A HISTORY OF FEATHERSTONE
1822 to 1863
EDWARD BAINES'
1822 GAZETTEER
Edward Baines
published his History and Gazetteer in the County of York in 1822. The
local entries are:
ACKTON, in the parish of Featherstone, wap. of
Agbrigg, liberty of Pontefract; 3 miles W. of Pontefract. Population 72.
Winn Sir Edmund Mark, Bart
Shaw George, maltster
Wigglesworth Thomas, butcher
FEATHERSTONE,
(P.) in the wap. of Osgoldcross, and honour of Pontefract; 2 miles W. of
Pontefract. Population 337.
Bedford George, vict. Lord Nelson
Denton John, blacksmith
Frubbisher Sarah, victualler, Sun
Furbisher John, shopkeeper
Handley John, gardener
Hodgson Allen, wheelwright
Milner Joseph, parish clerk
Parkinson Joseph, butcher
Walsh William, corn miller
Whitlam James, schoolmaster
Corn & Flour Dlrs.
Askwith William
Hemingway John
Heptonstall John
Shoemakers
Collins Henry
Frank Thomas
Smithson Richard
PURSTON
JACKLING, in the parish of Featherstone. Wap of Osgoldcross, and honour of
Pontefract; 2½ miles SW. of Pontefract. Population 244.
Cooper Thomas, shoemaker
Coward Samuel, shoemaker
Pickard Samuel, corn dealer
Shilleto Michael, cattle dealer
Spink William, butcher
Stead Martin, wheelwright
Thomas Henry, vict. Travellers' Inn
Walker Thomas, blacksmith
Whitlam Thomas, vict. Malt Shovel
There is no
entry for Purston Lodge (later Purston Hall) so it wasn't built until after
this date.
1823 ACKTON PASTURE WOOD
The trees in Ackton Pasture Wood were put up for auction. They comprised 316 oaks, 117 ash, 4 elms and 30 others. Mr John Williamson would show the wood to interested bidders.
1825 THE ODD
MAN CLUB
On May 13 1825 Joseph Blackburn was buried. His address in the
parish register is given as The Odd Man Club, Featherstone Common. The
following comment is added to the entry. "J.B. Was attended at his grave
by the Whole Club in Party col'd Dresses - with drums, trumpets and drawn
Sabres! The day (Sunday) was concluded by fighting & drinking! Ne quod tale
posthac?" The Latin translates as "Not that there is such hereafter".
1828 MURDER NEAR ACKTON
This
description of a murder near Ackton is taken from Walks About Wakefield by W S Banks published in 1871.
The small
footbridge over the little beck that divides Ackton from Snydale was the scene
of a cold-blooded murder on the 17th of October, 1828. A young man called William Longthorne of Barnby Moor near Pocklington, aged only 18
years, left Wakefield at 6 o'clock in the morning of that day, having walked
from Aberford the day before and having lodged in Wrengate at night. He was on his
way to Ferrybridge, where he expected employment in the stables. In the morning
he was accompanied by a man, also young, named William Mosey, son to a labourer
at the gas works, and who lived in Wrengate. Longthorne had met Mosey when on
his way from Aberford, and the latter caused Longthorne to be called up on the
morning of the murder. The two were traced over Heath Common to Snydale,
Longthorne being dressed in a brown frock coat and drab cord breeches, and
carrying a bundle; and Mosey in a hairy cap, a blue striped smock, and dirty
cotton trousers. One woman described Mosey as a low, broad-set, black-looking
man. The two passed a man who was going the same road only a short distance
before they reached Snydale, and this man, walking more slowly, went passed the
place of the murder shortly after it had been committed. He noticed blood on
the trampled grass, but seeing no person, suspected nothing. The close where
this happened was Dole Close, and Longthorne was destined never to go beyond
it, for when he and Mosey came into the lower part of it, Mosey knocked him
down, got upon him, cut his throat almost from ear to ear with a razor,
dividing the windpipe and laying bare the carotid arteries; and then dragged
him by the feet to the little beck and threw him in alive and bleeding, and
made off. A workman in a field heard a cry a little after 8 o'clock,
raised himself to listen, heard no more, and went on
with his work. The water stopped the bleeding, and Longthorne crawled by
the
beck side and through the closes to the back door of Alsop's house, the
Cross Keys Inn. Dr Buchanan, then of Loscoe, and a Pontefract surgeon,
were
immediately sent for to attend him. Longthorne was unable to speak until
his
wound had been sewn up, and then only badly "yes" and "no";
but he made signs, and in the presence of Mr Hodgson of Normanton, wrote upon a
slate a short statement of the attack, but could not give Mosey's name. He died
in the forenoon of the following day. All that Mosey got from Longthorne were five shillings in money and a small bundle of clothing; but the latter
he threw away after carrying it a short distance. The razor too was found in
a field near Dole Close. Longthorne had, however, other money on him,
namely, a sovereign, a guinea note, and eight shillings in silver. The coroner
(Mr Thomas Lee) held an inquest, and the jury found a verdict of wilful murder
against Mosey, and efforts were made to apprehend him, but failed of success.
He has not been brought to justice.
In September
1851, Mr McDonald, the then Chief Constable of Wakefield, heard of the whereabouts of Mosey; but it was
deemed (because of the death of the witnesses and other things) to be impossible
to obtain sufficient evidence for a conviction, and the offender was
unmolested.
This Ordnance Survey map shows the footpath Longthorne was taking and the crossing across the beck, the Sewerbridge Beck where he was dumped, and the Cross Keys Inn where he crawled for help. The puzzle remains why did he take this route instead of the direct Wakefield to Weeland road through Purston and Pontefract? If he had he may not have been murdered.
This Ordnance Survey map shows the footpath Longthorne was taking and the crossing across the beck, the Sewerbridge Beck where he was dumped, and the Cross Keys Inn where he crawled for help. The puzzle remains why did he take this route instead of the direct Wakefield to Weeland road through Purston and Pontefract? If he had he may not have been murdered.
1829 THROWING DOWN THE GAUNTLET?
This Cutting is from the Yorkshire Gazette of 27 June 1829 and is claimed to show Mr Aymer of Featherstone provoking Mr Taylor of Pontefract to a duel.
1835 ANOTHER TREE AUCTION
At
York City Assises in July John Williamson age 24 was found guilty of
stealing a cow belonging to William Moore of Featherstone. The sentence
was he would be transported for life (probably to Australia).
1837 PEACEFUL DOVE
In July a branch of the United Order of the Peaceful Dove Friendly
Society was formed at the Lord Nelson Inn in Featherstone. A good number
of young men enrolled and the village was enlivened the whole of the
evening by the ringing of the church bells. It was said to be the first
lodge of any society in Featherstone.
1840 HIGHWAY ROBBERY
One night in October at
about 9pm, William Spink junior of Purston was returning from Halifax on
his horse. He was stopped near Crofton by six men who dragged him from
his horse, pinned him to the ground and gagged him. They took from him
£10 in gold and silver, and a cheque upon the Halifax Bank for £44 12s
6d. Then they heard a gig coming along the road so they fled, not having
taken his watch and other items.
THE 1841 CENSUS
The first
census of the population was taken in 1801 and gave the local populations as
Ackton 86, Featherstone 305 and Purston 172. In 1811 they were much the same
but in 1821 while Ackton was down to 72 and Featherstone up to 337 Purston had
a large percentage increase to 244. There is no known reason for this and it
cannot have been the start of Manor or Purston Collieries because in 1841 there
were only two coal miners in Featherstone and two in Purston.
In the 1841
census the populations were Ackton 76, Featherstone 318 and Purston 254. All
three communities were based on farming, but there were craftsmen and
shopkeepers to provide most of their need apart from medical matters, and
probably a walk or ride to Pontefract market would fill in the gaps.
There was no
doctor, dentist or chemist. Not many people lived to a ripe old age, there were
only 10 of 80 years or older in all three districts.
Arthur Haywood
was the owner of Ackton Hall and he listed seven servants. All the other
residents were farmers or farm workers. Featherstone was much the same but
there were enough people for tradesmen to make a living. Trades covered were
blacksmith, brick maker, miller, tailor, carpenter, joiner, washerwoman,
excavator, grocer, inn keeper, shoemaker (cordwainer), huckster (hawker) and
chair woman ( a woman who pushed or pulled a Bath chair). Purston trades were
mattress maker, tailor, brick maker, blacksmith, inn keeper, worsted spinner
and butcher.
1842 CATTLE STEALING
William and George Haist, both age 30, were in the Crown Court in March
1842 charged with stealing two cows, the property of Mr Spink, a
Purston farmer. He told the court when his maid servant went to milk the
cows she found they had gone. On receiving some information he went to
Leeds where he saw the two brothers at a fair with his cows. He called
in the assistance of a policeman and gave the brothers into his charge.
The jury retired for some time before giving a verdict of guilty. The
sentence was to be transported for seven years.
1844 ALL SAINT'S CHURCH REPAIRED
All
Saints' Parish Church was reopened in August after repair work. The
congregations were very numerous on the first Sunday and £15 16s was
collected towards the cost. Mr T B Faviell of Featherstone Hall paid
more than half the cost of the repairs (not stated), and Arthur Heywood of Ackton Hall gave £60 for further work to be done.
1845 INQUEST ON JOHN FROBISHER
An
inquest was held in May at the Lord Nelson Inn into the death of John
Frobisher, a horsebreaker. He had been injured when a horse fell on him
but appeared to be improving. When he hadn't been seen for a while
entrance was made into his house and he was found dead on the floor. The
jury returned a verdict of died by the visitation of God.
1846 NORTH FEATHERSTONE WESLEYAN CHAPEL
A Wesleyan Chapel was opened on Willow Lane in 1846. The map is the Ordnance Survey and the photo is from the Wakefield Libraries Collection.
This advertisement is from the Leeds Mercury.
1848 THE LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE RAILWAY
A railway line from
Wakefield to Goole was originally proposed by the Wakefield, Pontefract
and Goole Railway Company. This was taken over by the Manchester and
Leeds Railway in 1846 and this became the Lancashire and Yorkshire
Railway in 1847. The line was opened in 1848 and included a station
about half way between (North) Featherstone and Purston on what was
then called Featherstone Lane.
The Ordnance Survey map below shows apart from
the Heywood Arms, probably built to serve the railway, and Featherstone
Moor Farm the station is surrounded by open fields. The photo of the
station is from the Tony Lumb Collection, and the photo of a typical
locomotive is from Grace's Guide to British Industrial History.
1848 ASSAULT IN PURSTON
James Robinson and James Pickard of Purston were in court in September
accused of an assault on Anthony Garry, a young Irishman. Garry
attended with some of his friends and the Leeds Times reported he looked very ill. The
newspaper commented "From some cause which we could not learn, this
cruel and unprovoked attack upon an unoffending stranger was allowed to
be compromised by the prisoners, through their friends paying to Garry
£5, and £5 6s 2d expenses incurred, which being done, the prisoners were
set at liberty".
1849 SUICIDE IN A POND
In
July 1849 Robert Gill, a joiner, "in a temporary fit of insanity, threw
himself into a pond in a field belonging to Arthur Heywood of Ackton
Hall". At the inquest a verdict of found drowned was recorded.
1850 DROWNED IN A QUARRY
George Bavington age 13 of Purston went swimming in March in water in a quarry. He got out of his depth and drowned. An inquest was held and the verdict was in accordance with the evidence.
THE 1851 CENSUS
Little changed
in the ten years from the 1841 census. The population of Ackton increased from
76 to 82, Featherstone from 316 to 347 and Purston from 254 to 268, which gave
a total for the area of 697. Of these 343 were born outside the three
villages. There was only one person over 80 years old in each village. There
was still no doctor, dentist or chemist.
There were now
17 coal miners in Purston. There were two mines, Manor Colliery and Purston
Colliery. They must have been very small undertakings. In fact Ackton Hall
probably had more employees than either of those. There was a housekeeper,
lady's maid, housemaid, kitchen maid, dairymaid, footman and under housemaid.
Three possible others who lived away from the hall were coachman, gardener and
under gardener.
1852 ROBBERY AT PURSTON LODGE
In March Michael Haigh and Francis Oxley were in court on a variety of
charges of stealing and receiving stolen property including two saddles,
other riding gear and a horse rug belonging to Thomas Hall of Purston. The
trial lasted nine hours but the jury only took minutes to find them
guilty. Haigh was sentenced to be transported for seven years, and Oxley
to 15 months in jail with hard labour.
1853 DIED FROM EXPOSURE
An
inquest was held at the Lord Nelson Inn in March on the body of an
unknown woman who was found in a cowshed belonging to Mr W Powell of
Purston. She was a stranger and had been seen round and about the
previous day. When found she said she came from Leeds and wished she was
at home again. She was very thinly clad and appeared to be about 40
years old. Mr Powell gave her some tea but she died shortly after. The jury gave a verdict of died from exposure to the cold.
1856 PURSTON COLLIERY FOR SALE
1856 ROBBERY AT THE STATION
In December, Samuel Cooper age 9 of Pontefract bought a ticket to
Pontefract at Featherstone Station with a large denomination coin. A
porter was suspicious and it was found the till had been robbed.
In court it was revealed he had committed several thefts, and he was
sent for one month to the House of Correction, and then to a Reformatory
for five years.
1857 CHIMNEY SWEEPING
Young children had been used to climb chimneys to sweep the soot out.
The 1840 Chimney Sweepers' Act made it illegal to allow anyone under 16
to do this. In May, William Dytch of Featherstone Green was in court for
allowing his son John age 13 to ascend the chimney of Thomas Gilligan near the parish church. He pleaded guilty and was fined £5 plus 12s 6d costs.
1858 TOO MUCH ALCOHOL?
Bartholomew Spink age 56 of Purston was in Pontefract in April the
worse for wear so he went to the Boy and Barrel Inn and ordered a bed.
After four or five glasses of gin he went to bed. The next morning he
had two glasses of beer and went out. On his return he asked to sleep
there again and after drinking two pints of beer he went to bed. When he
got up he did not have anything to eat, but drank four quarts of beer
during the day. He then fell ill, but the doctor sent for could do
nothing for him and he died. The inquest jury decided death was due to a visitation of God.
1858 STRUCK BY LIGHTNING
Sarah
Hewitt,a young woman living in Purston, got up early to go on a trip to
Blackpool. It was raining so she went upstairs, accessed by a ladder,
to get an umbrella. There was a flash of lightning and the house filled
with smoke. Bartholomew Hewitt found her on the ladder with her foot
fast. He managed to get her out with the aid of his wife but she died
immediately. There were no marks on her but her boot was burst open. The
house chimney was damaged and also articles in the house. The inquest
jury's verdict was killed by lightning.
1858 FATAL ACCIDENT AT THE STATION
John
Parkinson age 15 was a porter at the station. He was running on the
line in October to change the points for an engine to take four wagons from
the goods yard. He slipped and the engine ran over his legs. He was
taken to Leeds Infirmary where he died the same evening. The inquest
jury's verdict was accidental death.
1860 JOHN ASQUITH SHOT
John Asquith lived with with his uncle Mr C Wrightman at Featherstone Common.
In April he went to Normanton and on returning home late at night he
saw four men and being suspicious he kept watch. Two of the men got a
ladder and put it up against the pigeon cote. He woke his uncle and two
other men in the house and they chased the four men.
Asquith had a gun which was only
charged with powder, and he said if they did not stop he would fire.
Benjamin Clarkson, one of the four also had a gun and he turned round
and fired at Asquith who was severely wounded. The four men were caught
and in court it was alleged they all had a common intent to injure
Asquith. They had a sack with 50 pigeons in it. Asquith was confined to
his bed for ten days, and his life was considered to be in danger for a
while.
The four were Joseph Cowburn,
Benjamin Clarkson, John Routh and Richard Ridgwell. They pleaded guilty
to stealing the pigeons, and the jury found them guilty of of an
intention to do grievous bodily harm. The judge said he had not heard of
a more atrocious offence than this, and sentenced each of them to 15
years' penal servitude (jail with hard labour).
1860 NEIGHBOURS AT ODDS
Edward Hirst and Joseph Wilkinson
lived near to each other in Featherstone. It was said in court in
December there had been some misunderstanding between them for some
time. One morning in the early hours Wilkinson came home the worse for
drink and made a great deal of noise in front of Hirst's house saying he was the man to kick up a row and made offensive remarks about Hirst's wife.
Hirst told him to go away but he
wouldn't so his wife threw a hoe at him. Wilkinson seized the hoe and
refused to give it up so after a struggle Hirst hit him with his fist
and picked up a rail and hit him on the head with it two or three times.
Wilkinson died shortly after.
Edward Hirst was charged with
manslaughter, and in court Mr Campbell Foster, for Hirst, said he
received a good character and he was a man of very peaceable
disposition. The jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to four
months' imprisonment.
.
John Rhodes
was on a train when strangers engaged him in conversation and said the Snydale
estate was going begging because the geologists said the coal could not be
worked because of a fault. He moved from Drighlington to Snydale and relying on
his own judgement put down a borehole in March 1861 near to Featherstone Station. He struck gas and water at
140 yards. The water soon stopped but the gas was emitted for some while and
could be lit or put out easily. It became
known as the burning well and was something of a tourist attraction while it
lasted. Its fame spread to London
and a drawing appeared in the Illustrated London News.
The success of this borehole persuaded John Rhodes to sink Snydale Victoria Colliery.
.
1861 THE BURNING WELL
The success of this borehole persuaded John Rhodes to sink Snydale Victoria Colliery.
THE 1861 CENSUS
Once again
nothing much changed in the ten years since the 1851 census. The Ackton
population had moved up and down between 51 and 86 for 60 years. This time it
went down from 82 to 67. Part of the drop could be because the Heywoods were
away from home and may have taken some of their servants with them.
Featherstone
was up from 347 to 353, and Purston down from 269 to 263. The net result was a
total population drop from 698 to 683. There were still very few houses between
Featherstone around the parish church and Purston.
Coincidence
or
not, the owner of Purston Lodge (later Purston Hall) was also away from
home.
Both big houses had servants left behind. There was now a police
constable namely PC Grumshaw (spelt wrong) but still no doctor, dentist
or chemist.
Perhaps the
oddest entry is for John Gilkirist (probably also spelt wrong) who was lodging
in Purston and was 94 years old. He gave his place of birth as Philadelphia, USA, so what was he doing in Purston?
One other mystery
is a Butchers Arms listed in Featherstone but the occupant is down as
an agricultural labourer. The Post Office guide for 1861 lists only the Lord
Nelson, Heywood Arms and Sun Inn, so what the Butchers Arms was is anybody's
guess.
1861 PURSTON NATIONAL SCHOOL
Purston National School was erected on the site of the old tithe barn, which
was the property of the Dean and Chapter of Christ Church, Oxford.
The land was given for the erection of a
schoolmaster's house and school, the condition being the buildings
erected on
it should be for the exclusive use of a school conducted in accordance
with the
doctrines and principles of the Church of England. The trustees were the
Archbishop of York, the Vicar of Featherstone, The Revd T H Hall and
Rowland
Winn Esq. It was built in 1861. Parents had to pay for their children to
be educated. At this school it was 3d per week per child. The photo is a detail from a Wakefield Libraries Collection photo.
The school had
been funded by Revd Hall and was opened in April 1862. The number of children
on the books was 101 and the average attendance was 69. The master was Mr
Theaker, who also had a night class during the winter months, but the attendance
for that was considered to be less than it should have been.
1863 TRAIN TO LONDON
The Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway timetable showed it was possible to get to Goole or Leeds
direct from Featherstone Station. Not all trains stopped at Featherstone, and
two that connected with the train from London at Knottingley only stopped at Featherstone to set
down first-class passengers. Local travellers could get to London by catching the 8.13am
at Featherstone, changing at Knottingley and arriving in London at 3.30pm.
On Sundays the
train left at 10.47am and arrived
at 7.45pm. The timetable restrictions were soon removed and all
trains stopped at Featherstone.
.