A History of Thorpe Audlin
Researched by Mr. G. Hepworth, 34, Fearn Lea Flats, Lindley,
Huddersfield, HD3 3LF. Tel 01484 308728.

My interest in Thorpe Audlin began with my Grandmother Mary Hepworth, she died in 1944 having lived in Ackworth from 1870. She was formally Mary Huntington, born at Thorpe Audlin on the 17th of April 1864. Her parents were William and Mary Huntington.

There was no Church or school at Thorpe Audlin. It had a pub called the Fox and Hounds. The area was and still is a mainly rural one. Now, in 1995, the hamlet in which my Grandmother was born and spent the first few years of her life is no longer in existence. When I visited the area during the summer of 1996 there was a sign pointing to the Old Village of Thorpe Audlin. On arriving at the place indicated I found that most of the old village had been knocked down except for the Manor House. All that remains to indicate that there ever was a village are some bricked up windows and doors in the outer walls of gardens to the modern houses. The area is known as Thorpe Manor.

Why did an apparently thriving village lose it's population and businesses to such an extent that it has completely disappeared? A new village has been built on the main road through what is now Thorpe Audlin.

The population had been in decline for some-time. By 1897 the population had decreased to 252 and by 1911 to 245. However, during and before Grandmother's time things had been very different. The population was 355 in the early part of the nineteenth century. At that time there was a Blacksmith's shop worked by Joseph Huntington, (my Great Great Grandfather), and his son George. William Dean was a teasle dealer, Thomas Eyer and William Waistnendge were tailors, William Hill and George Smith were wheelwrights, John Sefton and John Scholey, shoemakers, John Sharply had a beerhouse. Farmers in the village were: Richard Harrison, William Lee, John Moor, William Simpson, John Slater, Elizabeth Smith, Joseph Smith, John Terry, Thomas Whitehead, and James Wilton. John Fletcher was the victualler at the Fox and Hounds public house. Joshua Hepworth Esquire, was living in Roger Thorpe Hall. (Kelly's Directory for 1838)

Twenty years later the hamlet is described in Kelly's Directory for 1857 as a village and township, 4 miles south of Pontefract, and 1 mile north from Badsworth church. It has in it's township, including the Rogerthorpe Hall estate, 1,259 acres, and a population in 1851 was 315. Joshua Hepworth Esquire, was living at Rogerthorpe hall. Mrs Smith at the Old Manor House. Colonel Cholmley and Charles Waine, esquires are the 'chief land owners'. James Cutt, Thomas Carter, John Slater, Terry Williams, George Smith, William Whitehead and a person by the name of Jackson were farmers. William Hill was a Wheelwright and Terry Edwards was a Wheelwright and Joiner. There were two Blacksmiths, Thomas Westerman, and Joseph Huntington. There were two shoe makers, George Huntington, who I believe was Joseph's son, and Edward Sykes who was also a shopkeeper. George Castle was a cowkeeper. The tailor in the village was Thomas Eyer. When Joseph's fourth son William married Mary Brewster on the 25th June 1861 at Badsworth parish Church he could not write his name in the register and had to make his mark X, although Mary did so. Of course education was not compulsory. The legislation of the National Education act of 1838 had not made education compulsory but was only a guide to the education of children.

William started work with his father Joseph in the Blacksmith's shop probably about 1852 but was a farm labourer at the time of my Grandmother Mary's birth in 1864. Grandmother being their second child, a son William having been born in 1863 at Wentworth.

His wife, formally, Mary Brewster was baptised on the 30th of August 1839 the eldest daughter of Thomas and Fanny Brewster. Thomas, was a helper at the kennels, probably the Badsworth Hunt kennels. When she was 19 years old Mary had a daughter, to whom she gave her mother's name, Fanny. When she married she did not take her daughter with her which may seem a harsh thing to do but that is what happened. Fanny Junior, is never recorded on the Census returns as living with William and Mary Huntington, but always with her Grandparents the Brewsters at the Fox & Hounds pub.

At this period the ages of the people marrying were often not put on the marriage records. Certificates blandly stated that the people were of "full age". This could mean any age from 21 upwards. Inspite of the fact that the rector wrote "of full age" on the entry of William and Fanny's marriage. He was born and baptised on the 26th of June 1840. Such a quick Christening sometimes indicated that the child was not expected to live and as an unbaptised child could not be buried in consecrated ground it was necessary for the child to be baptised as soon as possible.

Christenings, marriages and burials of persons living in Thorpe Audlin were at the local parish church of St Mary's, Badsworth. I have not found my Grandmother Mary's baptism there but her younger sister Elizabeth was baptised on the 4th of November 1866. In the records it is recorded that her father was William Huntington (deceased). Unfortunately for William, Mary and Elizabeth, they were never to know their father because he was killed in a quarry when a large stone fell on him. This was on the 1st of August 1866, he was 26 years old. He is not buried at Badsworth as far as I have been able to ascertain, there is no record of his burial at St Mary's. There was a coroners report on his death but it has not survived the years.

How Mary and her three young children lived after the sudden death of William I'm not sure. They would have to live as best they could. The only form of help for them would be the Poor Law Act. perhaps she appealed to the Board of Guardians who administered the Poor Law Act of 1834. If it was agreed by them that she qualified for "Outdoor Relief", then she may be given some small amount of money towards the keep of herself and the three children.

As I was researching this possibility I learned that my Great Great Grandmother Betty Huntington, widow of Joseph, did receive "Outdoor Relief": She was paid 2/6 (12½p 1997) for relief after she was widowed. This continued until at least 1878. The Thorpe Audlin area came under the Hemsworth Poor Law Union.

HEMSWORTH DISTRICT
UNION POOR LAW ORDER BOOK
POOR LAW PAYMENTS

(The following are payments received by my Great Great Grandmother, Betty Huntington, widow of Joseph, from the Poor Law Guardians in the Hemsworth District Union).

The same amount was paid to her every six months from this date until 11th October 1877 when it was reduced to 2/-. No reason for this reduction is in the book. Why should they give her wine on the 28th of May 1874?. The last entry is for:

Huntington Betty 11-04-1878 Thorpe Audlin 2/1.

It is possible then that Mary too received "Outdoor Relief" but the Guardian's book for the years when she would be claiming has been lost. Despite the difference in the value of money and what it would buy, I think it can be seen from these amounts that it certainly wouldn't be enough to feed and clothe a family of mother and three children. Happily Mary's widowhood did not prevail too long, although the four years it did so must have been an anxious and worrying time for her. She married Charles Westerman, aged twenty, ten years her junior. He was a tailor in Ackworth. They married in the April quarter of 1870 and registered their marriage at Hemsworth. Thomas's Uncle is recorded in White's Directory of 1857 as Blacksmith at Thorpe Audlin.

My Great Great Grandfather, Joseph Huntington, listed in Kelly's Directory of 1838 and 1857 as the Blacksmith at Thorpe Audlin, was the son of Joseph Huntington. Information which I have received from Mr John Goodchild from the Goodchild Trust in Wakefield, states that Joseph Huntington, is listed in the 1861 ratebooks as "a tenant under James Dixon of a house and small garden of only nine perches in area and with a rental of 38s.6d.

The position of the blacksmith's shop is recorded on the plans to widen the road at Thorpe Audlin in 1814, the directions state that: "One public carriage road of the width of thirty feet beginning at the town street at the West end of Thorpe near a cottage and Blacksmiths shop in the occupation of Joseph Huntington belonging to James Dixon and extending Eastwards in the line of the present road, over Thorpe Common to the end of an ancient Lane called Mab Lane and to a Cottage occupied by John Turpin belonging to William Smithson".

Joseph Huntington, junior, married Mary Conway at St Giles Parish Church, Pontefract on the 26th July 1813. Their ages are not recorded but calculating from their ages at death, they must have been about 23 years of age for Joseph and Mary 20 years old. They had two sons, George baptised the 10th of October 1816 and Edward baptised on the 5th October 1819. On the 3rd of April 1822 Mary gave birth to a girl, Sarah. Unfortunately both mother and child died and were buried in Badsworth Church cemetery on the 5th of April. Mary was 33 years old and the baby 2 days.

After his wife's death it would be a difficult time for Joseph with the forge to attend to and two young boys to care for. He decided to marry again. Her name was Elizabeth Pearson. She came from the village of Wales between Rotherham and Sheffield. Their marriage was solomnised in the Parish Church (now the Cathedral) of All Saints, Wakefield on the 1st of August 1825. This union produced eight more children making eleven in all.

My Great Great Grandfather William Huntington was the seventh of Elizabeth's eight children. He was christened on the 26th of June 1840. Their eldest daughter Mary bore an illegitimate child, a girl whom she named Ann, on the 23rd of March 1843. This was seven months before her mother bore her eighth and last child. Joseph, William's father, eventually went blind. On the 1871 census he is recorded as Joseph Huntington (blind) retired Blacksmith. His wife Elizabeth (Betty) was still alive. He died about the 10th March 1872 and was buried at Badsworth on the 12 March aged 84. The charge by the church for his burial is recorded in the Sacramentals of the church it reads;

'1872, April 3 to Joseph Huntington Burial 2-Od (10p 1996)

Great Great Grandfather Joseph was not the first generation of the Huntingtons to be Blacksmiths at Thorpe Audlin. The parish register for 1790 at Badsworth has a very interesting document of his christening, it records; Joseph, son of Joseph Huntington, of Thorpe Audlin, Blacksmith, son of Thomas Huntington of Thorpe Audlin, Blacksmith, by Ann Daughter of John Camplin of Ackworth, Gent's Servant, was Christened on Sunday, January 17th 1790. was born on Saturday, December 19th, 1789. On the same column is recorded Joseph's wife's pedigree as, 'Sarah the Daughter of Edward Lapidge of Thorpe Audlin, Labourer, by Ann Daughter of', The remainder of the information has worn from the sheet. So from this one document, having traced Joseph's father and grandfather, I know that the Huntingtons had been Blacksmiths at Thorpe Audlin certainly since 1744.

The marriage banns of Joseph Huntington and Sarah Lapidge, were read at Badsworth where they married on Saturday the 23rd July, 1772. They had five children. Two sons Thomas and Joseph and three daughters, Ann, Martha and Sarah.

All the girls died, Anne lived the longest, she was 25 in 1806 when she died of consumption (we know it as tuberculosis) on the 20th of March. Sarah had died much earlier, aged 4 years and 5 months of an ulcerated sore throat she was buried on the 9th of February 1797. Martha lived to the age of sixteen years five months before she died about the 2nd of April 1801. The records simply state that she died of decline, which I think must be the same as her sister Ann's complaint, consumption.

Their parents died in the eighteen twenties. Sarah was buried on the 17th of January 1821 age 66 and Joseph on the 14th of January 1824 aged 74. In the parish Register of Ackworth is the marriage of Thomas Huntington of Badsworth. (Thorpe Audlin being in the parish) to Ann Camplin, on the 13th of December 1848 by Banns. Thomas's father, also a Thomas may have been born in July 1711 at Ackworth. His father, Richard possibly Christened at Ackworth on October 18th 1679.

The Huntington name is first recorded at Ackworth in 1522. I have possible connections to this family through Richard Huntington.

THE BREWSTER FAMILY 1755 - 1938

The Brewster family lived for many years at Thorpe Audlin. My paternal Great Great Grandfather, Thomas Brewster, was the son of Richard and Hannah. Richard came from the village of Darrington. Although he was born in the village of Fishlake near Doncaster. His christening was on the 18th of July 1785. He married Hannah Baram when he was 26. The marriage was on the 16th of April 1809 at Badsworth. There were seven sons, William, Richard, Thomas, Joseph, George, Benjamin and David, and three daughters, Betty, Emma, and Hannah.

It was their third son Thomas who married Fanny Moor at Badsworth. The marriage was solemnised on the 9th of December 1838. They had four children. Three girls and a boy. Their first child, a girl, they christened Mary on the 20th of August 1839. Mary gave birth to an illegitimate daughter whom she named Fanny, after her own mother.

Fanny Brewster, junior never married. Thomas Brewster, her Grandfather, was the landlord of the Fox and Hounds public house at Thorpe Audlin from about 1871 until his death in 1895 when it was taken over by his Granddaughter Fanny who kept it until 2nd March 1920, a period of 25 years, ( see Licensing Authority document) a total between them of fifty years as landlords of the Fox and Hounds.

What is most strange is that her mother Mary did not take Fanny with her when she married my Great Grandfather William Huntington.

Before Thomas became landlord of the Fox and Hounds he had worked at the kennels. This would most likely be the kennels of the Badsworth Hunt which until recent times was still hunting. He is recorded on the 1871 Census as landlord of the pub and again on the Census of 1881 when my future grandmother Mary Huntington is living with them. She was then 17 years old. Fanny (junior) is described as "daughter" aged 13 on the 1871 Census. This gives us a clue as to how the relationship was thought to be. But this could again simply be a "mis-recorded" item by the person who wrote the census. The last records of Thomas as Landlord is on the 1889 Kelly's Directory and the 1891 Census. On both he is at the Fox and Hounds pub in Thorpe Audlin. By the time of Kelly's Directory his wife Fanny had died on the 1st of October 1889 aged 79. She was buried in the Badsworth church cemetery.

On the 1891 Census Fanny ( junior) was still living at the pub, she was now in 1891 aged 33. Thomas died on the 8th of January 1895 aged 80. He was buried with his wife. There is a headstone on the grave which is on the North side of the church. The inscription reads:

FANNY
wife of THOMAS BREWSTER
of Thorpe Audlin Born June 2nd 1810
Died October 9th 1889
also the above
THOMAS BREWSTER
born July 29th 1814
Died January 4th 1895"
For so he Giveth His Beloved Sleep"

Alongside their grave is that of their daughter Elizabeth and son-in-law Frederick Taylor. After the death of Thomas the licensing authority changed the license to Fanny Brewster. The LICENSING ACT 1902 'records the change of the License to her thus':

REGISTER OF LICENSES Granted in petty Sessional Division of Upper Osgoldcross. Fanny Brewster, Fox and Hounds, Thorpe Audlin, Carters, Knottingley Brewery Co Ltd, 2nd March 1895. Innkeepers 7 days.

This was four months after her Grandfather's death. She stayed at the pub until she retired in 1920. The change of License from Fanny to the next landlord reads "Bertie Booth, 3rd January 1920". After her retirement she went to live at Thurnscoe, near Rotherham. Fanny's address at the time of her death on the 26th of February 1938, was 8 The Shopping Centre, Thurnscoe, she was aged 80. She was buried in the cemetery at Badsworth possibly in the same grave as her Grandparents but her name is not on the headstone.

Before Brewsters became the landlords John Bell was the landlord in 1857 and before this in 1838 it was known as a beer house and was kept by John Sharpley. (see White's Directory for these dates).

THE TAYLOR FAMILY OF BADSWORTH

Another family which came within my ancestry is the Taylor family of Badsworth. Elizabeth Taylor was the sister of my Great Grandmother Mary Huntington, both formally Brewster. Elizabeth married Frederick Taylor at St Mary's parish church on Christmas Day 1877. She bore him four children. Frederick John and Louisa both christened on the 13th of April 1879, Frances, on the 11th of April 1880 and Richard, on the 15th of October 1882.

Elizabeth died in 1886 and was buried on the 7th March 1886 aged 35. After her death Frederick had to bring up the young children on his own, which he did with the help of his in-laws, because there is no record of him re-marrying. He died on the 6th of September 1911 aged 61, and was buried with his wife in the grave next to her grandparents. He was a widower for twenty five years.

I have some knowledge of the children from the school Log Books which are extant and are kept in the Archives at Wakefield. From these records there are two specific references to the Taylor children 1887

Thursday June 18th 1877.
I find that Alfred Chopping and Lily Taylor will be unable owing to weak intellect and previous neglect, to do standard I work, I have therefore, with the consent of the Manager, put them both into the Infants Class
(signed) Catherine Jones. F E Hopwood

There is no further individual reference to Lily in the Log Books except as being absent with her brother and sisters:

Monday December 2nd
" The four Taylor's from the Fox and Hounds away from school on account of Low Fever."

There is one further mention of the family this time the son: 1891 page 83

Thursday December 17th
"Hit Fed J Taylor on side of head with open hand because he had scribbled on the Composition paper and then torn it. I'm going to speak his father about his behavior"

No further details of this incident is recorded so the result of the talk with his father, if it took place, cannot be known, I wonder if it was anything like the following from the Log Book.

Wednesday , page 50 November 21st
" This afternoon I have sent William Taylor home for violence. I have also sent a note home to his mother detailing circumstances - The boy was cause so did not thrash him"

Friday, November 23rd
"The boy has been brought back by his mother and severely reprimanded."

I'm not certain that William Taylor is of the same family as my ancestors relations. Perhaps they were cousins. Any way he seems to have got it from both quarters, school and home! There was something strange went on with the names of Lily and Frederick John. Also with the recording of their mother's name In the Parish records the mothers name of two of the children, Frances Eleanor and Richard is written as Sarah, not Elizabeth, it is certainly the same family because the fathers name is Frederick. Also there is no Lily but a Louisa who was baptised on the same date as Frederick John. The Census returns for 1891 give the correct names for the parents but added the initials of both his Grandfathers for Frederick.

SACREMENTALS BADSWORTH PARISH CHURCH from 1838

These records include members of my Huntington and Brewster ancestors.

TYTHES AND TAXES for THORPE AUDLIN 1791

Note; Joseph Huntington was my 3 X great grandfather, Ann Huntington was his mother, and therefore my 4 X Great Grandmother.

COPY of LAST POOR RATE for THORPE AUDLIN

made 10th Day of May 1872

VALUATION LIST for the Parish of Badsworth in the COUNTY of YORK

Summary of Owners names & Quantities also Qualities that each Occupier holds under each respective Owner.

VALUATION LIST for the Parish of Badsworth in the COUNTY of YORK

INCOME TAX RATE for APRIL 1885

ACKWORTH POLLING DISTRICT A

Thorpe Audlin

No 549 Brewster Thomas, Thorpe Audlin, Pontefract, Dwelling house, Fox & Hounds Pub.

No 583 Taylor Frederick, Thorpe Audlin, Pontefract, Dwelling House Cottage. [Frederick Taylor was Mr Brewster's son-in-law]

VOTING LIST 1891

Thomas Brewster Thorpe Audlin, Pontefract, Dwelling House, Fox & Hounds