Notes on Stanbury

D R A F T NOTES ON THE LORDSHIP AND MANOR OF STANBURY Pre-History Evidence of Mesolithic settlement on upland sites in the NW of West Yorkshire along the major watersheds; evidence from Stanbury Moor in the form of three geometric microliths. 1 Bronze Age Stone circle discovered near the site of Walshaw Dean reservoir (SD 967343) on Wadsworth Moor to the SW of Stanbury Moor. The circle, 11 metres in diameter, surrounded a smaller circle, also built of stones. A second circle (SD 96213155) surveyed by the Ordnance Survey in 1962 thought to be a hut circle rather than a ceremonial circle. 2 Numerous additional National Monuments are also situated within the boundaries of the Manor of Stanbury. Anglo-Saxon Place-name: Old English Stan Burh “Stone Fortification”. Editor notes (1961) that “no trace of the fortification remains”. 3 “It is extremely difficult to isolate specific Mercian place-names. Even those containing definite Mercian forms, such as the inflected bury, rather than the uninflected borough from the OE burh (e.g. Stanbury, Dewsbury) may not go back to the 7th century, but may simply be the result of Mercian elements in the local dialect. Moreover, even if a place bears a probable Mercian name, this cannot be taken to indicate that it was actually occupied by Mercians.. It is, therefore, impossible at present to isolate specific Mercian settlements, but the possibility of their existence must be borne in mind in the course of future archaeological work in the county, especially in Agbrigg and Morley wapentakes, where the strongest evidence for Mercian influence is to be found in the place-names.” 4 Manor of Bradford held by Gamel. Possible connection with Combe Hill Cross (Gamel Cross, known locally as Camel Cross). 5 Post-Conquest 1086 The Honour of Pontefract, including the the Manor of Bradford, the Manor of Stanbury, and the Honour of Clitheroe to the immediate west in Lancashire, held by Ilbert de Lacy. Stanbury thus lies on the important east-west route which connected the strategic castles of Clitheroe and Pontefract. 1150 “Haworth township consists of the four hamlets of Haworth, Far Oxenhope, Near Oxenhope and Stanbury, each of which appears to have comprised 4 bovates. Its division into four hamlets may have been made at the time it was subinfeudated because, with the 1 exception of Stanbury, which was retained in demesne, each of the other three hamlets appear to represent 4-bovate holdings, each held for the service of a sixteenth part of a knight’s fee. The subinfeudation of Haworth township probably took place in the second half of the 12th century. If the demesne hamlet of Stanbury was taken into account as well as the three subinfeudated hamlets, a moiety of the half knight’s fee in the valley of Bradford recorded in Edmund de Lacy’s return of knight’s fees at 1242/43 will have lain in Haworth township. Haworth is not mentioned in Domesday Book, but since it later formed part of the Manor of Bradford in the Honour of Pontefract, map 19 shows it as held by Ilbert de Lacy in 1086. In common with other townships of the Manor of Bradford, it does not receive indivi- dual mention in Kirkby’s Inquest.” 6 The hamlet of Stanbury, described as a lordship in 1410/11 7, was retained in hand by the lords of the Honour of Pontefract, jurors stating in 1338/39 that its tenants were bondmen. Edmund de Lacy was granted free warren in his manor of Stanbury in 1249 and 1251, and the extent of the manor of Bradford of 1341 records its territory as held by a total of fifteen bond tenants, eight of whom held tenements of half a bovate each (i.e. a total of 4 bovates). Thir- teen of these villeins held their land by the service of carrying the lord’s victuals eight leagues from Haworth to Colne, suggesting that Stanbury, on the extreme western border of the honour of Pontefract, had been retained in demesne to assist or facilitate communication between the Yorkshire and Lancashire lands of the Lacy family. 8 1230 Grant in Frankalmoign by Robert de Everingham and Isabel, his wife, to the Abbot of Rievaulx of the vill of Hagelton and the wool of Hardeney, 12 bovates of land and half a mill of Cullingward and 3 bovates of land in Faghedr and all the tenements the monks had had of the gift of Adam son of Peter, and of John Birkin, his son in Rummlemore and Steinburg. 9 1234/35 Charter containing confirmation, with additional detail, of the above facts. The name of Isabel’s attorney, John of Rosington, suggests a location in the Barnsley area and thus Stainborough in the parish of Silkstone. 10 1239 Henry III assumes wardship of Bradford Manor during the minority of the heir. Crown officials account for the rents of “Bradford, Mervingham, Clayton, Oxenhop, Alerton, Stanbiri and Horton.” 1249 Grant to Edmund de Lacy and his heirs of free warren in the demesne lands of his manors of Pontefract, Rowell, Ledes, Berewick, Socroft, B...[damaged] Snaith, Stanbiri, Maningeham and Slatteburn, co. York, and in...[damaged] and in Wadeho, co. Northampton [Dated at Canterbury, November 1249]. 11 1252 Grant to Edmund de Lacy and his heirs of free warren in his demesne lands in the following manors [46 in all, mainly in Yorkshire, and including Stanbiri]. 12 1311 On the death of Henry de Lacy, Earl of Lincoln, his estates pass to his son-in-law, Thomas of Lancaster. Pontefract, in the West Riding, becomes a principal Lancaster resi- dence, 13 Thomas of Lancaster, the senior peer of the realm, led a group called the “Lords Ordainers”, a party of Barons opposed to the tyrannical reign of Edward II and his favorites the Despensers. Thomas was captured in Yorkshire by Edward and executed on false charges of treason and attainder. Thomas’s follower was Mortimer who, with his mistress, Queen Isabella (Edward’s queen), overthrew the King and installed the fifteen year old Prince as 2 Edward III. Henry of Lancaster, Thomas’s brother, played a significant role in the insurrec- tion in which Edward II was deposed and replaced by Edward III. 1322 Execution of Thomas of Lancaster and the confiscation of his estates by the Crown. Survey of the money, rents and works owed by the villein tenants of Stanbury, who in total hold 76 1/2 acres of land, varying in value from 3d to 8d an acre. The place-name is recorded as Stanbur. 14 1327 On accession to the throne by Edward III, Henry of Lancaster successfully peti- tions for a reversal of the judgment on his brother, Thomas of Lancaster, and is allowed to succeed to the greater part of the Lancaster estates. 15 1338/39 Jurors of Bradford manorial court state and affirm that the tenants of Stanbury are bondmen. 16 1338-1422 Survival of Court Rolls of the Manor of Bradford which identify three divisions in Stanbury: Stanbury itself, the Oldefelde (Oldfield) and Oldesnape (Oldsnap). 1345 Death of Henry of Lancaster and succession by his son, Henry of Grosmont, later Duke of Lancaster, to the Lancaster estates. 17 1347 “Adam de Everyngham of Roklay, chivaler, plaintiff; Walter de Heselarton, chivaler and Eustacia, his wife, deforciants.” Of the manor of Staynburgh. To hold to Adam and his heirs. Release and warranty by Walter and Eustacia for themselves and the heirs of Eustacia. Adam gave 100 marks. 18 1352 Margery of Oldsnape accuses fellow Stanbury tenant, John Abbot, of beating and ill treating her, and claims damages of 6d. 19 1354 Margery of Oldsnape accuses John Abbot of wasting her house and burning her timber over the previous three years, and depasturing her hay with his beasts by default of his land being unenclosed. She claims damages of 20s. but her suit is dismissed and Abbot is acquitted. However, at the same court, Abbot is found guilty of depasturing the corn of Roger Fairegh and of breaking down his hedges, and is fined 2s. for damages and 4d for tres- pass. 20 1355 Agnes, daughter of Adam Atteyate, a bondman of the Lord of Stanbury, is allowed to dwell where she wishes, on payment of annual chevage of 6d. 20 1359 Marriage of John of Gaunt, fourth son of King Edward III, to Blanche, younger of the two co-heiresses of Henry, Duke of Lancaster, and his succession to the Lacy estates, including Stanbury. 21 Roger Couper of Collyng, bondman of the Lord of Stanbury, allowed to dwell outside Stanbury on payment of annual chevage of 1s. Roger de Stanbiri, bondman of the Lord of Stanbury, found by the manor court to have been dwelling at Wirklay without a license; he is arrested, brought before the manorial steward at Pontefract, and fined 20s. 22 1361 Inquisition taken at York in April into the lands of Henry, Duke of Lancaster. His property includes Bradford and Stanbiri. His two daughters are co-heirs, the youngest, Blanche, having married John of Gaunt in 1359. Gaunt thus succeeds to the Lancaster estates. 3 1362 Old Snap described as a hamlet of Stanbury. 23 1410/11 Stanbury described as a lordship. 24 1671 Rents of the Manors of Bradford and Stanbury purchased by Henry Marsden Esq. for £ 591 4s. 8d. 25 1682 Articles of agreement between William Midgley senior “of the Oldfield” and John Cossins of Massingham, refers to “Oldfield House” in Stanbury. 26 1783 Oldfield continues to be part of Stanbury. 27 1795 Successor of Henry Marsden Esq. conveys Manors of Bradford and Stanbury to Benjamin Rawson Esq.

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