Wentworth Woodhouse has a history covering more than four centuries. The house as we see it today is largely the vision of one man, Thomas Watson-Wentworth, the 1st Marquis of Rockingham. He inherited the estate unexpectedly in 1723 and set about remodelling the sizeable 1630's house he inherited into the vast palace which is now a Grade 1 listed building.
Thomas Watson-Wentworth, 1693-1750, was a devoted father and husband, a politician, major landowner and a prolific builder during the early years of the Age of Enlightenment. If Horace Walpole is to be believed, he died 'drowned in claret' and was buried at York Minster.
2023 marks the 300th anniversary of this inheritance. The family papers of the 1st Marquis are housed at the Sheffield Archives. This project will provide an opportunity to study archive materials relating to a number of aspects of the life of thisfascinating man and his family. We aim to digitise and transcribe a significant selection of this primary source material and use it to inform a range of activities and visitor experiences for 2023 to celebrate the 300th anniversary.
The materials cover a wide range of subjects, from household accounts, estate records and political papers to family letters, including details of how the 1st Marquis and his wife supported the inoculation of their own children against smallpox in the 1740s.
We have ambitious plans to showcase the results of this research in a range of physical and online environments throughout 2023. We are also working in collaboration with Wentworth Castle, just a few miles away from Wentworth Woodhouse, whose creator, Lord Raby, fully expected to inherit the Wentworth Woodhouse estates himself, rather than Thomas Watson-Wentworth. A legendary family feud is reputed to have existed between the two men and this alleged rivalry is often cited as one reason for the enormous scale of Wentworth Woodhouse itself. We hope that this project will establish the truth behind the legend.
Applicant Profile
Excellent communicator
Self motivated
Outstanding organisational abilities
Effective team player
Proven research capabilities
Ability to photograph, catalogue and store research/archival materials
Good computer literacy
Experience of working in a heritage sector environment
Scholarship Details
Students who are selected for this internship will be awarded a £665 Arts and Heritage Internship Award. Please note this may not be enough to cover the full cost of this internship.
Location: Wentworth Woodhouse is located about 15 miles from Sheffield. There will be opportunities to visit the house and grounds as part of the internship programme. The Sheffield Archives are located in the centre of Sheffield, very close to the main train station. This will be the principal location for the internship programme, as all of the primary source material is stored here.
The site we occupy is a Grade 1 listed building that has only recently been opened for public access. This provides challenges in terms of access. For example, there are no lifts in any of the buildings on site, meaning that areas above or below ground floor level are not accessible to people with mobility impairments.
Over time, this will change and we have a central ambition to make Wentworth Woodhouse the most accessible heritage site in the country.
For now, we provide adjustments which allow wheelchair access to the ground floor of the Mansion and have used technology in the workplace to assist members of our team with special needs. We have also created a series of Virtual Tours for members of the public who aren't able to access areas of the house above or below ground floor level.
A personal statement, explaining both why they are interested in the placement and the organisation, and why they would be well-suited to the post
We do not ask students to provide references with their applications; however, if the employer would like to request a reference for a shortlisted applicant, they may do so by approaching the applicant directly.
