This is a reproduction of the first ever map of Leeds drawn c.1560. It came about as a result of a court case when Thomas Lyndeley, the franchisee of the Queen’s Mill, sued Thomas Falkingham for building a mill at what became known as Millgarth. The judge ordered that a map be drawn to demonstrate the proximity of the mills to each other. The case dragged on for twenty years before Lyndeley was ordered to demolish his building.
Over more than a century, the Society has built up a number of special collections, notably its archive, map and image collections, which have recently been re-catalogued to make them more accessible. These collections are housed in the Society’s library, based at the Leeds Library, 18 Commercial Street, Leeds LS1 6AL.