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Apples, Arithmetic and the Aristocracy!
The History of 8 Aberford Road, Barwick-in-Elmet
Part 3 - Chapel Lane

Barwicker No. 126
Spring 2018


In part one I explained how the current 8 Aberford Road is the merger of two distinct properties. in part two the current house that fronts Aberford Road was explored. This article will cover the cottages which were on Chapel Lane and are now demolished, the area currently used as a parking and garden area.

The remains of two semi-detach ed stone cottages still exist in the garden of the property. a stone wall. in some places S feet high fronting. on Chapel Lane and also forming the boundary between 8 Aberford Road and 1 Chapel Lane still provide a useful function. They were added to the extent of the house on the 31st March 1953 when William Ingham purchased the land and two condemned houses from Florence Green of Moortown. In the deed he agreed that the
"dwelling; houses being un-occupied and subject to a demolition order made by the Tadcaster Rural District Council subject to the covenant hereinafter contained: The Purchaser hereby covenants with the Vendor that he the Purchaser will when required by the said Council demolish the properties in accordance with the Demolition order and indemnify the Vendor in respect of any liabilities arising under the said order."
The cottages appear to have been quickly demolished after this date. Whilst the year was 1953 the cottages had been condemned as unfit for human habitation some 15 years earlier in 1938: the Second World War had intervened and this had become low priority. In the 1930s the then local council, the Tadcaster Rural District, began a programme in the village to improve the housing of the working classes. There were many small, damp, cold, overcrowded. draughty and poorly maintained houses. They started to build council houses on Welfare A venue and obtain orders to demolish the very worst of the private houses which were rented to the some of the poorest people. Five clearance areas were created, on Main Street. The Boyle. Potterton Lane. Aberford Road and Chapel Lane.

The owner of the cottages on Chapel Lane, Mrs. Florence Green. was not very happy and at an inquiry held at the Barwick Miners Institute in March 1939 it was reported:

"Owners Protest"

Samuel Beanland (also written Beanley in early records) was born in Barwick, most likely in one of the cottages on the 4th September 1797 the son of William, a tailor, and his wile Hannah. Little is known of his early life but he must have been schooled to a good level and was a Methodist. He married Ellen Manchester in Wakefield in 1826. In 1824 he was appointed Schoolmaster of Barwick School which was then located in a building to the north of All Saints' Church on Potterton Lane in all area now taken into the churchyard. The Rector at the time Mr. Bathurst. records in his logbook:

"John Irvine having resigned the Mastership of the School, I appointed Samuel Beanland in his place with Mr Gascoigne's approbation. Samuel Beanland not having been previously acquainted with the National School System, I sent him to the National School in York for six weeks to learn it, and paid for his board while there. At the same time desirous of lowering the rate of payment to the parishioners, I agreed to give him a regular salary of £23 a year, and that the scholars should pay no more that 1d a week until they got beyond the first four rules of Arithmetic "

Samuel, later assisted by his wife Ellen as Schoolmistress, worked at the School for nearly 40 years until they retired about the time the new School was built on Aberford Road (itself now closed and a private house). Ellen died in 1862 and Samuel in 1878 and they are both buried in the churchyard extension which is now Jubilee Gardens.

An interesting clause in Samuel's will. which was written in July 1876, mentions the cottages as copyhold but in the process to make freehold, This means the cottages and land were part of the Manor of Barwick and Scholes, held under a tenure known as copy of court roll or copyhold, A record of all sales or transfers had to be recorded in the Manor records and the Lords or the Manor paid a small sum of money each time. This requirement stopped once converted to freehold tenure and the Lord of the Manor would be compensated for the loss of this right. Searching the Manorial Court Rolls in Leeds Archives shows that on 8th July 1876 Samuel converted his copyhold land and cottages to freehold £78 10s. The cottages were described in the deed as:

"all those two copyhold dwelling houses or tenements with the outbuildings, gardens and appurtenances thereto situate in situate in Barwick in Elmet and part of the Manor of Barwick in Elmet and Scholes and adjoining the Town well there and the same premises are now in the respective occupation of the said Samuel Beanland and of David Parker"

The old town well which was located just after 12 Aberford Road butts onto the rear of the Chapel Lane site.

Barwick and Scholes are fortunate to have a large collection of preserved Manorial records and searching further I found when Samuel acquired the cottages he inherited them from his father William Beanland who died in 1833. Further back the records show William Beanland, the tailor, acquired the property on the 21st September 1795 from Sir Henry Goodricke of Ribston, Baronet, now described as "All that Barn Stable and Yard situate in Barwick adjoining the Town well there late in the tenure of occupation of Widow Taite." It is assumed that the cottages were constructed from the remains of the agricultural buildings shortly after this sale.

INSERT 1795 Barwick Manor Deed - William Beanland Sir Henry Goodricke in turn had inherited the property from his mother and father Sir John Goodricke of Ribston and Mary Goodricke (née Johnson) in 1791. Mary was the illegitimate daughter of Robert Benson 1675-1731) of Bramham Park who became Baron Bingley. It is assumed the descent of the land came through the Benson Line although further work is required in the archives.

There was much much family feuding at this time between the Goodrickes and Fox (later Fox Lane)ⁱ families as Baron Bingley only had two daughters, one legitimate and one illegitimate. After his death the legitimate lady Harrier Fox (nēe Benson) died without surviving children and the estate passed to Mary Goodricke for her life before reverting to the Fox Lane family. It is said that the Goodrickes "asset stripped" the Bramham estate carrying off household silver, furniture, stone garden ornaments and cutting down a fine oak wood,

Well what a story it has been! I am always amazed how much history a small plot of land can have, one part of site was a possible orchard, the Barwick school master lived here to the feuding upper classes it has been a tale of "Apples. Arithmetic and the Aristocracy!" and more!

David Teal
(1) Nowadays known as Lane Fox.

Sources:
West Riding Registry of Deeds,
Gascoigne Papers. Leeds Archives
Archives
Various Leeds Newspapers
GRO Births. Marriages & Deaths
The Barwicker
Barwick and Scholes Manorial Records
England and Wales Census Records
1909 Valuation Records. National
Barwick All Saints' Parish Registers,
Civil Probate Records
Barwick Historical Society Resource Room
Bramham Park web site



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