ECCLESFIELD                                                                                                                                                                                        from Hallamshire by Joseph Hunter*

Entrance to St. Mary's Church

THE village of Ecclesfield lies due north of the town of Sheffield, at the distance of five miles. The great turnpike-road from Leeds to London through Sheffield passes near, and the church of Ecclesfield and parsonage-house situated on a little eminence present themselves pleasing objects to the traveller who is journeying southward. He has at the same time on the left the majestic woods of Wentworth, with the graceful Ionic column rising from amidst them erected by the late Marquis of Rockingham to commemorate a political triumph in the acquittal of his friend Admiral Keppel. Wentworthhouse and its woods are now what Sheffield-manor and its woods once were. May it be long before the seat of the noble house of Wentworth shall be what the seat of the house of Talbot now is!

The church or chapel of Bradfield is subordinate to the church of Eccesfield, from which it is six miles distant. We shall speak of it and its spacious parish or chapelry in another article. We have now to attend to what forms more particularly the parish of Ecclesfield, of which the church and village are nearly at the central point. Its boundary line on the north and west coincides with the boundary of the wapentake of Strafford and Tickhill. On those sides it adjoins Tankersley and its chapelry of Wortley. On the east it has Wentworth and Rotherham, and on the south Sheffield.

The duke of Norfolk is lord of the manor, owner of the rectory, and patron of the church. He has much land and extensive woods. But there are many ancient freeholds, and houses which in the common Language of the neighbourhood are dignified with the name of halls. Several of these are now deserted by their proprietors. The families in whom they descended from generation to generation have either become extinct, or have retreated to a greater distance from the smoke and other annoyances of the iron-manufactures. In the neighbourhood of Chapeltown are extensive iron-works. Some portion of the Sheffield manufactures is found here. All the nails manufactured in HaIlamshire are made in this parish. The parish produces coal and iron-stone. At the village of Ecclesfield is a cotton-factory. But still the general character is rather that of an agricultural than a manufacturing district. There have been some recent inclosures, so that there is now but little land in an unproductive state. In 1801 the parish contained 1020 houses, and 5,114 inhabitants. In 1811 its inhabitants were 5,834.

This is the district surveyed in Domesday-book under the name of Eclesfelt. In the Saxon times it was in the hands of six proprietors; and hence according to the nomenclature of that survey it was said to consist of or to contain six manors. But it had only four rated carucates, and there were only two villeins, and as many bordarii. There was a pasturable wood of little more than two square leuae in extent. In the time of the Confessor it was valued at three pounds. At the time of the survey it was worth only ten shillings. The Norman had been there.

The names of the six Saxon lords were Ulfac, Elsi, Godrie, Dunnine, Elmar, and Norman. Ulfac we have met before as lord of Grimesthorpe. Godric had Brinsford and Greasborough, neighbouring manors. Elsi and Norman had other property in the wapentake. Perhaps Elsicar may derive its name from this person. Roger de Bush is returned as sole Norman lord.

Very soon after the Conquest a religious house was erected at the village of Ecclesfield which was made dependent on the foreign monastery of Saint Wandrille. It was under the superintendence of a prior. Of its founder we are ignorant; but most probably it was either Roger de Bush or the Countess Judith, a known benefactor to that house. It was exhibited in parliament in the reign of King Edward III. that tile church of Ecclesfield was founded by the monks of St. Wandrille three hundred years before, which fixes its foundation and also the existence of the priory at a period not long after the Conquest.

But by whomsoever it was founded, the priory of Ecclesfield acquired a predominant interest in the whole parish. When De Lovetot succeeded to the interest of De Busli in this neighbourhood, he found but a divided sovereignty at Ecclesfield. We have already given a deed by which it was intended to define the respective rights of the monks and of De Lovetot. But much seems to have been left unsettled; for from the time of King John to the seventh of Edward I. we find the lords of Hallamshire engaged in legal discussions with the monks touching this manor of Ecclesfield.

Fines 7 John. Ebor. It is commanded to the sheriff of York that he take into the hand of the lord the king the manur of Ecclesfield which belonged to Ralph de Ecclesfield, and hold it until 100 marks which said Ralph owed to Gerard de Furnival be paid.

It would appear as if the question was now set to rest. But in Kirkby's Inquest, and the Nomina Vii- ding, Thomas de Furnival is returned lord of Ecclesfield and in a somewhat later period this manor is settled in dower on Elizabeth countess of Shrewsbury

The Vicarage

On the seventh of the ides of September 1310, William archbishop of York ordained that there should be a perpetual vicar in the church of Ecclesfield with the chapel of Bradfield.

Anno l337. The prior of Ecclesfield was presented with tythes, garbs and hay only being excepted, which with other abbots and priors should belong to the said religious entirely.

27 July 1704 .Thomas Bosvile, S.T.B.

23 July 1708 Williemus Steer, ob, 1745

Thomas Bright, ob 23 Jan. 1768

Henry Downes, ob. 1775

James Dixon, presented in 1775

Chaplain to the late Marquis of Rockngham

Of Rowland Hancock we have before spoken. Edward Mansel, 'judicious Mansel, grave and holy', has a monument in the church. He was of a Northamptonshire family, and married Mrs. Saxton, a daughter of George Westby of Gilthwaite, gent. A short catechism compiled by him is still used among the descendants of his parishioners in the fifth degree. He rebuilt the parsonage-house, and left a parcel of land lying near Ecclesfield Common to the Church forever William Steer was the eldest son of a father of both his names, who resided at Darnall and whose younger son Charles also brought up to the church had the living of Hansworth. The inscription on the monument of Mr. Steer in the Church of Ecclesfield was written by the Rev. John Balguy of Northallerton. Mr. Downes was also curate of Saint Paul's in Sheffield.

Over the door of the parsonage-house is the following inscription: .

Floreat ecclesia.'

The Parish-Church

The church is dedicated to St. Mary.

The church of Ecclesfield is called by the vulgar, and that deservedly, the Minster of the Moors, being the fairest church for stone, wood, glass, and neat keeping that ever I came in of country church.' So two centuries ago said Dodsworth; and though it since his time it has suffered much, especially to its windows, it is still a remarkably fine village church, and contains much that may recommend it to the attention of the antiquary

Ecclesfield was a wealthy parish; and at the beginning of the sisteenth century, the principal families residing within it, and other parties who were connected with it, determined to ornament the windows of this church with painted glass.

There was some professor of this art in the reign of Henry VII. whose hand appears in many of the churches of the west riding.

Dodsworth saw the church when the windows so ornamented were entire. The following account of its fenestral decorations will be found to embrace all the particulars which he has preserved, or what are to be found in the beautiful manuscript Monumenta Elaborencia compiled under the inspection of Sir William Dugdale..

East widow of the north aile. The figure of a knight kneeling having on his surcoat the arms of FitzWilliam, Lozengy argent and gules, with the sable mullet the distinction of that branch of this right ancient familv, which flourished at Aldwaik, a little district near the Don, remote from the rest of the parish of Ecclesfield, but which is understood to pertain to it.

There were also the effigies of his lady, of seven sons and as many daughters, all kneeling.

I do not find more in Dodsworth or Dugdale respecting the Fitz-William window. But while the figures and inscription have either wholly or for the most part perished, there have been spared several shields of arms, impalements of the family of Sir Richard Fitz-William, viz.

Wentworth, Sable, a chevron between three leopards' heads or, impaling FITZ-WILLAM. Reresby, Gules on a bend argent, three crosses patonce sable, impaling the same. MIRFIELD, [Vert] two lions passant argent, impaling the same. FITZ-WILLIAM of Sprodborough, without the mullet, impaling the same. FITZ-WILLIAM impaling argent, three bars gules.

There is no monumental memorial for Sir Richard Fitz-Williarn who was buried in this church.

In this window were various shields of arms, viz

But the most superb display of the effigies and arms of the Mounteneys was in the east window of the south aile, where was a complete series of the chiefs of this house commencing with Arnold Mounteney who married the daughter of De Furnival, and extending to Robert who married the sister of Sir Thomas Wortley. Their effigies were all represented in a kneeling posture, as were also the wives, on whose mantles the arms of their respective families were depicted. They are arranged by Dodsworth in the following order:

And in the other, which was on the south side of the body of the church, he was again represented in his character of a forester, with his horn, falchion, arrows, and hound, with many harts and beasts of game and fowl of warren, in various parts of the window. The figures of his wives and children were in the same window. Over his head was the word Schirelyffe, which in Dodsworth's time had been lost from the inscription.

'Orate pro animabus......................eorum viventium

(There follows a strange and sorrowful 30 line sonnet )

Here lyeth Thomas Schyrcliffe

In Hallamshire Master of game

Who of justice, truth, love and bounty

Had always the fame.

Alexander his son and heir

Lies here hard by,

Who languished in sorrow

By his Mrs. cruelty.

No goddess she was

But of like nomination

As prudence to the goddesses

Have application.

Progeny that read this

Eschew like fate: Jehovah say amen

Continew your posterity on earth

And I rest in Heaven.----- Finis.

A window in the great quire. The effigies of a man with twelve others in shaven crowns and white gowns all kneeling) and this inscription:

In the same window was the figure of Saint Wandrille; the arms also of Furnival, and gules, three bars argent, a lion rampant sable

In other windows were the following inscriptions:

In an east window are still to be seen the six principal quarterings of TALBOT within the garter, and also HASTINGS within the garter, not noticed by Dodsworth or Dugdale.

It must be to the regret of all true lovers of the remains of ancient time and ancient art, that the question is now to be proposed, at what period and by whom the church of Ecclesfield was despoiled of these beautiful and appropriate ornaments. There is not, I apprehend, any proof of their existence at a period later than the time of Dodsworth, who visited this church before the civil wars, for it does not appear certain that Dugdale did not in that part of his Monumenta copy from Dodsworth's notes. Common fame will of course ascribe the destruction to the parliamentarians, and Brooke has preserved a tradition that the church did suffer much in the civil wars, when amongst other things its old organ was destroyed. It is however but justice to the parliament of 1643 to transcribe a clause from the act of that year, 'for the suppression of divers innovations in churches and chapels, &c., expressly framed for the protection of such ornaments as those of the church of Ecclesfield.

But after all it is less probable that a destruction almost total of ornament scattered in such rich profusion around this village church should have been accomplished since the Restoration, than that some over zealous or perhaps profoundly ignorant William Dowsing should have been here among the commissioners

No mention is made of any ehantries in this church in Archbishop Holgate's return. But there were several altars, as appears by the will of one Henry Birley of Ecclesfield, made in 1391, about the time when the priory was dissolved. He directs that his body shall be buried in the church-yard of Saint Mary at Ecclesfield, and he bequeaths to the altars of 'Saint Mary, Saint Catherine, Saint Nicholas, and Saint John the Baptist, and to the service of the holy cross in the said church, to each of them the sum of six shillings and eight pence.

The Mounteneys had a private oratory. Parts of the following inscriptions remain. The rest has been supplied from Dodsworth's notes, who saw them when entire.

On two sepulchral stones:

Over the pew is painted in black letters on the wall

Et…………… id juris tenent. 1663.'

Over another pew in the body of the church;

'This stall was apoynted by the right honorable Gilbart earle of Shrewsbury for Gilbart Dickenson and his wife, 1601.'

In a pew in the south aile which belongs to the duke of Norfolk as owner of Ecclesfield-hall, are painted several of the family badges: viz. the talbot, the white lion of Mowbray, and the white horse of Arundel within the garter. 1659.

Over the seat belonging to the proprietors of Thundercliffe, 'Tota haec sedes grangiae de Scenocliffe est antiqua::' and on the pannels are caned in a bold but rude manner the arnis of Wombwell bend between six tinicorils' heads . . . . impaling Wentworth and the sanie impaling Arthington . . . a chevron between three escallop shells .

Near this seat is the following sepulchral memorial. Here lyeth the bodyes of Nicholas Wombwel of Synoclyffe Grondge esquyre and Isabel his wife, whiehe sayde Nicholas was the son of Henry Woiiibwell. 1571.'

The desks, chains, and some tattered fragments of books are still remaining, the donation of Edward Hatfield, a vicar whose name I am sorry to say does not appear in the list lately given. Dodsworth says that Hatfield 'gave all the fathers to the church of Ecclesfield to be chained in the said church, with this inscription, 'A book for ever to be chayned in the church of Ecclesfield of the gift of Edward Hatefeild, somtymes vicar of the same, on whose soule, &c."

Hatfield also had the rectory of Treeton, and died in 1587. Wilson says that in his time there were remaining Erasnius's Paraphrases, Lyra, Bede, and many others, and that the best of them were taken away by one of the vicars.

Sir Francis Foljambe of Aldwark, baronet, in 1640 presented a bell.

In 1769 in digging near the great south porch a stone coffin was found containing the bones of a human body.

This spacious and still beautiful church abounds in monumental memorials of the principal families who have had their residence within the parish. Of these a short notice must suffice. In the north chancel are many memorials of the Greens of Thundercliffe; and in the south chancel of the Shiercliffes of Whiltey-hall. Of both these families the pedigree will be given immediately. (Much too extensive to give here) In this part of the church are also various monuments and achievements of the ancient family of Foljambe of Aldwark. The inscriptions are long and circumstantial, being what the inscriptions of such a family ought to be, a public record of its genealogy, extending from 1643 to 1759.-The family of Watts of Barnes-hall have also many sepulchral memorials; and we find also monuments of Freeman of Howsley-hall, Rawson of Wardsend, Phipps of High-green, and Parkin of Mortemley. William Parkin of that place, esquire, died without issue the 2d of day 1757, having married to his first wife Mary daughter of Lionel Copley of Sprodborough esquire, and to his second Catherine sister of Patience Warde of Hutton-Paynel esquire.

I shall add the inscription from the monument of Sir Richard Scott, which was repaired in 1749 by John Watts of Barnes-hall esquire.

Sir Richard Scott is represented in armour, recumbent and his head resting on his left hand. Above is a shield of his arms, namely, Vert three roe-bucks trippant argent, attired or.-Crest on a wreath, a roebuck's head as in the shield, between two sprigs vert The same arms appear on another part of the mo~ment impaling azure a fess between three trefoils ermine.

To this may be added one other inscription which is not now to be found, but has been preserved by Dodsworth.

Of this family was Charles Carr D.D. bishop of Killaloe, who in 172l was admitted heir in the manor-court of Ecclesfield to lands lately held by his brother Thomas Carr esquire deceased.

The parish-register of Ecclesfield commences in the first year of Elizabeth, but is imperfect, especially in the middle of the seventeenth century.

It remains that we notice some of the old mansions in the parish of Ecclesfield, and their former possessors. And first Barnes-hall.

' Item volo, quod Johannes Scott consanguineus meus, cui est hereditas quanquam parva, in parochia de Ecclesfield suecessive descendens in eodem nomine et sanguine, a tempore quo non est memoria hominum, ut ipsa augeatur, rne per gratiam meliorato, habeat sibi, et heredibus inasculis de corpore suo legitime procreatis, manerium meum de Bernes, situatum in parochia predicta, quod emi de Roberto Shatton pro cxl. lib. Ac etiarn inanerium meum de Howssleys cum pertinen. quod emi de Thonia Worteley milite pro CXX., lib. Et in defectu talium heredum, volo, quod frater suus Ricardus sub endem lege et conditione habeat praedicta maneria. Et in defectu talium hereduni, volo quad praedicta maneria revertantur rectis heredibus meis. Item volo, quod sub eadem lege et conditione praedicti Johannes et Ricardus habeant tenementum meum vocatum Sugworth, in parochia de Bradfeld, cum omnibus pertinen.'.

A bleak, high, and mountainous tract of country lying between the Riveling and the Don, extending north-westward to the point where meet the three counties of Chester, Derby, and York, forms the chapelry of Bradfield. We have no exact measurement of it, but its area can scarce be less than fifty thousand acres. On the west it has the parishes of Hathersage, Hope, and Glossop in the county of Derby; on the north Peniston, on the east Tankersley and Ecclesfield, and on the south Sheffield. In 1801 it contained 763 houses and 4102 inhabitants. In 1811 the inhabitants were 4354.

Some portions of this district are among the highest grounds of the English Apennines. The waters of the Ewden and the Loxley, its two principal streams, are carried eastward by the Don to the German ocean; but some of its lesser streams are poured by the Mersey into the Irish channel.

In many parts the surface of the ground is covered with huge stones which bid defiance to all the efforts of cultivation. The soil in general is thin and poor. As long ago as the times before the Conquest there were a few small hamlets with a scanty portion of cultivated ground about them, and a few insular spots on which individuals had settled themselves and brought to submit to the plough. These descended from sire to son, and formed almost the only parts of this wide district over which till within these few years the empire of man seemed to be extended. All without the inclosures was barren, or produced only a scanty feeding of grass to the sheep which ranged at large upon these hills. Here and there a few stunted trees were to be found; but the fern and the heath and the foxglove seemed to be the plants to which the soil was most congenial, mixed indeed with the slender wires of the bilberry, the cowberry, or the more highly valued cranberry.

This district is now rapidly passing into the state general cultivation; such parts I mean as are capable of being made productive. The business of in-closing was begun about thirty years ago. A country which is passing from a wild into a cultivated state has a naked and unpleasing effect; especially when, as in this instance, the new fences are all of stone.

The inhabitants are rugged as their soil. The hard and little profitable labour of clearing new ground naturally falls to the share of men little if at all removed above the rank of the operative husbandman: and the agriculturists who are tenants of the old inclosures (for the old and wealthy families are gone), or who cultivate small estates of their own, having little intercourse among themselves and less with their market-town, from which they are shut in by long and wearisome hills, are scarcely a degree above the day-labourers in intellect, in habits, or in knowledge. The Sheffield manufactures have extended to these regions. Many grinding-wheels are erected on the Riveling and the Loxley, and there are extensive iron-works on the Don near Oughtibridge. Many of the little farmers, especially those who inhabit Stannington and Worral, join with their rural employments the labour of the forge or of the wheel, hammering out the blades of razors or knives in small sheds attached to their dwelling-houses or polishing them in the wheels on the streams below. The cutlers at Wadsley in this chapelry are supposed to present, both in their wares and the method of preparing them, no mean representation of what the state of the manufacture was two centuries ago.

Since the inclosures the state of the roads in this district has been much improved, and new roads have been made affording all easier communication with the more populous country around. There are persons still living who can remember that the journey from Stannington to the parish-church at Bradfield was not to be performed without some danger and difficulty: and the hospitality of the worthy family at Broomhead-hall has been encroached upon for a fortnight or three weeks by their friends from Sheffield, who had come to partake for a day of their Christmas festivities, and were prevented by a sudden fall of snow from regaining their homes. A new road from Sheffield to Manchester which follows the course of the Don for many miles in this chapelry is singularly picturesque and romantic. It penetrates into Lancashire by the pass at Woodhead.

In the northern parts of this chapelry are many remains of very high antiquity. Near the church of Bradfield is Bailey-hill, a Saxon camp as fair and perfect as when first constructed, save that the keep is overgrown with bushes. An elliptical area of about an acre is defended on one side by a large and steep natural bank and on the other by an artificial agger, 110 yards long on the outside, and about 80 within. The area is further protected by a ditch accompanying the artificial agger, which runs 18 yards above it, and about 8 yards above the level of the area within. The only entrance to the area is by a narrow pass at one extremity, while the other is occupied by a circular tumulus or keep on a base of 74 yards in circumference, and rising to the height of about 27 yards. The base of this hill is surrounded by a ditch ten yards broad. The date of this work it is now impossible to ascertain: but it is obvious that so complete a work must have been formed not in haste or to serve any temporary purpose, but to be used as a constant military post: one of the frontier barriers it is probable of the Kingdom of Northumberland.

At the distance of about a quarter of a mile, and on the other side of the village of Bradfield, is another earth work called The Castle-hill. This is less perfect than BaiIey-hill ; but the remains of a keep are visible surrounded with a ditch except on the steep side of the hill where a ditch was not necessary, and on the slope of the hill there is an appearance of an entrenchment. The Reverend John Watson, who examined these remains and communicated his opinion respecting them to Mr. Wlson, saying that he conceives Castle-hill to have been formed as an additional security to Bailey-hill, being placed on the very point from which alone Bailey-hill could be annoyed, and commanding a range of country which was not within view from Bailey-hill. The name it has always borne of CastIe~hil1 appeared to Mr. Watson a reason for rejecting the supposition that it was raised for the purpose of attacking the garrison at Bailey-hill. It was plainly, he thought, the work of the same people who constructed the more perfect work. Near both these encampments several single pieces of Roman coin have been discovered

Bar-dike, which is now the boundary between Broomhead-moor and Smallfield-common, Mr. Watson conceived to be a British work. It is an immense trench. He further conjectured that here the Britons may have made a stand against a body of forces coming from the side of Bradfield, and that their chief being slain in the encounter was buried under that vast carnedde on that part of Broomhead-moor which is known by the name of Roman Slack, and which is by the common people ca]led the 'The apron full of stones.' The name of Roman Slack in Mr. Watson's opinion points out who were the party against whom the Britons were contending, though in what particular expedition he pretends not to say.

Near to Handsome-cross in the middle of Bradfield-moor is an ellipse eight yards by seven, of twelve stones, with a confused heap in the middle, which appeared to Mr. Watson to be druidical; as did also the Hurkeling-stone which is now a boundary mark between Broomhead-moor and Agden; and what he calls a small temple on the Side. Near to this are various harrows, some of which have been explored and found to have been raised over bodies which had previously been burnt. Among these tumuli was found the Celt which Mr. Wilson preserved in his museum.

The Lawns in Stannington where the Roman tables were found are near the Riveling, and about seven miles distant from Broomhead.

The chapelry of Bradfield formed the northern moiety of the Saxon manor of Hallam. But the Domsday-survey contains notices also of six small tracts designated by the term manor, that are now included within the chapelry. These are Haldworth, Ughill, Withala, Wadsley, Sceuelt, and Onesacre, of which the third and fifth are of uncertain appropriation. All these, except the two last, came with the manor of Hallam to Roger de Bush, from whom they passed to the Lovetots and their successors lords of Sheffield. The name of Bradfield does not occur in Domesday-book. The village might be one of the berewitae of the manor of Hallam. But whether what is now called Bradfield, or Nether Bradfield at a little distance from it where is an ancient stone cross, be the older vill, is not a point that is ascertained. One of the Bradfields after the Conquest gave name to the northern moiety of the manor of Hallam as a manor, as well as to the chapelry; and we find the manor of Bradfield mentioned in the Nomina Vo11arum 9 Edward II. and in other early records: but it seems to have been allowed silently to merge in the neighbouring manor of Sheffield.

That part of the produce of this district which belonged to the church was appropriated to the monks of Saint Wandrille. It passed afterwards to the Carthusians of Coventry, and was obtained by the Shrewsbury family at the Reformation.

The inhabitants of Bradfield had been accustomed to compound with the religious for their tythe. The bargain they had made Gilbert earl of Shrewsbury attempted to set aside. He was resisted by the free-holders, and on a solemn hearing of the cause the modus anciently paid was confirmed.

The same earl of Shrewsbury is charged with having attempted to deprive the inhabitants of Bradfield of certain lands which had been given at or before the Reformation for public uses. These lands lie seized in 1592 and held them till 1615, in which year a decree was made by Thomas lord Ellesmere lord high chancellor in favour of the inhabitants. The decree directs that the lands in question shall be settled in the hands of ten feoffees, inhabitants of the parish or chapelry of Bradfield, to be employed by them for the repair of the church or chapel, payment of lays, taxes, and fifteenths, the relief of the poor, and such other good and charitable uses as to the inhabitants or major part of them shall seem meet and convenient. Whenever the number of feoffees should be reduced to six, four more were to be chosen to make up the number ten, and the deeds of the said lands were to be deposited in a chest for the use of the inhabitants. These lands in 1741 produced about 50 pounds per annum.

Of the profits of the rectory Alethea countess of Arundel gave one-third to the vicar of Ecclesfield for the time being. In the year 1784 the remaining two thirds were divided into four parts, one of which belonged to the curate of Bradfield, another to Hugh Spooner of Sheffield gentleman, and two to Francis Hurt Sitwell of Renishaw esquire.

Before the erection of the church or chapel of Bradfield the rude inhabitants of this wide district could have had few opportunities of attending the celebration of religious ordinances. The church of Ecclesfield lay very remote from them; nor were there any other churches to which they could resort without traversing long and wearisome hills, and as to many of them at least spacious and trackless heaths. On the weak authority of the Magna Brittannia I have been led to state, when speaking of the original distribution of this district as to ecclesiastical concerns, that this church was given to Worksop, from whence it would follow that the Lovetots or the Furnivals were its founders. But from what has been already said of the endowment of the vicarage of Ecclesfield on far better authority, it appears evidently to have been from the first a dependence on the church and priory of Ecclesfield, that is ultimately on the monastery of St. Wandrille. By the monks of Ecclesfield, or by the lay lord of the manor, or perhaps by their joint efforts, the inhabitants of this district were favoured with a church placed in the midst of them; at what precise period of time cannot now be ascertained, but probably not later than the reign of Henry II.

We have seen in the account of the endowment of the vicarage of Ecclesfield that the monks of the priory were required to find two chaplains to assist the vicar, one of whom was to officiate in this chapel of Bradfield. This was finally settled by Archbishop Melton. What they were to allow the chaplain was left to be settled in a private treaty between the parties. At the Reformation the appointment of the chaplain to the church of Bradfield became vested in the vicar of Ecclesfield for the time being, but no permanent provision seems to have been made for his support. Mr. ~1ans~ the good vicar of Ecclesfield in the year 1700 made a representation to Archbishop Sharp of the state of this curacy, who gave twenty pounds towards the purchase of a house for the curate's residence, to which Mr. Mansel added twenty, and about thirty pounds more were raised in the neighbourhood. When a few years after the prospect of obtaining Queen Anne's bounty stimulated the exertions of the friends to religion and the church, there was a second subscription in which the honourable Thomas Watson-Wentworth was the largest contributor. The bounty was obtained; and the feoffees of the town-lands lending their assistance, a house and small piece of land at Nether-Bradfield were bought and settled on the curate for ever. Mr. Tune of Sheffield furnished the house with a library.

Mr. Wilson has remarked that in 1741 the vicar of Ecclesfield allowed the curate of Bradfield twelve pounds per annum and the surplice-fees.

The chapel has four wardens; two for Brad field, one for Stannington, and one for Boisterstone.

The number of communicants on Easter Sunday 1617 was 1,141, in which surely many children must lave been included.

CURATES of BRADFIELD.

1562, Sir John Webster.

1582, John Hygson.

1587, Sir Robert Tymouth or Timouth.

CURATES of BRADFIELD.(cont.)

1593-1617 William Marcroft.

1617-1628 Mathew Ducket, Mr. Meredith, Mr. Rawson, Mr. Ellis, Mr. Attoy. All these names appear in this short interval of persons officiating as curates of Bradfield.

1628-1633, Matthew Booth. He resigned on being presented to the vicarage of Peniston.

1634. Godfrey Winter.

1635. William Scott.

1636-1640. John Watts.

1649-1658. Robert Chadwick. Buried here 5 Apr. 1659.

1659-1662., John Hoole. Displaced for nonconformity.

1662-1666. Thomas Goold.

1666-1701. John Hoole. Restored, having conformed.

1701-1709. William Wills

1710-1721. Benjamin Thompson

1721-1725. Francis Poole

1725-1741. Charles Steer presented by his brother William Steer vicar of Ecclesfield. He resigned on being presented to the rectory of Hansworth.

1741-1767, Christopher Butterfield.

John Webster, Francis Dixon brother to James Dixon vicar of Ecclesfield

1799- Thomas Newton son-in-law to Mr. Dixon of Ecclesfield.

For this list we are principally indebted to Mr. Wilson, and though imperfect it is perhaps the best that can now be recovered.

THE CHURCH.

The church or chapel of Bradfield has a porch, tower, and bells, and having been new pewed about sixteen years ago is a commodious place of worship. On the rafters of the roof are a few shields of arms and badges a bend, fretty, two chevrons, a crcss pattee, a talbot, and the falcon and fetterlock. The latter seem to speak for themselves, but I cannot find that the former were borne by any families that had connexion with Hallamshire. There are also some small remains of painted glass in the windows; a lion rampant, a stag, a tree, &c. But in the time of one of the Randal Holmes there was the following mutilated inscription in the great east window :

'Ora pro animabus Ric . . . . Ervyngham .. . istam fenestram fieri fecerunt . .. under the effigies of a man and woman kneeling; in which it is evident that he has mistaken Everyngham for Ervyngham, and that therefore this window was erected after Everingham had married the heir of De Wadsley, that is about the time when so much cost was bestowed upon the embellishment in the same manner of the church of Ecclesfield

The only monumental inscriptions worth notice are on two brass plates fixed against one of the pillars at the entrance of the chancel. On one are these arms:

MOREWOOD a tree quartering

STAFFORD a chevron between three martlets

And the draughts of a man, his wife, five sons and four daughters, all kneeling.

The parish register commences in 1559, and has been well preserved.

A copy of the book of Martyrs was given for the use of parishioners to remain in this church by .John Shaw, clerk, afterwards Vicar of Rotherham and Hull, a noted preacher during the civil wars, and who was then residing on his paternal estate at Sick-house.

At Nether Bradfield is a school founded by Mr. Thomas Marriott of Ughill about the year 1712, who endowed it with ten pounds per annum, for which the schoolmaster was to instruct twenty poor girls and boys.

Following the plan we have before adopted, it remains after these general notices to speak of particular places within the chapelry that present any claims on our attention.. We shall begin with those which are nearest to Sheffield, and proceed from thence to the northern parts where the chapelry adjoins the parish of Peniston.

WADSLEY.

In the Domesday-survey this place is joined with Withala (perhaps Worral) and Ughill. From the latter it lies very remote. But they had the same proprietor before the Conquest, one Aldene who in the three places had thirteen bovates of land which had been taxed and two ploughs. There was also a pasturable wood of a square lena in extent. In the time of the Confessor his property had been valued at twenty shillings, but at the time of the survey it was found to have been utterly laid waste. This Aldene had an-other manor at Haldworth in this chapelry, of two rated carucates and a pasturable wood of a square lena. This which had been worth twenty shillings was also lying waste. Aldene was therefore a great proprietor in this chapelry; and if he could be identified with the Saxon of his name who was a joint proprietor of Wickersley, another of the ruined manors, it would seem that he was on some account or other an object of peculiar dislike to the Norman invader.

All these places recovered themselves. Ughill, an insular spot at a cheerless distance from other human habitations, was the lonely residence of one Ellis in the time of the Furnivals, who made to him and the inhabitants of Nether Bradfield, Thornsett and Hawkesworth a grant of common of pasture on their neighbouring moors. Ughill afterwards was the seat of a respectable yeomanry family of the name of Marriott, who resided there for many generations. One of them was the benefactor lately mentioned.

Wadsley had a more splendid destiny. It became the seat of a family similar in rank to the De Ecclesalls, and like them holding this estate by the name of a manor of the great baron at Sheffield-castle. Like the Ecclesalls also, they adopted for their heraldic insignia the arms of Furnival, charging the bend with three golden escallop shells for distinction's sake. They had at Wadsley a hall and park, and domestic chapel which were not wholly destroyed in the reign of Elizabeth, but of which now only the names remain.

We shall endeavour to recover some particulars of this knightly family of Wadsley.

The first of this family with whom we meet is Rogerus contemporary with Radulphus the first lord of Eccelesall. He was the father of Wido or Guy de Wadsley, who with his son Robert is mentioned in confirmation deed to Beauchief without date.

Ralph de Ecclesall clerk granted to Roger son of Cotemoy or Costenot and his heirs one acre of land butting upon Wadsley, namely that which he held of Ralph son of Robert son of Wido de Wadsley, rendering yearly for the same to him and his heirs three pence at the feast of the Assumption of Saint Mary the Virgin, for all services, &c.

This Ralph and Robert de Wadsley are probably the same persons who appear among the witnesses to Thomas lord Furnival's charter to Sheffield, 1297.

1294, 22 Edward I. Robert de Wadsley gave to Robert the son of Nicholas de Langers that land which Robert de Bethemys sometime held in Langers with one place of new inclosure lying between the said land and the moor of Wirrall on the one part, and between his land and that of Thomas de Furnival on the other rendering to him and his heirs four shillings and one penny of silver. Dated at Wadsley on the vigil of Saint James the apostle.

1307,35 Edward I. The king granted to Robert de

Wadsley a market on Friday at his manor of

Rotherham, and a fair there for three days, to wit, on the eve, day, and morrow of Saint John the Baptist.

1312, 6 Edward II. Robert son of Edmund de Wadsley gave to Robert Senur of Wortley, and to the heirs of his body, land in Wadsley and Bradfield Dated at Wadsley on the Sabbath day next after the feast of Saint Margaret. Ralph de Wadsley a witness

This Robert de Wadsley was a knight, and in the same year a witness to a confirmation of Sir Thomas Chaworth to Beauchief.

30 Henry VI. Edo de Wadsley, probably the same name with Wido or Guy de Wadsley, held the manor of Wadsley of John earl of Shrewsbury at the fourth part of a knight's fee.

And lastly, Sir John Wadsley knight about the time of King Edward IV. left a daughter and heir name Margery, who carried this manor of Wadsley to her husband Henry Evenugham of Stainborough near Barnsley, the chief of a very potent Yorkshire family For her and for her husband was formerly the following memorial in a window of the church of Silkston the parish in which Stainborough is situated:

in which we may observe that this great heiress retains her maiden name after her marriage.

It is dubious how far this inscription may render it imperative on us to regard this lady as sole daughter and heir. In a collection of Yorkshire genealogy, Lansdowne MSS. in the British Museum, she is described as a co-heir, and in another similar collection principally of East riding families made by a judicious and careful hand in the latter end of the reign of Elizabeth it is stated that Sir John Wadsley left by his wife, a daughter and heir of Sir Robert Massey knight, three daughters his co-heirs, of whom the eldest married Henry Everingham of Stainborough, the second Sir Adam Everinglham of Birkin, and the third Waterton of Walton. In both these manuscripts is the same pedigree of six descents of the Wadsleys, which seems hardly reconcilable with the authentic

memorials of the family above noticed.

Before dismissing the house of De Wadsley we may remark that there is a tradition among the inhabitants of Wadsley, that the ancient owners of the hall were accustomed to entertain twelve men and their horses every Christmas for twelve days; and that at their departure each man was expected to stick a large pin or needle in the mantle-tree..

The marriage of the heiress of Wadsley with the house of Everingham was about the time of Richard III., with whom the Everinghams and their neighbour Sir Thomas Wortley were in high favour. It is by no means improbable that Richard visited these two knightly families during his sojourn at Sandal castle. The Evenughams did not desert their hereditary seat at Stainborough, but they for a time at least maintained the house and park at Wadsley. Leland mentions Wadsley as one of the seats of Everingham; and Dodsworth a century later observes of the Don that 'it goeth by Wortley to Wadsley, where in time past Everingham of Stainborough had a park now disparked.'

On inquisition taken at the castle of York after the death of Henry Everingharn of Stainborough esquire, before Robert Chambers the king's escheator for the county of York, the jurors delivered in upon oath that the said Henry and Margery late his wife were seized of the manors of Wadsley and Worral in his deniesne, as of fee in right of his said wife, and that they had issue Thomas Evcringham. Further that the said Henry outlived Margery his wife, and that the premises in Wadsley and Worral aforesaid were held of the Lord Furrilval as of his manor of Sheffield.

Thomas Everingham of Stainborough esquire, son and successor, married Margaret daughter of Thomas Wentworth of Bretton esquire, and by his will dated the 24th of July 8 Henry VIII. enfeoffed Sir Thomas Wentworth knight, John Wickersley, James Longtey, and George Lynacre in his manors, lands, and tenements at Stainborough, Rockley, Wadsley, and Worral to the use of himself for life, and after to the only use of Margaret his wife, until such time as Henry Everingham his son came to the age of twenty-one

Which Henry so succeeding, by Muriel his wife daughter and at length sole heir of Sir John Burton of Kynsley knight, had issue Henry Everingham his son and heir.

This Henry spent and consumed the greatest part of his estate. In the 31 Henry VIII. lie granted the manors of Wadsley and Worral to Sir Thomas

Johnson knight, and in the 34th of the same reign made a deed of bargain and sale of the same premises. But he finally parted with the manors to Robert Swyft esquire, to whom he levied a fine of them in Easter term 4 and 5 Philip and Mary.

Robert Swyft left only daughters; and on the partition of his estates 22 September 1561 the manor's of Wadsley, Worral, and Wickersley were assigned to Sir Francis Leake who married one of them.

Leake disposed of the manors of Wadsley and Worral to George earl of Shrewsbury, who died seized of them in 1590; as did his son Gilbert the seventh earl in 1616. They are enumerated among the possessions of the family in the great entail of the third of Charles I.; and among the manors of this family for some time sequestered by parliament.

When or how the manor of Wadsley became alienated from the possessions of the house of Howard does not now appear. But Mr. Wilson notices that in 1741 it was the property of William Burton of Royds-mill esquire, in right of his wife the sister an heir of Mr. Bamforth. In the year 1784 it was the joint property of William and Michael Burton, son of the said William Burton, who had allotments of land assigned them by the commissioners under the inclosure act of that year, in respect of their manorial rights The manor is now divided between Lady Burgoyne and George Bustard Greaves of Page-hall, esquire. At the house still called the hall, the courts for manor have been usually held.

STANNINGTON.

This is the name of an extensive tract of high ground declining on the north to the Loxley, and on the south to the Riveling, by which it is separated from the township of Upper-Hallam in the parish of Sheffield. It was here that the Roman tables were discovered, and a part of the south exposure of the hill bears the name of Haugh Park. Part of the shaft of an old stone cross is remaining. A considerable population of small agriculturists and still smaller manufacturers is scattered over this hill. There is, properly speaking, no village of Stannington, the principal collections of houses being known as Upper-Gate and Nether-Gate. As late as the reign of Edward III. surnames were not in common use in this district, for in a deed of 1361 in possession of the church-burgesses of Sheffield we find a woman described as widow of Adam del Nethergate in Stannington.

At Revel-grange resided from an early period a family of the name of Revel, whom we often meet in the old genealogies as connected by marriage with the superior gentry of the county of Derby. The attachment of this family to the old profession of religion exposed them to much injurious treatment in the time of the civil wars and commonwealth. From the effect of the severe and heavy fines which were levied upon them at a time when the name of Recusant was supposed to place a man out of the pale of civil protection, the family seems scarcely now to have recovered itself. Mr. Richard Broomhead of this place married the heiress of the Revels about the year 1740.

The inhabitants of this part of the chapelry must have been prevented from attending with any regularity the services in their chapel. The distance was four or five miles; the roads in the best of times scarcely passable for carriages of any description, and in the winter season not at all. This moved one Richard Spooner of Stonington to attempt the establishment of a place of worship nearer home, which he accomplished in 1652 or 1653, building a smal1 chapel, and endowing it with a piece of ground towards the support of the officiating minister.

STANNINGTON.

1652-1655. Ralph Wood.

1655-1657. Robert Mattliewinan.

1657-1662. Isaac Darwent. His name occurs in Calamy's List of the ejected and silenced ministers; but he was preaching here after the act of Uniformity began to operate, and was tenant of the chapel lands till 1665.

1663-1665. Hopwood.

1665-1667 Joseph Bacon.

1668.- Revel.

1668-1671 Timothy Dichton.

1673-1674. Thomas Mellor.

1674-1676 Wi1liam Walker.

I 676-1679. John Marsden.

1679-1683. William Walker.

1684-1689. George Crosland.

1696-1713, William Bagshaw. Died here.

1713-1761. Samuel Smith. Died here.

1780---1785. Josiah Rhodes.

.1814- Peter Wnght.

The old chapel was taken down in 1742, and a new one erected near the site of the former by Mr. Thomas Marriott of Ughill, assisted by other neighbouring dissenters. At a little distance from the chapel is a comfortable house for the minister's residence, with a spacious garden adjoining, which were much improved by the late inhabitant Mr. Meanley, whose name and that of his amiable and excellent consort (who went hand in hand with him in every work of mercy to the poor around them) will be long venerated by those who knew them, and mentioned with respect in distant times even when all that tasted of their bounty shall have passed from off the stage.

The chapel, like all dissenting meeting-houses, is a plain building. On the communion table lies the Book of Martyrs, the gift of some unknown hand, intended, I hope, not to create or foster among the simple inhabitants of this district unchristian and inhuman prejudices, but an honest detestation for religious persecution whatever shape it may assume. There have been a few interments at the chapel; and at no great distance, on the brow of the hill opposite to Brook-side, was a small and decent inclosure in which were deposited the remains of about ten or twelve persons of the family of Shaw of Brookside. There were several grave-stones, which were taken up, and the ground ploughed, about fifteen years ago.

There is a school in this hamlet which was endowed by William Ronksley in 1723 with forty pounds, for which five children were to be taught, to be chosen by Francis R6nksley of Riveling-side.

The ministers of Stannington have belonged to that class of dissenters called Presbyterian.

There is another dissenting chapel on the hill of Loxley opposite to Stannington. It was built about the year 1789, principally by the exertions of a clergy-man of evangelical sentiments, the Reverend A. B. Greaves, minister of Saint Martin's chapel Stony Middleton.

MOREWOOD.

A hamlet of the chapelry mentioned in the Membra castri de Sheffield. This, like its neighbour Dungworth, and indeed all the little hamlets throughout Hallamshire, had its resident family of its own name. The Dungworths removed from the neighbourhood about the time of James I. The Morewoods continued much longer, and were indeed for a time among the principal gentry of Hallamshire.

Wapentake Sub-division. Tax district. Anglo-Saxon "hundred".

  * This out of copyright material has been transcribed by George Potts, who has provided the transcription on condition that any further copying and distribution of the transcription is allowed only for noncommercial purposes, and includes this statement in its entirety. Any references to, or quotations from, this material should give credit to the original author(s) or editors.