Sheffield Town Trust

The Sheffield Town Trust, formerly officially known as the Burgery of Sheffield, is a charitable trust operating in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England.

The Town Trust was established in the Charter to the Town of Sheffield, granted in 1297. Thomas de Furnival, Lord of the Manor of Sheffield, granted land to the freeholders of Sheffield in return for an annual payment, and a Common Burgery administrated them. The Burgery originally consisted of public meetings of all the freeholders, who elected a Town Collector.

By the 1540s, the Burgery was unable to maintain essential public works, or to provide for local unemployed people. In 1554, a charter established the Twelve Capital Burgesses and Commonality of the Town and Parish of Sheffield to maintain the parish church and area immediately around it. This effectively split the old Burgery in two, while giving it increased powers and responsibilities.

In 1681, a commission formed a group of thirteen people, known as the Town Trustees, to assume the administrative role. This body was to be maintained by the nomination and appointment of the "greater number of inhabitants" of the town. The Trustees were headed by the Town Collector, one of the most senior officials in the town. They were to hold elections for new members only when three of their number were dead.

The Trustees were responsible for the repair of Lady's Bridge, Barkers Pool, various highways and the city's wells, and also for some charitable works. In 1700, they constructed a town hall by Sheffield Parish Church to provide themselves with a meeting place. By the eighteenth century, they were contributing to major works, including the River Don Navigation and the Sheffield to Chesterfield turnpike road. However, the increase in population of the early nineteenth century limited their ability to fulfil their duties. Other than subscriptions to the construction of a new Town Hall and Cutlers Hall, they restricted themselves to road works.

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