Sheffield Flood - Artefacts and Survivors (1)

The Great Sheffield Flood - Photo Gallery

- Flood related Artefacts and Survivors (1) -

Chair swept along the Wicker, and Mrs. Burke's stool

Mr. Stratford's walking stick

ABOVE: This walking stick belonged to Mr. Stratford and was reputedly used to save 3 lives at Malin Bridge.

LEFT: The rocking chair was swept along the Wicker and was pulled through a window by a couple in a house near the 'Brown Cow'.

The File Cutter's stool was from the house of Mrs. Burke. Mrs. Burke, who was only a few days from having a baby, only just managed to get out of her house. When the family returned, this was all that was left of their possessions.

FACE OF A FLOOD VICTIM

Plaster-cast 'death-mask' of Joseph Goddard
Joseph Goddard

Near the Malin Bridge Inn stood a row of houses that were totally washed away by the flood. Among the many people killed here were Joseph Goddard (aged 56), his wife Sarah (aged 54), his daughter and two grandchildren. As the flood burst open the door of a cottage at Owlerton - about a mile and a quarter further along the valley - Joseph Goddard's body was washed in. He was naked except for a shirt which hung only by the button on the wrist-band. His wife's body was also found at Owlerton. Several days later, their son, Edwin, took this plastercast 'death mask' of his father (left), and had a bust made from it (right).

JESSOP, MAYOR

INTERNMENT OF THE DEAD.
I hereby give Public Notice, that the REMAINS OF ALL THE PERSONS
found Drowned will be interred THIS DAY (Monday, the 14th March),
unless, in the meantime, they are identified and removed by their Friends.
THOMAS JESSOP, Mayor.
Sheffield, 12th, March 1864.

TO THE PUBLIC. -- It is requested that the following BODIES MAY BE
identified IF POSSIBLE before noon on TUESDAY NEXT, after which time
the Police will direct their Internment.

A Man, unknown, lying at the PLUMPERS INN, TINSLEY, about 42 Years of Age.

A Man, unknown, lying at Joseph Taylor's, DON CLOSE, GREASBRO', about 25
Years of Age.

A Man and Girl, unknown, at the HOLMES TAVERN, KIMBERWORTH, Man
about 40, Girl about 10 Years of Age.

Two Women unknown, at the ANGEL INN, ROTHERRHAM, one about 50, the
other about 40 Years of Age.

One Man, one Boy, and three Women, unknown, now lying at the SHIP INN,
KILNHURST, Man aged about 45, Boy 16, Women 40, 28 and 47.

A Man from 45 to 50, a Woman about 45, and a Child about 3, at the
MONTAGU ARMS, MEXBRO'.

J. WEBSTER, Coroner.

Sheffield, March 12th. 1864.

Collar 'presented' to 'Rollo' the dog

This collar belonged to Rollo the dog - who had a narrow escape at the Philadelphia works (a little way 'up-valley' from Rutland Road), after he was saved from a house of which the whole front wall collapsed. It has since been inscribed:

THIS COLLAR WAS PURCHASED BY SUBSCRIPTION
and presented to "ROLLO"
THE PROPERTY OF MR. C. WALKER
PHILADELPHIA STEEL WORKS
MARCH 12 1864

There appears to be no record of what Rollo did to earn him this recognition

Ornament found at Trickett's farm - Mailin Bridge

This ornament was reputedly found on the premises of Trickett's farm at Malin Bridge (about 50 yards up Stanington Road from the actual bridge) on the day after the flood. It seems curious that it appears totally unblemished, while entire buildings around it were demolished.

THE CHILD IN THE CRADLE STORY

There has long been told a story of a dog who rescued a young child, floating in a cradle, from the Sheffield flood - generally referred to as 'the child in the cradle story'. This painting depicts that event, and is inscribed along the bottom: 'A FAITHFUL FRIEND : IN MEMORY OF THE GREAT SHEFFIELD FLOOD 1864'.⁷ However, as the story is nowhere officially recorded, most authorities suspect it is purely fictional - or, at least, does not relate to the Sheffield flood. However, when one considers that there is no recorded information explaining the inscription on Rollo's collar (shown above), one cannot help but feel that maybe there is some truth in the story; and that Rollo may have been the dog in question - is this him in the painting? It may simply be that, for some unknown reason, details of this story were never written down. (See 'A SURVIVOR OF THE FLOOD' - below.)

A SURVIVOR OF THE FLOOD

Her identity is uncertain, but it is believed that she is either Jane Dallaway - who was aged 4 at the time of the flood; or Mary North, who had been told by her parents that she was the 'child in the cradle' who, while floating in the flood waters, was rescued by a dog . (See 'The Child In The Cradle Story' - above.)

Flood 8

Flood Artefacts (1)

Flood Artefacts (2)

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7 - September - 01

Mick Armitage (e-mail)