Ken Dash, a well known local archaeologist and historian gave a very interesting and informative analysis of the history of Meersbrook Hall and how Sheffield grew during this time.
The Hall was built in 1759 by John Roebuck, the literal meaning of Meersbrook being “boundary brook” indicating that at some time, the brook was a boundary between regional areas of England. It is thought that this location was chosen owing to its proximity to an old coaching road from Sheffield to Derby, dating back to 1616. By 1756 the road had received substantial improvement, making it considerably more passable, thereby providing better and more reliable access to the area. In addition, there were already existing buildings on the chosen site, namely a barn and a second building with living accommodation, which, presumably, became useful to house those starting to build the Hall. Sheffield was regarded as a small town in the early 18th century, surrounded as it was with a rural outlook and a population of a mere 12,000.
In 1778, the Hall passed to the Shore family after John Roebuck and his family moved to Portland Place in Bath, where John died in 1786.The Shore family’s tenure at the Hall extended to almost 90 years, with the last members of the family dying in 1864. By this time, Sheffield had become a significant industrial town, with a population of 200,000. A previous census in 1831 had estimated Sheffield’s population to be around 92,000, so in the subsequent 30 years the growth and industrial might of Sheffield had grown rapidly.
It was fascinating to hear from Ken that Florence Nightingale, that icon of nursing, had a connection with Meersbrook Hall. This came about when Florence’s father, William Shore, changed his name to Nightingale, on inheriting the estate of his uncle, Peter Nightingale.
After the demise of the Shores, the Hall passed to The Milner family in 1865 during which time Sheffield continued to grow, helped by the building of a railway, which connected Sheffield to other cities, so much so that by 1894 Sheffield’s population had grown to 325,000, resulting in both Sheffield and Meersbrook Hall beginning to lose their rural settings.
The Hall’s final role was that of the Ruskin Museum, named after John Ruskin, from 1935 until 1953, after which it was used as offices by the Parks Department of Sheffield City Council until 1960, since when it has remained empty.
Meersbrook Hall is now in need of substantial restoration, and although the structure itself is sound, the roof, windows and other parts of the Hall have deteriorated to such an extent that the restoration is estimated to need something of the order of £8 million. Unfortunately, funding has not yet become available. It is to be hoped that this might eventually be forthcoming, as it would be a great shame if Sheffield were to lose one of its few historic buildings. Meersbrook Park is open to the public, although access to the Hall itself is not permitted.