Department: Social History

Around midnight on 11 March 1864 the wall of Dale Dyke dam collapsed, sending a torrent of water down the Loxley valley, through Malin Bridge and Hillsborough. The water travelled along the Don through to Wicker and on towards Rotherham. Many homes and business were destroyed and the water killed at least 240 people. It was the worst civilian disaster of the time and became known as the Great Sheffield Flood.
Charles and Elizabeth Cooper and their children lived in Owlerton, right in the path of the flood. Their home and possessions were damaged or destroyed by the flood waters. This Bible was given to the family by the British and Foreign Bible Society to replace their copy which had been lost. Locally, these are known as “Flood bibles”.