A lokacin 1740s, an gano wani nau'i na tsari na karfe wanda ya ba da damar yin amfani da karfe mafi kyau fiye da yadda aka yi a baya. A kusan lokaci guda, an kirkiro wata hanya don haɗuwa da wani nau'i na azurfa a kan wani nau'i na jan karfe don samar da azurfa, wanda aka sani da Sheffield plate. Wadannan sababbin abubuwa sun bunkasa Sheffield a matsayin birni na masana'antu, amma asarar wasu kasuwanni masu mahimmanci sun haifar da koma baya a ƙarshen karni na 18 da farkon karni na 19. Yanayin da ya haifar da mummunan yanayi ya haifar da cutar kwalara wanda ya kashe mutane 402 a 1832.
ƙwayar cuta