Though Sheffield maintained its staple manufactures, it did not, during the 17th century, increase much in commercial importance. With the 18th century the business of the town began rapidly to make progress. In 1700 the town-hall was built, where the town buaiaess was transacted and the sessions held. In 175] the river Don was made navigable to Tinsley, within three mile. of Sheffield, but it was not till 1819 that the water communication was continued to the town by the opening of the Sheffield and Tinsley Canal. It was how ever in the latter half of the 18th century that the town made its most rapid advances. The art of silver-plating, invented by an inge nious mechanic named Thomas Bolsover, was so extensively applied hero as to be soon generally known as Sheffield plate; the composition called Tritium's( metal was also invented and very largely manu factured here; lead-works and silk- and cotton-mills were established; and the merchants opened for the first time a direct communication with the continent ; while towards the end of the century steam power was employed in the manufactures of the town. Stage-coaches too were started to run to London ; a bank was opened in the town ; shambles and market buildings were erected; and reservoirs were formed in the neighbourhood for supplying the town with water.
During the present century Sheffield has been steadily advanciag in prosperity and importance, and now display. all the features of a manufacturing town of the first class. As most of the merchants and principal manufacturers reside in the country, there are few dwelling-houses of a superior grade, but of late the shops in the principal streets have been rendered more ornamental, eerie:ma good public bnildinge have been erected, and the general appearance of the town has been much improved. The streets are all well paved and lighted with gas. Sheffield in 1851 possessed 70 plums of worship, of which 26 belonged to Methodists, 23 to the Church of Englund, 10 to Independents, 4 to Baptists, and ono each to Quakers, Unitarians, Roman Catholics, Irvingites, and Jews. The total number of sittings provided was 44,189. The old parish church, a spacious cruciform gothic structure, 240 feet long by 130 feet broad, with a tower and lofty spire rising from the intersection, stands near the centre of the town. In the interior are several interesting monuments and pieces of sculpture. St. Paul's, erected in 1721, and St. James's, in 1789, are in the Grecian style. St. George's, built by the Parliamentary Commissioners in 1825, at a cost of more than 14,000L, is a handsome and commodious edifice, in the style of the 14th century, with a fine western tower 139 feet high. The Roman Catholic chapel, opened in 1550, is in the decorated style, and cost about 8000/. It is cruciform, with a tower, surmounted with an elegant crocketed spire 200 feet high. The Royal Free Grammar school, founded in 1619, free to 30 boys for classic., has an income from endowment of about 150/. a year ; it is under the care of a head and three other masters, and had SO scholars In 1854. Wesley College, an extensive and handsome range
of buildings, erected in 1538 at a cost—including the price of six acres of land, used as pleasure-grounds—of about 15,0001., has accommo dation for about 250 boarders. It is under the care of a governor, who is also chaplain, a head master, and 16 other teachers. The number of scholars' in 1553 was 150. The Collegiate Proprietary school, founded in 1835, is under a principal and 8 other teachers, and had 79 scholars in 1854. A Charity school, founded about 1710, sup ports, clothes, and educates about 100 boys : another, founded about 1786, provides instruction, clothing, and maintenance for 70 girls. There are several National, British, and Infant schools ; three Wes leyan day schools ; a Roman Catholic school ; the People's College; a ltagged school ; a School of Design; the Sheffield Library, established in 1771. which has about 20,000 volumes, and about 280 subscribers; the Mechanic, and Apprentices Library, commenced in 1824, which has about 8000 volumes and about 700 subscribers; a literary and philosophical society, with • museum ; an athenteum, with reading library, AO.; a mechanics institution and lyceum, with library, reading-rooms. lecture-room, itc.; and a Church of England instruction society, with chimes. a library, a book-club, and a museum.
The public buildings consist of the town-hall; the Cutlere-hall; the corn-eacbange, erected in 1830 by the Duke of Norfolk, who owns the ground un which a large portion of the town is built ; the or the Norfolk market, opened on Christmas ere, ISM, a spacious structure 296 feet by H5 feet, with a roof of Iron and glass, erected by the Duke of Norfolk at a cost of about 40,000/.; the fire-office, the assay-office, the assembly-rooms and theatre, the music-hall, two naive-rooms, and the public baths. The cemetery is an extensive and well laid-out piece of ground of about 14 acre* in extent, on the slope of a bill about a mile from the town. The botanial gardens, which are of considerable extent, are for beauty of situation unrivalled.
Among the charitable institutions are the General Infirmary, a noble building. on the north-west side of the town, with fever wards erected near it ; the dispeneary, and the Shrewsbury hospital, esta blished and munificently endowed by the Earl of Shrewsbury, and which has been re-erected on a new site in a simple yet elegant style of architecture. In this hospital 20 poor men and 20 poor women have dwellings and weekly allowances. Hollis's hospital for poor women, widows of cutlers, providca for 17 almswomen and a governor, allows stipends to several clergymen and schoolmasters, and sustains • school for 70 children. Tho Licensed Victuallers' Asylum, near Grimsthorpe, erected in 1848, consists of a row of neat cottages in tho Tudor style. Several valuable charities are under the manage ment of the Cutlers' Company. There is a savings bank ha the town.