Editing Stocksbridge (section)

== Early history ==
[[File:Stocksbridge Town Hall - geograph.org.uk - 4627496.jpg|thumb|left|[[Stocksbridge Town Hall]]]]
[[File:Stocksbridge - Little Don Outlet - geograph.org.uk - 1396745.jpg|thumb|258px|The [[Little Don]]]]
Until the early 18th century, what is now Stocksbridge was a [[deciduous]]ly wooded valley, running from [[Midhopestones]] at its northwestern extremity to [[Deepcar]] at its southeastern end. A river, originally called the Hunshelf Water and later renamed the [[Little Don]], ran through the valley. This river was also, unofficially, called the Porter, probably on account of its peaty colour. A dirt road, connecting [[Sheffield]] with [[Manchester]], ran through the woods adjacent to the river. There were a few stone houses in the valley and a sprinkling of farms on each hillside.<ref name="branston">{{cite book |first=Jack |last=Branston |title=History of Stocksbridge |date=1983 |edition=1st |publisher=Stocksbridge Town Council}}</ref>{{rp|38}}
[[File:Stocksbridge Works Institute - geograph.org.uk - 1033361.jpg|thumb|270px|The works institute]]
In 1716 John Stocks, a local farmer and landowner, occupied a [[fulling]] mill halfway along the valley where a [[floodplain|flood plain]], created by meltwater at the end of the last [[ice age]], extended southwest from the river. Here he reputedly built a footbridge over the river, perhaps so that his workforce could reach the mill from their homes on the north side. This originally wooden structure, Stocks' Bridge, gave the place its name, not only because it was about the only thing there apart from the mill itself,<ref name="branston" />{{rp|40}} but also because as a crossing place it appeared under that name on Thomas Jeffrey's map of 1772, so establishing itself as a place name. On various occasions, this bridge was destroyed by flooding, and it was eventually replaced by a stone structure in 1812.<ref>{{cite web |title=Stocksbridge Area|publisher=Stocksbridge and District History Society |url=http://www.stocksbridgehs.co.uk/archive/stocksbridge/|access-date=12 December 2016}}</ref>

In 1794 three businessmen, Jonathan Denton, Benjamin Grayson and Thomas Cannon,<ref name="branston" />{{rp|15}} built a large cotton mill extremely close by, or possibly upon, the site of the original mill.

The [[Church of St Matthias, Stocksbridge|parish church of St Matthias]] was consecrated in 1890.

Stocksbridge historically straddled the large parishes of [[Penistone]] and [[Ecclesfield]]. In 1872 a [[Local board of health#Local Government Act 1858|local government district]] called Stocksbridge was created, governed by an elected local board.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23888|page=3741|date=20 August 1872}}</ref><ref>{{London Gazette|issue=23923|page=5616|date=26 November 1872}}</ref> Such districts were converted into [[urban district (England and Wales)|urban districts]] in 1894. The current [[Stocksbridge Town Hall]] was constructed in 1928. The district was merged into the [[City of Sheffield]] in 1974.<ref>{{cite web |title=Sources for the History of Stocksbridge |url=https://www.sheffield.gov.uk/sites/default/files/docs/libraries-and-archives/archives-and-local-studies/local-area-history/stocksbridge-community-history.pdf |website=Sheffield Libraries |publisher=Sheffield City Council |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=SAMR010.jpg |url=https://www.stocksbridgehs.co.uk/collection/?sid=1151&q=&p=1 |website=Stocksbridge & District History Society |access-date=29 December 2023}}</ref>