages=p. 42 |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=EaFhAAAAIAAJ ] The Methodist Conference commissioned a memorial to be placed in the square commemorating this event. [cite web | title = Tory, Alfred: memorial plaque to John Wesley | work = Public Art in Sheffield | url = http://public-art.shu.ac.uk/sheffield/tor77.html | accessdate = January 8 | accessyear = 2007 ] Designed by Alfred Tory it was unveiled in 1951 by J. Arthur Rank.

Paradise Square was also used by the chartists in Sheffield for a number of meetings, notably in September 1838 when Ebenezer Elliott (amongst others) spoke to a crowd of 20,000 people. A similar meeting on 12 September 1839 was dispersed by troops leading to a running battle and a number of arrests.Information on chartism in the Sheffield area can be found at the following websites: [http://www.chartists.net/Sheffield-Chartists Sheffield Chartists] ; [http://www.historyhome.co.uk/peel/chartism/sychar.htm Chartism in South Yorkshire] . Both accessed 12 June 2005.] Throughout the 19th century it was traditional that those standing for election to represent the Sheffield constituency in Parliament held political meetings in the square.

Residents

Notable former residents include sculptor Sir Francis Chantrey, who had a studio here in 1802, and physician David Daniel Davis, who lived at No. 12 from 1803 to 1812. In recent years the buildings have been used as offices. In March 2008 work began on numbers 7 and 9 to convert them into a restaurant.

ee also

Sheffield Outrages

Bibliography

*cite book |title=Sheffield in the Eighteenth Century |last=Leader |first=Robert Eadon |year=1901 |publisher=Sheffield Independent Press |location=Sheffield |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=UGADAAAAMAAJ

References and notes