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Q5. For which
notable Sheffield chess-player was the building near the top of Fargate,
opposite the top of Norfolk Row, now housing W H Smith, originally built,
and for what purpose?
A5. Arthur
Davy (1838-1902), proprietor of Arthur Davy and Sons, provision merchants,
for the purpose of housing a new shop which when it opened was reportedly
the largest provisions merchants’ shop in Britain. Upstairs the
building later incorporated the Victoria Café. (“Provision merchant”
essentially meant “grocer”, though the business also sold meat products
which the firm manufactured itself - as witnessed by the farm animals’ heads
depicted on the front of today’s W. H. Smith’s.) Arthur Davy is he
after whom the S&DCA’s Davy Trophy (division 1) as well as the Works’
League’s Davy Cup (knock-out) were named.
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