Revealed: Barnsley’s greatest treasure

THEY FACED stiff competition from ancient Roman artefacts and ornate antique vases, but these dusty old books have been crowned Barnsley’s greatest treasure.
Cllr Roy Miller with Burland's Annals of BarnsleyCllr Roy Miller with Burland's Annals of Barnsley
Cllr Roy Miller with Burland's Annals of Barnsley

The people have spoken – and they believe the prestigious title should be awarded to the Annals of Barnsley, which detail the rich history of the town during one of its biggest periods of change.

Written by local schoolmaster and chartist John Hugh Burland, the five volumes document changes in society, the townscape and its surroundings between 1744 and 1864.

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They contain over one-and-a-half-million words and took the author many years to produce. He would toil late into the night, scribing by candlelight.

The Greatest Treasure campaign saw Barnsley museums staff delve into their collections to pick out 100 gems. Each was photographed and posted online, after which residents were asked to vote for their favourite.

Barnsley Council’s cabinet member for culture, Coun Roy Miller, said: “I’m delighted that the public have voted for Burland’s work because they were created locally and contain so much Barnsley history. Out of all the treasures, they would have taken the most time to create and took such dedication.”

The annals were donated to Barnsley Library Service in the 1890s and have been used by local historians ever since. Volunteers have almost completed a five-year project to transcribe them.