History
The name
According to A Dictionary of British Place-Names the name Whiston comes from two Old English words wite and stan - meaning "The whitestone".
The name is referred to as Widestan in the Domesday Book. Ref: 21, 47 b, 81 b
Kirkby's Inquest, refers to Westam, Whistan, Wystan, and Wytstan : -
- WYSTAN. Thomas de Furnivall tenet in eadem villa iiijor feoda milit. et di. de Roberto Luterell, et idem Robertus de rege in capite Ref: P 6
- WYTSTAN. Thomas de Furnivall pro iiijor feod. et di., qune tenet in eadem villa de Roberto Luterell, ijs. jd. Ref: P 12
- HANDESWORTH. Dominus Thomas de Furnyvall tenet de
Galfrido Luterell j feod. in Westam (sic) Handesworth
It is further stated that Galfridus Lutterall tenet baroniam de Hoton Panell, de qua dominus Thomas Furnivall tenet j feodum in Wistowe, Holdesworth et Treton; et medietas unius feodi est in manu domini regis.Ref: P 230. The places here indicated are Whiston, Handsworth and Treeton - WHISTAN-villis iJ, JRef: P 358
- Modern Name WhistonRef: P 295
In the Domesday Book account, Handsworth is connected to Whiston to form a single manor.
Read this book The Northern star, or, Yorkshire magazine edited by Arthur Jewitt
Other names: Arnketil; Count Alan; Aubrey de Coucy, Earl of Northumbria; Earnwine the priest; Erneis de Buron; Geoffrey Alselin; Gilbert Tison; Gospatric; Ilbert de Lacy; King William as landholder; Osbern d'Arques; Ralph Paynel; Robert Malet; Robert, Count of Mortain; Roger de Bully; Seaxfrith; Thomas, Archbishop of York; Thorfinnr; Thorkil; Walter d'Aincourt; William de Percy; William de Warenne
Before the Conquest, Torchil is reported as being the Lord, but after the Conquest, it was handed over to Robert, the Count of Mortain, who was the half-brother of William the Conqueror, and became a great landholder in both England and Normandy.
Thomas, Lord de Furnival of Sheffield - the son of Gerard and Matilda Furnival died in 1332 - in his will Elizabeth, his widow had for her dowry, Eyam, Stoney Middleton, Bamford and Hathersage, Derbyshire; and Treeton, Todwick, Ullay, Brampton, Catcliffe, Orgreave, and Whiston. After she died, Edward the Third, enjoyed her dowry a great many years. It then reverted to her husband's grandson by his first wife, Thomas, Lord Furnival, called 'the Hasty'.
After holding the lordship of Hallamshire for about sixty years,- the last Thomas de Furnival died childless and was succeeded by his brother, William who had a daughter - Joan. She married Sir Thomas de Nevill, a younger brother of the Earl of Westmorland, and they also had only one child a daughter Maud. From the will of her father Maud who by now was married to John Talbot, inherited the whole of the Furnival estates.
Earls of Shrewsbury
Some thirty years after his marriage to Maud - John Talbot was created the first Earl of Shrewsbury. For the next seven years the lordship of the Manor was held by John the second Earl of Shrewsbury who was killed in battle in the Wars of the Roses. The second Earl was succeeded by another John, who died at Coventry in 1473. George, the son and heir of this John Talbot became the fourth Earl of Shrewsbury.
George, Earl of Shrewsbury died in 1538, at Wingfield Manor and his body was laid to rest in the Shrewsbury Chapel, of Sheffield Parish Church. with his first wife, Ann, the mother of eleven of his children.
Francis, the son of George,born at Sheffield Castle in 1500 was lord from 1538 to 1560
The sixth Earl first married a daughter of the Earl of Rutland and when she died he married Elizabeth Hardwick , known as Bess of Hardwick. Marriage terms were in her favour and they included the stipulation that their children should intermarry:
- the Earl's son, Gilbert Talbot, taking her daughter, Mary Cavendish, as his wife
- and her son, Henry Cavendish, taking the Earl's daughter, Grace Talbot, as his wife.
George and Bess eventually parted, he retired to live at Handsworth Hall. George died in 1590 .
Gilbert seventh Earl of Shrewsbury was last to inherit the lordship of Sheffield , after his death - he had no son, his property passed briefly to his brother, Edward, who died after nine months when all the Talbot estates were then divided between Gilbert's three daughters, Alethea, Mary and Elizabeth.
Dukes of Norfolk
Ten years earlier, Alethea had married Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, and so the Sheffield estates were absorbed, by marriage, into the property of the Dukes of Norfolk who spent most of their time abroad.
The village of Whiston was sold to Sir George Sitwell in 1823.
By the 18th Century the village had grown. A number of properties still exist that were already built such as Whiston Hall and Abdy Farm.
In the 18th Century Morthen Hall was built for the Rev. O. Browne and the Village Stocks were erected - though not where they now stand. The stocks were last used in 1870 when William Tabby Jervis of Melrose Cottages was placed in them.
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