M E M O R I A L S O F A YOR KS H I RE PARI S H AN H I S T O R I C A L S K E T C H O F T H E P AR I SH O F D AR R I N G T O N FLET H ER BY . s C J . W R EN DR W S BY G P R OD ES ITH T HI TE A ING . H LONDON : OH N LANE T H E B L J , OD EY H EAD NEW YORK : JOH N LANE COM PANY M CM XVII TH E MEM ORY OF MY SON WILFRID JO HN LID D ON FLETCHER WHO GAVE HIS LIFE FOR H IS COUNTRY NEAR GH ELUVELT IN FLAN D E RS OC B R 2 TH 1 1 TO E 9 , 9 4 P REFACE HAVE endeavoured in the following pages to write W a in a r a ai m r h t , the n tu e of things , c nnot cl m to be o e a a r ra i r th n sketch , oughly d wn , of the h sto y of the parish in which I lived as a boy an d for which I retain a ar f i it m a i o a r w m a fect on . I hope y g ve s me ple su e to the i in arri a a and a if it folk who l ve D ngton now d ys , th t does nothing else it will stir up young people to take an interest i n a ir il a r a the p st of the V l ge . Some one of them , pe h ps , m ay be sufficiently stirred to find out more about that past a a a an d i his th n I h ve been ble to find , to g ve fellow villagers a better an d more complete account of D arrington a r i th n I have he e g ven . I am under great an d grateful indebtedness to the in v aluable publications Of the Yorkshire Archaeological S i r ir P ari i r i r oc ety , the Yo ksh e sh Reg ste Soc ety , the Tho esby i and r S i ari r Soc ety , the Su tees oc ety to the v ous wo ks of i r m a Mr . a P ra the l te R ch d Holmes of ontef ct , one of the ost ar and a a i a i aria ri r his i le ned p inst k ng nt qu n w te s of t me , for whose labours his fellow-Yorkshiremen of like tastes feel a deepening an d gr owing admiration an d respect to i r a m . a n r Mr . the publ shed p pe s d emo anda of the late . T W ar a r ia i ar r ‘ a Tew of C leton , nothe enthus st c se che into the p st an d r i ar arri r a to the p esent V c of D ngton , the Reve end C non i an d r ra i Wran ham r Atk nson , the Reve end F nc s g , Recto of ar i ir for i an d i . H denhuish , W ltsh e , much k nd help suggest on am ar i lar i Mr a i And I p t cu ly ndebted to . J mes S ngleton of VI I viii MEMORIALS OF A YORKSHIRE PARISH h as ar i for a a Leeds , who c efully cop ed me m ny ncient docu and h as r r a a n ments , fu the dded to the debt of Oblig tio a e i I owe him by m king the Ind x to th s book . F s . J. T H E C SSW YS RO A , H M B K C I C S E A ROO , H HE T R , N o er 1 1 6 . vem b , 9 CO NT E NT S P RE F ACE INTRODUCTION CHAP T E R I . THE B EGINNINGS II . THE NORMAN SETTLEMENT D E E III . THE LACY OWN RSHI P V D TH E I E E E U I . ARRINGTON IN TH RT NTH C NT RY ’ V M D E . THE FITZ WILLIA S AND THE SCARGILLS TH E VI . FRIARS E VII . THE SIX TEENTH C NTURY 0 VIII . DARRINGTON CHURCH : 1 53 E IX . THE R F ORMATION P F X . THE AUS TWI CK S OF ONTE RACT XI . THE WE N TB RI D GE CHANTRY P E XII . STA LETON AN D THE HOLGAT FAMILY T H E XIII . P ARISH RE GISTERS N 1 0— 1 6 0 XIV . SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIO S : 55 5 TH E XV . SAVILE FAMILY T XVI . H E S AVI LE S AT STAP LETON V . NE VI S HI HW YM X II N ON , THE G A AN - 0 XVIII . MANOR OF D ARRINGTON : 1 709 1 75 - XIX . MANOR O F STAP LE TON : 1 702 1 749 — XX . CHURCH LI F E : 1 700 1 750 XXI . FARME RS AN D FARMING IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY XXII . VILLAGE LI F E AND THE METHODISTS - XXIII . MANOR O F STAP LETON : 1 76 2 1 8 1 4 V MR . XXI . E R . P ETRE AT STAP LETON ix ' x MEMORIALS OF A YORKSHIRE PARISH T H E B ARTO N FAM ILY THE E N D O F T H E COACHING D AYS THE S OTH E R ON S AN D S OTH E RO N -E S TCO URTS — D ARRINGTO N : 1 83 5 1 875 TH E AGRICULTURAL D ISASTER TH E R E VIVAL O F CHURCH LI F E T H E P RE SE NT AND TH E FUTURE NO TE S IN D E X I LLUST RAT ION S DA RR I NGTO N CH UR C H F r on tispiece I NT E RI O R DA R R I NGTO N CH URCH Tof ace pag e R W D RR I N O N . A GT CH U CH : N . T H E T I H E B R N D R R I N O N T A , A GT TH E OLD VICA RAG E DAR R INGT ON H ALL E R W N ND R S S RO D S D RR I N TH C O N IN A C O A , A NGTO S TA P LE TON H ALL C RI DL ING P A RK FA R M WE NT B R I D GE WE N H I LL F RM WE NT B RI DGE T A , WE NT B R I DG E CH URCH O LD B AY HO RS E NN N D B R I D E WE NT B RI DG E I A G , I NT RO D UCT ION HE parish of Darrington lies in the centre of the a a Os oldcross a i W pent ke of g , one of the nc ent divisions of the south-east portion of the West i ir r r Rid ng of Yorksh e . It is th ee miles f om - P a r a r r r r . ontefr ct , twelve f om Donc ste , twenty fou f om Yo k is r r r r It inte sected , du ing its entire length f om no th to south , r a r a hi r r a i i by the G e t No th Ro d , w ch he e fo ms d v ding line between it s two principal manors of D arrington and Staple i are ia i a ton . Both these townsh ps within the eccles st c l ari a Wentb rid e a are p sh so , too , is the vill ge of g so , lso , r the outlying hamlets of G ove and Cridling . In extent the parish is one of the largest in the county its history can be traced from the time of E dward the Confessor it h as never known any other industry than that of agriculture ; it is a of am in E the only pl ce its n e ngland . The immediate surroundings of this parish are full of i d r a r P r a an . a histo c l om ntic inte est Its m rket town , onte a is as a a lOn a o in all o . fr ct , , De n Swift s id g g , our hist ries On ar Wentb rid e at B arn sdale are a the bound y of g , , the l st r a r r B runeswald . stretches of the g e t Fo est of She wood , the r a a a o d . of He ew rd the W ke , the h unt of Robin H o At rr ri r a a Fe yb dge , on the no thern bound ry of the p rish , i ia r r r a a a W ll m the Conque o ested for m ny we ry d ys , seeking a a a r - a r e p ss ge , Yo k w rds , ove the swollen Aire , th n in flood , an d spendin g his enforced leisure in studying the strategic possibilities of the frowning promontory on which his hench m an t a as i P a w a C t .