Wednesday, 4 March 2015

A Walk Around Crookes - Tuesday 3 March 2015


Here are the notes I used on the final walk in Crookes Crookes - Tuesday 3 March - 17.00 pm - 18.30 pm

The final walk in Crookes, will be led by Chris Hobbs where we will revisit the 2 mile walk around Crookes, focusing on the cemetery and the stories of people who lay there. We will find out about the gruesome Chinese Laundry Murder which caused the papers to tag it "one of the most sensational crimes Sheffield police have ever investigated". This circular walk starts outside Barretts Café (S10 1TF).

 Crookes Baptist Church


Crookes Cemetery - It was opened in 1906, and covers 29 acres (120,000 m2). Over 29,000 burials have taken place since its opening.



Graves of Sir Stuart Goodwin (1889-1969) founder of the Neepsend Steel and Tool Corporation was born at 120 Upperthorpe, he was one of Sheffield’s premier industrialists in the inter war period. He later became one of the City’s most renowned patrons, funding Sheffield’s Christmas illuminations for many years and the Goodwin Sports Centre, he is commemorated by the Goodwin Fountain in the Peace Gardens

Henry Boot -Doreen Ackerman nee Morrison - John Maxfield -George Chandler and David Piper - Beighton Rail Disaster 11th February 1942



2 quarries on the south side (no great depth) and 1 on the north side (Sandersons) – latter 60-80ft deep – peaked 1890-1905. Decline and rented flat section of quarry to Mudfords (Ropemakers) – 100 yard lengths of hemp rope. Moved to Broughton Lane and then Petre Street. After 1945 domestic tip with ashes


Mount Zion – Wesley Tower

1790 Part shown on Fairbanks map 1851 Honey Poke 1876 Mary Awdas  - Isabella Howlden upto 1913 Edna Depledge (Lincoln Cathedral Boston Stump?) demolished 1968


St Thomas Church Crookes - Appeal 1837

"The district of Crookes, including Tapton,Steven Hills,Crookes Moor Side etc.at this time contains a population (which is rapidly increasing) of 1500 souls, nearly destitute of Pastoral superintendence and instruction. To provide for this lamentable destitution, a few friends of religion and The Established Church commenced a subscription for building a Small Church..."


 The trustees who gave the Church the original £1,350 were

Miss Harrison of Weston  Miss Rawson of Philadelphia  Reverend W.H.Vale of Ecclesall Joseph Wilson of Clifford George Younge of Sheaf House

The church is a classic Victorian church with a square tower and gothic arch stained glass windows


The foundation stone for the Church which incidentally given by local quarry owners was laid on 30th August 1839 by a Henry Wilson of Westbrook. Local farmers did much of the work for free. The Church had a nave,south aisle and porch, short chancel and west pinnacled tower. In fact St Thomas's had the same design as the smaller Christ Church Gleadless which was built two years earlier.. St Thomas's Church and the adjacent Burial ground were consecrated on October 1st 1840 by the Archbishop of York and the Church soon began rectifying the "lamentable destitution" that had occurred in the Parish

BAPTISM - the first christening in the Church Register occurred on December 6th 1840 when Joseph Dixon (born October 23rd 1840) the son of Joesph and Mary Dixon of Broomhill was baptised. His father Joseph's occupation was that of Groom

BURIAL - On March 23rd 1841 the first burial occurred in the Churchyard. Charles Joseph the infant son of Mr Fairbank of Mount Pigsah near Crookes

MARRIAGE - the first marriage occurred over 16 years after the Church was first opened. On January 1857 Andrew Smith a draper aged 40 of Victoria Street and the son of John Smith a farmer married Mary Brookes aged 30 of Crookes Road. Her father James was a manufacturer

CONFIRMATION - the first confirmations occurred on April 1st 1908 included 48 persons from St Thomas's and seven from St Timothy's. All were aged between 12 - 21



Wesley Hall - Crookes The Chapel had to be enlarged and re-developed several times as the work of the church grew. But it was still too small. Finally, in 1907 the foundation stones were laid for a completely new building, on a new site, that could accommodate up to 1000 people – Wesley Hall.



The decision to build a new church was not just based on the need for more accommodation. It marked the beginning of a new phase in the church’s mission to the people of Crookes. Since the Wesleyan Chapel was first built in 1836, Crookes had been transformed from a village into a densely populated suburb. The vision for Wesley Hall was that it would be “a church where rich and poor, ignorant and cultured, would all be welcomed, and the Christian cause would be exalted.”
Pickmere Road Tramsheds

 Crookes Picture Palace opened its doors on 2nd December 1912. The building was primarily a brick building with a cement frontage. Above the entrance to the cinema were some embossed decorations and the name "Crookes Picture Palace". The front of the building was flush with the adjoining shops and a blind alley ran down one side of the building to accommodate the queues waiting to see the films. The overall capacity of the cinema was 660.

The proprietors of The Picture Palace were Hallamshire Cinemas Ltd. In 1931 a Western Electric Sound System was installed. The cinema remained open until 2nd April 1960 when it shut its doors for the final time. The last film to be shown was the Brigitte Bardot classic "Babette Goes To War" and "Senior Prom" with Jill Corey.


231 Crookes - site of the Crookes Chinese Laundry Murder 1922 -

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