THE LIBRARY

OF

THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

LOS ANGELES

HAWORTH-PAST AND PRESENT:

A HISTOKY OF

ik Ilnnlturm

6 u 6

BY J. HORSFALL TURNER,

AUTHOR OF

; Nonconformity in Idel, with the History of Airedale College," "Independency at Briyhowe" tC'c.

TWENTY ILLUSTRATIONS.

ENTERED AT STATIONERS' HALL.

BRIGHOUSI; : J. S. JOWETT, "NEWS" OFFICE.

MDCCCLXXIX.

To

LOED HOUGHTON, D.C.L.,

ANTIQUARY, POET, PATRIOT,

THESE PAGES,

ON A SUBJECT OF SPECIAL INTEREST

To His LORDSHIP, ARE (BY PERMISSION) RESPECTFULLY INSCRIBED.

PREFACE.

THIS little handbook is the outcome of a conversation the writer had with a native of Haworth, who expressed an opinion that a history of the township would be as acceptable to the inhabitants as to the numerous visitors. Whether this volume will fully answer the acknowledged requirements, it is not for me to say. I have had the pleasure of gathering the notes, and the task of stringing them together. The gathering of historic data I have always felt to be a pleasure; the task of stringing them together has been almost invariably irksome. In the first place, I have little time, and (I ought to add) in the second, little ability to do more than I have done.

The critic will ask, " Why meddle, then ? " Well, I have this hobby, and it is one that will favourably compare with most hobbies. If this does not disarm him I must plead that each one has his sphere, and that local effusions need all the encouragement they can command. I have pleasure in acknowledging kindly services from the Rev. James Whalley, Messrs. A. Holroyd, W. Scruton, and T. Fairbank.

COLLEGE HOUSE, IDEL, LEEDS. October 1st, 1879.

545231

CONTENTS.

PAGE

TOPOGRAPHY 9 — 10

ANCIENT HISTORY. Druidical. Roman. Kirkby's Inquest. Nos-

tell. The Manors. Barnard's Survey. Subsidy Roll 11 — 14

WILLS 14—21

THE MANOR. Birkhead. Midgley. Oxenhope 21 — 23

THE CHURCH. Origin. Inscriptions. Chantry 23 — 32

INCUMBENTS. Pawson. Wynterburn. Emmott. Halifax.

Smith. Rawlinge 32 — 34

ENDOWMENT. Rebuilding. Tithes. Benefaction 34 — 36

REV. E. ROBINSON. Coining. Church Registers. Emmotts ... 36—38

REV. J. COLLIER. REV. E. GARFORTH 39

REV. R. TOWN. Registers. Exercises 40 — 41

REV. J. COLLIER. Ramsdens. Recusants. Token 41 — 42

REV. E. MOORE. Middleton. REV. R. MARGERISON. Heywood 42—43 DISSENT. Foster. Rhodes. Smith. Feather. ROBINSON ... 43 — 44

REV. T. ELLISON. REV. W. CLIFFORD. JACKSON 45 — 46

SEAT HOLDERS. Benefactions 46 — 49

REV. I. SMITH. Suspended. Clog and Shoe Wedding. Mr.

Keighley. Bells 49—51

REV. W. GRIMSHAW. Presentation. Life by Newton, £c.

Relics 51—74

CHURCH REBUILT. REV. J. RICHARDSON. Caveat 74

REV. J. CHARNOCK. Law Suits. Terrier. Arvill 75 — 76

REV. S. REDHEAD. Uproars 76 — 79

REV. P. BRONTE. Fennells. Thornton Chapel. Books. Family History. Curates. Novelists. Trials. Rev. A. B. Nicholls. Marriage of Miss Bronte. Memorabilia. Tablet. Graveyard. REV. J. WADE 79—100

METHODISM. Ingham. Grimshaw. Maskew. Greenwood.

Lee. Catlow. Darney 101 — 105

Rev. John Wesley. Whitetield. Grimshaw's Letters.

Reply to White. Chapel. Ministers 105 — 113

BAFHSTS. Hartley. Greenwood. Fawcett's Poem. Crabtree's

Sermon 113 — 119

Rev. I. Slee. Thomas. Oddy. Winterbothom. Bury, Keats.

Wood. Aldis. Harper. Hall Greeii Chapel ... 119—123

Content*.

PAOl.

Ha worth. People. Railway. Astrology.

Voters. Worsted. Area 123—129

Sowileiis. Ash Mount. The OKI Hall. Ducking Stool ... 129—133

The Grammar School 133 — 136

Scandinavian Names. Mytholm. Oxenhope. Valley. Church 136 — 143 Captain Edwards. Copley Pedigree. Thomas Parker ... 143—146

Stanbury. Crow Hill Bog. Pond en 147—154

DKMOLITIOX OF HAWORTH CHURCH 155 — 164

AUTHORS. Branwell Bronte. Rev. P. Bronte. Bronte

Hardaker .. 164—

p. 105- p. 124. p. 129. p. 131. p. 132. p. 137. p. 142. p. 152. p. 169. p. 174.

ADVERTISEMENT.

Nonconformity in Idel, with the History of Airedale College."

free for 3s.

ILLUST1 Haworth Church, Frontispiece. ,, Parsonage p. viii. Church (East) p. 30. Emmott, or Old Hall p. 38. Rev. P. Bronte ... p. 73. Thornton Chapel ... p. 81. ,, Parsonage p. 82. ( 'harlotte Bronte ... p. 88. Rev. A. B. Nicholl* p. 92. Haworth Parsonage, 1879 p. 101

IATI01TS. Rev. W. (jrimshaw Haworth Village ... Grimshaw's Flagons The Old Hall Ducking Stool Bronte Group Oxenhope Church ... Thomas Parker "Keeper." ... Charlotte Bronte ...

Ten Illustrations. Post

"Independency at Brig-house— Pastors and

People." Four Illustrations. Post free for 3s.

" The Twin Churches— Lightcliffe and Coley."

Illustrated. 3s. [Will be re-issued as soon as suffi- cient Subscribers' names are received.]

'* Haworth— Past and Present." Twenty Illustra- tions, 3s,

HAWORTH— PAST AND PRESENT.

x GENERATION ago it would have been much more necessary •*"*• to define the latitude and longitude of Haworth than it is at present. Even now it is generally supposed to be a most outlandish, or rather, one should say, inlandish place. Then,

Iliiworth was known beyond its immediate district to few be- sides the old race of Methodists who treasured the memory of the incumbent Grimshaw, Wesley's co-worker. Notr, Haworth is on the lips of thousands upon thousands in various parts of the world. What has tended to this change? It is not owing to any sudden growth into a populous manufacturing town; nor owing to some royal personage, or merchant prince waving a magic wand over the barren hills ; nor to the late won- derful development in various branches of industry, else Haworth would have been left behind comparatively ; nor to a great railway system; nor even to a second Grimshaw. No; Haworth, and Stratford, and Abbotsford have their world- wide fame on account of the great thinkers who dwelt there. Haworth — the home and burial place of the Brontes : such would he the gazetteer-like reply of the majority of readers if questioned as to what Haworth was. It has been asked if ever anyone was born at Stratford besides Shakespeare ! To any similar query respecting Haworth, we hope these pages will give a somewhat similar answer as has been returned from Stratford.

Embosomed in the high moorlands connected with the Pen- nine Range, is the ancient village of Haworth, with the hamlets of Stanbury and Oxcnhope in its township. The ancient chapelry comprises an area of 10,540 acres, stretching from the village of Haworth (four miles south-west of Keighley,) westward to the boundary of Lancashire, nearly half of which is uncultivated moors, heaths and commons. The township is in the parish of Bradford, yet completely isolated from the

B

10 Haicorth :

rest of that parish, being eleven miles distant from the town. Before the Worth Valley Railway was opened it was a point of some difficulty to decide upon the best means of reaching this ancient village. "Haworth — a chapelry in Bradford parish, and Morley wapontake,* West Riding, Yorkshire," is still a somewhat indefinite direction to give a stranger, but formerly Haworth was difficult of access. Now the general direction is — "Aim for Keighley, on the Midland Railway, and there change for the Worth Valley Line which has a length of five miles, having stations at Ingrow, Dameins, Oakworth, Haworth, and Oxenhope, the latter (in Haworth township,) being the terminus." Worth Valley derives its name from the Worths just mentioned, and is of modern application. The Worth, if we may so name the stream, is an inconsiderable river, and empties itself into the Aire at Keighley. Owing to the large reservoirs constructed on the moors the quantity of water is now insignificantly small. The two main becks forming the Worth stream meet, in Oxenhope, at Banks' Mill, otherwise called Brooks-meeting Mill, and passing, Dunkirk, Rishworth, Oxeuhope, Bridgehouse, and Ebor (Merrall's) Mills, leaves Haworth, near the Railway Station, for Oakworth.

There has been a large increase in the population of Haworth during the present century.

In 1801 the chapelry or township contained 8164 souls; in 1811, 3971; in 1821/4668; in 1831, 5835.

In 1841 Haworth had 2434, Far Oxenhope 1910, near Oxenhope 1013, and Stanbury 946, giving a total population of 6,303.

In 1871 Haworth had 2700, Far Oxenhope 1704, near Oxenhope 808, and Stanbury 754, total 5,966 — a decrease of three hundred from 1841, but an increase of nearly three thousand on 1801.

Haworth is not mentioned by name in the Domesday Sur- vey, 1086, and no records of previous occupation have come down to us, unless Oakeudeu Stones, a heap of rocks on Stan- *0r hundred, from the custom of swearing fidelity by 'touching the sheriffs weapon.'

Past and Present. 11

bury Moor, are the remains of a Druid's altar. They consist of two stones erected perpendicularly. "On Crow Hill, the loftiest eminence of the ancient chapelry of Haworth, and at a height of 1,500 feet above the level of the sea, is a cromlech, an evident Druidicial remain, consisting of one flat stone, weight about six tons, placed horizontally upon two huge upright blocks, now half embedded in the heather." — Lewis's Topographical Dictionary. A Roman vicinal way is believed to have passed near Many well-heights ; and the name Stanburgh (on the road to Colne, the Colony of the Romans,) is a strong indication that the place was held as a fortification by that people. The first direct notice we have is in the record known as Kirkby's Inquest, taken 24th year of Edward 1, 1296, when Godfrey de Haworth, Roger de Manyngham, and Alicia de Bercroft, had four oxgangs in Haworth, where twenty-four carucates made a knight's fee. William de Horton had four oxgangs in Oxeuhope, and William de Clayton held other four oxgangs in Oxenhope. Mr. James supposes that the Manyng- hams and Bercrofts acquired their property at Haworth as heirs of John de Haworth.

The rich Abbey of Nostell held lands in Oxenhope at a very early date. Mr. Jennings records in his MSS., British Museum : — " Alexander, son of Swane de Clayton, gave to Nostell Priory an oxgang of land in Oxenhope, which Swane fil Lefnath held, and another oxgang held by Wulmet ; Thomas de Thornton, sou of Hugh de Thornton, confirming the grant which Wulmet held, and Richard de Clayton confirming the land held by Swane fil Lefnath."

" John fil Allen de Baildon, with Cecily his wife, gave to Nostell all their part of the land which lay between the toft belonging to Nostell, which their son, Alexander, gave to them, on the east side of the river, running from the east side of the village of Oxenhope, and the outer ditch which the Canons of Nostell made by the assent, and of the gift of our fellows. Elias de Oxenhope and Agnes, his wife, confirmed the said grant.''

12 Ilau-orth:

" William de Aukehvorth, or Aukeworth, confirmed the grant of one toft in Oxenhope made to Nostell by his father, John de Aukeworth."

" Richard de Haworth had a dispute with the Prior of Xostell respecting certain lands and a warren between Oxen- hope and Haworth which was settled by agreement."

The Haworths, of Haworth, disappear from the local history after this date, but from the time of Edward III. to the present they occur as landowners in South Lancashire.

Jane de Oxenhope, the last lineal descendant of that name, having married Adam Copley de Batley, alias Adam de Batley, the Oxenhope property became vested in him, and he assumed the name Adam de Oxenhope, in the reign of Edward II. Sometime after the death of this Adam, in 1337, the Eltofts held the land, having acquired it, most probably, by marriage, as they quartered the Copley arms — argent, a cross moline, with theirs. The Eltofts came from Darlington. William Eltoft in 1409 paid for his relief vjs. viijd. for four oxgangs at Oxenhope. This William, who probably married a Copley, had a son Henry, the father of Christopher Eltoft, against whom, in the time of Henry VII., a bill was filed in the Duchy Court for enclosing forty acres of land at Oxenhope, when he pleaded that he was lord of the manor of Oxenhope. Thus we have another mesne manor, distinct from Haworth and Stanbury. Stanbury, up to the present, has continued in Bradford Manor. Christopher Eltoft married the sister of Sir Richard Tempest, Knight, and had three sons, Anthony, William, and Edmund. In Barnard's Survey, 1577, Edmund is recorded as owner, in succession to William. Edmund married Agnes, daughter of Sir W. Fairfax, of Steeton, and resided at Farnhill. They had issue Edmund, whose son Thomas was sixteen in 1585. Further particulars of the Eltofts may be found Harl. MS., 1477, Brit. Mus. Antony Eltoft, gentleman, had lands in Bingley, 15 Henry VIH.

In 1311, on the death of the Earl of Lincoln, an inquisition was taken, which shows that the Haworths held land in

Past and Present. 13

Haworfch at that time. " This inquisition records three tenants under the Lacy fee :

William de Clayton who held iiij bovates, or oxgangs in Oxenhope, and x oxgangs in Clayton of the yearly value of xivs. xd. William de Horton held iiij oxgangs in Oxenhope of yearly

value of iiij s.

Heirs of John de Haworth held iiij oxgangs of land in Haworth, and v oxgangs in Manyngham, yearly value of vija.

TheNomina Villarum, 1316, gives Haworth and Oxenhope as in the possession of Nicholas de Audley, who held Bradford Manor; but sometime after this Haworth became a ruesne manor, and in 1544, as stated by Mr. J. C. Brook, Herald's College, MSS., Sir Christopher Danby, Knight, is the recorded possessor of John de Haworth' s property, and from him it descended to the Rish worths.

Barnard's Survey, taken in 1577, affords the following information :

Haworth — I carucate ibm quondam Johis Haworth, postea Roger de Manyngham & Johis Bercroft, uuper Johis Rishworth, & niodo Alex. Rishworth tent. per servic viij part un feodi mil. In qua villa diet. Alexander clamat habere manerium ratione tre praedict.

Oxenhope — IV bov. tre quondam William de Heton,

[mistaken for Horton,] postea Willi Eltofts, & modo

Edm. Eltofts armiger. tent, per servic, &c.

We have a lesume in these few words of the descent of

the properties for a considerable period : In Haworth was a

carucate of land, formerly in the possession of John Haworth,

afterwards of Roger dc Manniugham and John de Bercroft,

lately of John Rishworth, and now of Alexander Rishworth,

held by service as the eighth part of a knight's fee; in which

town the said Alexander claims to hold the manor by reason

of the said land. Similarly, under Oxenhope, the Eltofts

claimed the manor.

14 Haworth:

Th« poll tax of 2 Richard II, 1380, mentions forty persons as inhabitants of Haworth, each of whom paid the tax of four pence, except John de Bercroft, a merchant, whose fine is set down at xijtl. Bradford township had fifty-nine persons charged.

The Subsidy Roll, loth Henry VIII, 1525, [Yorkshire Archseo- Journal] gives under HAWORTH :

William Bayley for xls. lands ijs.

John Michell for xxvjs. viijd. lands xyjd.

Edward Akcroyd for iiijli. vjs. viijd. lands iiijs. iiijd.

Thomas Whyttaker for xls. guds xijd.

Richard Schakkylton for xls. guds xijd.

William Horsfall for xls . guds xij d .

John Clogh for his wages xxs. by yer vjd.

Edward Holmes for xxs. lands xijd.

Under the same Roll, twenty-three persons at Bradford paid £4 2s. lOd. ; three at Manuingham paid 3s. 4d. ; four at Horton paid £1 8s. Od. The Riding Rate, 24 Elizabeth, 1582, shews the relative importance of the folllowing town- ships at that date: — Haworth Is, Hothersfield Is. 5d., Brad- ford Is. 8d., Halifax Is. 7d., Bingley 9d., Otley 10d., Ilkley 6d., Baildon 5d.

In 1577 Christopher Holmes, John Mitchell, senior, and Thomas Scott appear as leading inhabitants of Haworth.

To complete the observations I have to make on that period I will here record particulars from the wills of Haworth people, extracted (by the kind permission of Mr. Hudson,) from the original books at York.

Edmund Tutyll, of Haworth, 1530, by will, gave his soul to God Almighty, the Blessed Virgin, and All Saints, and his body to be buried at St. Michael's, Haworth. To Sir Alexander Emote, curate at Haworth, he gave iijs. iiijd. To the church at Haworth vjs. viijd. He mentions his sons Henry and Umfray, his daughter Isabel, and his brother Thomas.

Past and Present. 15

Thomas Whitecars, of Haworth, seke of body, hool of mynd, made his will in 1631. "To Sir Alexander Emott xxd to py. [pray] for me. To Grace my daughter the best panne in my house except one." Mentions his daughters Alyson, Jannet, and Agnes; and Margaret his wife. His executors were exhorted to act justly " as answer me before God at the dome." "I py. my Right Worpful. maister Syr Rychard Tempest, Knyght, to be a good maister unto Thomas my son." Witnesses — Sir Alex. Emott, preist, Sir John Clerk, deaken.

William Horsfall, of Haworth, made his will July 1st, 1536, seke in bodye, gave his soul to God and his body to be buried in the kirkgarthe of S. Michael, Haworth. To the church he gave vjs. viijd., to the curate iijs. iiijd. To Thomas his son xls. To Richard his sou xs. To Margaret his daughter a ' cowe." To William his sou, a bedde of clothes. The reversion of the household stuffe to Margaret and Eliza- beth his daughters. To Margaret daughter of his son Thomas, xiijs. iiijd. To the two childer of Edmund Bynnes to ayder of theme iijs. iiijd. To Richard Horsfall my beste iackett, my beste doblet and my beste hose. William my son to be executor. Thyes beeyng Wittenes — John Dyxon, Thomas Horsfall. Proved by William, the sou, August 10th, 1536.

T'liijihri Rishtcorth, gent., Haworth, seke in bodie and boll in mynde, gave his soull to God Almightie, the Blessed Mary and All Saints, .and his body to S. Michell's Church in Haworth. To the Church at Haworth vjs. viijd. To Elizabeth his daughter xiijli. vjs. viijd. Isabel his wife to be executrix. Sir Stephen Smith, witness, 1589.

Robert Shakilton, of the parish of Haworth, 1543, men- tions his children but not by name. Agnes his wife was executrix, and Sir Robert Shakilton and Sir Steven Smith were witnesses. Undoubtedly Sir Robert Shakilton, the priest, would be a relation. Sir Steven Smith was the priest at St. Michael's.

16 Haworth :

Joint Dene, of Haworth, 1544, gave to "Edward my sonxxs. To Agnes my daughter vjs. viijd. The rest to my foure sons, except viij. shepe to Richard the sonue of John Dene of Hep- toustall. To John the elder and William my sonnes, my lauds in luddingden called Hcrboitleghes.'' His sons John, John, William and Edward were executors, and Arthur Raw- Huge, ' preist,' was witness.

It was not uncommon to have two children of the same name living together.

John Pit/hells, of Haworthe, 1546, gave to Elizabeth his daughter xxs. and a bedde of clothes. To Henry, John, Thomas, and Thomas, my foure sonnes, xs each. To Anne my daughter a braseu pott, and a paune and her childe parte. To Richard aud Christopher my sonnes towe sylver spones each beside their childes parte. Margaret my wife executrix. Wituesses — Arthur Rawlinge, presto at Haworthe, John Midgcley, Gilbert Bynncs, John Emott.

Aijnes Person, of Haworth, widdo, "I give my sone Anthony to the charge of Edward Byuues my broder to educate and bring up. Margaret my daughter to Elles Bynnes my broder. John my sonc to Henrie Pyghells. Agnes my daughter to William Scott, Will proved Oct. 22nd, 1549 before Dom. Thos. Ogden, curatus de Bradford.

James Barrett, Haworth, 1549, mentions Agues his wife, Jennett his daughter, and Umfray his son. Witnesses — Christopher Holmes, William Pighells, Edmunde Bynnes.

John Mwgatroyde, of Biugley parish, directed his body to be buried at Haworth Church. Agnes his wife, and Richard his sou executors. To Isabell daughter of John Risheworth he gave xxvjs. viijd. Dated 1551.

Thomas Jenkenson, of the parish of Haworthe, 1552, [Arabic figures first time used in this case.] gave his goods quick and dead to his wife Margaret. Witnesses — Arthur Rawlinge, prest, William Rysheworth.

Yorkshire people use the word ' wick ' still for ' alive.'

Past and Present. 17

John Eishworth, of Hawortbe, gave his soul to God and the Virgin Mary, 1557. To Margaret my wife, and Umfray and Thomas my sonnes, I give my land at Haworthe and Haworthe bank. John my sonne executor. Mentions ' Mar- garet daughter of William my sonne.' To makying of the glassen wyndowe.s in the chappell of Haicorth xvjd.

John Sutchjft'e, Haworth, will dated 1558.

John Eishworth e, of Haworthe, by will dated May 15th, 1569, directed his body to be buried within the sanctnarie at Haworth. To the Vicar of Bradford he gave the usual mor- tuary. " Isabell my wief, to have the tenement in Haworth for life, remainder to Henry my son. To Henry, my great arke. John, my son, to be executor. Mentions also ' Chris- topher, Anno, and Janet my children."

Jennet Pic/hell, of HA worth parish, widdow, 1571, men- tions her children — John, Roger, Jennet, and Katheringe.

In the name of the Father, the Sone, and the holy Ghoste, so be it, I, Richarde Snnderlande, of Hye Sunderlande, 1573, being one of those elect and chosen psons wch are to be saved

give to the poor of Northowram £3 6s. 8d. for

clothing, and £3 6s. 8d. to the poor of Haworthe for clothing.'' The Coley estate in Hipperholme purchased from John Rish- worth, Esq., Alexander Rish worth, gent., his son and heir, and Beatrix wife of the said Alexander (then living) he bequeathed to his son, Richard Sunderland.

Grace Sunderland, of High Sunderland, 1574, daughter of Richard Sunderland, gave by will (inter alia) to the wyfe of John Rishworth, of lanehead, Haworth, xs.

John Moore, of Haworthe parish, 1574, directed his body to be buried in the chappell yard at Hawortbe. Names three daughters — Janette, Johan, and Alice. Witnesses Sr. Arthur Rawlyn, clarke eodra, &c.

John Clayton, Haworth, 1574, gave his lands to his wife Agnes, with remainder to his sons, Richard, and others unnamed.

18 Hwcorth :

Mar;/, <1an;/hter of Richard Sunderland, of High Sunder- lancl, 1574, gave (inter alia) to Abraham, son of Henry Rish- worth 2s., to Robert son of John Rishworth 3s. 4d., To the wyfe of John Ryshworth of laynehead, Haworth 20s., to Christopher Ryshworth 20s., to Anne his syster, 10s., to Henry Rishworth 10s., to Jennet daughter of John Rishworth 10s., to John Rishworth, wolman, of Boothes town [near Halifax] £10., to the \vyf of John Rishworth one reade gathered pettycote, a paire of black sieves and one rayment of lynnen. To Jennet my sister and to the wyffe of John Rish- worth the rest of my rayment. To Jennet daughter of John Rishworth a reade pettycote.

John Oijilen, Haworth, 157C, mentions his son Richard, his wife Alice, his daughter Alice, and his son-in-law, George Margaret.

Isabel Eishirorth, of Haworthe. widowe, 1577 directed that her body should he interred at Haworth. To Anne, her daughter, she bequeathed one blacke kirtlc, and one white petticote. To Jennet, her daughter, the wife of Richard Byns,. a kertle, kerchief, and apron. To Alice the wife of Christopher Rishworth a white petticote. To Isabel daughter of Henry Rishworth one kyrtle homed about the skyrte with a re^de liste, one lynnin kirchif, one kaile and one apron. The rest to Christopher and Anne, her children. John, her son, was executor. Witnesses — Henry Rishworth, Ric. Byns.

Christopher Pit/hells, Haworth, 1577, gave his lands to his daughter Margaret, wife of Robert Nutter.

Galj'nj Wilson, of the parish of Haworth, 1577 directed that his body should be buried at Haworth. Left his farm to Henry, Jennet, and Margaret children of James Wilson. Arthur Rawlinge, clerk, witness.

Christopher AinUcr, of Haworth, 1578, mentions his wife Margaret, and his daughters, Mawde and Jennet.

John Mitch rll, of Stanburie, 1580, gave xxs. to John son of John Horsfall, of Sludley [Heptonstall] Christopher Mitchell, his son, executor.

f'ttxt and 1J resent. 19

John Clai/toH, Haworth, 1580, names his wife, Margaret, and one of his sons, John.

Edmund Whittakcrs, of Haworth parish, 1582, ordered his body to be buried at Haworth. To William, son of Richard Ogden, he gave ten ewes. His 'fermhold' he left to his wife, Margaret, and son, William.

Henri/ liixheivorth, of Haworth Chappell, bequeathed all his property to William Rishworth. Witnesses — Thomas Scot, Edward Risheworth; 1584.

Christopher Harr/reares, of Oxenhope, in the parish of Haworthe, 1584, gave to Agnes his wife, and Christabel his daughter, lands at Holkinstone and Stoneybanke. Legacy to his nephew, Thomas, son of Lawrence Hargreaves. Also xxs. to the buyldinge of HAWORTHE CHURCH when it may be enlarged.

Ghristophtr Mi/chdl, of Haworthe, 1585, left his tenement in Haworth to his wife Johne or Jennet, with remainder to his children — Christopher, Esabell, Nycholas, and Marie. Also xxs. towards the enlarging of HAWORTH CHAPEL, if clone within xx years. Christopher Mychell, of Stanbury, and Edward Sutclyffe, of Oxnope, were the appointed supervisors, and Thomas Horsfall a witness.

liichard Crabtrec, of Stanburie, 158.6, left his property to his wife Agnes, with remainder to his brothers — William, Thomas, and James. The overseers of the will were — Chris- topher Mytchell, of Stanbury, and William Mytchell, clerk, of Hep ton stall.

Abraham Snnderland, of High. Sunderlaud in Northourom, 1586, (inter alia) gave to John Rishworth, of Shipden, his tenant, £10; to Christopher Rishworth, of Haworth, 20s.; to the wife of Henry Rishworth 20s ; to Richard Rishworth, gentle- man, the debt owing from him; lands at Bingley, and Keighley, to Richard Sunderland, his brother.

Dorothie Ricroft, of Oxenoppe 1584, gave to "Alice wife of Richard Rishworth iiij marks, a reade coote, (red coat,) and a smocke. The rest of my apparell I give to Marie, Dorothie,

20 Haworth :

and Richard Rishworth. To Richard Rishworth xiijs. iiijd." The rest of her property she bequeathed to Christopher and Richard sons of Richard Rishworth, of Haworth.

John liynncx, of Haworth, 1586, desired to be buried in the churchyard at Haworth. Mentions 'Mr. Thomas Rishe- worth my landslord.' Bequeathed his property to his wife Elizabeth, and his children — Robert, Elizabeth, Marye, William, John, and Susan.

Elline Pit/hells, of Haworthe, 1587, mentions Henry Pighells, her brother. Bequeathed to Elizabeth and Mary daughters of Jeft'ery Hartley, xs. each. The rest of her property she gave to ' Christopher, Isabel, and Mary, childer of the late Christopher Mitchell, of Haworth,' and appointed Christopher Mitchell, of Standburie, executor.

Thomas Horsfall, of fledereford, in Kighley, 1589, .gave to Robert son of Robert Harpr. of Sutton, his lands in flederie- ford. To the two children of Richard Horsfall vjs. viijd. To Thomas Horsfall a seckinge jerkin, and xxijs. To the poor of Haworth xs.

John Brii/i/e, of Haworth, 1589, gave to his son Henry his lands at Oxnoppe, and also vjli. xiijs. iiijd. The rest to his wife Agnes, and sons — William, Samuel, Henry, John and Ambrose.

Elizabeth Scott, of Haworthe, widow, 1590, gave to William Pighells, of Oxenhope, ' My son in law, xs. To Christopher son of Thomas Scott a silver spone, and xijd. To Thomas son of Christopher Scott xijd. To Thomas son of Thomas ffletcher xijd. To Mary daughter of the said William Pighells xijd. The rest to Agnes and Janet Scott. Witness — William Rishworth, and others.

We will again vary our narrative by introducing another family interested, though not resident, in Haworth. Richard Birkheade, of Halifax parish, 1544, gave his 'soull to god verelie belevinge myself to be one of the chosen nombre that shalbe saved thrughe christe,' &c. 'To my towe eldest sonnes Richarde and Martvne mv lands at Crofton, near Wakefield.

I'ast and Present. 21

To Elizabeth my wyf, and to my three younger sonnes, Thomas John, and Robert, my lands in Halifax. The rest to Anne, Sibell, Elizabeth, Isabell and Margaret my daughters.' He appointed as overseers — Thomas Sauvell, (Saville,) of Clifton, Mr. Richard Pyuioude, of Wakefield, Robert Wuterhouse, of Halifax, William Kynge, and 'John Best, prest, writer hereof.' Witnesses — Sir William Saltonstall, prest, and others. In 1582, John Lacy, Esquire, of Leventhorpe, Bradford, gave a 'chest with three locks, with all the evydences in yt, to the charge of Martyu Birkhead, Esquire, Richard Lacy, and John Lacy,' each to have a key, and all to be present whenever it was opened. In 1590, Martyne Birkhead, of Wakefield, made his will, bequeathing his lands in Southowrani, near Halifax, to Mary, his wife, for life. Harden Grange to Daniel his son. To NATHANIEL BIRKHEAD, his eldest son, lie bequeathed his 'best geldinge, armor, weapons, gould riuge with scale of my armes, and the great boke of ffit/herbert Abridgements of the Lawe.' This Nathaniel Birkhead, Esq., was LORD OF THE MANOR OF HAWORTH. John Birkhead, of Wakefield, and Richard Birkhead, of Horbury, appear as wealthy men in 1524. The Birkheads had acquired Haworth before IiilO, in which year Christopher Dickson, of Stanbury, and Thomas Pighells conveyed land at Haworth, (adjoining Stanbury west field, the New Intacke, and the land of William Pighells,) with moors, turves, &c., to Christopher Mitchell, yeoman. The manor passed from Martin Birkhead, Esq., of Wakefield, to Nicholas Bladen, Esq., of the Inner Temple, London, but at what date I am unable to say. Mr. Bladen, in 1671, sold the manors of Haworth and Harden to William Midgley, gent., of Haworth, and Joseph, his son. Joseph Midgley, gent., the son, settled the manor, in 1690, on himself for life, with remainder to his brothers, Thomas and William, and to the survivor of them. William Midgley died in September, 1728, and is noticed in the Register of Burials as ' Lord of the Manor of Haworth.' Hie son, David Midgley, was Lord of the Manor, less than a year, dying in April, 1724. David Midgley, of Westcroft head

22 Haworth :

in Haworth, gout., made his will March 5th, 1724, arid gave to his cousin Joseph Midgley, son and heir of William Midgley, of Oldfield, in Keighley, yeoman, the manor or lordship of Haworth, and all commons, royalties and appurtenances belong- ing to the same ; also a messuage called Cookhouse, situate near Haworth, and the land thereto belonging, in the occupation of William Midgley, his cousin. After mentioning his late brother William, Testator gives to his mother Judith Midgley, the messuage and land , called Withens, in Haworth, for her life, and after her death to Joseph Midgley and Timothy Horsfall, of Westcroft head, his brother-in-law, to hold upon trust, and with the rents, issues and profits, to clothe with good and convenient blue clothes, and other necessary wearing apparel, ten poor children &c. He gives to Mary, his sister, wife of Timothy Horsfall, a messuage, with land, called Bully Trees, in Stanbury ; to Sarah, his sister, wife of Thomas Lister, of Heptonstall Oidtowu, and his said sister Mary, all the residue of his lands. Joseph Midgley executor. Witnesses — Jonas Horsfall, Michael Horsfall, and T. Dobson. A tablet in the church records the death of Joseph Midgley, of Oldfield, Lord of the Manor of Haworth, November 10th, 1705, aged 40.

In 1811, the manor was purchased for £4,100 from the Midgleys by the Trustees of Benjamin Ferrand, Esq., of Bing- ley. On the death of his mother, Mrs. Sarah Ferrand, William Ferrand, Esq., of St. Ives, Bingley, became Lord. W. B. Ferrand, Esq., the present Lord, succeeded Edward Ferrand, Esq. There was, in the south «ast corner of Haworth Church, elevated a few steps above the rest, a pew known as the 'Lord's Pew,' which was removed about eight years ago by the present Rector and sent to Miss liushworth, the owner, at whose residence, Moutdgreave, it is preserved. At the foot of this pew was the burial place of the Midgleys.

Oxenhope mesne manor has been in the possession of the Greenwood family many years, but it seems to have been divided into several parts in the seventeenth century. Mr. lames says: — "From a conveyance of Thornton Manor, about

Past and Present. 23

1700, I perceive that four shillings yearly was payable out of Oxenhope to Thornton Manor. How this payment arose I have no knowledge." Mr. J. C. Brook, in 1777, says in his MSS., Herald's College: — "Charles Wood, Esq., of Bowling Hall, informs me that the Manor of Oxenhope is divided into five parts, of which he has one, Abraham Bauine, of Bradford, another, and the three heiresses of Copley, of Batley, the other three." The whole of the manor vested, by purchase, in the late Joseph Greenwood, Esq., of Springhead, and is now the property of Captain Edwards, though there are many estates here held by other families, as the Rushworths, Binns, Horsfalls, Kershaws, Emmotts, Greenwoods, &c.

HAWOETH CHURCH.

Lawton sums up his notice of Haworth Church in a few sentences. It is dedicated to St. Michael ; is a perpetual curacy, net value £170 ; chapel room for 1000. Patrons— the Vicar of Bradford and Trustees. The curate is nominated by the Vicar, in conformity to the choice of the freeholders, and particularly of the trustees of lands heretofore purchased for the augmentation of the curacy, and at their instance and request.

Maintenance £27 IBs. per annum.

Recommended to be made a parish ; Parliamentary Sur- vey, Vol. xvm, page 291. [1655.]

A Brief having been obtained in 1754, a faculty was granted 17th July, 1755, to enlarge the chapel.

1757, March, 22nd, confirmation of seats.

1779, July 29th, faculty to erect a gallery.

The glebe house is fit for residence.

The Register Books commence in 1045.

Parochial Charities — No return.

Abp. Sharp's MS. Vol. i. pp. 172, 858.

Dr. Whitaker (Luidis, p. 355,) in his attempt to disprove the antiquity of Haworth church has fallen into the opposite error. He says — " Haworth is prior, but not long prior, to the Reformation ; a tremendous anachronism, indeed, if we are to believe a modern inscription near the steeple.

24 Haii-orth :

HlC FUIT COENOBIUM MoNACHORUM

AUTASTE FUNDATORE ANNO CHRISTI

SEXCENTESSIMO —

that is before the first preaching of Christianity in Northumbria. The origin of this strange misapprehension is visible on an adjoining stone

fiouij sfnfu

in the character of Henry the VIII th's time.

Now every antiquary knows that the formulary of prayer, PRO BONO STATU, always refers to the living. I suspect that this singular Christian name has been mistaken by the stone- cutter for Eustat, a contraction of Eustatius, but the word Tod, which has been misread for the Arabic numerals six HUNDRED, is perfectly fair and legible. I suspect, however, that some minister of the chapel has committed the two-fold blunder, first, of assigning to the place this absurd and impossible antiquity; and secondly, from the common form, ORATE PRO BONO STATU, of inferring the existence here of a monastery.

But 'hae uugae seria ducunt in mala ;' for ignorance as often happens, opened the door to strife. On the presumption of this foolish claim to antiquity, the people would needs set for independence, and contest the right of the Vicar to nomin- ate a curate. The chapel itself bears every mark of the reign of Henry VIII., but has some peculiarities; asex.gr. only two aisles, a row of columns up the middle, and three windows at the east end, one opposite to the columns. On the whole, Hawoith is to Bradford as Heptonstall to Halifax — almost at the extremity of population, high, bleak, dirty, and difficult of access."

The Doctor finely displays his crotchets in this summary description. Church and Curate, village and people are alike at fault. Haworth Church, as a foundation, notwithstanding the Doctor's emphatic denial, is 'long prior to the Reformation.' In the history of the Curate's dealings with THE Han-urth Stone he was probably nearer the truth. Manufactures and

Past and Present. 25

popular independence were sure to call forth the Doctor's indignation. The parallel with Heptonstall is very just, perhaps more so than he intended, for he surely must have known of the antiquity of Heptonstall. " Why should not we have an old church ?" asks the good lady who conducts visitors around. It seems as if strangers begrudge Haworth apre-norman edifice, and the natives ask what motive could have induced anyone to invent the statement. We are all apt to credit a statement in print that suits our ideas, and at Haworth we have a ' fact ' stated on stone four times over !

" Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise." It would be very pleasing to make the grand discovery that Haworth Church was co-eval with Canterbury and York, or a connecting link with the old British Christian Church. But, alas for Ha worth! we have got the words ' mother church of Dewsbury ' and its ' Hie Paulinus — 627 ' so instilled into our books, and thence to our minds, that Haworth people may strive, but strive in vain, to pull us out of the rut. Dews- bury's 627 may stand, but Haworth's 600 is preposterous: Paulinus is evidently 'gospel,' but Autest — who was he?

We turn to that lodestone — Domesday Book, compiled about 1083, and failing to find a Haworth in it — not to men- tion a Haworth Church, we turn away relieved by the thought that Domesday is no authority on ecclesiastical matters, and wofully short in other respects. Gildas and the Venerable Bede fail to satisfy us, and we are content to pass over the chivalrous days of our crusading King Richard, the grand achievements through the signing of Magna Charta, the long reign of Henry III., and the exploits of the warlike monarch, his son, before we meet with any authentic notice of a sanctuary at Haworth. Though written on stone we will not believe it, for the carver should have given his authority. I should be quite willing for Haworth to take the superlative degree : His Grace of York, primate of England, His Grace of Canterbury, primate of all England, but His Grace of Haworth primate of the primates.

26 ftaworth :

Some contend that Christianity was introduced into Britain by one or other of the Apostles, or, at latest, during the first century of this era. Probably some of the Roman soldiers had heard and received the truths of the Gospel ; but we leave these disputed points for established facts.

In 314 A.D. three British bishops (York, London, and Lincoln,) were present at the Synod of Aries, and as it is un- likely that all the bishops would be in a foreign country, it would lead us to suppose that the Christian doctrine had met with a favourable reception. Britain, it is said, profited less by the humanizing influence of Christianity than other parts of Europe, owing to the wars with the barbarians, and the rebel- lions against the Roman governors. It was, moreover, tor- mented with heretical preachers, of whom Pelagius was the most formidable (A.D. 429). Little, if any, Christianity could be found in the country for a century after the Romans left. Pope Gregory sent . Augustine and other monks to evangelize amongst the Saxons in 596. • They met with royal favour and gained many converts, not only in Kent, but in Northumbria. Paulinus became Archbishop of York in 624. We have al- ready alluded to the Saxon parish of Dewsbury (God's town), of which Halifax and Bradford parishes formed at that time a part. Then a few modest wooden churches appeared, but still in the vast woods, by the side of clear wells, and around huge stones, the rude Saxons fondly gathered.

With their religion they mixed up much that was super- stitious and idolatrous. They imagined that a child born on the fourth day of the Moon would be a great politician; on the tenth, a great traveller; on the twenty-first, a bold robber — and so on. They believed in swarms of elves and fairies, good and evil. Two places at least, near Halifax, now bear names indicative of this. One is "Awfe (Elf) House,'' in Hove Edge. Our common weed, Mugwort (Artemisia), acted as a charm and magic spell, if kept about the person. They held sacred, elder and other trees, wells and stones. Any rriminnl who could reach a frith. ;-plot (plot of laud surrounding

Past and Present. 2?

some holy well, &c,) was secure. The privilege of claiming sanctuary existed long after Saxon times.

The begging-monks (Dominicans and Franciscans), shortly after their commencement, became the pests of the land, partly owing to their number, but more to their impu- dence. Chaucer says of a friar —

"He was the best beggar in all his hous, For though a widowe had but a shoo Yet wolde have a farthing ere he went."

The Cleckhcaton actors of "Joseph and his Brethren" have precedents in the Franciscans. They performed rude dramatic exhibitions of Scripture stories in churches, or en stages in the open air. Religion must have been at its lowest ebb when, according to Barclay's "Ship of Fools," published 1509, the priests in the Church repeated 'fayned fables,' 'talked of battayles,' and the like, and the people

"While the priest his mass or matin singes, Are chatting and babbling as it were in a fayre."

Thus gloomy superstition, misery and vice prevailed. Rapa- cious and immoral monks preyed upon the people. Whatever they demanded, they got.

"This bag full of straw I bear on my back Because niy lord's horse his litter doth lack ; 1 f ye be not good to my lord grace's horse, You are like to go barefoot before the cross."

The priests spent their time hunting and hawking, and when the disastrous Wars of the Roses commenced, many of them entered the army.

Excommunication, when a bell was tolled, a book of appointed offices read, and three candles successively extin- guished, was feared more than death. Suspension " ab ingressu ecclesiae " (from entering church) was used as a threat if the priest's wishes were not complied with. Edward VI. 's Act is founded on this : — " If any person quarrel, chide, or brawl in church or churchyard, the ordinary may suspend him."

John Wicklifie, the " Morning Star of the Refbrwatiou,"

28 . Hau-orth :

was born in the North Riding of Yorkshire, in 1324, and died in 1884, but probably his tenets took little hold here.

We can scarcely imagine so benighted a condition as that of our forefathers, so late as 1500. Bells summoned them to church, but they heard no sermon. They bowed before some rude picture or ill-carved image, or confessed to some profli- gate, if not ignorant, priest. There •were no seats in the churches before the Reformation.

Pilgrimages were highly eulogised, and often imposed. Accoutred in coarse woollen gown, with a large round hat, a scrip by his side, a string of beads and a staff — and, perhaps, barefooted — the pious pilgrim wended his way to some holy place, supporting himself by begging. Pilgrims returning from the Holy Land bore a palm, and were received home with peculiar honours. Elias de Rastrick had a certificate granted him of having visited Jerusalem. Canterbury was a noted place for pilgrimages.

The following are the inscriptions on the four Haworth stones.

On the steeple are two stones placed in juxta-position :

©rattj $. famo

Pro;/ for ye

Soul of An teat— 600

Above these two stones is another, bearing a coat of amis of which only a bend and a cross saltier on the lower part can be deciphered. The arms of Alexander Rishworth were — Argent, a cross betone fetche sable ; also given in the same MS. 1367, British Museum, Argent, a bend gules between eagle displayed in chief vert, and a cross crosslet sable in base. Dr. Horsfall, Bishop of Ossory, who died there about 1G09, and his wife (probably a Rishworth,) are buried at the Cathe- dral of St. Canice, Kilkenny. The monument to their memory is destroyed, but I have a rubbing of their arms, sent me some

Past and Present. 29

years ago by the Rev. Canon Graves, Hector of Inisnag : Horsfall — Gules, a bezant, between three horses' beads, couped argent, bridled azure. The wife's are given — A saltire engrailed, between four cross crosslets fetche. Sir Cyprian Horsfall, of Inisuag Castle, was their sou.

Near the steeple, on the west end of the church is another stone bearing a more explicit statement :

HlC OLIM FUIT MONACHOEUM

CCENOBIUM AD HoNOBEM

SANCTI MICHAELIS, ET OMNIUM

ANGELORUM DICTATUM

AUTESTE FUNDATORE ANNO CHRISTI

SEXCENTESSIMO.

The story of the three black crows is evidently a parallel case. The first stone is probably a copy of an older one, and ut the time when this fac-shnile stone was placed there (say 1590,) the curate or some half-classical scholar had the com- panion stone placed in juxta-position, to serve as a key to the other. Then, to crown all, the third stone was added, en- larging upon the other two, and probably added about Mr. Grimshaw's time. ' Here was formerly a monastery, dedicated to St. Michael the archangel, founded by Auteste in the year of Christ, 600.' Within the church, near the vestry door, this is improved upon to a nicety, where a bell is added to the original foundation.

This Steeple and the little Bell were in the year of our Lord 600

Yet, strange to say, this ' little Bell ' bore the inscription, "Deo altissimis 1664."

There is another difficulty in the fact that no family of the name, Todd, has been located here for six centuries, so 11 1 r us auv evidence shews. If I were a native, I might be

30

Haworth :

disposed to get over all difficulties by tracing the history of the Church to the Eustathians, a sect of Christians in the fourth century, who disallowed the worshipping of saints.

Past and Present. 81

Leaving the fictitious part of our subject, we have no mean antiquity to offer for Haworth Church. The base of the steeple, the two cast windows, and the pillars are undoubtedly very ancient. It is not at all improbable that an oratory was established here in Norman times, and I have been surprised to find how frequently Haworth is referred to as a parish in ancient writings. I am disposed to think, too, that it had the right of sanctuary, like the cities of refuge of old, and that the limits of sanctuary were indicated by crosses. At least two of them remain to the present in name — Cross, at Stanbury, and Cross, near Oxeuhope Railway Station.

Haworth seems to have been united with Bradford to form a parish as part of the Lacy fee, though probably Ha- worth Church is of as early foundation as Bradford.

I have made numerous extracts from the Archbishop's Registers, and the Wills at York, from 1300, all showing the antiquity and comparative importance of Haworth Church. In 1317, a decree was issued commanding the rector and vicar of Bradford, and the freeholders of Haworth to pay to the curate of Haworth Chapel the salary due to him in the proportions to which they had been liable FROM ANCIENT TIMES. Again, in 1320 a monition was issued from the Arch- bishop's Court, commanding the rector of Bradford (not an ecclesiastic, but the owner of the tithes,) to pay to the chap- lain xxs., the vicar of Bradford to pay two marks and a half, and the inhabitants of Haworth one mark, to sustain a chaplain officiating in the chapel of Haworth. The chaplain's income was further augmented by the founding of a chantry in the chapel, which was endowed with a messuage and seven acres of land at Batley and xxs. rent. This took place in 1888. An Inquisition ad quod dampmim was taken in that year (llth Edward III,) by Roger de Thornton and eleven others, whereby they returned that it would NOT be to the damage of the king if permission were granted to Adam de Batteley to give and assign a messuage, seven acres of land, and xxs. rent, with appurtenances, to a certain chaplain, in augmentation of his

32 Haworth:

support, to celebrate divine service for the soul of the said Adam, and the souls of his ancestors, the souls of Thomas de Thornton and Ellen his wife, for all whose goods he had ill- gotten, and all the faithful deceased in the chapel of St. Michael at Haworth, every day; and the jurors returned that the messuage and three acres and a half of the land were held of William de Clayton by knight's service, of Queen Philippa, arid the remainder held directly of the honor of Pontefract.

Adam de Batteley, alias de Copley, alias de Oxenhope, founded a chantry in Batley Church. He was probably re- lated to the de Thorntons.

The Haworth chantry property reverted to the crown on the dissolution of Chantries, temp. Edw. YI.

JOHN PAWSON, capellanus de Haworth in Craven. His will contains the following items: 'Ego Johannes Pawson, caps, de Haworth,' of sound mind, April 13th, 1431, gave his soul to God Almighty, the Blessed Mary, and All Saints, and his body to be buried in the cemetery of St. Michael the Arch- angel de Haworth. His bay horse ' ambulant ' he bequeathed as a mortuary, and gave vs. to the fabric of the Church at York. To the hospital at Knaresborough (St. Robert's,) ijs. for a priest to celebrate for his soul. Johan uxor John de Rylleston, and Richard de Wy[n]trburn, clerk, executors, proved the will May 20th. The witnesses were Henry de Bolton, Will. Mayrnoud, John Pyghtlye, Thorn. Pyghtlye, and Thorn. Denbye.

The phraseology of the wills previously given indicate the religious beliefs. In one or two cases protestaut Calvinism crops out, bis t many retain their ancient Catholic formula. Haworth had thus early the right of sepulture.

Sm ALEXANDER EMMOTT, probably of the Emmotts of Emmott Hall, in Haworth, appears as curate of Haworth before 153(1. He is charged to pray for tho souls of Edmund Tutyll, 1530, and Thomas Whiteears, 1581. John Emott WHS witness to a Haworth will in 1546. Sir Alexander left in 1581, or 1532, and weut into Halifax parish. ' Alex. Emote,

Past and Present. 88

preiste,' and ' Sir William Saltonstall, preiste ' were witnesses to Richard Best's will, Halifax parish, 1537. William Holmes, of Halifax parish, 1538, commenced his will in the Protestant formula. He gave to ' Sir Alex. Emot, preist, one yrne chymney now in the handes of William Brodley by the water,' and a ' Rowme in the xxvj stall upon the Sowthe sid of the middle Alley in Halifax Church to Richard Brighouse of Hipperholme.' From 1589 Dominus Alex. Emmote fre- quently appears as a surrogate. Wills were proved in his presence. Richard Sunderland's will, 1537, was proved in 1545 before Dno. Alex. Ernmott, curate de Halifax.

' Sir John Clerk, deaken,' occurs along with Sir Alex. Ernott, preist, in Whitecar's will, 1531.

SIR JOHN HALIFAX, of the parish of Haworth, seke in bodie, gave- his soul to our ladie, and his bodie to be buried at St. Michael's. 'To Mr. George Gargrave my Jacket; to Margaret my sister, my horse; to Edward Akerode my gown; to William Allerton myne olde gowue; to Richard Akerode towc dubletts, a mattres, and three sheits, a saddle and a hridell; to Grace Ackerode, towe courletts, two shets and a blanket ; to Thomas Lister a paire of hosse clothe ; to Henry Ackerode a cloke, and to Anne, his wife, a silver spone; to Sir John of Watterhouse my bonnett ; to Henry Ackerode my hatte ; to Henry Scladen a paire of hose ; to Robert Wadds- worth a paire of hose ; to Sir Thomas Hall towe books ; to Sir Steveu Smyth towe books ; to Henry Ackerode the rest of my books; to Isabell wife of Richard Ackerode xx gymbers, price xxxiijs. iiijd. ; and to the brige, and to bye a grave and horde xiijs. iiijd. Henry Ackerode and Thomas Lyster were executors. Sir Steven Smyth and George Gargrave, witnesses, June 7th, 1540.

John Halifax, canon of Bolton, is mentioned in 1452.

Sri: STKI-HEN SMYTH appears to have succeeded Sir Alex. Eiimiott as curate at Haworth. He WHS there in 1532, as shown by the will of Richard Hogden [Ogden, I presume,] of the chapelry of Haworth, 1532, who directed his body to be

34 HaicortJt :

buried at St. Michael's. The witnesses were Sr. Steven Smyth and Elyas Bynnys.

The curates generally appear as witnesses, and were largely engaged in writing wills, being the persons best able to perform the duties, particularly when written in Latin. Sir Stephen was witness to Umfri Rishworth's will, 1589, and Robert Shakilton's, 1543. Sir Robert Sbakilton was a wit- ness to the latter, and would be a native of the district. Sir William Mitchell, of Heptonstall, was another who had entered the priesthood from a local family. Sir was given to such of the clergy as had not graduated, and Dominus to those who had.

SIR ARTHUR RAWLIXGE, preiste, succeeded to the curacy about 1544, when he appears as witness in John Dene's will. In 154(5 and 1552 he occurs again. John Rishworth gave, in 1557, ' to makyng of the CLASSEN wyndowes in the chappell of Haworth, xvjd;' and his son desired to be buried 'within the sanctuarie at Haworth,' twelve years later. Sir Arthur Rawlyn, clarke, of Haworth, was a witness to John Moore's will in 1574, and in 1577 to Galfrie Wilson's.

By indenture made the 18th day of December, 2 Eliz., (1560) between Henry Savile, Thomas Darley, and William Adame, of Haworth, of the one part, and Andrew Heaton and Chr. Holmes, of the same chapelry, of the other part, after re- citing that the inhabitants of Haworth Chapelry had raised the sum of £36, which said sum, it had been agreed upon by the inhabitants, should be laid out in the purchase of lands, and the security of the same be taken and kept on foot, in the names of some of the principal men of the chapelry, in trust, to be transferred from time to time in succession to the said Andrew Heaton and Chr. Holmes, to take and receive the rents, and pay the same over to the minister, who performed the usual duties of divine service in Haworth chapel, being first lawfully licensed and admitted thereunto. The parties of the first part, in consideration of £36, granted to the said feoffees all those three messuages or tenements and forty-two acres of laud, situate at Stanbury, with the appurtenances, this proviso

Past and Prewiii. 85

being made, that if the said Andrew Heaton and Chr. Holmes, their heirs and successors, or a major part of them, should at any time thereafter be DEBARRED IN THEIR CHOICE, OR IN THE NOMINATION OF MINISTER to supply the place when any vacancy should happen, or if a minister, already licensed and admitted, be negligent in his duties in the said chapel, or of an infamous character, or litigious with tho inhabitants of the said chapolry, 11ml then, and in any of tho said cases, it should and might bo lawful to and for the said fooflees, their heirs and successors, or a major part of them, to take and receive the rents, issues, and profits annually growing and arising from the said premises, and apply and distribute the same to the poor of the said chapelry, or to any other good and charitable use or uses for the benefit of all the inhabitants, until such time that a minister of better merit should be chosen and approved of by the said feoffees, their heirs and successors, to supply or officiate in the said chapel.

In 1584, Christopher Hargreaves, of Oxenhope, be- queathed ' xxs. to the Imyldinge of Haworthe Church when it should bi> enlarged,' and in 1585, 'Christopher Mychell, of Haworth, gave xxs. towards the enlarging of Haworth Chappel, if done within twenty years.' ' These items indicate that there was some movement towards a re-building, and probably such took place before 1590.

Richard Horsfall, of Oxenhope, in 1612 purchased 120 acres of land at Weetshaw-bottom in Denholme, and from that time a branch of that family has been settled in Denholme. Mr. William Heaton appears as a leading parishioner in the same year, having his residence at Stanbury. In 1614, Stan- bury Withens, a place in the parish of Haworth is mentioned.

In 1085 the Free School was established.

In 1637 the tithes of the new land in Haworth, with fifty shillings per annum of Easter Book proceeds, in connection with Bradfoid Parish Church, were sold for £260, and in the following year the tithes of Haworth realized £200.

Abraham Kitchin, (Kitchingman, on a board in the

86 Haworth:

chapel,) by indenture of feoffment, dated the loth of April, 1644, conveyed unto Trustees a messuage called Whinney- hill, and land in Far Oxenhope ; and directed that they and their successors should receive out of the rents thereof, a ten shillings yearly rent-charge, to be paid for the use of the poor of the parish of Haworth at Martinmas day. The estate belonged to James Feather, of Far Oxenhope, and for thirty years previous to the Commissioners' Report, it had not been paid; but they intimated to the owner the existence and nature of the charge, and the propriety of his paying it.

EDMUND ROBINSON. A pamphlet containing a sermon preached by the Rev. Geo. Halley, M.A., Chaplain of York Gaol, on the 29th of March, 1691, gives some particulars of the life of this notorious criminal.

" Robinson was born in Colne parish. His father, a con- siderable husbandman, sent him to school, where he made great progress in something besides book learning, for I am creditably informed by an honest gentleman, who was his schoolfellow, that those base practices which have proved his ruin then began. He associated with a lad named Gregson, whose father was a coiner, and the two lads became utterers of pewter shillings. Gregson took holy orders, and was after- wards hanged at Lancaster for coining. From school, Robin- sou went to the University, but was not there long. However, he got into orders, being ordained by the Bishop of Lichfield, and went to Holmfirth, where he had a stipend of i'25 a year. He was there eleven years, and then pretended to leave the place from some bodily indisposition. He preached, likewise, for the space of a year at Haworth. This was all the preferment he had in the church. His life, while a curate, was by no means suitable to his profession, for he would forge licenses, and clandestinely marry, and was guilty of many other immor- alities, for which he was suspended and excommunicated ; and at last imprisoned upon a "writ excommunicato capienda. Afterwards he was several times apprehended and tried for his life, viz., at York, in March IGTb ; acquitted for clipping, but

Past and Prex<-ni. 87

convicted for uttering false money, and fined £20. Again, at the assizes in 1679, and in 81st Chas. II., he was convicted of uttering false money, and fined £500. In 1685 he was tried for coining, and acquitted ; and, lastly, at York, in -Aliirch, 1601, for coining and clipping. He challenged thirty- five jurors before he would come to his trial. He was con- victed and executed on the 31st March, along with nine other felons. The Rev. Chaplain, who preached to the condemned prisoners the previous day, observed, " I am heartily sorry that one who had taken holy orders upon him, (though it is a con- siderable time since he pretended to an Ecclesiastical office) should prove a malefactor of this kind, and that some should make it an accusation against the clergy." Robinson had married a daughter of Anthony Armitage, of Almondbury, who brought him property worth £12 a year. She and Benjamin their son, were tried' at the same assizes as Robinson. She was acquitted, and the son reprieved at the gallows. To show the extent of their nefarious dealings, a witness stated that one Roger Preston, had coined for Robinson to the amount of £1800 in half a year.''

These parts of the West Riding were infested with coiners at that and subsequent periods.

I have placed this notice of Robinson here as I cannot find a spare year from 1658 to the time of his execution, and I have found no entry at York respecting him.

The Registers at Haworth have been preserved from 1645. On the 17th July, 1646, there is an entry recording a great tempest, with thunder and lightnings, such as few have heard or seen.

In 1648, February, John Emmott, alias voc. Shays, buried. A noise loci ubi natus. This would, probably, be the Old Hall, known as Emmott Hall, a sketch of which, from the east, is given on p. 88. Under this year is an entry recording a battle between Cromwell and the Scots, when the latter were, by God's assistance, routed. Also a great fall of snow on Fastens Even which continued till the last week of the same winter.

EMMOTT HALL (EAST VIEW).

February 25th, 1649, two suns appeared on either side of the true sun, making three in all.

1652. Such a drought between and the first week

in June that during that season, only one shower. Notwith- standing there was a good harvest.

August 20th, there was a storm of wind and hail, some shaped like spur rowels. It was the effect of the conjunction of Saturn and Mars in Leo. There were two crops of bil- berries.

Evidently astrology was cultivated at Haworth then, as it has been in later times.

1653. — JOHN COLLIER officiated as perpetual curate, but, in common with some other neighbouring churches, little order

Past and Present. 89

in church affairs prevailed. The Haworth Register of 1658 has the following curious entry : "A gentleman named Keesbey and the relict of one Mr. Gates, being sister of John Midgley, of Headley, married by a man like a minister, whom they brought along with them." Rev. Win. Midgley, of Headley in Thorn- ton, curate of Sowerby, died in 1706, aged 34. Mr. James suggests that Mr. Collier was probably suspended by the Par- liamentary Commissioners, and re-instated ten years afterwards, as we find under date August, 1662 — " Timothy, sou of Kev. John Collier, buried :

Si qua Fata aspera rumpus

Tu Marcellus eris, Deus dedit et abstulit."

1674, June 28th, Mr. John Collier, sou. of Mr. Jo. Col- lier, aged twenty years, buried.

Upon a gravestone, formerly in the churchyard, Mr. Collier, who was buried there October 10th, 1675, was de- scribed as ' Laureate,' indicating that, besides being a classical scholar, he was a poet. The fragment that remains of this stone is reared against the pulpit.

IOHN COL LAVREAT SON : TO : MINIST

This raises the question whether the son was not the poet. There are some entries in Bradford Church Registers respect- ing Mr. Collier's family. He was probably a native of the district. The Rev. Jeremy Collier was a native of Yeadon, where the family has been seated four centuries nearly.

1654. — The Register states that MR. EDWARD GARFORTH began to officiate as minister at Haworth, by commission from the Commissioners at London, ordained and empowered for settling and approbation of public preachers (he having been first approved of, and recommended unto them by the certifi- cate of most of the substantial inhabitants of the said parochial chapelry of Haworth) on the 12th June this year.

H..I-.KKT TOWY, SENIOR.

40 Haworth :

The Parliamentary Survey, 1655, records — " Haworth Chappell is distant from its parish church seaven myles. Mr. Robert Towne is mynister there, being a constant preacher of God's word, and hath for his sallarye twenty-seaven pounds thirteene shillings and foure pence p. imn. arysing out of lands allotted for that use." It was recommended by the Commis- sioners to constitute it a parish church.

Mr. Town had previously been minister at Elland. The Rev. Oliver Heywood, of Coley, (1652) writes :— " At Elland was old Mr. Robert Town, the famous Antinomian, who writ some books ; he was the best scholar and soberest man of that judgment in the country, but something unsound in principles. He removed: lived and died not long ago a Nonconformist." Daniel Towne, his son, an extreme Calvinist, was minister at Heptonstall.

On the 24th of August, 1062, by the Act of Uniformity, Robert Town, senior, was ejected from Haworth. The Regis- ter there records his burial, June, 1664, " Robert Town, some time minister of Haworth." He was then about seventy years of age.

There is also the entry under the year 1655 in the Regis- ter : — There was a continual wet summer, so that most of the hay was generally got in the middle of September.

1656. — The bridge at Brighouse, in Haworth, repaired with new timber and stone heads.

The Sessions Rolls, and Book of Bridges give numerous similar records.

During the Protectorate, publications of banns of mar- riages were frequently made at the nearest market placte, according to an Act passed in 1653, when it took the form of a civil contract, and was performed before a magistrate.

In my "Nonconformity in Idel " are a few notes taken from Bingley Churchwardens' Book, illustrating the customs of the ' Exercises ' so popular at Halifax and other places.

1651. — 13 Aprill, ffor meate and drinkewhen Mr. Towr.e preached, 4s.

Pant and Present. 41

Meat and drink to Jane Wright when Mr. Towne and Mr. Taylor preacht, 6s. 6d.

When both Mr. Townes preached, 6s. 8d.

For both Mr. Townes, 5s.

To Jane Wright when both Mr. Townes preacht, 5s.

1658.— Payd att an Excercizefor both Mr. Townes 2s. 8d.

Old Mr. Town preaching two sermons on Lord's Day, Is. 3d.

Mr. Town preached Lord's Day, Is.

Excercize for both Mr. Townes, November 7, 2s. 4d.

Mr. Town younger, preaching Saboath day, Is.

1654. — Excercize, Mr. Town preacht, March 31, 2s.

1658. — Old Mr. Towne preacht in the absence of our vicar, Is. 8d.

1661. — Mr. Collier preached 19 June, 6s.

1668. — Mr. Townes [junior] preached, 2s. 6d.

Mr. Kobbinson preached, 4s.

In 1660, the number of persons assessed to the Poll Act within Haworth Constabulary was 490, which included all the Inhabitants over fifteen years of age, except a few paupers. The amount of the tax was £35, and the total rent of the lands and mills, &t the same time was £1,020. The population in the same year may be roughly verified by the entries in the Register, multiplied by the generally accepted numbers. There were twenty-six baptisms, three marriages, and eight burials. I suppose the population would be about 700.

In 1663, the REV. JOHN COLLIER again appears as curate, having resumed office on the ejection of Mr. Town. In 1664, eight persons were sent to Halifax Corrections, and afterwards excommunicated for non-appearance, viz., seven men for not coming to church, and a woman for fornication.

In 1665, Dugdale, at his visitation, acknowledged the right of Mr. John Ramsden, of Haworth, gentleman, to coat- armour. He was father of Mr. Joseph Ramsden, of Crowstone, near Halifax, (who died in 1698,) whose widow Elizabeth, nee Finch, grand-daughter of William Horton, Esq., of Barkisland,

p

42 Haworth :

married, secondly, Sir Richard Musgrave, Bart. Thomas Ramsden, Esq., high sheriff in 1726, was son of Joseph and Elizabeth Rarnsden.

In 1665, the following inhabitants of Haworth were charged with recusancy before the West Riding magistrates : — Christo- pher Holmes, Joseph Smith, William Clayton, William Clayton, junior, John Clayton, junior, John Pighills, John Taylor, Jonas Turner, and Nathan Heaton. They were prob- ably Protestant Dissenters, and not Roman Catholics.

We meet with one tradesman's token : SAMUEL OGDEN, HAWORTH. [A Tankard.]

I WILL EXCHANGE MY PENNY. 1670.

1675, November, the REV. EDMUND MOORE entered as curate of Haworth, and in 1684 his death is recorded : — Mr. Edmund Moore departed this life July llth. There were several clergymen of the name of Moore. Robert Moore was vicar of Guiseley ; his son, ' the good old puritanical minister of Guiseley, who diligently and faithfully served the cure sixty- three years.' Mr. Moore, of Baildon, was ejected in 1662, but afterwards conformed, and was curate at Coley for six months, 1671-2. Edmund Moore nou ita pridem colleg. xpi alumns. apd. cant. & curate Baildon, 1663.

Dec. 20th, 1663, Mr. Oliver Heywood, ejected from Coley 1662, went to hear Mr. Moore, of Baildon, at Coley, a reputed Antinomian. The churchwarden opposed his attendance in vain.

He was the one who settled at Haworth. The Bingley Wardens' Book has :

1651. — Mr. Moore preached, 2s. 6d.

1(558. — When Mr. Moore preached at our church, Is. 6d,

Mr. Heywood notes in his diary a long drought in April and May, 1681, when the moors of Haworth and Marsden were on fire.

Mr. James supposes that Pdcluinhon Middlcton held the curacy because he signed a certificate of marriage in May,

/'«.s/ and 1'rcsrnt. 43

1680, but I think this unlikely. He may have been assistant for a time on account of Mr. Moore's indisposition.

The importance of Haworth, in 1679, as one of the town- ships of Bradford parish may be surmised from the heavy pro- portion (one-fifth) of the whole parish church lay.

1684.— On the death of Mr. Moore, the REV. Richard Margerison, A.B., was licensed to the curacy of Haworth, September 22nd. During his time we find traces that Dissent, consequent, no doubt, on the ejection of 1662, and the spread of Quaker tenets, had taken root in Haworth.

On the 13th of June, 1672, the Rev. Oliver Heywood, of Coley, paid his first visit to Haworth. He describes it as a very immoral and profane place, where there had never been good preaching. He preached at the house of Jonas Foster, to a very large assembly. Mr. Heywood never failed to leave his mark for good, and so we find him looked upon by certain people at Haworth as their ' bishop,' and he occasionally paid them a visit. On the 28th of March, 1692, he makes the fol- lowing remarks : —

" I rode to preach at J. R.'s, in Haworth town. God greatly assisted my heart in weeping and wrestling with him for the conversion of sinners, and in preaching on Isaiah Iv. 7. There was a great crowd of people, and they were attentive. Who knows what good may be done ? The same day, being Easter Monday the Vicar of Bradford sat all day in an ale- house there, gathering his Easter dues, in Haworth parish. There was wont always to be a sermon in the church that day, but Mr. Pemberton had laid it aside. Many flocked to him to pay their Easter reckonings, which came to about £10, and then came to hear me. I had nothing for my pains, except some four or five put sixpence a-piece into my hand. I rode fourteen miles there and back, and was greatly comforted in my day's work, and thought it was better than his. Though my worldly gains were short, yet, may I gain one soul to Christ by my hard labour, and I shall be satisfied."

This observation wab hardly worthy so ^juud a man as

44 Hairorth :

Mr. Heywood, and happily against it a hundred excellent ob- servations from his diary can be placed. The J. R. was John Rhodes, who obtained at Knaresbro' Sessions, October, 1690, permission to hold religious services in his house.

In 1692, Mr. Heywood notes : " J. Rhodes, of Haworth, told me of a man near Colne, wrought upon by a sermon I preached at Holmes Chapel, two or three years ago, who is now very serious.''

I find the following notices in the Session Rolls, entered in accordance with the Toleration Act. George Fox had gained very many converts in the West Riding, and very severely they suffered for their dissent, as ween in Besse's " Sufferings of the Quakers." Oct. 10th, 1689, the house of James Smith, Haworth, was

registered on the application of James Smith. July, 1693, at Leeds Sessions, the house of Thomas Fether, of Northis, in Haworth, recorded as a dissenting meeting- place. Signed — Thomas ffether, John Holmes, Robert Heaton, Nicholas Dickson, Michael Pighells, Christopher Holmes, George ffether, John Moore, Joseph Pighells. At Leeds, July, 1696, the houses of William Clayton and Jonas Smith, Haworth, registered for the Society of Friends, commonly called Quakers.

It is probable • that Mr. Robinson was curate here after Mr. Margerison. He had been assistant at Holmfirth for eight years, and for three more (1685-8) held the curacy there, but was suspended, according to Burton Parish Regis- ter, in 1688. A cellar at Over Brockholes (or Bank End) was shown as the place where he carried on his coining. His son, aged 18, was reprieved, and sent to the Royal Mint, where, it is said, he acquired an ample fortune.

The REV. TIMOTHY ELLISON was curate of Melthani, near

Huddersfield, in 1674, when he certifies to certain interments

where the body was wrapped in woollen as per a recent statute.

July 23rd, 1882, he settled at Coley and was there till

1702. He was a native of Prescot, in Lancashire, and of

Past and Present. 45

Puritan extraction. He " prayed well, preached zealously, and lived honestly. The people flocked to hear him and were much affected." Heywood's MSS.

The York Presentation Books give : — Timothy Ellison, clieus, A.M., licensed to the curacy of Coley, September 29th, 1682. Timo. Ellisonne admitted curate of Haworth May 21st, 1702. Mr. Oliver Heywood frequently attended service at Coley under Mr. Ellison's ministry, and they were 011 friendly terms. Mr. Nathaniel Heywood, of Ormskirk, often preached ut the house of Mr. Ellison's father. Timothy Elisoue, clerk, curate of Coley, 1701, was charged at the visitation with bury- ing persons in the chapellyard, being not consecrated.

" Hannah, daughter of Mr. Ellison, minister att Otlay, buried at Bradford, June 4, 1642." Probably no relation to the former.

1703. — The REV. WILLIAM CLIFFORD, clerk, was admitted June 2nd, having been elected by the inhabitants, with the consent of the Vicar of Bradford. He had been a member of St. John's College, Cambridge, and became curate of Light- cliffe, near Halifax, in 1678. The Hartishead Register con- tains the entry of his marriage, August 28th, 1679 : " Mr. William Clifforth, curate of Lightcliffe, to Susan Thorpe." Married at Hartishead. The Thorpes were an influential family at Hipperholme. Halifax Parish Register records the baptism of two of his children : — Susannah, baptized in 1680, and Grace in 1681. Also the burial of ' the wife of Mr. William Cliffe, curate of Haworth, buried at Halifax, in 1723.' I have several times seen his name written Cliffe. Mr. Wright, in the preface to his History of Halifax, 1738, says, " A late learned clergyman, Mr. William Clifford, M.A., has been heard to say that this severe custom (gibbeting,) was granted to preserve the King's deer in the forest of Hard wick." In the Northowrarn Register it is stated that Mr. Clifford resigned Haworth owing to old age, and lived many years at Northowram, where he died April 18th, 1732, and was interred at Halifax. The Archbishop '6 Buoks at York give the admis-

46 HawortJi :

sion of Mr. William Clifford, A.B., deacon, October 7th, 1G7B. He was ordained priest the same year.

1680, William Clifford, clerk, Lightcliffe, charged with not receiving the Lord's Sapper at Easter.

1715, Mr. William Clifford, clergyman, Shelf, called upon to take the oath of allegiance. It seems from this that he was considered a disaffected person.

Collected in ye Chappell of Lightcliffe : —

Aug. 27, 1084, upon ye brief of Warsop, ye sum of 3s 3d. Witness us William Clifford, Cur. ibid, John Sharppe, chappill warden.

Oct. 26, 1684, upon ye brief of St. Maries Parish, Ely, Is 9d (witnesses— the same).

Feb. 5, 1687, upon ye brief of Stairbottom, in ye gift of Kettlewell co. York, us 5d. Witness us William Clifford cur. ibid, James Leake, warden.

April 27, 1688, upon ye second brief for ye French Pro- testants, ye sunarn of eleven shillings (Witnesses — the same).

These entries remind us of days when Insurance Societies were unknown, and when collections were ordered to be made in all places of worship (dissenters' as well) for those who had suffered from fire and other disasters.

1726. Sep. 3rd. MR. JACKSON buried. Mr. James supposes him to have been a curate, and it seems likely, as Mr. Clifford resided at Shelf in 1715, but I have not met with his license. The Rev. Jeremiah Jackson was Lecturer at the Parish Church, Bradford, in 1719.

In Mr. Holroyd's Collectanea is a list of the owners of seats in Bradford Church, 1705. We thus get a summary view of the land owners at that date. HAWORTH.

Mr. Midgley, for his land and School land... four.

The Heirs of Mr. Ramsden and of Widow

Holdsworth five.

Mr. John Holmes, of Yeadon, for his land... two.

The Heirs of Collier and Joseph Pighill's land four.

Past and Present. 47

Thomas Midgley's land .'. one.

James Hartley, Hall Green one.

James Rishworth, Strobbing one.

John Greenwood, Brighouse one.

Caleb Heaton and Smith's land of the Intack one.

Michael Pighill's and John Wright l£.

Henry and John Ickoringill's lands j.

OXENHOPE.

John Holmes, of Old Oxenhope four.

Mr. Robert Ferrand and Mr. Francis Lyndley two.

Joseph Rishworth and Benjamin Rath two.

Richard Pighills... 8*. Titus Mitchell f.

John Heaton ... H. Martha Feather l£.

Michael Pighill's land one.

Robert Beaton's laud and Joseph Crabtree's one.

Thomas Rishworth and Parkinson's lands ... one.

Widow Hartley and John Mitchell's land ... one.

Mr. Pollard... £. Tim. Horsfall's land ... £. Bernard Hartley, John Pighills and John

Sutcliff two.

Widow Sutclift' and Buckley lands

Jonas Horsfall and William Ogden's lands... three. John Roberts |-, and Jonas Horsfall of Yait.

Thomas Whitaker and heirs of Samuel Midgley two.

John Murgatroyd's laud one.

Jonas Foster, junior, ditto one.

Michael Ogdeu, Joseph Ogden, and William

Haigh's lands one.

James Hartley, James Rawson and Jonas

Driver's lands two.

Joshua Feather, John Rishworth and John

AVhitaker's land two.

Michael Hartley and Thomas Ackroyd's land one.

Jonas Haigh... i. Abm. Farrer's land ^.

John Driver, Michael Driver, John Hartley

and Joseph Ogden's lands two.

48 Ilairorth:

Jonas Foster, Jonas Rishworth and Tiin.

Mitchell's lands one.

Heirs of Matthew Foster, Jeremy Pearson, Ismael Ogden, Jonas Haigh and

Matthew Brjggs' laud two.

Christopher Holmes, John Greenwood, and John Heaton, of Lame Close,

lands one.

STANBURY.

Robert Heaton and Andrew Heaton three.

Robert Heaton, junior, George Taylor, and

Peter Heatou for Hill Top lands one. William Heaton, James Rawson, and John

Wilson's lands two.

Nicholas Dixon and Utley lauds two.

Widow Taylor, half, and Wm. Midgley's lands two. N. Midgley, of Old Field, and Church lands three. John Pighills, wheelwright, and Crabtree lands two. Robert Pighills, Robert Taylor, John Holmes,

and John Hanson's lands two.

John Redman, Robert Clayton, and Nathan- iel Dixon, Coldknowe lands one.

James Smith's lauds one.

John Clayton and Michael Moorhouse, of

Moorhouse lands one.

David Midgley, Esq., by will, dated 5th March, 1723, devised, after the death of his wife, a messuage and thirty acres of land, at Withens, in Haworth, unto trustees, to the intent that they should yearly on Martinmas day, out of the rents, clothe with good blue clothes and other necessary wearing apparel, ten poor children under seven years of age, of the township of Haworth, to be chosen by the trustees for the tiuie being. The property lets for about ,1'fjO per annum, and has, since Mr. Midgley's death, been considered as private, and sold as such, subject to the said charge. The Ferrands now hold the property. Thy children :'.re chosen by the

t'ast and /.'resent. 49

chapelwardens of Haworth, with the concurrence of the owner of the estate. The boys receive each a coat, waistcoat and hreeches, of blue cloth ; and the girls a blue cloth jacket, two petticoats, a blue cap, and a pair of blue stockings.

In 1785 Mr. Richard Pollard gave, by will, (inter alia,) out of his estate at Bradford, 50s. per annum to the poor of Haworth and Stanbury, to be distributed on Christmas Day. This was to be paid by Thomas Pighells, and George . Taylor, and their heirs. A stone in the churchyard records the burial of Mr. Richard Pollard, of Stanbury, August 25th, 1735, aged 69.

1726. Isaac Smith, M.A., son of the Rev. Matthew Smith, of Mixendeu, succeeded in 1726. He made the fol- lowing entiy in the Register — "Isaac Smith came to Haworth to be minister there, October 2nd, 1726, and raised the church rents vi et armis."

The books at York record his presentation, September 26th, 1726, when a deacon, on the nomination of the Rev. Benj. Kennet, Vicar of Bradford.

In 1729 he rebuilt the church barn at the cost of £20, and erected a church clock which cost£ 8, of which he paid one-half. It is also recorded that on " May 15th, 1739, at six o'clock in the evening, the house in Haworth, called the parsonage, was solemnly dedicated and so named, with prayers, aspersions, acclamations, and crossings, by J. S." Another entry in the Register records — " That theretofore there had boen a corrupt custom, after receiving the sacrament, for the church officers to dine in an alehouse with the minister; but the custom was altered, and instead, on Christmas-day and Good Friday, they were to go together, after divine service, to some alehouse to take a moderate repast." It would seem that he was some- what of a reformer, and encountered some opposition which he had to suppress ri <>1 xnnifi. There is still another entry of a personal character made by him: -"16 Mar. 1737. The Rev. Isaac Smith was suspended from his ministerial functions, for publishing and marrying a couple from Bradford parish, till Whit-Sunday, 1711, on -hich d;: hu resumed."

50 Hairortlt :

The Register states — " These following were married by the clog and shoe in Lancashire, hut paid the minister of Haworth his dues.1' Mr. Smith then adds sixteen names.

" Henry Hallewell takes the grass in the church yard for 15 Ib. of candles, three in the lb., every year, to be used for lights at six o'clock prayers, and burying the dead, when occasion requires."

" One of the duties of the clerk is to ring the great bell at eight a.m. every Sunday, announcing thereby the day of the the month, by causing the bell to strike as many times as days."

Mr. Smith was buried at Haworth, December 19th, 1741.

Under date December llth, 1739, the York Presentation Book gives — " Joseph Keighley, assistant curate of Haworth, on the nomination of Isaac Smith, clerk, curate."

Of the three bells, formerly in Haworth Steeple, the third was purchased in 1741, and baptized Great Tim.

Mr. Isaac Smith had evidently some peculiar ideas, and considering the training he had received it is somewhat sur- prising that he should have become a church clergyman at all. His father figured very prominently as a dissenter, and besides labouring indefatigably as an itinerant evangelist, educated a few young men for the ministry, among whom were two of his sons, — John, who settled at Warley some years before his father's death, and Isaac, who conformed and settled at Haworth. The Rev. Matthew Smith refused an offer of a benefice in the Church of England of the value of £200 per annum, and wrote to the offerer thanking him for his generous proposals. He graduated in the University of Edinburgh, where he took his degree of M.A. He was born at York, in 1650, and after staying a short time at Kipping, in Thornton, became minister at Mixenden. Joseph Lister's Autobiography gives many interesting notices of him. He afterwards divided his labours mainly between the congregations of Mixenden and Warley. There was some difference on doctrinal matters between him and Mr. Heywood in, or before, 1099, which are stated and defended in his " Treatise on the True Nature of

Past and Present. 51

\

Imputed Righteousness," published in 1700. This book created considerable clamour. He describes himself as ' neither a Calvinist nor an Arminian, but one that treats in media via.' He married the daughter of Lieutenant Sharp, of Horton, cousin to the Rev. T. Sharp, of Leeds. Mr. Smith suffered much from persecution ; he preached at uncertain hours, often in the night ; but though soldiers were frequently sent to apprehend him, he always escaped. He was the means of establishing several dissenting ' causes ' in the vil- lages around. He died in 1786, aged 86. His life, prefixed to his " Sermons," was published by his son, the Rev. John Smith, of Bradford, who became an Arian. A grandson of the Rev. Matthew Smith became minister at Selby.

1742. William Grimshaw, B.A., succeeded Mr. Smith. He made the following entry in the Register : — Rev W. Grim- shaw, A.B., of Christ's College, Cambridge, succeeded the Rev. Isaac Smith, M.A., deceased in the parochial curacy of Haworth, May 16th, 1742, having been minister of the paro- chial curacy of Tochnorden ten years and nine months. He was born at Brindle, near Preston ; some time educated at the Freo School of Blackburn, by Mr. George Smith, head master thereof for some years, but was afterwards removed to the Free School of Heskin, and put under the care of Mr. Thomas Johnson, head master thereof, and from thence was sent to be admitted a member of the University and College above- mentioned."

The Presentation Book at York has the following entry : "Win. Grimshaw, clerk, B.A., 23 June, 1742, licensed to Curacy of Haworth on momu- of Benj Kennett, Vicar of Brad- ford, John Greenwood, Abm. Mitchell, Thos. Pighells, Michael Heaton Michael Pighells, Geo. Taylor, Wra. Greenwood, John Appleyd. Jonas Horsfall, Trustees for said chappel."

Mr. James remarks that "Mr. Grimshaw may be consi- dered one of the most hard-working and conscientious clergy- men of his age, in the north of England. The labours he accomplished in the way of preaching, and other religious

52 iiau-orl/i :

exercises, iu bis o\vu Chapelry, and neighbouring parishes, are extraordinary. He was one of the most enthusiastic disciples of John Wesley, who often preached in Haworth Church and the churchyard to overflowing congregations. Though Mr. Grimshaw, on many occasions, exhibited more zeal than judg- ment, yet he was much respected by all parties in Haworth, and succeeded, though often by the persuasion of a horse- whip, in putting down there many rank vices." His popularity so increased the congregation that it was necessary to enlarge the church, which was accomplished in 1755. The Register records that — " 1763, April 7th, Rev. William Grimshaw died at Sowdens near Haworth, after twenty years spent in preach- ing early and late, with great success." Memoirs of the Life of the late Rev. William Grimshaw, A.B.,

Minister of Haworth, in the West Riding of the County

of York, by JOHN NEWTON, Rector of St. Mary, Wool-

noth. 12 mo. pp. 187. London, 1799.

It has been reprinted numerous times, but the most curious edition is one printed by John Greenwood, at Haworth, a few years ago, which has two or three different shades of paper. Mr. Spence Hardy published a ' Life,' and Mr. W. Myles published another.

In justice to the first biographer of Mr. Grimshaw, we will use bis own words, as addressed to the Rev. Henry Foster. As a plea for the length of the quotations, allow me to say that, personally, I look upon Mr. Grimshaw's ministry as the grandest period in the history of Haworth Church. The good accomplished is incalculable.

Mr. Grimshaw was born at Briudle, near Preston, on the 8d of Sept. 1708. He was admitted a member of Christ's College, Cambridge, in his eighteenth year. He was ordained Deacon in 1731. Yet he loved jovial company, days of high living and boisterous jollity. His delight was in hunting, fishing, and playing at cards. About 1734 he was powerfully awakened to a sense of his duty, and after some years of re- lleetiou aud (struggles he attained to gospel freedom. After

Past and Present. 53

four years of married life, he lost his wife in 1789. He was her third husband, and was greatly attached to her. In 1742 he settled at Haworth. Mr. Newton (Cowper's friend) copies Mr. Grimshaw's dedication of himself to the Lord's service. One passage in it reads : " Thou knowest, 0 Lord, I solemnly covenanted with Thee, in the year 1738 ; and before that wonderful manifestation of Thyself unto me, at church, and in the clerk's house, between the hours of ten and two o'clock on Sunday Sept. 2, 1744, I had again solemnly devoted myself to thee on Aug. 8, 1744. And now once more and for ever, I most solemnly give up, devote and resign all I am, spirit, soul and body, to Thee, and to thy pleasure and command, in Christ Jesus, my Saviour, this 4th of December 1752."

" I renewed this solemn Dedication in a most awful manner 5th of June, 1760. 0 that I may carefully remember and keep it !

"I purpose to renew this Dedication with a quarterly fast, the first Friday in January, April, July, and October, during life."

" The best account I have met with of the incident to which Mr. Grimshaw refers on Sept. 2, 1744, and which I think may be credited, was given by a person who then lived with him as a servant, to the following purport : That she was called up that morning at five o'clock, but found her master was risen before her, and was retired into a private room for prayer. After remaining there some time, he went to a house in Haworth, where he was engaged a while in religious exercises with some of his people, he then returned home and retired for prayer again, and from thence to church. She believes he had not eaten any thing that morning. While reading the second lesson he fell down ; he was soon helped, aud led out of the church. He continued to talk to the people as he went, and desired them not to disperse, for he hoped he should return to them soon, and he had something extra- ordinary to say to them. They led him to the clerk's house, where he lay seemingly insensible. She, with others, were em-

54 Haworih :

ployed in rubbing bis limbs (which were exceedingly cold, with warm cloths. After some time, he came to himself, and seemed to be in a great rapture. The first words he spoke were, 1 1 have had a glorious vision from the Third Heaven.' But she does not remember that he made any mention of what he had seen. In the afternoon he performed service in the church, which began at two o'clock, and preached and spoke so long to the people, that it was seven in the evening before he returned home.

" Haworth is a small village about nine or ten miles from Halifax, and nearly the same distance from Bradford, in the West Riding of Yorkshire. You know the place much better than I, but I mention it for the information of others. It is one of those obscure places, which, like the fishing towns in Galilee favoured with our Lord's presence, owe all their cele- brity to the gospel. The name of Haworth, would scarcely be known at a distance, were it not connected with the name of Grimshaw. The bleak and barren face of the adjacent country was no improper emblem of the state of the inhabitants ; who in general had little more sense of religion than their cattle, and were wild and uncultivated like the rocks and mountains which surrounded them. By the blessing of God upon Mr. Grimshaw's ministry, this desert soon became a fruitful field, a garden of the Lord, producing many trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord himself, and the barren wilderness rejoiced and blossomed like the rose.

" The tenor and energy of Mr. Grimshaw's preaching soon engaged the attention of his hearers. Some of these had seldom thought it worth their while to enter the doors of a church ; and those who had attended public worship, had as seldom heard any thing more from the pulpit, than cold lec- tures upon lean, modern morality. But he commanded their attention. His heart was engaged, he was pressed in spirit, he spoke with earnestness and authority, as one who was well assured of the truth and importance of his message. Nor did he long speak in vain.

Past and Present, 55

" There are four hamlets in the parish of Haworth, and as in them there were persons whom age, sickness, distance, or prejudice, prevented from attending at church, he considered them all as belonging to his charge, and was unwilling that any of them should perish in ignorance. He therefore went to them who could not, or would not, come to him, teaching and exhorting them from house to house ; and preaching in a more public way in the houses where he was invited. Hearers flocked to him from adjacent, and in a short time from more distant, places. And when strangers were effectually wrought upon by his words, they of course felt a strong attachment to him themselves, and a concern for their neighbours.

" His zeal, and his desire to be useful to the souls of men, made him readily accept invitations to visit and preach in other parishes. Thus the line of his service was gradually extended. His constitution was streng, his health firm, his spirits good, and his zeal ardent. He was able to bear much fatigue and hardship, and he did not spare himself. The love of Christ constrained him. Without intermitting his stated services at home, he went much abroad. In a course of time he established two circuits, which, with some occasional varia- tions, he usually traced every week, alternately. One of these, he often pleasantly called his idle week, because he seldom preached more than twelve or fourteen times. His sermons in his working or busy week, often exceeded the number of twenty-four, and sometimes amounted to thirty.

" An itinerant preacher, especially an itinerant clergyman, was a character little known previous to the rise of Methodism. He was perhaps the very first man in Yorkshire, whose zeal prompted him to preach in the parish of another minister, without his express consent. Bxt in so doing, he did not break through those stipulations and engagements to be regular, which it has been thought proper in succeeding times, to re- quire from many candidates for holy orders. The circumstances which gave occasion for such restrictions did not then exist. Nor did he go abroad unasked. The visible effects of his

56 Haimrtlt :

ministry at home, engaged his neighbours to solicit his assist- ance. He neither could, nor would, nor did he dare to deny them, when he saw in many places,

"The hungry sheep look up, but were not fed.

" The providence of God favoured him in the attempt. For though unsupported by great patronage, and unsolicitous to obtain it ; and though he went far beyond all his cotempor- aries in this novel and offensive method, by which much envy, jealousy, and displeasure, were excited against him ; yet he was not restrained. Nor have I heard that he met with any serious and determined marks of disapprobation from his superiors in the church. But he sometimes met with opposi- tion from those who hated to be reformed. He Avas once disturbed by a set of rioters, who, it is said, were hired for the purpose, when preaching at Colne in Lancashire ; and the minister of the parish preached a sermon against him, and afterwards printed it ; this gave occasion to the only publica- tion which I have heard attributed to Mr. Grimshaw. It was printed at Preston in the year 1749, and entitled, An Answer to a Sermon published against the Methodists, by the Rev. Mr. George White, M.A., Minister of Colne and Marsden in Lancashire, by the Rev. William Grimshaw, Minister of Haworth, Yorkshire. It is reported and believed in that neighbourhood, that Mr. White, when on his dying bed, sent for Mr. Grimshaw, expressed his concern for having opposed him, and was perfectly reconciled to him. But in the latter years of his ministry, his character and motives were so gener- ally known, that he was respected not only by the pious, but the profane ; he lived down all outward opposition, and there was scarcely a person within the circle of his connexions, which was not a small one, who, however different from him in principles or in practice, did not believe but that Mr. Grim- shaw was upright in his professions and aims, and a friend to mankind.

" But it was thought that his success was not so visible and extensive in his own parish, as amongst the numbers who

Past and Present. 57

flocked to his church from other places : he had hearers who came statedly from the distance of ten or twelve miles, for a course of years, and were seldom prevented either by severe weather, or bad roads.

" In the summer season, Haworth was frequently visited by people from a still greater distance. When Mr. Wesley or Mr. Whitneld, and other eminent ministers have been there, the congregation usually consisted of many thousands. The communicants, on these occasions, were more than the church (which was not a small one) could contain at once ; and while divine service was repeately performed within the walls, a suc- cession of sermons, with some intervals, were preached in the course of the day, to the people in the church-yard, who could not attend in the church for want of room. These exercises were confessedly irregular, but there was at that time a great dearth of gospel knowledge.

" But though Mr. Grimshaw often preached to great num- bers, he was a no less attentive servant to a few. When any were willing to hear, he was ready to preach, and he often cheerfully walked miles in the winter, in storms of wind, rain, or snow, upon lonely unsheltered moors, to preach to a small company of poor, aged, decrepit people, in a cottage.

" In a word, he was a burning and a shining light. His zeal was not an angry, unhallowed, fire, nor the blind impulse of a heated imagination, nor was it ostentatious. It was the bright flame of that love, which his knowledge of the love of Christ had kindled in his heart. This love constrained him to such unusual and unwearied endeavours to make others as happy as he was himself, that perhaps he was thought beside himself, by those whose religion consisted in a form of godli- ness destitute of power.

" If the doctrine which ascribes the whole of a sinner's salvation, from the first dawn of liijlit, the first motion of spiritual life in the heart, to its full accomplishment in victory over the last enemy, be Calvinism, I think Mr. Grimshaw was a Calvinist. But I am not sure that he thought himself so.

I

58 ttaworth:

And many Calvinists would scarcely have acknowledged his claim to that name, if he had made it.

" The last time I was with him, as we were standing together upon a hill near Haworth, and surveying the romantic prospect around us, he expressed himself to the following pur- port, and I believe I nearly retain his very words, for they made a deep impression upon me while he spoke. ' When I ' first came into this country, if I have gone half a day's 'journey on horseback towards the east, west, north, and 1 south, I could not meet with or hear of one truly serious ' person — and now, through the blessing of God upon the poor ' services of the most unworthy of his ministers, besides a ' considerable number whom I have seen or known to have ' departed this life like Simeon, rejoicing in the Lord's salva- ' tion ; and besides five dissenting churches or congregations, of ' which the ministers, and nearly every one of the members ' were first awakened under my ministry ; I have still at my ' sacraments, according to the weather, from three hundred to ' five hundred communicants, of the far greater part of whom, so ' far as man who cannot see the heart (and can therefore only ' determine by appearances, profession, and conduct) may 'judge, I can give almost as particular an account, as I can of ' myself. I know the state of their progress in religion. By ' my frequent visits and converse with them, I am acquainted ' with their several temptations, trials, and exercises, both ' personal ami domestic, both spiritual and temporal, almost ' as intimately, as if I had lived in their families.' A stranger who had stood upon the name spot, from whence he could see little but barren mountains and moors, would scarcely think this declaration credible. But I knew the man well, and of all the men I ever knew, I can think of no one who was less to be suspected of boasting than Mr. Grimshaw.

" Though he was not himself a magistrate, nor supported or backed by legal authority, bis success was wonderful. His irreproachable character, his resolution and firmness, his impartiality, his known benevolence, gave him an authority

Past and Present. 59

and influence, within his own circle, superior to what is often derived from titles, wealth, or official importance ; he had not been long in Haworth hefore he was almost universally respected, and the most vicious and profligate of his parishioners were restrained and awed by his presence.

" He was very earnest and persevering in enforcing a due observance of the Lord's day. At church, in prayer time, if he observed any careless behaviour, he would often stop, rebuke the offender, and not proceed till he saw the whole congregation upon their knees. For with him, the reading prayers was not a matter of custom or form, to be hurried over merely as a prelude to preaching ; he really prayed, and the solemnity of his tone and gesture, induced the people, at least apparently, to pray with him. Exhortations to attention were seldom necessary from the pulpit, for the animated manner of his preaching, usually kept the eyes of his hearers fixed upon him, while he was speaking ; and frequently almost the whole congregation by turns, were in tears, during different parts of his discourses, as they were differently affected, either by a sense of guilt and danger, or by his pathetic representa- tions of the love of the Saviour, and his readiness to receive sinners.

" It was his frequent and almost constant custom, to leave the church, while the psalm before sermon was singing, to see if any were absent from worship, and idling their time in the church-yard, the street, or the ale-houses, and many of those whom he so found, he would drive into the church before him. A friend of mine passing a public house in Haworth, on a Lord's day morning, saw several persons making their escape out of it, some jumping out of the lower windows, and some over a low wall ; he was at first alarmed, fearing the house was on fire, but upon inquiring what was the cause of the commotion, he was told, that they saw the parson coming. They were more afraid of their parson than of a justice of peace. His reproofs were so authoritative, and yet so mild and friendly, that the stoutest sinners could not stand before him,

60 Haworth :

" One Lord's day as a man was passing through Haworth on horseback, his horse lost a shoe ; he applied to a black- smith, who told him he could not shoe a horse ou the Lord's day, without the Minister's leave. They went together to Mr. Grhnshaw, and the man satisfying him that he was really in haste, going for a midwife, Mr. Grimshaw permitted the black- smith to shoe the horse, which otherwise he would not have done for double pay.

" He endeavoured likewise to suppress the generally prevailing custom in country places, during the summer, of walking in the fields on a Lord's day, between the services or in the evening, in companies. He not only bore his testimony against it, from the pulpit, but reconnoitered the fields in person, to detect and' reprove the delinquents. One instance of this kind, which shews both his care of his people, and his great ascendancy over them, and which is ascertained by the testimony of many witnesses, some of whom I believe are still living, I shall relate. There was a spot at some distance from the village, to which many young people continued to resort ; he had often warned them in his preaching against this custom, and at last, he disguised himself one evening, that he might not be kuown till he was near enough to discover who they were. He then spoke and charged them not to move. He took down all their names with his pencil, and ordered them to attend him on a day and hour which he appointed. They all waited upon him accordingly, as punctually as if they had been served with a judge's warrant. When they came, he led them into a private room, where, after he had formed them into a circle, and commanded them to kneel down ; he kneeled down in the midst of them, and prayed for them with much earnestness for a considerable time, and concluded the inter- view, when he rose up, by a close and affecting lecture. He never had occasion afterwards to repeat his friendly discipline. He entirely broke the custom, and my informant assures me, that the place has never been resorted to on a Sunday evening, from that time, to the present day.

Past and*Present. 61

"But his attention to the people of his more immediate charge, was not confined to the Lord's day. He was the same man every day in the week. His religion was not by fits and starts, but habitual and constant, like the beating of his pulse. It was, as water is to a fish, the very element in which he lived. He had a meeting for prayer and exhortation, every morning when he was at home, in the summer season at five o'clock, and in the winter at six. These exercises were short and at an early hour, that the people might not be detained from following the duties of their callings, whether in the shop or in the field. For he was an enemy to idleness, and gave no encouragement to those who would plead religious saunter- ing, as an excuse for neglecting their proper business in civil life. But he thought likewise, that to begin the day with prayer and praise, was the best means to sweeten labour, to prepare the mind for unforeseen trials, and to guard it against the influence of the snares and temptations of the world.

" His diligence in his own particular line, was exemplary and unusual. The exertions of the most industrious man in trade, could not exceed his in promoting the cause of Grod, the practice of Christian morality, and in discountenancing and suppressing vice. In all the actions of common life, in his most familiar and common conversations, he intermingled a savour and tincture of the spirit of his Lord and Master which governed him. He had a happy skill in teaching those around him spiritual lessons from the incidents of daily occurrence, and the objects which were before their eyes. His mind was fertile and prompt in improving these occasions, and, like his Lord, instructing his bearers and friends, from the birds of the air and the flowers of the field.

"He painted sin and its deserved consequences in such strong colours, from the pulpit, as to make even the profane and profligate tremble. He was not content with inveighing against sin in general terms, but he descended to particulars ; and if any thing notoriously wrong was done in the course of the week, and known in the parish, the offender might expect

62 llaicorth:

to hear of it the next Lord's day, if he went to church. For as he rebuked sin with all authority, so likewise without partiality or respect of persons. The fear of the Lord raised him above the fear of man ; so that he was not only faithful in his public preaching, when he could speak withoiit interrup- tion, but he was equally zealous and bold in expostulating with the guilty, wherever he met them. Thus, when once a man, who had been often guilty of adultery, came into a shop where Mr. Grimshaw was, he charged him with his crime upon the spot, and said to those who were present, ' The devil has ' been very busy in this neighbourhood ; I can touch the man ' with my stick, who lay with another man's wife last night : ' the end of these things will be death, the ruin of body and ' soul for ever.'

" He was particularly watchful over those of his flock who made an open profession of religion, to see if they adorned the doctrine of God our Saviour, in all things, and maintained a consistent character ; and he was very severe in his censures, if he found any of his communicants guilty of wrong practices. Being told of a tradesman, who they said was hard and honest, he said, I suppose you mean to say, hard!;/ honest ; for he would not allow that a professor of religion, whose honesty was only concerned to keep free from the penalty of human laws, could be really an honest man. When he suspected hypocrisy, he sometimes took such methods to detect it, as perhaps few men but himself would have thought of. He had a suspicion of the sincerity of some persons, who made great pretences to religion, and being informed of their several dis- positions, he applied to one, as a poor man, and begged for a night's lodging ; and this person, who had been willing to pass for very charitable,.treated him with some abuse. He then went to another house, to a woman who was almost blind ; he touched her gently with his stick, and persisted to do so, till she, supposing it to be from some children in the; neighbour- hood, began not only to threaten them, but to swear at them. Thus he was confirmed in his apprehensions, but he had no

Past and Present. fi3

good opinion of the religion of those, who were not, at least, gentle to the poor, or of those who did not bridle their tongues.

" He was parsimonious of his time, and prudent in his arrangements. And as he had good health, a strong body, and a vigorous mind, though some of the places he visited were at a considerable distance, the severest weather caused no alteration in his plan. He was sure to be where, and at the time, he was expected. And he was so beloved, and so useful, that people were seldom prevented from coming ten or twelve miles, when they heard he was to preach. He seldom staid longer in a place than to deliver his message ; and that he might not be burdensome to the house that received him, and to avoid loss of time, he frequently took some refreshment in his hand, and posted away to further services. He was often entertained by the poor, for a cottage, if they who feared the Lord dwelt in it, was as welcome to him as a palace. He has often when travelling over moors aud mountains, feasted upon a bit of bread, or bread and butter, if the house afforded butter, and an onion. The plainest fare that was set before him, he accepted with thankfulness, both to the Lord and to his poor friends. He was with justice compared to an instru- ment which is never out of tune. He cared not for himself, so that he might do the will of his Lord, and be instrumental to the conversion of sinners, and the comfort and edification of believers. Whether abroad or at home, with the rich or poor, he was always the same man.

' ' Night aud day were the same to him when he was desired to visit the sick. He has been known to walk several miles in the night, in storms of snow, when few people would venture out of their doors, to visit a sick person. He found his reward in his work, and would rejoice in such opportunities of speaking a word for bis Lord to a dying creature.

" There arc at Haworth two feasts annually. It had been customary with the innkeepers, and some other inhabi- tants, to make a subscription for horse races at the latter feast. These were of the lowest kind, attended by the lowest

64 Haicorth :

of the people. They exhibited a scene of the grossest, and most vulgar riot, profligacy, and confusion. Mr. Grimshaw had frequently attempted, but in vain, to put a stop to this mischievous custom. His remonstrances against it were little regarded; and perhaps any other man would have been ill treated, if he had dared to oppose, with earnestness, an estab- lished practice, so agreeable to the depraved taste of the thoughtless multitude. But his character was so revered, that they heard his expostulations with some degree of patience, though they were determined to persist in their old course. Unable to prevail with men, he addressed himself to God, and for some time before the races began, he made it a subject of fervent prayer, that the Lord would be pleased to stop these evil proceedings in His own way. When the race time came, the people assembled as usual, but they were soon dispersed. Before the race could begin, dark clouds covered the sky, which poured forth such excessive rains, that the people could not remain upon the ground ; it continued to rain incessantly during the three clays appointed for the races. This event, though it took place nearly forty years since, is still remembered and spoken of at Haworth, with the same certainty as if it had happened but a few months past. It is a sort of proverbial saying among them, that old Grimshaw put a stop to the races by his prayers. And it proved an effectual stop. There have been no races in the neighbourhood of Haworth from that time to the present day.

" Humility will show itself in small things. Mr. Grim- shaw was an economist, that he might be the more able to impart to the needy ; yet he was a lover of hospitalitj', and he had occasionally many visitants in the summer season. The house was sometimes full : it was his frequent practice to lodge as many of his guests as he could, to give up his own bed, and then he would retire to sleep in the hay-loft, without giving his friends the least intimation of his purpose.

" A friend of mine who often lodged with him, surprised him early one morning, and was not a little surprised himself

Past and Present. 65

to find Mr. Grimshaw cleaning the boots of his guest, whom he supposed was still asleep.

" One mark or effect of true humility is, simplicity. The humble man has no occasion for the address, subtlety, and caution, which are necessary to promote or conceal the pur- poses of self and pride. He does not wish to pass for more than he is, he affects no disguise, nor is afraid of detection. There is therefore an air of openness, and undesigning sim- plicity observable in his own conduct. It was very observable in Mr. Grimshaw. His words and his actions were natural, prompt, and easy, because they flowed from an upright and honest heart. Many instances of this might be adduced ; I shall confine myself to two, which are strongly characteristic of his spirit.

" The late Mr. Whitfield, in a sermon he preached at Haworth, having spoken severely of those professors of the Gospel, who by their loose and evil conduct caused the ways of truth to be evil spoken of, intimated his hope, that it was not necessary to enlarge much upon that topic to the congre- gation before him, who had so long enjoyed the benefit of an able and faithful preacher, and he was willing to believe that their profiting appeared to all men. This roused Mr. Grim- shaw's spirit, and notwithstanding his great regard for the preacher, he stood up and interrupted him, saying with a loud voice, ' Oh sir, for God's sake do not speak so, I pray you do not flatter them ; I fear the greater part of them are going to hell with their eyes open."

" He was in company with a late nobleman, who un- happily employed his talents in the service of infidelity ; he had some-time before been engaged in a long dispute with two eminent clergymen, in which, as is usual in such cases, the victory was claimed by both sides. Meeting afterwards with Mr. Grimshaw, he wished to draw him likewise into a dispute, but he declined it nearly in these words ; ' My lord, if you ' needed information, I would gladly do my utmost to assist ' you ; but the fault is not in your bead, but in your heart,

66 Hatcorth :

' which can only he reached by a Divine Power ; I shall pray ' for you, but I cannot dispute with you.' His lordship, far from being offended, treated him with particular respect, and declared afterwards, that he was more pleased, and more struck by the freedom, firmness, and simplicity of his answer, than by any thing he had heard on our side of the question.

" I will only subjoin on this head, an extract of a letter now before me, from a judicious and respectable dissenting minister, who still lives in the neighbourhood of Haworth. 4 1 have often heard Mr. Grinishaw with great astonishment, ' and I hope with profit. In prayer before his sermon, he ' excelled most men I have ever heard. His soul was carried ' oat in that exercise, with such earnestness, affection, and ' fervour, as indicated most intimate communion with God. ' His love and compassion for the souls of poor sinners, and ' his concern for their salvation, were manifested in the ' strongest manner in all his proceedings. Yet though his ' talents were greit, his labours abundant, and his success ' wonderful, he had the meanest and most degrading thoughts ' of himself, and of all that he did. Humility was a shining 'feature in his character.'

" His disinterestedness was very exemplary. He sought neither patronage nor preferment. He was not rigorous in exacting his dues, but was contented with what his parishioners brought him ; he would say to them, ' I will not deserve your ' curses when I am dead for what I have received for my poor ' labours among you. I want no more of you than-your souls ' for my God, and a bare maintenance for myself.'

" When his clerk was disabled by age and infirmities from going round the parish to collect his salary, Mr. Grim- shaw undertook the business and did it for him. He could cheerfully submit to any service, and thought nothing too low or mean to engage in, if thereby he could benefit either the souls or the bodies of his people.

" The care of rebuilding and enlarging the church at Haworth was entirely committed to him ; the parish expressly

/W and I1 resent. 67

stipulating, that there should be no tax or rate for the service, and that he should expect nothing from the inhabitants but from their voluntary contribution. He cheerfully undertook the affair, and by his exertions and influence, it was completed.

" Ho was a hearty friend of the established church, though his extra-parochial labours exposed him to the charge of irregularity. Besides proving and enforcing the doctrines lie preached by the holy scriptures, he very frequently ap- pealed for their confirmation to the articles, liturgy, and homilies of the church. Though he was no bigot, though his arms and his house were open to persons of all denominations, who hold the head, he expressed and shewed a decided prefer- ence for the church of which he was a member and a minister.

"He was likewise firmly attached to the constitution, laws, and government of his country. He feared God, and he honoured the king. I am informed that soon after he camo to Haworth, I suppose about the time of the rebellion, he encouraged the recruiting service, by countenancing the officers, and exhorting proper persons to enlist and fight for their God, their king, and their country.

" I number it amongst the many great mercies of my life, that I was favoured with his notice, edified (I hope) by his instruction and example, and encouraged and directed by his advice, at the critical time when my own mind was much engaged with a desire of entering the ministry. I saw in him, much more clearly than I could have learnt from hooks or lec- tures, what it was to be a faithful and exemplary minister of the gospel, and the remembrance of him has often both humbled and animated me. And I hope, while I live, to be thankful to the Lord, that he has reserved and inclined me to raise this monument, imperfect as it is, to his memory. I hope the detached particulars which I have collected and arranged, as well as I am able, will suffice to give the reader a just, though not an adequate idea, of this truly great and wonderful man.

"In the spring of 17C3, Haworth was afflicted by a

68 Han-orth :

putrid fever, of which many persons died ; Mr. Grimshaw had a strong presage upon his rniiid, that some one of his owu family would be added to the number, and he repeatedly exhorted them all to be ready, as he knew not which of them it might he. As to himself, it was not for a man of his views and spirit, to decline the calls of duty and affection, from an apprehension of danger. The fever was highly infectious, and in visiting his sick parishioners, he caught the infection. From the first attack of the fever, he expected and welcomed the approach of death. He knew whom he believed, and felt his supports in the trying hour. ' While death pointed his 'javelin* to his heart, he beheld the face of this king of ' terrors, as it were the face of an angel. He said, Never had 'I such a visit from God since I knew him.' We have but brief accounts of him during his illness ; for knowing that his fever was infectious, he was rather unwilling that his friends should visit him. But to one of them who saw him, and asked him how he did, he answered, ' as happy as I can be on earth, ' and as sure of glory as if I was in it.' He is reported like- Avise to have said to his housekeeper, ' 0 Mary, I have ' suffered last night, what the blessed martyrs did : my flesh ' has been, as it were, roasting before a hot fire. But I have ' nothing to do but step out of my bed into heaven, I have my ' foot upon the threshold already.'

"I know not how long he was confined, but he was released from sickness, sorrow, and sin, and was admitted into the unclouded presence of the Lord whom he loved and trusted, and whose service had been long his delight, on the 7th of April, 1763, in the 55th year of his age ; and in the 21st from his settlement at Haworth.

" He was twice married, and survived his second wife ; by the former he had a daughter who died when young, and a son who survived him about two years ; he was married, but had no child, f

"* Venn's Sermon.

" t The widow of Mr. Grinishaw's son is now the wife of tbe Rev. John Cross, Vicar of Bradford.

Past and Present. 69

"The Sermon preached at his funeral*, by his dear and intimate friend, the late Henry Venn (who was then vicar of Huddersfield) was published, and contains ^.the most early and authentic account of him, that has appeared in print. From this publication I shall select the concluding paragraph. Having mentioned his zeal and unremitting labours, he adds, ' In this manner Mr. Grimshaw employed all his powers and ' talents, even to his last illness. And his labours were not in ' vain in the Lord. He saw an effectual change take place in 'many of his flock; a sense of evil and good, and a restraint 1 from the commission of sin, brought upon the parish in ' general. He saw the name of Jesus exalted, rtnd many souls ' happy in the knowledge of him, and walking as becomes the ' gospel of Christ. Happy he was himself, in being kept by ' the power of God, so unblamable in his conversation, that no ' one could prove that he in any instance, laid heavy burdens ' upon others which he refused to bear himself. Happy in ' being beloved for several of the last years of his life, by every ' one in his parish ; who whether they would be persuaded by ' him to forsake the evil of their ways or not, had no doubt ' that Mr. Grimshaw was their cordial friend, and, in every ' labour of love, their servant to command. Hence at his de- ' parture a general concern was 'visible through his parish. ' Hence his body was interred with what is more ennobling ' than all the pomp of solemn dirges, or of a royal funeral; for ' he was followed to the grave by a great multitude who beheld ' his coffin with afl'ectionate sighs, and many tears ; who ' cannot still hear his much loved name, without weeping for tho ' guide of their souls, to whom each of them was dear as chil- ' dren to a father.' "

In the words of Mr. Newton, TRULY MR. GRIMSHAW WAS A GREAT AND WONDERFUL MAN. Besides the regular services of Mr. Grimshaw, and the occasional visits of Mr. Newton,

"* Mr. Venn preached his Funeral Sermon at Luclilemlen, in the parish of Halifax, where he was buried; the next day (being Sunday) at Ha worth."

70 Haworth:

Mr. Romaiue, Mr. Ingham and Mr. Venn (muscular Christians of that great revival period), the two Weslcys and Whitfield frequently preached at Ha worth, — in the church they could not, because it would not hold the congregation,— but standing on a scaffold in the churchyard. Mr. Grimshaw was once called in question by the Archbishop, who came to hold a con- firmation, and desired him to preach from a text he gave him, that he might judge if his doctrines were irregular. Mr. Grimshaw gave His Grace a prayer and a sermon such as he preached to his moorland congregations. When it was over the Archbishop thanked him, and wished there were more like him. Once, when he was visiting a church to preach, a churchwarden gently signified that the congregation did not like long sermons, and that Mr. Wesley never exceeded an hour. " Mr. Wesley, God bless him! can do as much in one hour as I can in two." In a book printed at Halifax, in 1810, called " The Methodist Manual," by the Rev. Jonathan Crow- ther, a native of Halifax parish, there are some interesting traits of character and specimens of Mr. Grimshaw's manner of speaking. Instead of saying " A Ram caught in a thicket," he would say " A Tup that had fastened his head in a thorn or briar bush." Complaining that his hearers would not " say grace before meals," he said " You are worse than the very swine, for the pigs will grunt over their meal, but you will say nothing." He concluded — " Lord dismiss us with thy bles- sing. Take all these people under Thy care, bring them in safety to their own homes, and give them their suppers when they have got home, but let them not eat a morsel until they have said grace ; then let them eat and be satisfied, and return thanks to Thee when they have done. Let them kneel down and say their prayers before they go to bed : in their clothing for once at any rate, and then Thou wilt preserve them till morning." Speaking from Psalm xlviii, 14, he told the people that " they who have this God for theirs shall never want a pound of butter for eit/htj/ence, or three pints of blue milk for a ha'penny as long as they live." When he met travellers

Past and Present. 71

" he would rive them olf their horses to make them pray."

The justly celebrated Essayist — John Foster, of whom Yorkshiremen may be proud, tells the following anecdote respecting Mr. Clrimshaw. " The master of a house where such a practice (religious services) had been begun, complained to him that his pious exercise had been disturbed, and the persons coming to join in it insulted, by a number of rude, profane fellows, placing themselves in a long entry from the street to the" part of the house where the meeting was held. Grimshaw requested that in case of the repetition of this nuisance, information might be quietly sent to him. It was repeated, and the information was sent, on which he put on his great coat, and went in the dark (it was winter) to the house. He added himself, without being recognised, to the outer end of the row of blackguards, and affected to make as much rude bustle as the best of them. But being a man of athletic sinew, he managed to impel them by degrees further and further up the passage, and close to the door of the room, which was thrown open in the tumult, when, with one desper- ate effort of strength and violence, he forced the whole gang into the room and into the light. He instantly shut the door, took from under his great coat a horse-whip, dealt round its utmost virtue on the astonished clowns till his vigorous arm was tired, then fell on his knees in the midst of them, uttering in a loud imperative tone, 'Let us pray,' and he prayed with such a dreadful emphasis that all in the place were appalled. The wretches were dismissed, and there was no more disturb- ance given to the prayer meetings."'

The liev. Charles Wesley wrote two hymns upon his death; and many other hymns and elegies were written to ex- press the great sorrow there was at his loss. Some of these' were printed on rough broad sheets like ballads, and sold about the country. His memory is had in honour still.

Mr. Venn published, in 17G8, — " Christ the Joy of the Christian's Life, and Death his (iaiu: on Phil, i, 21. A Funeral Sermon on the Death of the Rev. W. Grimshaw, A.B.,

72 Haworth :

Minister of the Parish of Haworth ; with a Sketch of his Life and Ministry."

The Rev. Mr. Romaine preached his funeral sermon in London, and both he and Mr. Venn fixed upon Mr. Grim- shaw's favourite text — " To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Mr. Romaine says, "He was the most laborious and indefatigable minister I ever knew. For the good of souls, he rejected all hopes of affluent fortune; and for the love of Christ cheerfully underwent difficulties, dangers and tribula- tion. When friends pressed him to spare himself, he replied, ' Let me labour now. I shall have rest by-and-by.' He caught the malignant fever of which he died by visiting the poor. His last words were, ' Here goes an unprofitable servant.' "

His remains, at his own desire, were taken from Sowdens, in Haworth, to Ewood, and thence to Luddenden Chapel, attended by great numbers who sang, at his dying request, all the way from Ewood to the Chapel. He was buried, as was customary, in a coffin of ' eller ' wood. At that time trans- mission of bodies, long distances, was by horse litter, and an unusually long and mournful spectacle presented itself as Mr. Grimshaw's remains were carried over the mountain to the Vale of Calder. A plain stone, near the communion table, indicates his grave.

Mr. Grimshaw was admirably suited for the sphere in which he moved. Placed in a mountainous region, among people remarkably rough and uncivilized, he adapted his habits of life and his mode of address to them. Like a Boanerges, he thundered against them the awful threatenings of the law. On week days he made a preaching excursion, and Ewood, near Hebden Bridge, where his son resided, was frequently the scene of his labours. He used to say — "I love Christians, true Christians of all parties ; I do love them, I will love them, and none shall make me do otherwise." Mr. Berridge, writing to Lady Huntingdon, in 1767, sets up " faithful Grim- shaw " as a model " episcopos."

The Rev. John Grimshaw, who entered as curate of Cros-

REV? P. BRONTE.

Past and Present. 73

stone, 1734, Luddenden in 1748, and Illingworth in 1749, married, at Lightcliffe Chapel, Feb. 25th, 1740, Mary Cock- roft, of Wadsworth. The Rev. William Grimshaw's second wife was Elizabeth, daughter of Henry Cockcroft, gent., of Hebden Bridge. The widow of the Rev. Wm. Grimshaw's son married secondly, a Mr. Lockwood.

The font at Haworth bears the inscription : — " W. Grim- shaw, A.B., Minister, A.D. 1742."

A stone slab within the church states that the " Church was rebuilt and enlarged in 1755 : W. Grimshaw, A.B. ; T. Greenwood, Br. house, T. Horsfall, Ha. yreen, R. Heaton, Ponden, G. Taylor, Stanbury, M. Piglielh,' Hole, T. Pighills, Stanbury, J. Murgatroyd, Ro. house, J. Horsfall, Manuels, J. Roberts, Lo. town, M. Heaton, Birks, Trustees. Jon. Whitehcad, dark. To us to live be Christ, To die our gain. Ph. i, 21."

The text just named is known throughout the district as " Grimshaw's Text," being his favourite one. Mr. Grim- shaw's Pulpit Bible was formerly shown to visitors.

Two large pewter flagons are still kept in the vestry. One has the inscription :

"In Jesus we live, in Jesus we rest, And thankful receive His dying bequest, The Cup of Salvation His mercy bestows, And all from His passion our Happiness flows.

A.D. 1750." The other reads :

"Blest Jesus, what delicious Fare! How sweet thine entertainments are ! Never did Angels taste above, Redeeming grace or dying love. A.D. 1750."

The sounding board over the three-decker pulpit has been removed since Mr. Bronte's death. It bore such an in- scription as Mr. Grimshaw was likely to select: — "I DETER- MINED NOT TO KNOW ANYTHING AMONG YOU SAVE JfiSUS CHKIST

AND HIM CRUCIFIED. — W. G."

74 Haworth :

Mr. Grimshaw obtained a brief in 1754, and raised thereby the necessary fund for enlarging and repairing the Chapel. The gallery was not added till 1779. It ranged round three sides, the pulpit occupying the centre of the south side. The eastern gallery was removed a few years ago. The staircase to the galleries is at the north-west corner.

1768. JOHN RICHAKDSON, M.A., was inducted as suc- cessor to Mr. Grimshaw. Mr. James supposed he was a native of Crossby, in Westmoreland. He is spoken of as a good disciplinarian, who kept, like his predecessor, the unruly folk of Haworth in great awe. The appearance of his shovel hat was, like Mr. Grinishaw's whip, sufficient to clear a public house, or quell a disturbance. He resided at Cook House, in Haworth. His death is recorded in the Register as follows : " The Rev. John Richardson, M.A., late Minister of Haworth Church, who died of a decline 23rd April, 1791, aged fifty-six years; interred the 3rd May, at Crossby Church, in West- moreland." His nephew, the Rev. Joseph Richardson, was popular at Haworth, and great dissatisfaction was manifested that he did not succeed to the curacy.

Mr. Newton says — " Though Haworth was deprived of Mr. Grimshaw, it was not deprived of the Gospel. The minis- ters who have succeeded him in the living, have all preached the same truths, have all maintained an honourable character." The two successors referred to were — " the late Rev. John Richardson, and the present Incumbent, the Rev. James Char- nock ; to the latter gentleman's kind inquiries I am indebted for the principal and most authentic memoirs of Mr. Grini- shaw's life. The congregation at Haworth Church is still as large as formerly." This was written in 1798.

The spirit of independence, or justice, manifested itself on the death of Mr. Grimshaw. I copy the following entries from the Presentation Book at York. "A caveat was entered April 12th, 1763, on the death of W. Grimshaw until John Greenwood and Robert Hcaton be first called." "A caveat was entered April 13th, 1703, by the Rev. J. Sykes." The

I 'ant and Present. 75

meaning of these caveats is that the parties claimed their " say " in the appointment of a successor. On the 10th Sep- tember, 1703, the Kev. John Richardson, clerk, B.A., was presented to the curacy of Haworth, vacant by the death of Win. Grimshaw, clerk, on the nomination of the llev. J. Sykes, Vicar of Bradford.

1791. JAMES CHARNOCK, M.A., succeeded in July.

For some time before his presentation the people of 1 1 ;i worth were again at variance with the parish officials at Bradford, owing to the sale of certain pews in Bradford Church, when Ponden Farm was purchased with the proceeds, to form an endowment for the organist's salary. This led to a law- suit against Haworth people, who, in 1785, refused to pay their proportion (certainly a heavy one — one-fifth) of the Church rate in future, as they contended that the money should have been applied to rate purposes. In 1789, action was brought in the Ecclesiastical Court, York, to compel them, but the Court had no compulsory jurisdiction. A mandamus was obtained from the Court of King's Bench, commanding the wardens at Haworth to levy the rate as usual. The case was tried at York, in 1792, before Mr. Justice Buller, and Haworth lost the day. A motion for a new trial was unsuc- cessful. From that time the usual payment was annually made until 1810, when they again refused, and another mandamus was applied for, but without success, because the rate was retrospective. A rate was shortly laid prospectively, when another action was tried at York Lent Assizes, in 1812, and Haworth lost again.

The Terrier, of 1817, records that the Minister of ! Fa worth receives the rents, issues, and profits arising from live farms, situate at and near Stanbury. He has also a croft at Hawortb, of about one acre. He has full dues for all kinds of Ecclesiastical duties, all of which have been performed from time immemorial in Haworth. There are three bells in the steeple, and a clock; a very ancient silver cup for the commu- nion, a blue velveteen cover for the table, and carpet to coyer

76 Haworth :

the floor of the same. The occupiers of farms are charged •with the repairs of the edifices, and churchyard fences.

Mr. Charnock died May 25th, 1819, aged fifty-seven years, and is buried within the communion rails, where there is an inscription to his memory.

At the funeral of Mr. Charnock above eighty people were bid to the arvill, and the cost of the feast averaged 4s. 6d. per head, all of which was defrayed by the friends of the deceased. These arvills, or funeral meals, are of ancient standing in Yorkshire, but have now almost vanished, In some villages still, however poor the relatives, all who attend the funeral are expected to attend the " meat," or " sweet," tea (which of the two can best be afforded); and generally a funeral card is given instead of gloves. At the entrance to the house each one takes a biscuit and a glass of wine, before the funeral proces- sion starts off. As formerly, the sexton announces the breakfast or tea at some school or public-house, before the people disperse from the grave-yard. But, happily, the feasting and drinking of former days has nearly died out.

On the decease of Mr. Charnock, the Rev. Mr. Heap, Vicar of Bradford, offered the living of Haworth to the Rev. Patrick Bronte, but the trustees of the Church Estate refused to receive him as the nominee of the Vicar, whereupon Mr. Bronte declared that he would not come without the consent of the parish, upon which the Vicar presented the REV. SAMUEL REDHEAD to the curacy. He was, however, compelled to resign the appointment, owing to the unruly proceedings of the inhabitants. Eventuallj', a compromise was effected, by the Vicar conceding the choice of the curate to the trustees, and the acceptance by them of Mr. Bronte, who had won their good will by his conduct in the affair.

I find that many of our chapels-of-ease had formerly the right of choosing the curate, subject to the approbation of the vicar. Lightcliffe and Coley are instances to the point, and these, like Haworth, by neglect seem to have forfeited their rights. But in the case of Haworth the endowments are so

Past and Present. 77

vested in the Trustees that they may pine any curate who does iiot prove acceptable, if the vicar persists in forcing his nominee.

Mr. Bronte says — " My predecessor took the living with the consent of the Vicar of Bradford, but in opposition to the •trustees ; in consequence of which he was so opposed that, after only three weeks' possession, he was compelled to resign."

During Mr. Charnock's long illness, Mr. Redhead had given him occasional help, and was greatly esteemed by the people of Haworth. The following notice of Mr. Redhead's short curacy is from the pen of Mrs. Gaskell, and is substan- tially correct. I have met with old people in Haworth who were present at one or other of the scenes, and the grandson of Mr. Redhead's clerk vouches for the story from the oft- narrated experience of the clerk who accompanied him.

" The first Sunday he officiated, Haworth Church was filled even to the aisles ; most of the people wearing the wooden clogs of the district. But while Mr. Redhead was reading the second lesson, the whole congregation, as by one impulse, began to leave the church, making all the noise they could with clattering and clumping of clogs, till, at length, Mr. Redhead and the clerk were the only two left to continue the service. This was bad enough, but the next Sunday the pro- ceedings were far worse. Then, as before, the Church was well filled, but the aisles were left clear; not a creature, not an obstacle was in the way. The reason for this was made evident about the same time in the reading of the service as the disturbances had begun the previous week. A [half- witted] man rode into the church upon an ass, with his face turned towards the tail, and as many old hats piled on his head as he could possibly carry. He began urging his beast round the aisles, and the screams, and cries, and laughter of the con- gregation entirely drowned all sound of Mr. Redhead's voice, and, I believe, he was obliged to desist. Hitherto they had not proceeded to anything like personal violence ; but cu the third Sunday they must have been greatly irritated at seeing

78 Haworth :

Mr. Redhead, detenniniued to brave their will, ride up the village street, accompanied by several gentlemen from Brad- ford. They put up their horses at the Black Bull, and went into Church. On this the people followed, with a chimney sweeper, whom they had employed to clean the chimneys of some out-buildings that very morning, and afterward plied with drink till he was in a state of solemn intoxication. They placed him right before the reading de^k, where his blackened face nodded a drunken, stupid assent to all that Mr. Redhead said. At last, either prompted by some mischief-maker, or from some tipsy impulse, he clambered up the pulpit stairs, and attempted to embrace Mr. Redhead. Then the profane fun grew fast and furious. Some of the more riotous pushed the soot-covered chimney-sweeper against Mr. Redhead, as he tried to escape. They threw both him aud his tormentor down on the ground in the churchyard where the soot-bag had been emptied, and though, at last, Mr. Redhead escaped into the Black Bull, the doors of which were immediately barred, the people raged without, threatening to stone him and his friends. One of my informants is an old man, who was the landlord of the inn at the time, arid he stands to it that such was the temper of the irritated mob, tbat Mr. Redhead was in real danger of his life. This man, however, planned an escape for his unpopular inmates. Giving directions to his hunted guests to steal out at the back door (through which, probably, many a ne'er-do-well has escaped from good Mr. Grimshaw's whip), the landlord and some of the stable boys rode the horses belonging to the party from Bradford backwards and forwards before his front door, among the fiercely expectant crowd." They then rode after the visitors, who had crept behind the street.

This was Mr. Redhead's last appearance at Haworth for many years. Long afterwards he came to preach, and in his sermon to a large and attentive congregation, he good- humouredly reminded them of the circumstances. They gave him a hearty welcome, for they owed him no grudge.

Past ami Present. 79

A gentleman writes: "I accompanied Mr. Heap on his first visit to Haworth after his accession to the vicarage of Bradford. It was on Easter day, 1816 or 1817. His prede- cessor, the venerable John Crosse, known as the 'blind vicar,' had been inattentive to the vicarial claims. A searching investigation had to be made and enforced, and as it proceeded stout and sturdy utterances were not lacking on the part of the parishioners.'' Besides paying their fifth towards Brad- ford Church, ten miles away, " they had to maintain their own edifice, &c. They resisted, therefore, with energy, that which they deemed to be oppression and injustice. By scores would they wend their way from the hills to attend a vestry meeting at Bradford, and in such service failed not to show less of the anariter in modo than the fortiter in re."

Mr. Redhead became Vicar of Calverley in 1823, and died August 26th, 1845, being succeeded by his son-in-law, the Rev. A. Brown, M.A. A Memoir, with portrait, of Mr. Redhead was published in 1846.

THE REV. PATRICK BRONTE, B.A., succeeded, after the repulse previously mentioned, to the curacy of Haworth, in 1819, and removed his family from Thornton, in Bradford- dale, in February, 1820.

Mr. Bronte was born at Ahaderg, near Loughbrickland, County Down, Ireland, on St. Patrick's day, March 17th, 1777. His father, Hugh Bronte, was a small farmer, and could give little education to his ten children, owing to reduced circumstances. The Bronte family were remarkable for great physical strength, and much personal beauty. At the age of sixteen, Patrick opened a school, which he continued for five years, when he became tutor in the family of the Rev. Mr. Tighe, at Drumgooland. In 1802, July, he entered St. John's College, Cambridge, and in four years gained the B.A. degree. While at Cambridge, he joined a company of volunteers intended to repel the threatened invasion by Napoleon, and among his comrades were Lord Palmerston and the late Duke of Devonshire. The last time the Duke visited his seat at

80 Hau-orth :

Bolton Abbey, he called ou Mr. Bronte, at Haworth, and a few days afterwards sent some hampers of game, and other delicacies, to show that he had not forgotten his old comrade in arms.

It has sometimes been severely commented upon that Mr. Bronte broke off all connections with his family in Ireland, but I believe this statement is not correct, as he sent an annuity of £20 to his mother as long as she lived.

After holding a curacy in Essex a short period, he ob- tained, July, 1810, the curacy of Hartshead, near Brighouse, worth £200 a year, and while there married, in 1812, Maria Branwell, daughter of Mr. Thomas Bran well, of Penzance, merchant, a noted local Methodist. Mr. Bronte — a hand- some, enthusiastic Irishman, became acquainted with his wife while staying with her uncle, the Rev. John Fennell, a clergy- man living near Leeds.

Mr. Feunell was previously a Wesleyan, and connected with Woodhouse Grove School. He was the son of Thomas and Mary Fennell, of Madelev, and was born June 19th, 1702. He married, in 1790, Jane, daughter of Richard and Margaret Branwell, who was born at Pcnzauce, Nov. l()th, 1753. She died at Crosstone Parsonage, near Todmorden, in May, 1829. They had one daughter, Jane Branwell Fenuell, born at Pen- zance, October 9th, 1791, who married (Dec., 1812,) the Rev. Wm. Morgan. Mrs. Morgan died in 1827. Mr. Fennell married secondly (at Halifax, 1830), Elizabeth, daughter of John Lister, merchant, Leeds, niece of Rev. Thomas Howorth, of Idel. Their children were: — Mary Elizabeth, 1831, mar- ried Rev. W. G. Mayne, of Ingrow; Hannah Julia, 1834, married Dr. Edward Ilott, of Bromley; Chas. John, a doctor R. Navy; Ellen Jane, 1838, married Mr. Salmon, barrister; Thomas Edward, 1840, of the G. E. Railway.

Miss Branwell " was exceedingly small in person, not pretty, but very elegant, and always dressed with a quiet, sim- plicity of taste." The marriage took place, I believe, at Guiscley Church. She possessed considerable literary taste,

Past and Present. 81

and brought her husband an annuity of £50 a year.

THORNTON CHAPEL.

After remaining five years at Hartshoad, where his two children Maria and Elizabeth were born, he obtained the living of Thornton, in Bradford-dale ; the Rev. Wm. Morgan, of Christ's Church, Bradford, who had married Mrs. Bronte's cousin, probably having some influence in the matter. An amusing incident respecting Mr. Bronte was told to Mr. Abraham Holroyd, by Mrs. Akeroyd, of Thornton. " A rumour reached her ears one day that one of the Dissenters had seen Mr. Bronte shaving himself on a Sunday morning, through the chamber window, which fronted the main street.

82 Haworth:

Here was a pretty state of things, and my informant herself thought this very wrong, so oft' she went to her minister's house, and begged a private interview. When Mr. Bronte had heard all, he said, ' I should like you to keep what I say in your family, but I never shaved myself in all my life, or was ever shaved by anyone else. I have so little beard that a little clipping every three months is all that is necessary.' ' The house in which Mr. Brontr lived at Thornton is near the

THORNTON PARSON AGE,

Past and Present. 83

centre of the village. A butcher's shop has hoen erected, one story high, in front of the lower sitting room. On the 21st of April, 181G, Charlotte was born at this house. " Fast on her heels followed Patrick Branwell. Emily Jane, and Anne. After the birth of this last daughter, Mrs. Bronte -'s health began to decline." Having only one servant, Mr. Bronti'- applied to Mrs. Richardby, at the School of Industry, Brad- ford, for a young girl as nurse, and he obtained the services of Nancy Garrs, and after a time another sister named Sarah, who remained with the family for many years, and always testified of Mr. Bronte that " he was one of the kindest men that ever drew breath." There was nothing too good for his family and servants. These were the two servants stigmatized by Mrs. Gaskell as "wasteful," but were amply vindicated by Mr. Bronte in 1857, when he uttered the just sentence, "Mrs. Gaskell has made ns appear as bad as she could."

, Mr. Bronte had published four small volumes before he left Thornton.

Cottat/e Poems, by the Rev. Patrick Bronte, B.A., Minister of Hartshead-cum-Clifton, Yorkshire. Printed for the Author, at Halifax, by P. K. Holden, 1811, and contains an Epistle to the Rev. J. B. ; The Happy Cottagers ; The Rainbow; Winter Night Meditations; Verses to a Lady on her Birthday ; The Irish Cabin ; To the Rev. J. Gilpin ; The Cottage Maid ; The Spider and the Fly ; Epistle to a Young Clergyman ; Epistle to the Labouring Poor ; The Cottager's Hymn. 136 pages.

The Rural Ministry: A Miscellany of Descriptive Poems. Printed for the author by P. K. Holden, Halifax, 1818. Contents— The Sabbath Bells; Kirkstall Abbey; Extempore Verses; Lines to a Lady on her Birthday; An Elegy; Reflections by Moonlight; Winter; Rural Happiness; The Distress and Relief; The Christian's Farewell; The Harper of Erin.

The Maid of Killarney: or Albion and Flora, a tale in which ;ire interwoven cursory remarks on Religion and Politics.

84 Haworth:

Printed by T. Inkersley, Bradford, 1818. 166 pages.

The Cottaye in the Wood : or the Art of becoming rich and happy; a tale, with poem. Inkersley, Bradford, 1818.

Mr. Bronte was in many respects no ordinary man. His compositions have some characteristics in common with those of his children, and at times display deep observation and vigor- ous power of expression. The interest, however, which attaches to his name arises mainly from his extraordinary talented children.

On the 25th of February, 1820, the Brontes removed to Haworth. For a fortnight they had stayed with the Misses Firth, of Kipping, until the packing was completed. Their quiet exit in the carts which conveyed the delicate wife and six young children, and their household goods, was witnessed by many with sincere regret. Soon after their arrival Mrs. Bronte had an internal cancer, but she continued the same patient, cheerful person ; very ill, suffering great pain, but seldom if ever complaining; devotedly fond of her husband, who warmly repaid her affection, and suffered no one else to take the night- nursing. She died September 15th, 1821, " and the lives of those quiet children must have become quieter and lonelier still." Miss Branwell, an elder sister of Mrs. Bronte, came from Cornwall to be housekeeper about a year afterwards. This responsible post she filled in a satisfactory manner for nearly twenty years. Her small fortune she shared between the three sisters, but left the name of Branwell out of her will. He had been her favourite ; she had generously shared in the expense occasioned by his lessons at Leeds in oil painting, but his reckless expenditure and dissolute habits had distressed the good old lady.

Maria Bronte, the eldest child, died in May, 1825, aged eleven; and the month following, Elizabeth, her sister, aged ten, was laid in the same grave, near the communion rails, at Haworth. Maria was " a grave, thoughtful and quiet girl. She was delicate and small in appearance, which seemed to give greater effect to her wonderful precocity of intellect.

Past and Present. 85

She-must have been her mother's companion and helpmate." The illness of their mother, and the studies of the father, necessitated that the children should be very quiet. When between seven and eight Maria would read the newspaper, and be able to report "debates in Parliament." "She was as good as a mother to her sisters and brother. But there never were such good children. I used to think them spiritless, they were so different to any children I have ever seen. They were good little creatures. Emily was the prettiest." Such was the testimony of an old servant. Mr. Bronte taught his chil- dren their lessons when young. Besides his attention to their minds, he wished to make. them hardy, and indifferent to the pleasures of eating and dress. He was a great walker, and loved to stroll over the lone heights, where he occasionally saw the eagles seize their prey. " He fearlessly took whatever side in local or national politics appeared to him right." On account of his opposition to the Luddites, he became unpopu- lar (for a time) among the millworkers about Hartshead, and then, as was necessary, began to carry a loaded pistol about with him, a practice he continued through life. He had his meals alone, and seemed either to hate company, or to love solitude, or both. Afterwards he offended the mill-owners because he took the part of the workpeople in a " strike." Though seemingly misanthropic, he was extremely kind in his personal contact with his people. They attributed his reserve to a desire to mind his own business, and let other people do the same. He had little company; indeed, only church- wardens, and such as came on business, with an occasional friendly visit from some neighbouring clergyman. The girls had no companions with whom to associate, and hence their attachment to each other became the stronger. Charlotte, like Maria, was a precocious girl. The Duke of Wellington was her hero. In July, 1824, Maria and Elizabeth entered Cowan Bridge School — the Lowood mentioned in " Jane Eyre," but not to be taken as strict matter-of-fact. In Sep- tember of the same year, Mr. Bronte took his next two

80 llan-orth :

daughters, Charlotte and Emily, to be admitted. Poor Maria, the Helen Burns of " Jane Eyre," was dreadfully home sick, and no wonder, considering the merciless tyranny of the Mi*s Scatcherd of the story. Her cough hacked her more and more, but the malicious spite of the teacher added considerably to her unhappiness. Low fever broke out in the school. Maria was taken ill, and Mr. Bronte was sent for. She was taken home, and died a few days afterwards. Elizabeth was soon after sent home, and as rapidly was cut down. Charlotte and Emily had another term at Cowan Bridge, but returned home in the autumn of 1825, on account of indisposition. Old Tabby, so frequently mentioned in Mrs. Gaskell's book, became servant about this time, and she afforded a new field to the observant Charlotte. Tabby had a will of her own, and kept the " bairns " within bounds. They were greatly attached to her. She had lots of old tales to tell them, and dearly loved to recount the gossip of the village. As they sat around the ingle on wintry nights, telling tales of their own invention, or listening to Tabby's stories of the fairies, they heard the old clock strike seven with deep regret, for the rule must not be broken, and they must retire. At fifteen years of age Char- lotte had done a large amount of writing, in a hand so small that it would require a magnifying glass to enable one to read it with anything like ease.

I have seen one of the mimic magazines in Charlotte's handwriting. It is about two inches long and one broad, and (as may be expected) is highly prized by its possessor, the Martha Brown whose name frequently appears in connection with our notice of Miss Bronte.

In January, 1881, Charlotte had the happiness to become associated with a kindly teacher, Miss Wooler, and gentle schoolmates, at a pleasant house named Roe Head, near Hartshead. Her progress here was great. She was very near sighted, and seldom joined in play with her schoolmates. Here she became acquainted with Miss Ellen Xussey (the Caroline Helstone of Shirley), whose friendship lasted for life.

Past and Present. 87

She and Miss Wooler sign, as witnesses, the marriage certifi- cate of Miss Bronte. In 1832 she left Roe Head, having made considerable progress in the French language, as well as mastered English. On the return home the sisters often walked to Keighley to obtain from a library such works as Sir Walter Scott's. Anne and Charlotte are described as " shy," but Emily as "reserved." In 1835 Charlotte became a teacher at Roe Head, and Branwell (who had become too well known at the riotings at the Black Bull) was to go to London to become a famous artist, and Emily went (a*s a pupil with Charlotte) to school. But Emily soon pined for Haworth quietness, and she returned, not to leave it again except twice; once, for six months, to be a teacher at Halifax, and for ten months, a student at Brussels.

Miss Anne, gentle Annie, was also a pupil at Miss Wooler's school, then removed to Dewsbury Moor.

Branwell's visit to London was relinquished. The hopes of the father and sisters had been centred on him, but, alas ! they met with grievous disappointment. Whenever a travel- ler stayed at the Black Bull, he was sent for as a " brilliant " companion; and his nervous system was already shaken. In 1840 all the Brontes were at home, except Miss Anne. Their great hope and aim now was to keep a school, but this desire never came to a firm decision, as the aunt was averse to it. The few moments that were not frittered away by Bram- well, he employed in writing verse for the Leeds Mercury,

The following letter, written in 1840 by Miss Bronte, is taken from Mrs. Gaskell's "Life."

"Little Haworth has been all in a bustle about church- rates, since you were here. We had a stirring meeting in the schoolroom. Papa took the chair, and Mr. C. and Mr. W. acted as his supporters, one on each side. There was violent opposition, which set Mr. C.'s Irish blood in a ferment, and if papa had not kept him quiet, partly by persuasion and partly by compulsion, he would have given the Dissenters 'their kale through the reek' — a

88 Haworth:

Scotch proverb. He and Mr. W. both bottled up their wrath for that time, but it was only to explode with redoubled force at a future period. We had two sermons on Dissent and its consequences, preached last Sunday — one in the afternoon by Mr. W., and one in the evening by Mr. C. All the Dissenters were invited to come and hear, and they actually shut up their chapels, and came in a body; of course the Church was crowded. Mr. W. delivered a noble, eloquent, High-Church Apostolical-Suc<iession discourse, in which he banged the Dis- senters most fearlessly and unflinchingly. I thought they had got enough for one while, but it was nothing to the dose that was thrust down their throats in the evening. A keener, cleverer, bolder, and more heart- stirring harangue than that which Mr. C. delivered from Haworth pulpit, last Sunday evening, I never heard. He did not rant ; he did not cant ; he did not whine; he did not sniggle; he just got up and spoke with the boldness of a man who was impressed with the truth of what he was saying. His sermon lasted an hour, yet I was sorry when it was done. I do not say that I agree either with him, or with Mr. W., either in all or in half their opinions. I consider them bigoted, intolerant, and wholly un- justifiable on the ground of common sense. My conscience will not let me be either a Puseyite or a Hookist ; mais, [but] if I were a Dissenter, I would have taken the first opportunity of kicking, or of horse-whipping both the gentlemen for their stern, bitter attack on my religion and its teachers. Mr. W. has given another lecture at the Keighley Mechanics' Insti- tute, and papa has also given a lecture; both are spoken of very highly in the newspapers, and it is mentioned as a matter of wonder that such displa}rs of intellect should emanate from the village of Haworth, ' situated among the bogs and moun- tains, and, until very lately, supposed to be in a state of semi- barbarism.' Such are the words of the newspaper."

It seems that Methodists and Baptists had refused to pay the Church rates.

Soon after this, Branwell obtained a situation as a clerk

CHARLOTTE BRONTE

Past and Present. 89

on the Leeds and Manchester Railway.

Mr. Bronte, early, in 1842, took hia two daughters, Char- lotte and Emily, to M. Heger's School, at Brusiels. Miaa Bronte remarks in a letter, " I was twenty- six years old a week or two since; and at this ripe time of life I am a school-girl." They returned home on the death of Miss Branwell, but Miss Bronte re-visited Brussels as a teacher of English, and received German lessons in return. This was in January,

1843. In December, though sinking with oppression, a dis- taste for her surroundings, and home sickness, she wrote to Emily: — "Tell me whether papa really wants me very much to come home, and whether you do likewise. I have an idea that I should be of no use there — a sort of aged person upon the parish. I pray, with heart and soul, that all may continue well at Haworth; above all in our grey half- inhabited house. God bless the walls thereof ! Safety, health, happiness, and prosperity to you, papa, and Tabby. Amen."

Pleading the increasing blindness of her father, she left M. Heger's establishment, and reached home January 2nd,

1844. The experiences of "Jane Eyre," "Shirley," and " Villette " have been thus dearly bought. One seems to see the life-blood of the agonized authoress coursing every line.

In the Summer of 1845 she deplored the condition of her father. " He has now the greatest difficulty in either reading or writing; and then he dreads the state of dependence to which blindness will inevitably reduce him. He fears that he will be nothing in his parish. Still he is never peevish; never impatient; only anxious and dejected." Added to this, her sympathies were estranged from his assistants. "At this blessed moment, we have no less than three of them [curates] in Haworth parish — and there is not one to mend another. The other day, they all three, accompanied by Mr. S., dropped, or rather rushed, in unexpectedly to tea. It was Monday (baking day), and I was hot and tired; still, if they had be- haved quietly and decently, I would have served them out their tea in peace; but they began glorifying themselves, and

90 Haworth :

abusing Dissenters in such a manner, that my temper lost its balance, and I pronounced a few sentences sharply and rapidly, which struck them all dumb. Papa was greatly horrified also, but I don't regret it."

Branwell, who had for some time been engaged as tutor at Green Hammerton, in the same family as Anne, was summarily dismissed about this time. The home was now miserable owing to his presence. When be could not obtain opium, or intoxicating liquors at home, he resorted to stratagem to supply his cravings. The sisters dreaded some act of suicide. He suffered from attacks of delirium tremens, and kept the family in agitation day and night. Mr. Bronte had great difficulty in managing him on these occasions. Branwell, when he came to his senses in the morning, would say : — " The poor old man and I have had a terrible night of it; he does his best — the poor old man! but it's all over with me." The sisters, as a means of consolation and abstraction, fell to their happy, child-like habits of composition. John Green- wood supplied them with stationery. He gave the following outline of his transactions with the sisters. "About 1848, I began to do a little in the stationery line. Nothing of that kind could be had nearer than Keighley before I began. They used to buy a great deal of writing paper, and I used to wonder whatever they did with so much. I sometimes thought they contributed to the magazines. When I was out of stock, I was always afraid of their coming ; they seemed so distressed about it, if I had none."

In 1848 an influenza had prevailed amongst the villagers, and amongst those who suffered was Miss Anne Bronte. Mr. Bronte represented the unsanitary state at Haworth pretty forcibly to the local authority, and after the requisite visits from their officers, obtained a recommendation that all future interments in the churchyard should be forbidden, a new grave-yard opened on the hill-side, and means set on foot for obtaining a water-supply to each house, instead of the weary, hard- worked housewives having to cany every bucketful up

Past and Present. 91

the steep street. But he was baffled by the ratepayers.

Miss Bronte, in August, 1848, notes that the oldest family in Haworth failed lately, and have quitted the neigh- bourhood where their fathers resided before them for, it is said, thirteen generations.

The next nine months was a season of bitter trial at the parsonage. In September, Patrick Branwell succumbed, and was buried in the family vault at the Church; in December, Emily Jane's remains were laid in the same place; and in May, 1849, the gentle Anne was buried at Scarborough, whither Miss Bronte had taken her to try to recruit her health. We join our regret with that of hundreds more that she was not buried at Haworth. Miss Bronte and her friend Miss Nussey were the two mourners at Scarborough.

About the close of 1849, the public were informed that Currer Bell was none other than Miss Bronte. A spirit dealer at Liverpool, who was a native of Haworth, jumped at the conclusion, and published it in a Liverpool paper.

Miss Bronte shortly after this became personally ac- quainted with Miss Martineau, Mr. Thackeray, Lord Carlisle, Lord Houghton, Sir J. Shuttleworth, Mrs. Gaskell, and other noted writers. But at no place was the enthusiasm greater than at Haworth. The announcement of Miss Bronte's authorship was a day that I have heard people of Haworth speak of as one of public rejoicings. We will let Miss Bronte

narrate how the news fell on her startled ears. " Mr.

having finished ' Jane Eyre,' is now crying out for the other

book. Mr. has finished ' Shirley,' he is delighted with

it. John *s wife seriously thought him gone wrong in

the head, as she heard him giving vent to roars of laughter as ho sat alone, clapping and stamping on the floor. He would read all the scenes about the curates aloud to papa. Martha came in yesterday, puffing and blowing, and much excited. ' I've heard sich news !' she began. ' What about?' ' Please, ma'am, you've been and written two books — the grandest books that ever was seen. My father has heard it at

92 Haworth:

Halifax, and Mr. G T and Mr. G and Mr. M

at Bradford ; they are going to have a meeting at the Mechan- ics' Institute to settle about ordering them.' "

Visitors hegan to pour into Haworth in 1850. Sir James Shuttleworth, Lord John Manners, Mr. Smythe (sou of Lord Strangford), Mr. Thackeray, the first Bishop of Ripon, and many others.

About the close of 1852, Miss Bronte had an offer of marriage (the fourth offer, I believe), which she declined, and as a result the person, Mr. Nicholls, who had held the office of

REV. A. B. NICHOLLS.

assistant curate eight years, resigned his situation. A testi- monial of respect from the parishioners was presented to him at a public meeting. However, after his removal they became engaged, and it was arranged that as soon as the curate who succeeded him had met with another engagement, Mr. Nicholls should resume the curacy. After one or two awkward hitches, the marriage ceremony was performed by the Rev. Sutcliffe Sowden, of Hebden Bridge, at Haworth Church.

Mr. and Mrs. Nicholls made a tour in Ireland, and on their return a tea and supper to about five hundred were given in the schoolroom.

Mr. Nicholls had the offer of a good Hying soon after- ward, but decided to remain at Haworth. In November, Mr.

Present.

93

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94 Haicorth:

and Mrs. Nicholls took a long walk to see the waterfall at Ponden Kirk, and she caught cold. Again, early in 1855, her cold was increased hy lingering on the damp ground at Gawthorpe, the seat of Sir J. K. Shuttle worth. Early on Saturday morning, March 81st, the solemn tolling of Haworth Church bell sent a thrill of anguish through the hearts of the villagers — Charlotte was no more. Old Tahby had died a few months previously.

We have been led further and further into the story of this melancholy yet fascinating history, and one is tempted to recount the many unwritten reminiscences treasured up at Haworth, and especially in the memory of Martha Brown, an intelligent woman, who is still in the service of Mr. Nicholls, at Banagher, but we must now turn more directly to the subject.

Notwithstanding some eccentricities, and severity of manner, Mr. Bronte's character was greatly respected in the neighbourhood, and he lived in concord with the numerous Radicals and Dissenters of the township, although a Tory and staunch Churchman himself.

In 1846, he became blind from a cataract in the eyes, but, with that stoicism which ever distinguished his conduct, he continued to fulfil the duties of the pulpit, and shortly afterwards, having undergone an operation, he regained his sight. " He conscientiously discharged all the duties of a parish priest, by visiting and comforting the sick, superintend- ing and directing the National and Sunday Schools, and preaching at all times — in sickness and in sorrow. Though firm in his own religious opinions, he was tolerant of those of others. Of true, but unostentatious piety, he despised that sanctimonious affectation which consists in show rather than reality." He died on the 7th day of June, 1861, aged 84.

By the authority of the Secretary of State, Mr. Bronte was interred in the family vault. This authority was neces- sary, as an order had been obtained, on Mr. Bronte's solicita- tion, for closing the old burial ground. On the day of the funeral, Haworth was full of mourners. The shops were

Past and Present. 95

closed, and business entirely suspended. The Rev. A. B. Nicholls was the chief mourner. The Rev. Dr. Burnet, of Bradford, and the Rev. Dr. Cartman, of Skipton, preceded the coffin, which was borne from the parsonage to the church, and thence to the grave, by six clergymen of the district, the Incumbents of Cullingworth, Oakworth, Oxenhope, Morton, Ingrow, and Hebden Bridge. Martha Brown, the house- keeper, Mrs. Brown, and Mrs. Wainwright (Nancy Garrs), with many visitors, followed the remains to the grave. The day of mourning will long be remembered in Haworth.

In 1824, as recorded on a stone in the church, gates and pillars were erected at the entrance to the yard. The names of the Trustees and Minister are inscribed.

In 1832, the National School was built by subscription, and a grant from the National Society. Miss Bronte was a Sunday School Teacher here.

Mr. Bronte had, as assistants, the Rev. Wm. Hodgson, to whom the Pastoral Aid Society granted an annuity of £50, from 1836; the Rev. W. Weightman, M.A., of the University of Durham, curate about two years, and the Rev. James Stuart Cranmer, D.D., 1847, who was also Master of the Grammar School. Mr. Weightman died September 6th, 1842, aged 27 years, and was interred in the north aisle, where a tablet was erected to his memory by the congregation, by whom he was greatly respected. Mr. Bronte delivered his funeral sermon from I. Cor., xv, 56-58, on the second of October. It was printed by Mr. J. U. Walker, Halifax.

He also published "A Sermon preached in the Church of Haworth, on Sunday, the 12th September, 1824, in refer- ence to an Earthquake there, by the Rev. P. Bronte, Incum- bent." This was an octavo, price sixpence, printed by T. Inkersley, Bradford, 1824. Further particulars of this event will be found subsequently. [Crow Hill Bog.]

The six bells now occupying the steeple were cast by Mears, of London, in 1845. A board in the belfry states that the " Peal of Bells was hung by William Wood; Joseph

96 Haworth :

Redman being Architect, and were opened and prizes given, March 10th, 1846." " April 6th, 1849, change ringing, 6040 changes in 2 h. 55 m. Nov. 22nd, 1853, ditto in 3 h. 6 m."

We will now briefly point out the features of interest within the building. The pews on the ground floor are of old black oak, square, and, for convenience of attending to a sermon, incommodious. Many of them bear the names of the owners of certain farms to which the pews are appropriated. The Bronte pew was removed about 1870, when considerable alterations were made in the Church. The Lord's pew, raised a few steps above the rest, and near the Bronte pew, was also removed. The Bronte vault was near the said pews, and at the south corner of the Communion rails. The large twelve- light Chandelier was removed, and also the Sounding Board, leaving the three-decker pulpit incomplete. The pillars (which pass up the centre of the Church) were chipped several inches thinner. The east gallery was taken down, and the organ removed to the north-east corner of the ground floor. There are only two aisles, north and south. The entrances to the Church are from the south-west and north-west, opposite each other. Beginning at the north-west door we have on the left hand the steps to the galleries at one corner, and the door way to the vestry, or lower part of the steeple, at the other ; on the right are the two aisles, the rest blocked by high pews. Passing down the north aisle we notice the font and benefaction boards in the corner; the tablets previously mentioned, recording improvements during Mr. Grirnshaw's and Mr. Bronte's incumbencies ; the tablet to Mr. Weightman'a memory ; and the small organ. The three east windows, particularly the small one in the middle, containing two paintings — The Last Supper, and Christ blessing Chil- dren, are worthy of inspection. The Communion Table is really an unpolished, ancient oak chest, a curiosity indeed! A new Lectern, a flaring brazen eagle, the gift of Mr. M. Merrall, stands near the Bronte vault, possibly to scare anti- quaries and literati from that immediate spot. The neat

Past and Present. 97

mural tablet, erected within the Communion railing, in April, 1858, in place of the previous ones, to the memory of the Brontes, is of white Carrara marble, on a ground of dove- coloured marble. The old tablets recorded : —

HERE

LIE THE KEMAINS OF MARIA BRONTE, WIFE

OF THE

REV. P. BKONTE, A.B., MINISTER OF HA WORTH.

HER SOUL DEPARTED TO THE SAVIOUR, SEPT. 15TH, 1821,

IN THE 89 TH YEAR OF HER AGE.

" Be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh." — MATTHEW xxiv. 44.

ALSO HERE LIE THE REMAINS OF

MARIA BRONTE, DAUGHTER OF THE AFORESAID;

SHE DIED ON THE

GTH OF MAY, J.825, IN THE 12TH YEAR OF HER AGE;

AND OF

ELIZABETH BRONTE, HER SISTER, WHO DIED JUNE 15TH, 1825, IN THE HTH YEAR OF HER AGE.

" Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." — MATTHEW xviii. 3.

HERE ALSO LIE THE REMAINS OF

PATRICK BRAN WELL BRONTE,

WHO DIED SEPT. 24TH, 1848, AGED 30 YEARS;

AND OF

EMILY JANE BRONTE, WHO DIED DEC. 19TH, 1848, AGED 29 YEARS,

SON AND DAUGHTER OF THE

REV. P. BRONTE, INCUMBENT.

THIS STONE IS ALSO DEDICATED TO THE

MEMORY OF ANNE BRONTE, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER OF THE REV. P. BRONTE, A.B.

98 Haworth :

SHE DIED, AGED 27* YEARS, MAY 28xH, 1849,

AND WAS BUEIED AT THE OLD CHURCH, ScARBRO'.

On another tablet (the first being too small) was inscribed : —

ADJOINING LIE THE REMAINS OF

CHARLOTTE, WIFE

OF THE

REV. ARTHUR BELL NICHOLLS, A.B.,

AND DAUGHTER OF THE REV. P. BRONTE, A.B., INCUMBENT.

SHE DIED MARCH 31sT, 1855, IN THE 39ra

YEAR OF HER AGE.

On the south side are tablets to the memory of the Midgleys, Lords of the Manor ; to Grace, daughter of H. Cockroft, Esq., Wadsworth, wife of Joseph Greenwood, Esq., Magistrate, Keighley, 1822; to Thomas Andrew, born 1790, Surgeon in Haworth 24 years, died April 29th, 1842 (erected by friends); and to George Oates Greenwood, Esq., of Nether Wood House.

In the vestry is an old oak chair. One of Mr. Grimshaw's chairs is preserved at the Wesleyan minister's house as a heirloom.

The old flagons and the Marriage Register of Miss Bronte are usually shown to visitors, who are asked to enter their names in the Visitors' Book. There are three of these nearly filled, and many interesting signatures will be noticed. Many Americans have visited the Church. The first rough visitors' book is missing.

The benefaction boards, besides the gifts previously mentioned, state that Christopher Scott, gent., gave a hundred marks to the Church; John Scott, gent., augmented it with £10 per annum for a Sunday Afternoon Sermon, and also gave £18 per annum to the School; John Holmes, gent., of Cross, in Stanbury, gave £GOO, the interest to support a school- master. " May success attend this institution for ever."

The Church, until very lately, was said to be a handsome structure in the Perpendicular style. It will be noticed that

*Error : she was 29,

Past and Present. 99

the turrets and battlements of the tower have been removed, a new piece added, and then again they were replaced. There is a saying that Haworth people mucked (manured) the church to make it grow. A Bradfordian asked a woman of Haworth if this was true, whereupon she retorted — " I don't know, but I've heard of Bradford folk coming and scratting to see if it were true."

The graveyard is nearly filled with tombstones and head- stones. The graves rise in terraces up to the parsonage. There are few inscriptions of peculiar interest. Reared against the south wall of the Church is a short headstone recording remarkable instances of longevity of the Murgat- royds, of Lee: Susan, wife of John, 1785, aged 86; John, 1789, aged 88; James, their son, 1820, aged 95, Ann, his wife, 1831, aged 85; Sarah, wife of John, 1846, aged 70, and John (son of James), 1862, aged 85. United ages 509. Another of the family, of equal longevity, has been interred since in the new portion.

A flat stone near the back window of the Black Bull Inn

has the inscription: J. S. 1796. He is said to have been

hung for stealing. Near the last stone is one to the memory

of five women who were not worth naming, I suppose.

Here lie the

Bodies of the 5

Wives of William

Sunderland. Also

William Sunderland

1790.

The Beavers, of Butteryate Sike, lived to a great age. Thomas died 1727, aged 76; Paul, his son, 1767, aged 83; Jonas his ion 1788, aged 82; Paul, brother of Jonas, 1786, aged 77.

The Feathers are a family of long standing at Old Oxen- hope. Robert Feather, died 1828, aged 88, ' having been a faithful servant in the family of the late William Greenwood, Esq., of Moorhouse, nearly 50 years.'

100 Han-ortJi :

A headstone to the memory of Dawson, a musician, is a capital piece of sculpturing by Hargreaves. The portico at Dr. Ingham's mansion is by the same sculptor.

Near the wall in front of the parsonage is a stone record- ing the death of Mr. Bronte's faithful servant, Tabby. " Tabitha Aykroyd, of Haworth, who died Feb. 17th, 1855, in the 85th year of her age." The footpath from the parson- age formerly passed close by this grave.

In the higher portion of the ground, a stone records the interment of sixteen infants of one family, the Leemings.

Hardaker, the local poet, was buried at the Roman Catholic Chapel, Keighley, I am told.

The oldest stone I have seen has the initials and date : I. H. 1642. There are many stones to the Greenwoods, Redmans, Horsfalls, Rushfirths, Fosters, Tillotsons, Feathers, Judsons, Sunderlands, Pighells, &c.

Latin has not been in much demand. There is a Hie jacet Hollins.

The good glebe house of Mr. Bronte's time has had a wing added.

" Mr. Nicholls would fain have had the living of Haworth, for which he had served so faithful an apprenticeship, and the people would fain have had him to minister over them; it was, indeed, promised to him by Dr. Burnet, the vicar of Bradford, but local influences were brought to bear upon the reverend patron, and the people got [a] Mr. Wade, from Bradford, instead. Mr. Nicholls, after this second disappointment, returned to Banagher, King's County, where he has since married, and has resigned the clerical order for that of a gen- tleman farmer."

THE REV. JOHN WADE, who has held the living since Mr. Bronte's death, is a native of Bradford.

The Ripon Calendar, for 1879, gives — Haworth, Rec- tory, New Parish, value £170, Population 8,454, Accommo- dation 715. Rev. John Wade, 1861.

Past and Present.

101

HAWOBTH PARSONAOE— 1879.

METHODISM.

The Rev. Benjamin Ingham, one of the Oxford Metho- dists, who associated with the Wesleys and the Moravians, was about the first Yorkshire Methodist. In 17B8 he hud many societies under his charge in the West Riding, Haworth appearing amongst the numher. He obtained, as an assistant, John Toeltschig, a noted Moravian, from Germany. Many notices of Mr. Ingham, Mr. Grimshaw, and Mr. Venn will be found in the Life and Times of the Countess of Hunt iiu/dan, 2 vols. Chapter xv, vol. I., records the Rise of Methodism in Yorkshire, the Settlement of the Moravians at Lightcliffe, Mr. Ingham's marriage with Lady Margaret Hastings, Mr. Gnm- shaw's defence against the dastardly attacks of the Yicar of

102 Haworth :

Colne, &c. The next two chapters bear particularly on York- shire, wherein Mr. Grimshaw figures prominently, and Haworth had such visitors as the Countess of Huntingdon, the Rev. George Whitefield, the Wesley s, Rev. Henry Venn, Rev. John Newton, and other worthies.

The diary of Mr. Williams, of Kidderminster, contains particulars of Mr. Grimshaw's early Methodism. In a letter, dated March, 1747, he gives " The most material passages of what I learned from Mr. Grimshaw, touching his life, &c." Then a biographical sketch to that date is famished. Mr. Grimshaw had two local assistants, — Jonathan Maskew, a native of Bingley, who formed, for many years, part of Mr. Grimshaw's family, as servant, companion, and evangelist; and Paul Greenwood, who was born at Ponden, in Haworth. An incident is told respecting young Paul. About 1740, after reading a sermon by Sir. Seagrave, he went into the barn to pray, where he continued an unusual length of time. His father, under some unpleasant apprehensions, went to see what had become of him, and found him engaged in earnest prayer. After standing a few moments, he himself was power- fully affected — kneeled upon the ground — and began also to raise the voice of supplication. It was not long before the mother went in search of both, who stood in like manner for a short time — bowed the knee — and prayed earnestly for mercy. Soon afterwards they were joined by a brother, and then by a sister, who were no less in earnest for salvation, and they all obtained peace with God before they left the place. Further notices of Maskew and Greenwood will be found in Myles' Life of Grimshaw, Atmore's Methodist Memo- rial, Methodist Magazine, 1798, p. 510, Everett's Methodism in Manchester, and Spence Hardy's Life of Grimshaw. Mr. Paul Greenwood travelled for twenty years, and died in 1767, at Warrington, on the same day that his mother died. Jona- than Maskew, better known as Mr. Grimshaw's Man, was another of the first members of the Methodist Society in Haworth. At Guiseley he was attacked by a rude and ignor-

Past and Present. 108

ant rabble. They stripped him naked, rolled him in the dirt, and nearly deprived him of his life, yet Mr. Wesley used to say that "Ten such preachers would carry the world before them." He settled at Deanhead, near Rochdale, where he died August 3rd, 1793, aged 81.

Thomas Lee, born near Keighley, in 1717, was one of Mr. Grimshaw's converts, and began to preach about 1747. Thomas Mitchell, a native of Bingley, was another. He was a soldier in 1745, but attended Mr. Grimshaw's ministry from 1746. In 1751 he became a travelling preacher. His life was published in 1781. James Riley, of Bradshaw, regularly attended Haworth Church, and was accompanied by some of his neighbours. For miles round, every Sunday, little groups and solitary persons were to be seen wending their way over the various moors to Haworth, and thus Mr. Grimshaw was the means of establishing and strengthening numerous congre- gations. Baptist and Independent, as well as Methodist societies, trace their origin to Mr. Grimshaw's labours. The following are amongst the number : — Mr. Crossley, of Booth, and Mr. Titus Knight, of Halifax ; Mr. Smith, of Wainsgate, Mr. John Parker, of Barnoldswick, Mr. Hartley, of Haworth, Mr. Dan Taylor, of Wadsworth, Dr. Fawcett, of Bradford.

Jonathan Catlow, of Scar Top, in Oxenhope, united with the Methodists, and became a local preacher at sixteen years of age. He expressed a desire to his mother that he might become a preacher, and she accompanied him to a house at Sough, on the edge of the Moor, in Keighley parish. The mother, who was the better reader of the two, gave out the hymns, and Jonathan had a few old women as auditors, who inti- mated that he had done very well ; and from that day he made great progress. He was a popular local preacher for twenty miles around Haworth, and then began to travel. He died at Keighley of a malignant fever he had caught by attending the funeral of a person who had died of that disorder. He requested that a sermon might be preached at his funeral, from I. John, iii, 2, and the great Keighley revival commenced

104 Haicorth :

from that time. This was about the year 1763.

The name of John Nelson, of Birstal, was held in great esteem, but he does not seem to have visited Haworth often. Indeed, he had a large field of labour in Birstal Circuit.

The following lines introduce to us one more labourer : —

In Keighley, by Thine own right hand,

A church ia planted there ; 0 help them, Saviour ! all to stand

Thy goodness to declare.

HawortKs a place that God doth own,

With many a sweet smile ; With power the gospel's preach'd therein,

Which many a one doth feel.

But while the strangers do receive

The blessing from above, There's many near the church that starve

For want of Jesu's love.

At Bradford dale and Thornton Town,

And Places all around : And at Lingbob sometimes at Noon,

The Gospel trump we sound.

These are four of the one hundred and four verses of doggerel known as William Darney's hymn, published in 1751. Scotch Will (as he was generally called) began his evangelizing mission in this district about 1742, having the Rev. Benjamin Ingham and the Moravians in the same field of labour. The Rev. William Grim- shaw heard this powerfully-gifted Scotchman harangue an out-door assembly at Haworth, and was convinced of the truths he spoke, and fascinated by the man's earnest- ness and fearlessness. They united in conducting similar services in Haworth and the district, and little societies were formed in each village, and known as "Darney's Societies." These were regularly visited by Mr. Grimshaw, hence arose the expression, "Mad Grimshaw has turned Scotch Will's clerk." But Darney was a meteor flash: no district bound- aries could confine his efforts, and gradually Mr. Grimshaw had the responsibility of the societies, under the directorship

Past and Present.

105

of the Rev. John Wesley. The circuit became thus known as " Grimshaw's Round.'' From 1749 to 1776 Haworth was the head ol a circuit, but in the latter year Keighley took the lead.

EEV. W. ORIMRHAW.

As Mr. Grimshaw's portrait arrived too late for the notice of him as incumbent, we gladly place it under Methodism, where it equally deserves to be.

The Rev. John Wesley paid his first visit to Haworth, May 1st, 1747. " I read prayers and preached in Haworth Church to a numerous congregation."

In 1748 he paid another visit to Haworth. On the 21st of August (Sunday) he preached at Leeds and Birstal ; on the 22nd at Heaton and Halifax; on the 23rd, at 5 a.m., at Halifax, 1 p.m., at Baildon, and in the evening at Bradford, where none behaved indecently, but the curate of the parish ;

106 Haworth :

on the 24th — "At eight I preached at Eccleshill, and about one at Keighley. At five Mr. Grimshaw read prayers and I preached at Haworth, to more than the Church could contain. We began the service in the morning (Thursday, 25th,) at five, and even then the Church was nearly filled. I rode with Mr. Grimshaw to Roughlee, where T. Colbeck of Keighley, was to meet us. We were stopped again and again, and begged ' not to go on; for a large mob from Colne was gone before us.' So we hastened on, that we might be there before them. All was quiet when we came. I was a little afraid for Mr. Grim- shaw, but needed not. He was ready to go to prison or death for Christ's sake."

Mr. Wesley writes, " Wednesday, June 30th, 1753, I rode to Haworth, where Mr. Grimshaw read prayers, and I preached to a crowded congregation ; but, having preached ten or twelve times in three days, besides meeting the societies, my voice began to fail."

In 1757, Mr. Wesley visited Haworth again, and alludes to a powerful earthquake felt from Bingley to Lancashire. In 1761 he preached at Haworth to so vast a multitude that the Church would scarce contain a tithe of the people. Mr. Grim- shaw had a plan which he almost invariably adopted on these occasions. He caused a scaffold to be fixed on the outside of one of the Church windows, through which the preacher went after reading prayers. At extraordinary times the church was entirely filled with communicants.

176G, August 3rd, Sunday, Mr. Wesley preached again at Haworth. " When the prayers were ended, I preached from a little scaffold, on the south side of the Church, on those words in the gospel, 0 that thoii haikt known the thimjs that Muni/ unto thy peace! The communicants alone (a sight which has not been seen since Mr. Grimshaw' 8 death) filled the Church. In the afternoon the congregation was supposed to be the largest which had ever been there : but strength was given me in proportion, so that I believe; all could hear."

"August 1, Monday, At one I preached at Bingley, but

Past and Present. 107

with an heavy heart, finding so many of the Methodists here, as well as at Haworth, perverted by the Anabaptists. I see clearer and clearer none will keep to us unless they keep to the Church. Whosoever separate from the Church will separ- ate from the Methodists."

" 1772, Saturday, July 4, I rode to the Ewood, to S. Lockwood's, formerly the wife of young Mr. Grimshaw; after- ward married to Mr. Lockwood, and now again a young widow. Her sister was with her, the relict of Mr. Sutclifle. At one I preached at Heptonstall to some thousands of people. Hence we climbed up and down wonderful mountains to Keighley, where many from various parts were waiting for us. Sunday, 5, not half the congregation at Haworth could get into the Church in the morning, nor a third part in the afternoon : so I stood on a kind of pulpit, near the side of the Church. Such a congregation was never seen there before, and I believe all heard distinctly. Monday, 6, at noon I preached at Bingley."

" 1780 April 23rd, Sunday — Mi1. Kichardson being un- willing that I should preach any more in Haworth Church, pro- vidence opened another." [Bingley.]

' " 1786, May 23rd, Sunday, I preached in Haworth Church in the morning, and Bingley Church in the afternoon."

" 1788 May 27, Sunday, I preached at Haworth Church in the morning : crowded sufficiently."

In April, 1790, Mr. Wesley was again at Haworth.

Haworth was a place of great interest to the Rev. George Whitefield. In a letter, dated Sept. 29, 1749, he writes, — " I preached four times at Abberford [Mr. Ingham's] four times at Leeds, and thrice at Haworth, where lives one Mr. Grimshaw.'' In a letter to Lady Huntingdon, October 1st, he observes, — "At Mr. Grimshaw's I believe there were above six thousand hearers. The sacramental occasion was most awful." The number of communicants he computed at above a thousand. The sacrament days at Haworth were seasons of great festivity as well as solemnity. Persons resorted to Haworth at such times from twenty miles round. Ou one

108 Hawortli :

occasion all the wine in the village is said to have been insuf- ficient for the requirements of the service. Mr. Whitefield notes his meeting with William Davy (Darney, is meant,) at Haworth, "who has since been imprisoned for preaching." Mr. Whitefield addressed large assemblies at Haworth in 1750 and 1752. He was at Bradford and the district in the autumns of 1755 and 1756; and almost annually till 1766.

His talents were admirably adapted for these itinerant visits. His manner, his voice, his action, and above all, his solemnity and fervour, commanded and riveted the attention beyond anything that modern times have exhibited. He fre- quently preached in the churchyard at Haworth. On one occasion, while addressing the congregation, he expressed a hope that most of his audience were enlightened Christians. Mr. Grimshaw, who was standing near him, from a sudden impulse, interrupted, exclaiming — " They are going to hell with their eyes open."

The old Society Book at Haworth (now in the custody of the Keighley Superintendent) gives some interesting notices of early Methodism :

Jan. 10, 1748, A pair of boots for W. Darney, 14s. Oct. 23, 1755, Jonathan Maskew's shirts and stockings,

14s. lOd.

Jonathan Maskew's hat, 5s. July 22, 1756, Two shirts for J. Maskew, 13s. Three cravats for do. 3s. To Pumps, 6s. To Stockings, 3s. 6d.

Oct. 21, 1756, To Jonathan Maskew's coat £1 12s. 6d. To W. Parker for J. M.'s stocks, 4s. 9d. To J. M.'s coat making, 4s. 6d. To do. for Gamashs 7s. 6d. April, 1782, A pair of shoes for Mr. Wesley. Three letters written by Mr. Grimshaw, in 1747, to the Rev. John Wesley, are printed in Everett's Methodism in Manchester. The first is dated from Haworth, the other two

Past and Present. 109

from Ewood. In the first he refers to his visits to Todmor- den, Heptonstall, and Mrs. Holmes', Lightcliffe. The second is a particularly interesting epistle. "Two under my own roof are just now under true conviction; one a girl about eighteen years of age, and the other, a boy about fourteen; and I hope, my own little girl, between ten and eleven years old.

" The method which I, the least and most unworthy of my Lord's ministers, take in my parish, is this ; I preach the gospel, glad tidings of salvation to penitent sinners, through faith in Christ's blood only, twice every Lord's day the year round, (save when I expound the Church Catechism, and thirty-nine Articles, or read the Homilies, which, in substance, I think it my duty to do in some part of the year annually on the Lord's day mornings). I have found this practice, I bless God, of inexpressible benefit to my congregation, which con- sists, especially in the summer season, of perhaps ten or twelve hundred; or, as some think, many more souls. We have also prayers, and a chapter expounded ever}7 Lord's-day evening. I visit my parish in twelve several places monthly, convening six, eight, or ten families, in each place, allowing any people of the neighbouring parishes that please to attend that exhortation. This I call my monthly visitation. I am now entering into the fifth year of it, and wonderfully, dear Sir, has the Lord blessed it. The only thing more, are our funeral expositions or exhortations, and visiting our societies in one or other of the three last days of every month. Some- times I have made more excursions into neighbouring parishes, to exhort, but always with a Nicodemical fear, and to the great offence of the clergy. I am determined to add, by the divine assistance, to the care of my own parish, that of so frequent a visitation of Mr. Bonnet's, William Darney's, the Leeds and Birstal Societies, as iny own convenience will permit, and their circumstances may respectively seem to require. 0! I can never do enough. I can discover in every way a perfect agreement between your sentiments, principles, &c., of religion, and my own. My pulpit, I hope, shall be always at your's,

110 Haworth:

and your brother's service ; and my house, so long as I have one, your welcome home. The same I'll make it to all our fellow-labourers."

The rough treatment at Roughlee, mentioned in Mr. Wesley's diary, calls for more notice. The instigator was the Rev. George White, M.A., Minister of Colne and Marsdeu, who published "A SERMON against the METHODISTS, preached to a very numerous audience; at Colne, July 24, and at Marsden, August 7, 1748. Published at the Request of the Audience. Preston. 8vo, 24 pages." He was author of The Englishman's Rational Proceedui</s in the Choice of Religion, 1741; The Miraculous Sheep's Eye: A Burlesque Poem, 1743; The Hiyh Mass: A Burlesque Poem, 1747; Theological Remarks on Dr. Middletons Discourse; translator of Thurlow's Letters into Latin ; and editor of Merc units Latinus, a newspaper, 31 numbers. He was educated at Doway for the Roman Catholic priesthood. Dr. Whitaker's Whalley states that he was shamefully inattentive to his parish duties. On one occasion he is said to have read the funeral service more than twenty times in a single night, over the dead bodies which had been interred in his absence. After one of his excursions, he made his appearance with a Madam Hellen Maria Piarza, an Italian governante, whom he married at Marsden, March 23rd, 1745. He was shortly afterwards im- prisoned for debt. It was the 25th of August, 1748, that Mr. Wesley and Mr. Grimshaw were molested by a mob he had gathered in response to the following Proclamation :

" Notice is hereby given that if any men be mindful to ' inlist into his Majesty's service, under the command of the ' Rev. Mr. George White, Commander in Chief, and John Banis- ' ter, Lieut. General of his Majesty's forces, for the defence of ' the Church of England, and the support of the Manufactory ' in and about Colne, both which are now in danger, &c. &c. ' let them now repair to the drum-head at the Cross, where ' each man shall have a pint of ale for advance, and other "proper encouragement."

Past and Present. Ill

Mr. Grimshaw published " An Answer to a Sermon, lately published against the Methodists by the Rev. Geo. White. — Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, 0 mighty man? &c. Psalm 52, 1-6. Semper ego Auditor tantum? Nunquanme reponam? JHV." The motto was nearly as prophetic as it was pungent; for he was not long in the "land of the living," after its publication. The Answer is appended to Myles' Life of Grimshaw, as a reprint.

Mr. Grimshaw's zeal scarce knew any bounds, and his liberality towards Methodist Itinerant Preachers was limited only by his income. He received them into his own house, and, well knowing the little chance his parish would have of a successor who would feel a deep concern for the work he was carrying on, he erected a Methodist chapel at Haworth. The present building, I believe, is the third chapel. The stone bearing Mr. Grimshaw's favourite text is walled into the pre- sent edifice: "To us to live is Christ, To die is gain, A.D. 1758." Another stone near it records: "The First Chapel was erected by the Rev. Wm. Grimshaw, A.B., Minister of Haworth Church, A.D. 1758." This seems to have been added to the second building, which stood much nearer to the road than the present chapel. Haworth Church has no tablet to the memory of Mr. Grimshaw, but he has left monuments which will perpetuate his zeal and religious philanthropy far better than any marble tablet.

At the parsonage is preserved a beautiful old-oak chair, bearing on a brass plate the following inscription: "This chair was originally the property of the Rev. Wm. Grimshaw, B.A., Incumbent of Haworth, and was presented to the resi- dent Wesleyan Minister of the same place by Robert Townend, Esq., of Ebor House, Haworth, afterwards of Broughton, Manchester."

It will thus be seen that Haworth Methodists have still a peculiar respect for the memory of Mr. Grimshaw. A native writes, respecting the stoppage of the annual races on account of the heavy rain in Mr. Grimshaw's day, " I believe that

112 tiaii'orth:

certain Christians, on fine summer Sundays, continue to assemble together on this identical moor, to celebrate the great and wondrous event, making its solitudes resound to their loud hosannas."

Haworth continued the head of the Circuit until 1775, when Keighley took its place, but in recent years Haworth has been constituted a separate Circuit. Various houses in the township (as Sawood End,) were early licensed under the Toleration Act as preaching places. The chapel at Lower Town, Oxenhope, was built in 1805, and enlarged in 1824. The school was rebuilt in 1852. There are two burial grounds attached, and in the new one the celebrated vocalist Thomas Parker — the Yorkshire Braham — is interred. He died April 8th, 1866, aged 79. An account of him will appear subsequently. On the clock face is the portrait of the vener- able John Wesley, — a very suggestive position, opposite the pulpit. The Wesley ans, besides a school at Sawood, have a school-chapel at Marsh, built by subscription, in 1836, and enlarged in 1874. There are two resident ministers in the township. In 1832 a Wesleyan chapel was erected at Stan- bury. A few travelling preachers (Rev. Jonathan Clough Ogden, and others,) have been sent out from Haworth in modern times. The Primitive Methodists reared a chapel at Mill Hey in 1836; rebuilt 1870.

The following ministers laboured in Haworth original circuit : —

1750 William Grimshaw, Wm. Darney. 1753 Jonathan Maskew, John Whitford, Enoch Williams, Joseph Jones, William Hheiit, John Edwards. 1755 William Grimshaw, John Nelson, John Schofield. 1758 James Oddie, Alexander Coates.

1764 John Pawson, W. Fugill, Paul Greenwood, Daniel

Buinstead.

1765 Isaac Brown, John Atlay, Nicholas Manners, James

Stephens, l{obt. Costerdiue.

1766 J. Brown, J. Shaw, li. Costerdine, J. Atlay.

Past and Present. 113

1767 E. Costerdine, Joseph Guildford, J. Whittam, T.

Cherry.

1768 Thomas Mitchell, J. Guildford, W. Ellis, T. Newall.

1769 T. Mitchell, G. Hudson, Thus. Wride, D. Evans.

1770 B. Seed, G. Hudson, D. Evans.

1771 Jeremiah Bobertshaw, Stephen Proctor, John Poole.

1772 Thomas Johnson, John Poole, Thos. Tatton.

1773 T. Johnson, E. Slater, B. Costerdine.

1774 B. Costerdine, B. Seed, B. Swann.

1775 Thos. Taylor, B. Swann, Samuel Bardsley.

In 1766 the numbers in membership were — Haworth circuit 1536, Birstal 1376, Leeds 1072, York 982, Sheffield 583. This seems to be the total for Yorkshire.

In 1767 Haworth circuit had 1366; 1768—1356; 1769 —1269, but Bradford appears with 732 and Birstal with 859; 1770— Haworth had 1333; 1771—1241; 1772—1219; 1773—1212; 1774— 1213; 1775— 1844; 1776, Keighley, 1640.

BAPTISTS.

WEST LANE CHAPEL, HAWORTH. On a stone is the in- scription— "This Chapel was erected by voluntary contribu- tions, and vested in Trustees for the use of the Baptist Interest, A.D. 1752, and enlarged in the year 1775 by the same means, under the auspices of the ever memorable, the late BEV. JAMES HARTLEY, who, through the divine blessing, raised an interest here, and preached the gospel in this place 27 years." Some of the principal subscribers towards build- ing the original chapel were Messrs. Greenwood, Bridge House, J. Horsfall, of Manuels, and M. Heaton, of Birks; and for its enlargement, W. Greenwood, Oxenhope, G. Green- wood, Moorhouse, and J. Holmes, Staubury."

It is not known how many members there were during Mr. Hartley's ministry, but from the fact that iu a quarter of a century a new building was required, the cause seems to have made considerable progress. At the close of the Church's Confession of Faith is the statement — " Settled this 12th day

114 Hau-orth:

of June, ye year of our Lord 1752, in the presence of Mr. John Johnson, Pastor of ye Church at Liverpool, Mr. Henry Lord, Pastor of ye Church at Bacup, Mr. Richard Smith, Pastor of ye Church at Wainsgate." The list of members, which ought to follow, appears to have been torn out of the book.

I have a pamphlet, 8vo, iv, 44 pages, doubly interesting: " The Head-Stone brought forth.

BEING

The SUBSTANCE

OF

TWO DISCOURSES Occasioned by the Death of

MR. JOSEPH GREENWOOD,

At Bridge-House, near Haworth, Yorkshire,

Who died June 21, 1755.

BY JAMES HARTLEY.

LONDON :

Printed for the AUTHOR, and Sold by G-EORGE KEITH, at the Bible-and-Crown, in Gracechurch-street. 1755."

There is a preface ' to the Relatives of the Deceased, and the Flock under my Care.' He says — "After repeated Re- quests, both from you and some others, to commit them to the Press, I have prevailed upon myself to comply, though with very much Reluctance ; being deeply conscious how unable I am, for anything worthy to see the Light. I am sensible, I have, in this Compliance, exposed my Weakness, which is not small. However, this gives me little Concern, if I have not, herein, exposed that good Cause, for which I desire faithfully to contend."

The text chosen was Zech. iv. 7. After reaching a seventhly in the introduction, he considers the text under four heads.

Past and Present. 115

I. The Work of Saving the Elect is committed to the Saviour,

— our spiritual Zorobabel.

II. Notwithstanding all Opposition, it shall be done. TTI. The Work is of Grace.

IV. The Completion will afford abundance of Joy.

The first heading has two divisions, having respectively six and eight sub-divisions.

The second heading has nine divisions, the third has eight, and the fourth, three, followed by several numbered remarks, and a brief sketch of Mr. Greenwood's illness and death. When about sixteen, he was publicly bapti/ed, and was only in his nineteenth year when he died.

John Fawcett, of Bradford (afterwards the celebrated Rev. Dr. Fawcett), for two years regularly attended Haworth Church under Mr. Grimshaw, on sacrament days. Having imbibed the doctrines of the Baptists, he began, about 1760, in his twentieth year, to walk from Bradford to Haworth to hear Mr. Hartley. "March 23rd, 17GO, Mr. Crabtree being • indisposed, I went to Haworth to hear Mr. Hartley. In the morning he paraphrased, in a very profitable manner, on Rom. xii. 9-13. I endeavoured to take down some short hints, and also of the sermon in the afternoon, from Luke i, 74, 75.

" April 9th, 1700. In the evening and part of the fol- lowing day we were favoured with the company of Mr. Hartley. He lodged- at our house. I cannot but admire his abilities, and esteem his acquaintance a great privilege.

July 16th, 1760. In the afternoon I met with Mr. Hartley, as he was going to Leeds. He left me a letter re- specting my desire to enter the ministry."

Mr. Fawcett, in his MS. book — " Outlines of