A HISTORY OF THE

STEEL FAMILYOF

SILSDEN AND MERSEYSIDE

by

T.M. STEEL

12 November 2016

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1. INTRODUCTION

We begin this account by tracing the descent, as far as has been found possible, of five Steel siblings, all bornon Merseyside in the third quarter of the nineteenth century: Joseph (1861–1941); Benjamin Joseph (1864–1944); Mary Alice (1868–1891); Thomas Mather (1869–1958); and William Eaton (1872–1942).1

They were all children of Joseph Steel (1817–1874) and of his second wife Mary Hodgkinson (1829–1903).Although all five began life on Merseyside, their father Joseph was born into a farming family at Braithwaite,near Keighley in Yorkshire’s West Riding.

Joseph’s father was Benjamin Steel (1775–1818), whom we shall call ‘Benjamin Steel junior’, born at HoldenBeck House, the family’s freehold farm (of which, with his brothers and cousins, he was to be a part inheritor)at Holden Park, in Silsden, some three miles north-east of Braithwaite. Joseph’s mother was Benjamin’ssecond wife, Lydia Laycock (1785–1828).

Benjamin junior’s parents were Benjamin Steel (1718–1793), whom we shall call ‘senior’, also born at HoldenBeck House and inheritor of a half share in the farm from his father; and Benjamin senior’s wife and firstcousin Elizabeth Steel (1735–1814).

Benjamin senior’s parents were Richard Steel (1683–1758), whom we shall call ‘Richard Steel junior’, born atUpper Holden in Holden Park, who first leased and then purchased the family farm at nearby Holden BeckHouse; and Richard’s wife Anne Heaton (died 1751). Elizabeth’s parents were Richard’s youngest brotherDavid Steel (1696–1746); and his wife Margaret Gott (1702–1788).

The parents of Richard junior and David were Richard Steel (c.1636–c.1712), whom we shall call ‘senior’ (aleasehold farmer and tailor at Upper Holden, who seems to have been born elsewhere); and Richard’s secondwife Grace Forton, née Mitchell (1650/1–1728).

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2. UPPER HOLDEN: RICHARD STEEL senior

Holden Park

The family’s connection with Liverpool began c.1845, but their direct descent is traced from Richard Steelsenior who was born c.1636, arriving in Silsden by 1662 and at Holden Park by 1677.

The first 150 years of this account are set in and around Holden Park, an area of a little over one square milebeside the River Aire at the southernmost tip of the small township of Silsden in Yorkshire’s old West Riding.Silsden was by far the most populous of the seven townships then making up the ancient parish of Kildwick.2

Holden had been in medieval times a demesne park of the manor of Silsden, in Skipton lordship: a walled deerpark, partly forested, and held by the lord of the manor for his own purposes. Holden, which means ‘deepvalley’ or ‘hollow bottom’ is the lowest point in Silsden (‘Siggel’s valley’).3 It is an area of rich pasture landrising from the river through woodland towards the wastes and millstone grit outcrops of Ilkley and Silsdenmoors to the east and north.

The Holden Park of today is a curious survival: a long strip of land containing dairy farms and a golfcourse, squeezed between moor and river and between the towns of Silsden and Keighley to the north andsouth, and bisected by the Leeds and Liverpool canal, but cut off by the river from the railway and theroads which use the valley.4

The medieval deer park was disparked in the early seventeenth century and converted to farming use (andeventually in some degree to the associated worsted trade). The tenure pattern which began then and stabilisedby 1705, has hardly changed to the present day.5

Large scale maps of Silsden as it appeared in 1612/13 and 1757 survive among its manorial records: both showHolden Park in detail.6 The Park is also shown on John Speed’s 1610 map of Yorkshire and Robert Morden’s of1701.

Origins of the Steel(e) family in Silsden and district

The name Steel occurs first on the eastern side of Britain and is clearly of Scandinavian origin, probablymeaning ‘true as steel’.7

The only Steels paying tax in the entire Craven district in the sixteenth century were at Keighley: there in 1545,Thomas and John were assessed for 40s 2d and 20s 1d.8 The presence of the family at Keighley in theseventeenth century is uncertain, since the editor of the parish registers, concluding that the families ofSteel/e & Stell were one and the same, transcribed and indexed both as ‘Stell’, a separate family which laterbecame prominent in Keighley history.9 The Keighley hearth tax returns for 1664 include John Steele andDennis Stell with one each and two John Stells with one and three. The editor of the 1672 hearth taxreturns treated all such entries as ‘Steele’ and thus found in Keighley: John, Margaret (widow) and DinisSteele, all with one hearth; John Steele of Brigend, with three; Thomas Steel, with one; and William Steele(poor), with two.10

Hugh Steele and Margaret Girnewoode

The first occurrence of the family in the registers of Silsden’s parish church at Kildwick is on 28 April 1600,when one Hugh Steele married Margaret Girnewoode.11 Their son Edmund was baptised in 1609, and Williamand Thomas Steele in 1617 and 1621.

‘Hugo Steele, pauper de Bradeleye’ was buried on 19 April 1627 and ‘Uxor Hugonis [the wife of Hugh] Steelede Bradeley’ on 5 November 1629.

Edmund Steele and Isabel Smith

Edmund Steele (born in 1609) married Isabel Smith on 24 August 1626, at the age of c.17: their daughter Marywas born at Bradley and baptised on 14 October 1627. ‘Edmund Steele, paterfam[ilias, father of a family] deBradley’ was buried on 1 February 1634 (aged c.25) and ‘Isabel Steele, vidua de Bradely’ on 14 June 1637: allthese were buried at Kildwick. Mary Steele was buried ‘at Bradely’ on 10 March 1646.

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The name Steel does not occur again in the registers until 1662, after the civil wars and the restoration, butthere are gaps in registration in this period and since the wars were waged particularly fiercely in these parts,there is every reason to suggest interrupted residence. The lords of Skipton were royalists, while Hugh Currerof Kildwick Hall and the owner of Silsden Mill was a leading parliamentary agent: the pressures on thetenantry must have been enormous, with the whole area experiencing great dislocation and local peoplepressured into joining one or other of the armies. Hostilities in the district were followed in the terrible winterof 1644/5 by a devastating outbreak of bubonic plague.12

Birth and marriage of Richard Steel senior

Giving evidence as a witness in court cases in November 1673 and October 1712, Richard Steel senior gave hisage as ‛35’ and ‘76’, so we may reckon his year of birth as c.1636/1638, making him too young to have foughtpersonally in the civil wars, at least in the early hostilities. In his 1712 deposition Richard claimed to haveknown certain closes in Silsden for ‘60 years and upwards’, which suggests that he was born elsewhere, comingto Silsden c.1652 at the age of c.16.13 He certainly does not appear in the Kildwick baptism registers, whichseem comprehensive for the years around 1636.

It is clear that Richard Steel was a young child of only six to eight when the convulsions of the civil wars beganin the West Riding area and it is quite likely that his father was involved in the fighting. Richard would havebeen 14–16 when combat ended in 1650.

With the ending of hostilities in the area and the death of her husband Lord Pembroke in January 1650 LadyAnne Clifford was able to take full control of her estates as fourteenth lord of Skipton. She immediately began areview of all existing leases.14 It may have been as a result of these changes that Richard Steel’s family arrivedas sub-tenants in Silsden. The average age at marriage for males in that region and period was 28.15 It seemslikely however that Richard senior married his first wife Grace at a slightly younger age and during thecommonwealth period, when very few marriages were recorded in the registers of Kildwick and thesurrounding parishes.16

Whatever were the circumstances of the arrival of Richard and his family in Silsden, their move coincided witha very troubled period in the township. Recovery from the upheavals and depradations of the civil wars hadbegun, but so had Lady Anne’s determined campaign to bring all the tenancy arrangements under her control.Lady Anne had also erected a new water-mill at Holden and was binding all her tenants to grind their grainthere instead of using Currer’s ancient mill at Silsden. These initiatives together had provoked uproar andbitter litigation. It was her defeat in the final suit concerning the Holden mill in 1667 which caused Lady Anneto leave Yorkshire nine years before her death in 1676 and brought some measure of calm to Silsden. Thetroubled time has been assessed by Spence:

Those Craven folk, especially in Skipton and Silsden, who had lived through the Civil Wars and sieges and endured theParliamentarian occupation deserved better than [Lady Anne’s] continued disruption of their lives. The entanglements of her propertiesand rights could have been resolved quickly and equitably by the arbitration of perceptive gentry. [But] shrewdly calculating and with thepugnacity of a fairground brawler, she had relished her overlordship in Craven.17

No Steels occur in a full Poor Rate assessment of Silsden householders for 1658 or amongst the names of 130 persons in aparticular of ‘everie man his severall sorts of corne within the Lordshippe of Silsden this yeare 1658 in order to discover thetrue valew of the thyth thereof’.18

In his 1712 evidence Richard Steel also testified to having known John Eastburne of Brackenhill, who died inJanuary 1662/3.19 So whether or not Richard arrived c.1652, he was in the Silsden area by 1662. The Kildwickparish registers and Silsden manorial records both provide further confirmation of the association of RichardSteel with Silsden from 1662. On 2 February 1661/2 there was baptised at Kildwick ‘Maria, fill. Richardi Steelede [daughter of Richard Steele of] Silsden’: Richard’s wife is not named in this entry. On 1 January 1664/5‘Thomas, filius Richardi [son of Richard] Steele et Graciae uxoris eius [Grace his wife] de Silsden’ wasbaptised. ‘Maria Steele, filia Richardi Steele de Silsden’ was buried on 3 August 1666. A second Mary wasbaptised on 29 June 1667, but buried on 20 August. A daughter Elizabeth was baptised on 20 September 1668and ‘Beniamin Steele, fil: Rich. et Graciae Silsden’ on 26 November 1671: Benjamin was buried on 13 April1673.20

There was seldom consistency in the spelling of English surnames in this period. While all the parish registerentries in the period to 1696 and the court rolls to 1685 use the form ‘Steele’, there was an unusualstandarisation from then on, when ‘Steel’ was almost always used. All known signatures on manuscripts (from

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1686) are in this form, together with all parish register entries (from 1712, with one exception in 1728) andmost descriptions in other manorial records from 1684 (these also occasionally use ‘Steell’ until the end of theseventeenth century).21 In this account the name is always transcribed from documents in its original form,while the narrative prefers the form ‘Steel’ throughout.

Giving evidence in 1673 as a character witness for Mrs Elizabeth Coates (accused of adultery with JamesHartley, a well-known antinomian preacher) Richard Steel claimed to have known her for more than nineyears, during which he had lived within a mile of her house at Kildwick Grange. The ‛nine years’ probably refersto the time elapsed since the marriage of Mrs Coates in 1663, but if the evidence is to be taken literally Richardmust have been living in a part of Silsden closer than Holden Park (which is more than two miles fromKildwick Grange): most of Silsden town was a little more than a mile away. The Coates family were notoriouspuritans (and former parliamentarians) and Kildwick had long been an antinomian stronghold.22 The parishand diocesan establishment wasted little time in taking further measures against the parties and in 1674Richard Steele ‘of Kildwick [parish]’ and John and Elizabeth Coates were among a group of parishionerspresented at the archbishop’s visitation for failing to receive communion that Easter. Richard was one of thosewho agreed to communicate before the following 2 February and to have it certified.23

Richard Steele’s name had appeared for the first time as a ‘resiant’ (a resident without security of tenure) inthe six-monthly court rolls of Silsden manor in April 1664.24 The names on the rolls seem to be groupedgeographically. From 1664 to 1676 Richard occurs in one position, between Edmond Davye and a poor widownamed Sarah Ellis: since he was only three names away from John Robertshaw, the miller at Holden mill, itseems likely (despite the evidence of his 1673 testimony) that Richard was already living in Holden at this time.In 1666 when Henry Teale, Sarah Ellis and John Robertshaw were fined the standard 4d for failing to appearat the six-monthly manor court, their names on the roll were marked ‘but very poor’: there was no such notewhen Richard Steele was fined for a similar default the following year.25 The connection with Holden becomeseven stronger from 1677, when Richard was listed in a new position between Henry Teale and Daniel Widdop,both known to have lived at Holden.

Richard Steel and his family survived the dreadful year of 1675–6 when an outbreak of the ‘jolly rant’ influenzawas followed by harvest failure and typhus: these all occurred during the cloth trade depression which hitYorkshire after the Third Dutch War.26

Richard Steele was sufficiently established in Silsden by 1684 to be among 127 residents assessed for paymentof poor rate, listed between ‘Jo. England or occupiers’ and Daniel Widdup, assessed for 1s compared withEngland’s 4d and Widdup’s 3s 10d.27

It seems then that Richard Steel senior was born c.1636; that he probably moved to Silsden in c.1652; that hemarried Grace, probably by 1661 and certainly by 1664; and was living at Holden by at least 1677. Grace died in1680 and Richard was to marry for a second time to Grace Forton (née Mitchell) in 1682/3. The second Gracedied in April 1728 as ‛widow of Richard Steele of Howden’, so we know that he pre-deceased her sometimeafter October 1712 (when he was 76).

Tenancies in Silsden

The court rolls show that there were only four freeholders in Silsden when Richard Steel first arrived: almostall the farms were leased from Lady Anne Clifford (1589–1676/7), fourteenth lord of the honour of Skipton andthus also lord of the manor of Silsden: Lady Anne had taken possession of her father’s estates in 1649,following the death of her cousin Francis (fifth earl of Cumberland) in 1643 and the cessation of civil warhostilities around Skipton. In addition there were of course many leases granted by the freeholders and sub-leases granted by their major tenants.

Before 1705 neither Richard Steel senior nor any other member of his family had either a freehold or leaseholdanywhere in Silsden manor.28 We do not know what brought them there 40 or 50 years before, or where theycame from. But the period after the restoration is known to have been a prosperous one in Yorkshire as thetextile trade moved outwards from the towns to the moorside farms. It is clear from the court rolls that thepopulation was rising at this time. Demographical studies of the adjacent parish of Keighley have shown that ithad a similar increase in this period, much of it accounted for by immigration from other areas.

Before the civil wars Holden Park had been held, together with Silsden Hall and other lands in the township,by Peter Jennings (c.1575–1651, the head of Silsden’s principal family), but following his conviction for royalist

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delinquency in a process beginning in 1646, the Jennings’ Silsden estates were sequestered by parliament.29

This did not prevent Lady Anne making a new lease of Holden Lodge and the Park in 1650 to Peter Jennings’agent, Jonathan Mitchell: this in effect restored Jennings to his holding.30 As was customary, this was a ‘leasefor lives’, which would expire on the death of the last of three named ‘lives’ and when Alderman John Redshawof Ripon died in 1704, legal action was to follow. During 1655 and 1656 Lady Anne Clifford ejected Sir EdmondJennings (c.1627–1695, Peter Jennings’ grandson and successor), Edmund’s aunt Agnes ‘and all theirunfortunate sub-tenants’ from their Silsden estates.31 There is no evidence that this ejection included HoldenPark and when Lady Anne granted Sir Edmond a new lease of Silsden Hall (with its adjacent chapel) in 1657,32

the effect was to restore the complete estate into the Jennings’ hands. Agnes Jennings had four hearths atSilsden in 1664.

The Jennings’ family freehold of Holden Beck House, immediately adjacent to the park, seems to have beenunaffected by any of these changes. It was Holden Beck House and its farm which was to be bought from PeterJennings’ great-grandaughter Mary Jennings by Richard Steel junior in 1730.33

Much of our information about Holden Park and Silsden in the period from 1662 to 1667 comes from detailedevidence given in lawsuits from 1655 to 1668, concerning the rights of the owners of Silsden mill and theunsuccessful claims of Lady Anne, who had completed a rival water-mill at Holden in 1652. Witnesses madeclear that disparking and conversion from woody ground to arable farming had happened within livingmemory and had been a major cause of the growth of Silsden’s population to more than 200 families. Thedisparking had increased Silsden’s 120 oxgangs of land to 136. Of ten new tenants named in 1660 as living inhouses ‘newly erected on old lands’, five were said to be living within the park.34 Lists of the inhabitants ofSilsden, drawn up as mill case evidence in 1660, name 213 persons (cf. 141 on the court roll). These do notinclude Richard Steel, perhaps because he was not yet a householder.35 His is among c.167 names on the 1664court roll and 177 for 1672, but not among the 154 and 141 in the hearth tax returns for the same years.36 In1706 a list of witnesses when the Jennings family were sued for earlier neglect of buildings in Holden Parkincludes a marginal note, obviously indicating evidence to be given: ‘Steel: Lodge in good repair 40 years ago’(i.e. c.1666).37

The Steel family occur nowhere in Kildwick parish in any of the hearth tax returns, although there were severalSteeles in the adjacent parish of Keighley in 1672.38 There were no Steels among 183 poor residents of Silsdenin receipt of charitable moneys from the earl of Thanet, which followed the savage winter and influenzaoutbreak of 1684–5: there was particularly high mortality in Kildwick parish that year.39

Richard Steel and his family came to Holden during a period of rapid altitudinal expansion in Yorkshirefarming. Improvement and enclosure of moorland waste accelerated, with the relatively successful use ofpoorer and poorer land, until by 1700 the 1000-foot contour had usually been passed. Although the averagefarm size was well below 30 acres and at first provided only a meagre subsistence eeked out by domestic wooland worsted working in the face of a prolonged textile depression, Lady Anne and her successors graduallyoffered greatly improved leasing arrangements. These grants raised the status of almost all their tenants andcreated many independent proprietors, the admired and envied ‘statesmen’ (yeomen) of the Craven dales.40

Death of Grace, first wife of Richard Steel senior

Richard Steel senior was living at Holden from at least 1677, with his wife Grace and their surviving childrenThomas and Elizabeth, aged 13 and 9. ‘Grace, wife of Richard Steele of Holden’ died in 1680 (aged probably c.40) and was buried at Kildwick on 11 October.

Marriage of Richard senior and Grace Forton

Two years after Grace Steele’s death there died at Glusburn (Kildwick) Samuel Forton, ‘pater fam.’ andhusband of Grace Forton (née Mitchell): Samuel was buried at Kildwick on 19 October 1682. Married in 1676,Samuel and Grace had one son Thomas Forton (born 1677), who was to be a Silsden tailor (fl. 1736).

Grace Forton, by now 32, married Richard Steel senior (now a widower of c.46) at Kildwick on 7 February1682/3, just over three months after Samuel Forton’s death.

The Mitchell family41

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Grace Mitchell had married Samuel Fortune at Kildwick on 27 April 1676. She was baptised there on 26January 1650/1, the eldest daughter of Lawrence and Elizabeth Mitchell of Davey Hill, Cowling (Kildwick).

Lawrence Mitchell had been married by 1646. He died a yeoman at Haineslack, Cowling in 1690/1 and byhis will made provision for his five sons and daughters, including Grace Steel and Lawrence junior, aCowling innkeeper.42

Birth of Richard Steel junior

Richard and Grace Steel’s first child Richard junior (1683–1758) was baptised on 9 November 1683. He wasthus a half-brother to Richard’s son and daughter Thomas and Elizabeth Steel (19 and 15) and to Grace’s sonThomas Forton (6): it was the beginning of a ‘second family’ for Richard senior.

Other sons (John, Joseph and David) were born to Richard and Grace and baptised at Kildwick on 2 August1686, 16 March 1689/90 and 24 May 1696.

Richard Steel senior’s farm

Fairly full details of ‘Richard Steels Farm’ are contained in surveys of Silsden, drawn up in 1686 and 1689,following the succession of Lady Anne Clifford’s grandson Thomas, earl of Thanet as eighteenth lord of Skiptonin 1683/4. 43

It is clear that the farm was at ‘Upper Holden’ (now called Holden Park) close to the bridge over Holden Beckand to what were by then the disused ruins of Lady Anne’s Holden mill. In the post-1677 residents listscontained in the court rolls and call books Richard Steel is listed between Henry Teale and Daniel Widdop,until their deaths in 1698 and 1691 (and until 1705 between their successors in tenancy).44 ‘Widdops house’ isso marked on a 1710 sketch map45 and we know that Teale (in 1683 called a ‘lynen weaver de Holden Lodge’)46

lived in ‘a cottage at Holden mill’.47 In 1686 the manor jury required the inhabitants of the adjacent hamlet ofBrunthwaite to repair ‘one yate neer Holden mill which now lyes open to the p’djce of Richard Steele’.48

There were then, as now, two farms in that part of Holden, held at that time by Daniel Widdop and RichardSteel, as sub-tenants to Sir Edmond Jennings. Widdop and Steel lived in the north and south ends of onedwelling house (which may have been the divided farmhouse existing today) and they had joint use of the‘greate barn’. Widdop’s farm (then known as Lodge Farm) for which he paid £45 per annum, was at 34½ acresby far the larger of the two and lay entirely within the old deer park wall, around the ‘very ruinous’ LodgeHouse on the south-west side of Coal Pit Loin (now Holden Lane) leading to the High Holden coal workings.49

As early as 1650 there had been two farms sharing the same ‘greate barn’: one with eight closes of land and theLodge House rented by Henry Phillip (probably under a lease of 1641)50 for £60; and another with eight closestotalling 22 acres, for which Robert Reyner paid £20.51 Indeed there had been a farm there since at least 1625,when one John Hartley, yeoman of Holden Lodge was party to a marriage settlement.52 In a 1619 rental ofCraven, Hartley is shown as co-tenant of Holden Park with Peter Jennings.53

Richard Steel’s only lands within the park wall were the ½-acre garden and croft at the 375-foot level in frontof his house (still called ‘Steel Croft’ in 1770):54 the rest, for which he paid £10 10s per annum, lay beyond thewall on the hillside across Coal Pit Loin and consisted of ‘severall parcells improved out of Kirby Close’, risingto 600 feet. In 1686 these ‘parcells’ amounted to seven acres of improvement called: the Mill Ing; the MilnClose divided in two; Lodge Close; Faugh Close; and a further 14 acres of ‘bushy waste’ in Kirby Close.55 By1689, as moorland improvement progressed, there were only seven acres of waste and four further closesnamed New Close and Hebbe Hole; Barwicke Close; and the Upper Miln Close: the rest of Kirby Close wasnoted as woodland.56

In 1615 all the land in Kirby Close had been described as ‘used wth the Parke cont by est cxx acres whereofaboute xxx acres is karr grounde litle worthe and the residue lyeth in the side of the hill, much incombred wthunderwood worthe p. Ann. as nowe yt is £vi’.57 By 1650 Kirby Close was said to include ‘three severall parcellsof land and meadow wch have been stubed worth p. Ann. £20’.’58

Richard Steel senior was also a tailor.59 It was customary in the Yorkshire farming communities for sometailors to go as journeymen to their customers’ houses and to work there by the hour on material provided, butwe have no record of how Richard worked. Few farms in the upland areas were wholly self-sufficient and it wasusual for the farming to be supplemented either by textile working or by a craft.60

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Neighbouring farmers

Richard Steel senior served on the manor jury in 1686, 1689 and 1691 and his name occurs in the court leet callbooks throughout this time.61 We have his signature as one of the appraisers of the inventory drawn up on thedeath of his neighbour John Mitchell of Holden in 1693.62 In 1691 Richard was mentioned in the inventory ofThomas Smith, shoemaker (to whom he owed £2 11s 6d).63 In 1692 Richard Steel was one of those signing apetition to the superior honour court of Skipton, appealing against the inferior court of Silsden, which hadimposed a severe fine on a Silsden man who had delayed taking up his duties as constable that year. 64 Also in1693 Richard was named in the inventory of William Blakey of Brunthwaite, to whom he owed 9s. RichardSteel’s signature also survives from 1703 when he witnessed the will of Sarah Hustler of Silsden town.

John Mitchell’s inventory (worth £98 9s) shows him to have been a very substantial farmer holding a largearea of Holden Park: he was probably related to Jonathan Mitchell, granted a lease of park in trust for the Jenningsfamily in 1650.65 There is no sign in the inventory of any supplementary trade or textile working on Mitchell’sfarm: only of extensive arable cultivation (oats, wheat and barley) and of enough horses in addition to the cowsand oxen to suggest rearing.

The inventories of two other neighbours (Thomas Fowler and William Reynard, who both died in 1690) arealso silent about textile working (and in their cases about arable farming), although it should be noted that theequipment for textile working was reckoned as of little value and sometimes appears in inventories includedamongst ‘all other hustlements’.66 Fowler lived high on the moor at Holden Gate, specialised in sheep farmingand, unusually for the area, owned some books: Reynard was ‘of Holden’.

One rather earlier inventory, that of John Hanson, a tenant of Sir Edmond Jennings at Hanson’s Farm in LowHolden (1674) gives details of cloth working in the pre-worsted days, with its pair of looms, warping waughand rings, spinning and warping wheels and some white kersey. The inventory also shows Hanson’s farmhouseto have included simply the ‘house’ (where most living and the cooking was done), a parlour, an upstairschamber and a workshop and buttery.

Richard Steel senior is glimpsed briefly in September 1692 when he was one of 10 Silsden residents signing anappeal against a ‘very unreasonable’ fine levied on Thomas Blakey for a delay in accepting constableship.67

Then in February 1703/4 when he was ‛by and present’ at Holden along with Robert Gawthroppe whenAnthony Whitfield told Richard’s son Richard Steel junior that Jonathan Berry was ‛a rogue and a knave andworse than a highwayman.’ (see below for this case).

On 4 October 1704, John Redshaw (the last surviving ‘life’ of the 1650 Park lease) died. Then on 1 April 1708William Jennings (last life of the 1657 lease) died ‘not worth a groat’:68 thus the two leases of Holden Park, andof Silsden Hall and lands adjacent to the park, finally expired and a bitter legal struggle began as Lord Thanetsought and won damages from Jennings’ widow for the family’s alleged fraudulent sub-leasing and neglect ofwalls and buildings over 50 years. The case went on until 1714 and sketch maps and surveys drawn upthroughout this period to be used as evidence, form a rich collection in the manorial records.

More details of Richard Steel’s holding are found in a survey made in connection with this case in 1704.69 The½-acre Croft was at the west end of the house, while the waste part of Kirby Close lay to the east, woodypasture with twelve cattle gates. There were two arable fields (Faugh and New Closes): together with theadjacent Lodge Close meadow, these were worth 12s per acre. South of the Mill Ing lay a 2½-acre close calledPasture, north-east of which were Sweet Hill and Hebbe Hole, containing woodland and worth 10s an acre.There was a fence ‘from the mill to Black Scar Top’ on the north-east side. Kirby Close and ‘Hob Hole’ (32 acres1 rood 15 perches), Fog Field (2 acres 1 rood 10 perches). ‘Lodgehill house’ and the Mill Ing (4 acres 10 perches)can all be found in a manor field book of 1823,70 but in the tithe award of 1846,71 of Richard Steel’s formerfields only the Mill Ing (3 acres 3 roods 18 perches) can be precisely located by name.

At Lady Day 1705, Benjamin Phillipp, Jonathan Berry and Richard Steele handed over £87 15s as their halfyear’s rent for ‘Kirby Close and Holden Park’, due to Lord Thanet since John Redshaw’s death.72

Later description of the Holden lands

A further picture of the Holden farms can be inferred from a survey made much later, in 1770, during the era ofdedicated agricultural improvement. This describes the Silsden lordship as:

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exceedingly well placed for ... the breeding and bringing up of young cattle … vale of rich land, either by nature, or to be made soby art, placed under a large moor sufficient to summer any number of cattle, that the enclosures will supply hay to in the dead of winter.73

The tithe commissioners were to comment less enthusiastically on similar land in nearby Keighley in 1842:

the quality of the land almost baffles description and its ungenial clime renders it extremely unprofitable. The arable land isexceedingly cold ... some of the meadow land is better … The pasturage is very inferior and the common is all moorland of the most coldand barren description.74

There had been much arable farming, particularly of oats, in Holden in the seventeenth century, but by 1720restrictive covenants against ploughing became a common feature of leases and there are bitter complaints inthe 1770 survey about the need ‘to put a stop to the arable part’ because of the ‘intolerable bad method ofplowing and laying’. ‘Wherever the plow goes’, says the surveyor, ‘that land is destroyed for a season unlessreinforced by expense’.75

By 1770 Silsden became noted with the rest of Craven for breeding high quality black Scotch cattle for sale. In1793 an open letter to the Board of Agriculture praised the quality of the cattle-rearing, but suggested that LordThanet was mistaken in trying to discourage the earlier arable farming altogether. 76 Thanet’s surveyor hadtaken much the same view:

The pasture lands are a dry and wet land, a loam mixed with sand. The wet part should first be drain’d for where ever watersstand, imrovement stops. Lime is the proper manure for the dry lands, but flagg ash for the loam. The meadows many of them are verygood, not naturally, but artificially, from lime only. The expense of which is about 40s per acre long measure, 60 horse loads to an acre, at8d per load. And this expense might be reduced at least two thirds, if the lime were burnt upon the spot ... The low meadows are verycoarse occasioned from frequent floods and want of free passage for the water when the floods go off. A cure for this is searching after theoccasion of stops: the which if found and cleared the meadow would soon be dry and then easily improved by flagg ash.77

By 1770 the former ‘Richard Steels Farm’ was held together with the predominantly arable Lodge Farm, thenunder corn. Both are described in that year’s survey, which may give us some idea of the conditions prevailingthere 60 years or so before. Kirby Close was pasture, but over-run with bushes ‘the wch if clear’d wd be of gtrvalue’. As for the adjoining ‘Crag part’, ‘it is good sweet pasture and very proper for the bringing up youngcattle’. ‘the pastures and meadows are subject to springs wch make them very coarse’.78

Thomas and Elizabeth Steel

Meanwhile, as the seventeenth century drew to a close, Thomas and Elizabeth Steel (Richard senior’s son anddaughter by his first wife Grace) were establishing themselves independently in the Silsden area.

Elizabeth was the first to marry, to Henry Horrocks79 at Kildwick on 27 October 1689: they had a daughterGrace born at Holden in 1690 and baptised at Kildwick on 24 June, but buried there on 29 August. One ‘HenryHorrocks of Sutton, labourer’ was buried at Kildwick on 17 December 1749.

There is some confusion about Thomas. In the chancery depositions of 1712, one Thomas Steel, a ‘taylor ofBrackenhill’ gave his age as ‘sixty years and upwards’: he was thus born c.1652 and could hardly have been ason of Richard senior. Perhaps he was a younger brother. This Thomas held Eastburn Ing in 1704 and in thedepositions testified that he had held ‘Washes Intakes’ under Thomas Fell at a rent of £4, until they wererecovered by Lord Thanet.80 They were let to him by Thanet in 1710 at a rent of 40s (increased to £3 in 1712). 81

Further references to Thomas Steel at this time may be to this elder Thomas, to a son and namesake, or toRichard’s son.

Thomas Steel married Mary Gill82 on 19 September 1690, but she died later that year: ‘Mary Steel of Silsden’was buried at Kildwick on 6 December. On 17 August 1692, Thomas married Elizabeth Leach. Two cottageswere let to him in 1715.83 Thomas Steel served regularly on the jury of the manor court from 1709 onwards.84

He occurs as appraiser of the inventory of William Wilkinson in 1707; of Benjamin Phillip of Holden in 1709;and of William Eastburne of Hayhills in 1717; and as churchwarden of Kildwick in 1714. Thomas Steel was oneof the inventory appraisers for Edmund Brown, yeoman of Crossmoor in 1725 and for John Coates of Hayhillsin 1747.

Thomas and Elizabeth Steel and their descendants continued to farm at Brackenhill and Bank End, through atleast two generations of Thomases, until the nineteenth century. They had three sons: Richard (baptised atKildwick on 18 April 1693); Thomas (18 September1698); and John (4 August 1704); all Brackenhill weavers.

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A daughter Grace was baptised on 5 April 1696. As a ‘taylor of Silsden Moor’ Grace married the Holdenyeoman Jonathan Fell after banns on 25 June 1719. Their children were born at Cowling, Steeton and ‘Helm’(probably Elm Farm at Steeton) from 1720 to 1731; another child was born when Fell was a Steeton innkeeper,in 1734. Grace and Jonathan’s daughter Betty married George Cockshott, a clogger. Grace Fell died at Steetonand was buried at Kildwick on 25 February 1735/6.

Throughout the period, the difficulty of distinguishing between the various Thomases continues and it iscertainly not helped by the fact that (as with Richard Steel senior) we have no record of their deaths.

Richard senior’s last years

Under new tenancy arrangements Richard Steel was granted a further lease of his farm, in his own name, fromLady Day 1705 at an annual rent of 10 guineas.85 All the remainder of Holden Park (Phillipp’s Farm, Hanson’sFarm, Jonathan Berry’s Farm and Lodge Farm) was leased at the same time for £165 to Benjamin Phillipp,whose family had already lived for 50 years in Holden, where Keighley Golf Clubhouse now stands. It wasnoted that of ‘Steels Farm’, all the parcells of Kirby Close were mentioned in the ‘Redshaw lease’ and had notbeen included in the ‘lease of attournement’ after William Jennings’ death in 1704.86

When Benjamin Phillipp died in 1709 his inventory showed a value of £157, arising almost equally from a highlevel of arable cultivation (especially of wheat and barley) and from cattle rearing. Phillipp was credited withtwo barns and a farmhouse which included the house, a lower and upper parlour and a ‘new chamber’. A latersupplementary inventory of credits was appraised by Thomas Steel, Richard senior’s eldest son: this included anote of a debt of £1 owed to Phillipp by John Steel of Bingley.87

In 1706 Richard Steel was still living there when estimates were drawn up for the repair of the dividedhomestead, neglected by the Jennings.88 Widdop’s half, unoccupied and in disrepair, needed £4 9s to be spenton thatching and roofing, flagging the parlour, making up ceilings and on eight feet of glasswork. Steel’s halfrequired only £1 1s 6d for three roods of outside wall and four loads of lime to repair the oven-house with slateand wood. In addition the barn needed £7 9s for replacing seven ribs and 200 spars and for the repair of wallsand thatch. Another £25 was needed to repair the Lodge House, the south end of which had been pulled downby Sir Edmond Jennings. A contemporary note says ‘Steel [will testify] Lodge in good repair 40 years ago’ (i.e.c.1666: perhaps on his arrival in Holden).89 Evidence was also taken about this time from William Mason who‘formerly lived at Snow Hill Top and at Steels, aged 80’ and from three who ‘made a wall inclosing Steelsintack’.90 In 1704 the ‘very ruinous’ Lodge with its ‘one elme tree before the door’ had been in the occupation ofSarah Dryver, widow (sub-tenant to Benjamin Phillipp), who died in 1725.91

Death of Richard Steel senior

We have no record of the death of Richard Steel senior, but we have seen that he was alive aged 76 on 14October 1712, when depositions were taken at John Drake’s house in Keighley, at the time of the ‘WalshIntakes’ litigation.92 He was certainly dead by 1728. By 1705 Richard had been listed as a ‘resiant’ in the sameposition since 1677 (latterly between Henry Ellsworth and Thomas Lawson and close to Jonathan Berry). Themanorial steward’s account books contain records of Richard’s rent payments for Kirby Close from the newlease of 1705/6 until the year ending Lady Day 1710/11, when there occurs the entry ‘Jonathan Berry lateRichard Steel’: this suggests that Berry increased his holding on Richard’s vacation. The accounts for August1709 record ‘work done at Jonathan Berries barn at Holden’.93 Kirby Close continued to be described as ‘lateRichard Steel’s’ until Lady Day 1719.94

In October 1706 a new arrangement of the listings in the call books began. The reason is unclear, but it mayhave been part of the review following the expiry of the Jennings family’s lease of Holden Park in 1704. Thedistinction between tenants and resiants was abandoned and Richard Steel’s name began to appear betweenthose of Berry and Widow Dryver. Puzzlingly Richard’s name remained in this position between Berry (and hissuccessor Henry Smith) and Dryver until the end of the extant series of call books, in 1720.95 While this maysimply have been an uncorrected entry, it makes it impossible to distinguish between Richard Steel senior andhis son Richard junior.

On 24 June 1712 the old chapel of Silsden Hall, originally built by the Jennings but by then long used as a barn,was consecrated by the archbishop of York as a chapel of ease for Silsden township.96 A copy pew-holders planshows among the seats in the body of the church ‘No. 14’ marked ‘John Clark and Wm Weatherhead RichSteels’: this correction was probably made after Richard’s death, but there is no indication of a date.97 Two

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other Richards shown on the plan with seats in the west gallery were probably Richard junior and perhaps hiscousin Richard, son of Thomas (born 1693).

In 1713 Richard Steel’s farm passed, together with Lodge Farm and all the lands at Upper Holden, to HenrySmith (died 1758):98 the rentals continued to describe Kirby Close as ‘late Richard Steels’ until 1719’.99 When anew lease was granted to Smith in 1740, ‘Steel Cross Close’ was among the named fields.100 In 1836 there werestill long-standing drainage problems at ‘Harry Smyth’s Beck and Steel’s Pasture’.101

Soon after the 1823 survey (which named Kirby Close for the last time),102 the farm was again divided: RichardSteel’s lands around the Mill Ing now form part of what was described in 1947 as one 73-acre ‘excellent dairyfarm’ with its ‘superior farmhouse’ at Holden Park. The eastern part of Kirby Close was planted out aswoodland in the mid-nineteenth century and was then known as Jacob’s (now Holden) Wood. The outline ofthe banking for the dam from which water flowed to the mill wheel can still be seen in today’s Mill Ing and itwas claimed locally that a large mill stone was still to be seen on Holden Lane until ‘some years ago’.103

Death of Grace, widow of Richard Steel senior

Grace Steel died in 1728, aged 77: as ‘widow of Richard Steele of Howden, Tailor’ she was buried at Kildwick on4 April.

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3. HOLDEN BECK HOUSE: RICHARD Steel junior

Richard junior marries and leases Holden Beck House

At his death, Richard Steel senior left a widow Grace (aged 61 in 1712) and their four sons: Richard junior;John; Joseph; and David (aged 29, 27, 24 and 17 in 1712). There were also Richard’s son and daughter by hisfirst marriage: Thomas (47); Elizabeth Horrocks (44); and their children; and Richard’s stepson ThomasFortune (35). Of Richard and Grace’s sons, Richard junior and Joseph were both married in July 1712.

Without Richard senior’s will or inventory we have no clear picture of his economic standing, but of his sons,Richard junior was to acquire a freehold in 1730; Joseph’s inventory when he died in 1740 was to show goodsworth far more than the average for the area; and David’s widow Margaret was to marry a wealthy Brunthwaitefarmer after David’s death.104 Richard senior seems to have left his family very securely based.

We have seen that Richard Steel junior (‛farmer, 21’) gave evidence in a defamation case in October 1704. Itwas alleged that Anthony Whitfield had been repeatedly making accusations about Jonathan Berry: Whitfieldcontinued to assert that Berry was dishonest, that he had been ‛aspersed with and guilty of many crimes’ andhad stolen one of his sheep. Steel said that he had known Berry for 10 years and knew him to be ‛a very honestman and of good life and conversation and very well beloved’.105

Richard Steel junior (1683–1758) married Anne Heaton at Kildwick on 12 July 1712: at 29 he was only monthsabove the mean age for male marriage in the area at this time.106 Richard’s brother Joseph, a shoemaker,married Elizabeth Stott on 29 July 1712: their first son Richard (1712–24) was baptised at Silsden on 23November. Joseph and Elizabeth were ‘presented’ at the archdeacon’s visitation in 1713 for ‘fornication beforemarriage’ and excommunicated.107

The Heaton family108

Richard Steel’s wife Anne Heaton was baptised at Kildwick on 20 June 1680, the eldest of nine children ofAndrew Heaton and his wife Judith Jenkinson. Andrew belonged to the nearby parish of Carleton, whileJudith came from Kildwick. Andrew and Judith were married at Kildwick on 13 September 1679.

Anne Steel’s mother Judith Heaton died in 1719/20 and was buried at Kildwick on 12 January, ‘wife ofAndrew Heaton, Grangewoodside, yeoman’. Andrew Heaton was buried on 25 February 1732/3, ‘father ofthe family, husbandman.’

Soon after marrying, Richard Steel junior took a lease of the Jennings family’s last remaining Silsden property:their freehold known as Holden Beck House. Since at least 1685 both house and farm had been leased by theJennings (together with the 40-acre Lodge farm) to Jonathan Berry, described variously as a ‘yeoman’ and‘tanner’ of ‘Holden Becke’.109 The water and the crushed oak bark for the tanning baths would obviously havebeen in ready supply and most of the area’s tanners seem to have lived and worked on the Silsden and Mortonside of the Aire.110 ‘Berry’s Farm’ itself consisted of Holden Beck House, with the four leasehold Back Closes orHall Ings and a further seven acres of Holden Park, making a total of c.27 acres.

In August 1713 the inventory of a Keighley maltster included a payment of £2 7s from ‘Jonathan Berry ofHowden’. At about this time Jonathan left ‘Berry’s Fold’111 and Holden Beck House and its farm passed into thehands of the Steel family with whom it was to remain for the next 100 years (with a connection for a further100 years through the marriage of Mary Steel, grand-daughter of Richard junior with John Booth in 1785).

Details of Richard Steel junior’s farm

Lying at 300 feet rather lower and nearer to the river, on what was then the ‘highway’ from Silsden toRiddlesden and Bingley, Richard’s new farm (the modern ‘Howden House’) comprised the 21 freehold acres ofHolden Beck House, together with the Hall Ings. At 30 acres it was then the smallest farm in Holden (thoughlarger than the average for this part of Yorkshire), but it had rich meadows and pasture. These were however(as they still remain) subject to bad flooding in winter. In 1582 a manorial survey of Steeton (the townshipimmediately across the river) speaks particularly of:

grounds on River Aire very fertile and fruitful soil and would yeild great plenty of corn and grass, save that river will sometimes insummer but very often in winter overflow the most parts of those grounds to the great damage and loss of the inhabitants ... the curse of the

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fatness of these grounds is the loss of the tenants; for the river of Aire on whose bank the most part thereof lieth will many times overflow allthe said grounds to the great damage of the tenants both in corn and grass, especially for that the grounds at evry flood will be digged withmud, that his cattle either will not feed thereupon, nor is it hunger that will force them ... the place lieth so cold and subject to water.112

The area was described by Richard Pococke who travelled through it in c.1750:

We crossed the moors on the river Aire to Selsden, where there is a house or hall of the earl of Thanet. The moors we passed arefull of coals, and a horse-load of twenty stone of sixteen pounds each sells for four-pence at the pits. We went along the meadows ... to asmall market-town called Keightley … [which] has a manufacture of woosted, calimancoes, shaloons and stockins.113

Richard and Anne Steel and their children

Richard Steel junior lived at Holden Beck House for 45 years from c.1713 until his death, aged 74 in 1758: hischildren were all born there and it was there that his wife Anne died in 1751. Records of his tenure are limited,precisely because the farm was a freehold and therefore hardly mentioned in manorial surveys.

The house is shown as ‘Jonathan Berry’s house and ground’ on evidence maps of 1710114 and is marked as‘Holden Beck House’ on John Warburton’s 1720 map of Yorkshire. It was called ‘Steels house’ on 7 October1713, ‘Berryes house now Steels’ on 25 November 1713115 and as ‘the house where Jonathan Berry then liv’dcalled Steele house’ and ‘Steels Tenement next to the Ground called Bottome of the Woode, valued att £13 perannum’, in proceedings brought by the earl of Thanet against William Jennings’ widow.116 In September 1714Richard Steel ‘tenant in possession’ of the Back Fields ‘adjoining the highway from Brunthwaite to Ings Close’was amerced by the manor jury for failing to scour his ditch in that lane and to make his fence ‘adjoining thesaid way’ and was fined 10s.117

Richard and Anne Steel had four children, all born in the early years at Holden Beck House. William (1714–1772) was baptised at Kildwick on 2 May 1714; Benjamin (1718–1793) on 6 April 1718; Judith (1720–1777) on25 September 1720; and Joseph on 16 January 1722.

Richard Steel quickly became active as a manor court juryman, serving in 1722 and 1723.118 In 1727 heappraised and signed the inventory of Mary Jackson from nearby Brunthwaite (the mother of ThomasJackson, who would later marry Margaret Steel, widow of Richard’s brother David). The Kildwick Easter Bookfor 1730 showed Richard Steel as tenant of ‘Jenningses, Howden’ and listed his payments to the vicar for thatyear, as a modus, in lieu of tithes. Amounting to the relatively modest total of 11d, they suggest that he grewhay and flax and kept horses and cows.119 Where tithes had anciently been replaced by modus payments,these were usually quite small.120 Most remaining tithes in Silsden were extinguished by its Enclosure Actof 1773 and the remainder commuted in 1846.

Richard Steel buys his farm

In 1730 Richard Steel was able to capitalise on his family’s years of patient land improvement and hardfarming at Holden, when he bought his house and farm at Holden Beck from the Jennings family and becameone of only two freeholders within the boundaries of Silsden manor.121 Details of the holding are contained inthe indentures of lease and release dated 14 and 15 August 1730 between Richard (now no longer called a‘husbandman’ but a ‘yeoman farmer’) and Mary Jennings of York, William Jennings’ surviving sister and thelast member of the family in England. (William’s longest surviving brother Edmond had emigrated from Riponto North America, where he became deputy governor of Virginia and died in 1727).122

There were described in the 1730 deed, in addition to the house and its barn with a stable and ‘all otherbuildings’, 31 ‘dayswork’ or ‘customary acres’ of land called the Pinnell; the Croft; the Two Days’ Work Close;the Stack Close; the Hall Ing; and the Smitherholme; together with a piece in a close called the Meane Landsand the four Back Closes, formerly manorial lands. All these made a 25-acre holding which, with the additionof one further field (Beck Field) was to remain unchanged as the Howden House freehold farm of 1978.123

Of all these fields the three-acre ‘Smitherholme adjoining to the river of Ayre next the Inge’; the one-acre ‘Croftbefore the house’; and the ‘Quarter of a rood ... in Meane lands’ can be precisely identified with fields so namedin surveys taken in 1686 and 1689124 and in the 1846 tithe award125 and with the same fields today. It alsoseems clear that the ‘Four Back Closes’ are those described in 1689 as ‘Four closes call’d Hall Ings or BeckeCloses ... adjoining to the West side of the house’ and today comprising the 1a. 3r. 19p. Back Field; the 2a. 0r.30p. Three Days Work Close; and High and Low Back Fields adjacent to the Mean Lands on the west side ofHowden House. ‘The Pinnell’ is today’s one-rood Pinhill, beside the Back Fields; ‘Stack Close’ is all or part of

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today’s 2a. 3r. 5p. Stack Lane Close, and the 1a 3r. 16p. Middle, and 2a. 2r. 9p. Low Stack Close. ‘The Hall Ing’is today’s 3a. 3r. 3p. meadow of that name, above the Smithy Holme.

Evidence against the Jennings family in the litigation from 1706 to 1713 claimed that Holden Beck and theboundary wall of Holden Park had originally run through the fold at Holden Beck House and straight downalong the east side of the croft towards the river. It was alleged that the beck had been turned out of its courseby one of the Jennings in order to lay claim to some park land to the east. The foundations of the old wall andindications of a former fence continuing down to the river were marked on maps and pointed out to the jury in1713126 and there remains today a banked ditch on the alleged earlier course of the beck, containing gravelconsistent with such a course.127

History of Holden Beck House

Holden Beck House was first mentioned by name in the 1689 survey of Sir Edmond Jennings’ land, whichspeaks of ‘his freehold house called Holden Becke’ and identifies it clearly as Richard Steel’s later freehold. It isimpossible to know for how long Holden Beck House had been owned by the Jennings (who lived in Silsdenfrom at least 1484),128 or when it was built. It is not marked on the 1615 map of Silsden, but the Jennings’ rightsto an ‘ancient freehold’ were never questioned in their legal struggles with Lord Thanet in the early eighteenthcentury and they paid ‘free rent’129 from an early date. The house (by then occupied by Jonathan Berry) ismarked as ‘Mr Jenings house & free land’ on one of the 1713 evidence maps.130

It is sometimes necessary to distinguish between Holden Beck House (on the original course of the beck,close to the river Aire) and ‘Holden Beck’, used as a more general location name in the seventeenth andearly eighteenth centuries, and appearing to refer to the area close to Holden mill, much higher up thebeck. ‘Holden Beck’ is used in the parish registers to describe the residence of the Townend family in 1612and 1629/30; and in the court rolls for the Smith family from 1663 to 1685.131

There is a possibility that Holden Beck House was once ‘St John’s land’. The old barn at Howden House carrieswhat appears to be a weathered Maltese cross and this may mean that all these lands, in common with othersin Silsden, once belonged to the order of St John of Jerusalem. There had been vast gifts of land in Yorkshire tothe Knights Hospitaller and Templar at the time of the crusades. These lands carried numerous privileges andexemptions from taxes and duties (including exemption from forced labour and the right to take timberwithout leave), provided that their houses bore a double cross as proof of fidelity and exemption. Some of theseimmunities were not annulled with the dissolution of the religious orders and a court continued to be held tocollect the rents of St John’s land and to regulate the privileges. Writing in 1792, Lord Thanet’s steward FrancisCarleton explained that the bailiff of the order, Joshua Lockwood of Bolton Bridge, viewed all the St Johnhouses and land and presented any which bore no cross for a fine of 6s 8d.132

Holden Beck house and its freehold land are shown as St John land on the evidence maps of 1710, 133 but thiscannot be taken as conclusive, for unlike other former Jennings land it is not so noted in the 1689 survey offreeholds.134 There must in any case remain some uncertainty about all the ‘St John land’ in Silsden, for FrancisCarleton tells us that ‘severall are desirous to be imputed to hold of St John of Jerusalem it being an easytenure and has some privileges belonging to it’.135

We should note that the will of Richard Steel junior was proved in 1758 not only in the Silsden court, but that acopy was ‘taken from the original and delivered up to be proved within the manor of St John at Farnley [sic]’.136

Almost certainly this should be ‘Farnhill’, whose manor court later claimed allegiance in respect of St Johnland from 20 Silsden households, including those of Thomas Booth, Andrew Steel and William Leach, all ofwhom lived at Holden Beck. In 1832 the Farnhill steward (Mr Gray) protested that ‘48 persons’ fromSilsden had been summoned to attend the Silsden court, although they ‘usually attended’ the court atFarnhill, ‘in which manor’, Gray stated, ‘the manor of Silsden is situate’. ‘A manor’, he agreed, ‘may be heldwithin a manor’, but he was clear that it had been Farnhill which the 48 had ‘regularly attended’: this listalso included Booth, Andrew Steel, William Leach and ‘Widow Steel’.137

Richard’s brother John

We have seen that Richard Steel junior had three younger brothers: John, Joseph and David. Richard, Johnand David Steel all had pews in the west gallery of Silsden chapel in 1712.

John Steel (1686–1766) married Alice Mitchell in 1715 and farmed at North End, high on the moor above

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Brunthwaite; and later at nearby Cole Close, Swartha. John is shown at Brunthwaite in the call books from1720 and at Swartha from 1747: he did jury service from 1734.138 John’s will was proved in the Silsden court on14 October 1766. Through his sons Emmanuel (1717–1790); David; John (1719–1797); and Zaccheus (1723–1772); a large family, farming chiefly at Swartha and at Smallbanks (Addingham) descended: some remain atSmallbanks to this day. The gravestone of John’s son Zaccheus (died 1772) is the oldest of the surviving Steelmemorial stones in Kildwick churchyard.

Richard’s brother Joseph

Joseph Steel (1689–1740) married Elizabeth Stott at Kildwick in 1712 and was a shoemaker in Silsden town, aswas his son John (died 1742). Joseph occurs in the call books from 1726 and served as a juror from 1734.139

There are records of Joseph’s rent payments for 1716 to 1719 and the 1730 Easter book shows him renting ‘JaneHorn’s’ in Silsden town. There is no record of the baptisms of Joseph’s other children John and Mary, perhapsbecause of the 1712 excommunication. In 1739 Mary married George Stanley, a dancing master of Burnsall: hedied at Kildwick in 1772/3.

Joseph died in 1740 and was buried at Kildwick. The surviving detailed inventory of his goods, chattels andcredits, appraised by his brother Richard and father-in-law William Stott gives a fascinating glimpse of thefamily’s life-style. The grand total of £135 13s 6d is extremely high for the Pennine textile area at such a date. 140

We may note first the size of the house, which in addition to the ‘dwelling-house’ and the workshop, boastedtwo parlours, a dining room, three upper chambers, a back kitchen, a milkhouse and a barn and stable.

Joseph kept his own cattle and two horses and grew the ubiquitous oats and some barley. He clearly madesaddles and harnesses as well as leather shoes. There were no less than six beds, one in the far chamber andthe others, as was usual, in the far parlour and back kitchen. The main room or ‘dwelling house’ had its usuallong settle and its looking glass and clock on the wall. An air of elegance, perhaps of pretension, was given bythe four pictures on the wall and the glasscase over the dresser, displaying 19 pewter dishes, six pewter plates,a pewter pint pot and a silver cup. There was more pewter in the far parlour.

Most cooking was done in the main room, which was well equipped with pots and pans for boiling, briggs andend-irons for roasting and spittles and backstones for baking. There was milk, butter and oatmeal and a spicecupboard in the parlour for keeping meat. It was not a life of want or struggle.

Joseph’s son John was also a shoemaker. When he died only two years after his father in 1742, Joseph’sprovision for his family had taken its toll and John’s inventory (also appraised by his uncle Richard Steel) wasvalued at only £19 11s 6d.141 Richard was later the appraiser for William Cryer of Brunthwaite, father of John’swidow Sarah. John’s son Joseph (1741–1816) and Joseph’s wife Elizabeth later kept the Red Lion Inn atSilsden, as did their daughter Ann Weatherhead after them.142 The Silsden manor court met from Michaelmas1800–May 1803 ‘at the house of Joseph Steel in Silsden’ and in 1823 at ‘Mrs Elizabeth Steel’s, innholder’.143

Richard’s youngest brother David

Richard Steel’s brother David (1696–1746) is of particular importance to this account, for his daughterElizabeth was to marry Richard’s younger son Benjamin (her first cousin). Benjamin and Elizabeth Steel wereto take over half of the Holden Beck farm on Richard’s death in 1758. Benjamin and Elizabeth were the parentsof Benjamin Steel junior and thus the grandparents of Joseph Steel, who moved to Liverpool after 1838.

David Steel was born on 24 May 1696 and was married at Kildwick on 1 October 1724 to Margaret Gott,daughter of Jonas and Judith Gott of Brunthwaite, a hamlet adjacent to Holden.

The Gott family144

Margaret Gott (1702–1781) was born on 22 November 1702, the third of at least nine children of Jonas Gott(1672–1760) of Brunthwaite and his wife Judith (died 1739).

David and Margaret Steel’s family

We know from the Kildwick Easter Book that by 1730 David and Margaret Steel were farming at Brunthwaite.This may have been the David Steel said to have started the famous Silsden nail-making industry by lending£10 to a tramping nail-maker named Heaton, to help him set up a business.145

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David and Margaret Steel had five children: Elizabeth (1735–1814), the wife of Benjamin Steel senior; William(1738–1807), who married in 1771 Isobel Walker (died 1807);146 John; Thomas (‘of Bradford, deceased’ in1770): he had daughters Ann (Nancy) and Margaret (fl. 1770); and Grace (died 1804), who married JohnCowling, a Brunthwaite weaver and widower in 1758. Among Grace and John Cowling’s children were David(1769); Grace (1771); and Isobel (1774–1794).

It was perhaps David’s son John, who was the father of ‘Steels child’, found drowned at Silsden in 1764. 147

Alice, daughter of John Steel of Brunthwaite, husbandman and Elizabeth his wife, was buried at Kildwick on 11August 1764.

It was money left to David and Margaret Steel’s children by Margaret’s brothers Jonas Gott (1704–1789) andRichard Gott of Swartha (1710–1770) and particularly a farm at Brunthwaite left to William by Jonas in 1789,which was eventually to pass to Elizabeth’s sons and to help them to become financially independent as thenineteenth century began.

The baptisms of David and Margaret Steel’s children do not appear in the registers of Kildwick or of anyadjacent parish. Together with the burials of David’s father Richard senior; the baptisms and burials of theearly Thomas Steels of Brackenhill; and the baptisms of two of the children of David’s brother Joseph, theseare the only unrecorded events in the family’s baptisms, marriages and burials in all their years at Silsden. Itmay suggest a period of nonconformist allegiance, perhaps to the Quakers, who had some support at that timeon Silsden moor.

Archiepiscopal Visitations

Some details of Silsden life in this period come from the answers given by the curate (Jonathan Jackson) at thearchbishop’s visitation in 1743. There were no dissenters and no licensed meeting house and the public schooltaught only 20 children (the master, Samuel Walker, having been licensed 48 years before). Manyunconfirmed people came to the chapel, but there were 500 communicants in the township. ‘The sacrament ofthe Lord’s Supper’ was administered four times a year, when only 10 people usually received communion.148

In the wider area of the mother parish of Kildwick there were 760 or so families, 100 of whom were dissenters,chiefly anabaptists. There were 3000 communicants, of whom 100 ‘usually receive’, but only 50 had done sothroughout Holy Week and Easter. At Whitsuntide there had only been 16. The curate (Benjamin Wainman)confessed that his father and brother were both dissenting ministers and Benjamin complained of ill treatmentby nonconformists.

At the visitation 21 years later 873 families were reported in Kildwick parish, including one papist, 20 ‘baptistsor antinomiens’ and 26 quakers. The ‘antinomiens’ were no doubt gathered chiefly around their two licensedmeeting houses in Sutton and Cowling. At Silsden’s charity school only English was taught (by John Blakey).The Lord’s Supper was celebrated six times a year and it was ‘grievous to observe how few … communicate’,after all the care taken to teach (only 93 had done so last Easter). There had been five public penances sinceArchbishop Drummond’s appointment. At Silsden chapel (‘1½ miles’ away) Jonathan Jackson had beenreplaced as curate by Joshua Newby in 1764, after many complaints about Jackson’s absence.149

Deaths of David and Margaret Steel

David Steel died in 1746 aged 50, after 22 years of marriage to Margaret. He was buried at Kildwick on 23November 1746. Of their five children, Elizabeth was then aged 11 and William 8.

‘Margaret Steel, widow’ is shown at Brunthwaite in the call book of 1747.150 On 15 October 1749 at KildwickMargaret married Thomas Jackson, a Brunthwaite farmer, whose first wife Ann had died in 1742. Margaretand Thomas Jackson were married for 32 years before Jackson died in 1781. By his will he left three farms atBrunthwaite, Poster Clough and Tomlin Coat to his son Samuel Jackson. He provided for Margaret a cottagecalled ‘Jenny Wrens Hall’ with ‘the bed and bedding she called her own’, three pewter dishes, three chairs, onestool and the less brass pan, together with a half-guinea annuity, but added that ‘in case she shall be admittedinto the hospital’ (probably Lord Thanet’s almshouses for women of the Skipton honour, at Beamesley,between Addingham and Bolton Abbey) it should ‘cease, be annihilated and void’. ‘Margarett, relict of ThomasJackson of Brunthwait, husbandman’ died in March 1788 aged 84 and was buried at Kildwick on 2 April 1788.

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Richard Steel’s latter years

We have seen that Richard Steel bought the freehold of Holden Beck House in 1730. In 1733 he was a juror atthe quarter sessions in Wetherby.151 He was regularly on the manor court jury between 1734 and 1751, servingas foreman in 1742 and 1751. In 1738 the court found the highway out of repair ‘from Silsden Town End toRichard Steel’s of Holden’.152 In 1739 Richard was the administrator of the estate of Grace Heaton ‘widow’(perhaps an unmarried sister of his wife): the signatures of all the parties are on the bond.153 In 1742 threeHolden farmers were fined 6d at the Wetherby sessions for failing to maintain 800 yards of the WestRiddlesden to Silsden horseway from Moor Clough to ‘a messuage in possession of Richard Steel’ and thefollowing year the inhabitants of Silsden were fined 6d at Skipton in respect of 2000 ruinous yards of theBingley to Silsden highway from ‘a house in the possession of Richard Steel New Bridge in Silsden.154 In 1741and 1745 Richard Steel was one of Silsden’s 11 parliamentary electors in the York constituency: all of themvoted for the Tory candidate, ‘Squire Fox’.155

There are few details of the farming activity at Holden Beck in Richard Steel’s time, but the fact that his sonBenjamin senior described himself as a ‘comber’ on his marriage in 1757 shows that worsted working wassupplementing the dairy farming and the growing of flax. Benjamin also called himself a ‘carpenter’ from 1757to 1767 and was described as a ‘chapman’ in 1770.

Despite the lack of detail in the inventory following Richard’s death, the £120 cash bequests he made then andthe fact that he had acquired a freehold by purchase in 1730 make it seem reasonable to infer that he was oneof Silsden’s principal yeomen and that his lifestyle was probably not unlike that of his younger brother Joseph.

Death of Anne Steel

Richard junior’s wife Anne died in 1751, aged 71 and was buried at Kildwick on 20 October 1751. Richard wasleft a 68-year-old widower.

Richard and Anne’s children

Of Richard and Anne Steel’s four children, the eldest and first to marry was William (1714–1772). He marriedMercy Lambert by 1745 and at first became a shoemaker at Brunthwaite. Ten children were born to Williamand Mercy Steel: their first son Benjamin (1752–1821) was born in December 1752.

Richard and Anne’s only daughter Judith (1720–1777) was born in 1720. It was probably this Judith Steel whowas presented together with Thomas Sawley and John Leach at the archdeacon’s visitation in 1752 forpunishment following an outbreak of Methodist enthusiasm in Silsden. The evidence was:

Ag’t Judith Steel, a Heretick and wild Enthusiast, for pretending to be a prophetess inspir’d and without sin, riotously assemblingnumbers of weak followers in the night time, taking confessions and pretending to forgive them their sins or absolve them, giving occasionof scandal to our well-established ffaith and most holy religion … the Judge admonisht Steel to frequent her chapel and to behave for thefuture better, and dismisst her without paying any fees.

Sawley had attacked his own mother, saying that ‘unless [she] turned Methodist she had no more chance ofbeing saved than a cat in hell’! Leach had warned that ‘all the persons buried in Silsden churchyard arecertainly going to hell’ and that ‘none but the Methodists can be saved, giving great offence to our wholecongregation all these seem a general spawn of Rome [sic]’.156

Judith Steel married John Ickringill, a Bingley woolcomber at Bingley on 11 May 1755. Judith Ickringill wasburied at Kildwick on 30 September 1777: her widower died at Bingley in 1780.

Richard and Anne’s youngest son Joseph (born in 1722) was described in his father’s will in 1757 as ‘noncompos mentis’.

Marriage of Benjamin Steel senior

In 1743 William, Benjamin and Joseph Steel (doubtless Richard’s sons) were among those tenants prosecutedby the manor court for ‘hunting and killing game, not being qualified’. The jury (of whom their father was one!)fined them 13s 4d each (subsequently mitigated to 2s 6d).157

In 1755 Richard Steel (now 71), acted with his brother-in-law Thomas Jackson to appraise the inventory of17

William Cryer of Brunthwaite: his shaky signature suggests physical decline.158 Of Cryer’s four daughtersreceiving a share in a house, garden and orchard at Bradley, one was Sarah Steel, widow of Richard’sshoemaker nephew John.

Richard probably retired soon after this and passed on his farm to his two elder sons.

Richard and Anne Steel’s second son Benjamin (1718–1793 and then aged 39) married his 22-year-old firstcousin Elizabeth Steel (1735–1814) at Kildwick on 9 February 1757. The fuller marriage registers in use since1754, show that both were living in Holden. Benjamin described himself as a comber and he and Elizabethboth signed their names. One ‘John Steel’ was a witness. Benjamin and Elizabeth’s first child David was bornat the end of 1757, but died at the age of two.

Death of Richard Steel

Richard Steel made his will eight months after Benjamin’s wedding (by which time Richard had fivegrandchildren) Richard Steel: just after nine months later he was dead. By the will (witnessed by his nephewZaccheus Steel of Swartha), the estate was left jointly to the two elder sons William and Benjamin, withseparate bequests of £20 to his daughter Judith and £8 per annum to his other son Joseph or to whoever‘provides him meat and clothes’ ‘if he shall remain non compos mentis’.

There were bequests of £10, £30 and £10 to William’s three children Benjamin (1752–1821); Grace; and Ann.Judith’s daughter Ann Ickringill (later the wife of William Clarkson) also received £10, as did Benjamin’s babyson David (1757–1759). There was thus a total of £120 left in cash, plus the allowance of £8 per annum.

Richard Steel died in July 1758, aged 74 and was buried at Kildwick on 2 August. His administration bond andinventory, signed by William and Benjamin, both survive. The inventory lists only ‘two twinter heifer stirks’and ‘a chestnut mare and a fole’ with a total value of £8, a clear indication that Richard had retired by the timeof his death and that his elder sons William and Benjamin were by now farming his land.

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4. HOLDEN BECK HOUSE: BENJAMIN Steel senior

The farm divided

The really detailed information about the farm at this time is contained not in Richard Steel’s will, but in a‘deed of partition’ of the house and lands between Richard’s sons William and Benjamin in October 1759.159 Inthe deed the farm is described ‘as now divided’: the east end was granted to William and the rest to Benjamin.William also took the south end of the barn, the front of the garden, the orchard, and the four closes calledSmithy Holme, the Stack Close, the Two Days Work adjoining it, and the Back Close adjacent to the Silsdenroad. Benjamin was given, in addition to the north end of the barn, ‘a new erected building consisting of astable and a chamber over it’, a calf hall, a swine cote, the Hall Ing, the Croft below the house, the Lower BackClose (formerly in two and called Back Closes), the piece in the Mean Lands, the Pinhill, the Three Days Work,the Calf Garth on the east side of the barn, and the Pump Garth.

Benjamin’s share was thus c.11 acres west and south-west of the house, including the three southernmost ofthe old ‘Back Closes’. Of the buildings mentioned, the barn was still in use in 1971, 160 with the ‘stable andchamber over’ beside Holden Lane; and the existing cottage in the north-west corner of the farmyard may wellhave been the western half of the old divided Holden Beck House.

From 1759 onwards William Steel and Benjamin senior are listed in the manor call books as jointfreeholders.161 The farm was to remain divided in this way for almost 80 years, until 1836. William Steel onlylived on at Holden Beck House for another 13 years (he died on 5 March 1772, aged 58), but his widow Mercyremained there until her death on 9 June 1816, aged 84. Benjamin senior died aged 75 in 1793 and his widowElizabeth lived on there until she died at 79 in June 1814. William and Benjamin were thus joint freeholdersduring a time of fair prosperity in English agriculture, but by the time Benjamin died in 1793 the FrenchRevolutionary wars had just begun, bringing inflation and agricultural depression in their wake. A particularlysevere nine-year dearth and distress had also just hit Yorkshire’s agriculture: the two widows were to end theirdays at Holden in a time of greater difficulty than perhaps they had ever known and worse was to come in theyears immediately after Waterloo.

It is also obvious that the prosperity of the family and the farm was not helped by the Yorkshire custom ofpartible inheritance, by which properties were divided between all the children of a deceased landholder.Daughters who had not already received their share as dowry were entitled to a cash payment. Division of theholding between all the sons was carried out wherever practicable: cash payments (which often required landsales) were made to some of the sons when it was not. The 1759 division between Richard’s sons William andBenjamin may have worked well enough, but on William’s early death in 1772 (in his will, witnessed by hisbrother Benjamin) he left his half between his seven youngest children, for whom his brother was to beguardian. These were David (1760–1831); William (1762–1840); Andrew (1766–1837); Ann Gill; Mary Booth(1757–1841); Sarah Sawley (born 1764); and Martha Longbottom (1770–1824). Benjamin’s half was to be leftto his five sons in 1793.162

It seems clear that only the growth of textile working, supplementing farm income, enabled partibleinheritance to work at all. Land tax returns survive from 1760 onwards and they give some indication ofrelative values, although the assessment remained unrealistically constant for very many years. In 1760William and Benjamin each paid one half of an assessment of 14s 8d. Benjamin’s share remained at 7s 4d untilhis widow’s death in 1814, although William’s increased after the inheritance of other property and variedseveral times. It stood at 11s 4d from 1796.163

In November 1782 Benjamin mortgaged his half of the farm for £200164 to Peter Dale, ‘gent of Carr Head’ and afurther indenture on Dale’s death in 1791 indicates that the due date for payment had already passed: althoughthis did not usually, in the custom of the time, bring immediate danger of forfeiture, is a clear indication ofdifficulty.165 By his will made in 1790, Benjamin left his property, cattle and money to be divided equallybetween his five sons, who were to range in age at his death, from 34 to 18.166

William and Mercy Steel’s children

Of William and Mercy Steel’s 11 children, the four eldest were Benjamin, Grace, Mercy and Hannah. Benjamin(1752–1818) married Ann Widdop (died 1831) on 29 June 1790, farmed at Brunthwaite and had four sons andfour daughters who went on to farm at Brunthwaite, Addingham and Swartha: these were William ofAddingham, nailmaker (1792–1848), husband of Margaret Cockshott; Abraham (1797–1822); Major of

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Brunthwaite, nailmaker (born 1802); Benjamin of Swartha, top manufacturer (1804–1856); Judith (born 1795,married Thomas Horn, boatman on 7 July 1817); Mercy (married John Lambert, a Haworth engineer atHaworth on 3 June 1816 and in 1831 was a widow at Low Hill, Bradford); Mary (1800–1818); and Ann (1806–1850, a Brunthwaite worsted weaver in 1831). Benjamin’s will (made in 1818) was witnessed by ‘William Steelsenior’ (probably his elder brother), while David Steel was a trustee.167

William and Mercy’s eldest daughter Grace married Thomas Gawtrop, an Addingham tailor at Addingham on22 January 1761. Mercy (born 1756) married William Gill, a Silsden nailmaker; Hannah married WilliamSawley, a Silsden worsted weaver.

In 1772 William and Mercy’s seven youngest children inherited between them their father’s half share in thefamily farm, by then usually called Low Holden. Of these, two unmarried sons William (1760–1840) andAndrew (1766–1837), a spinner and a servant in the 1803 muster;168 lived on at Low Holden until their deaths.William led a Wesleyan Methodist class meeting in a garret at his nephew Thomas Booth’s house at Howdenfrom 1808 to 1813, prior to the building of a Wesleyan Chapel in Silsden.169

Two daughters Ann and Mary (1757–1841) retained their connections with Holden Park. Ann married JohnGill on 24 October 1775 and Mary married John Booth (died 1819) on 9 May 1785: both husbands were Holdenfarmers. Another daughter Sarah (born 1764) married Henry Sawley, a Silsden weaver on 22 December 1783,while the other daughter Martha (1770–1824) married Joseph Longbottom on 25 October 1813 and farmed atSwartha, where she remained in 1851. William and Mercy’s other son David (1760–1831) who was accused ofmalicious wounding at the 1782 assizes: he was one of those ordered to ‘remain in gaol according to previousorders’ at the assizes held on 8 March and 2 August 1783.170 David, who farmed at Brunthwaite, made a secondmarriage to Sarah Gill of Holden Park at Kildwick on 8 December 1825. Of all William and Mercy Steel’s children Mary is of particular interest in this account because of her marriageinto the Booths, a wealthy Silsden farming family, who were eventually to acquire the Steel family’s Holdenfarm. Mary and her husband John lived at Booth House, Holden Park (now Keighley Golf Club). John Boothdied in 1819, leaving an estate valued at £2000: in his will he left to Mary £45 per annum, bed and beddingand enough furniture for one room; all the Holden property he left to their son Thomas Booth (1787–1868). Itwas Thomas who built up a considerable fortune farming his 183 acres at Booth House, bought BenjaminSteel’s former share of Holden Beck House and farm in 1836 and inherited his grandfather William Steel’sformer share from his uncle Andrew Steel in 1837. Thomas Booth’s son John (1815–1887) replaced HoldenBeck House with Howden House in the 1860s and eventually passed the house and farm, together with sharesin several local railway companies, the Leeds and Liverpool canal and Keighley market to his son John Boothjunior (1862–1929). From John junior it passed to the Emmott family, who were owners until the 1980s.

Benjamin and Elizabeth Steel’s children

Benjamin and Elizabeth Steel had only one child David (1757–1759) when they inherited their half share inHolden Beck House in 1758, but there were to be seven more: Thomas (1759–1827); Richard (1761–1820);David (1763–84); Judith Gill (1767–1816); Joseph (1769–1839); John (1773–1817); and finally the youngest:Benjamin junior (1775–1818), in whom our chief interest lies. ‘Benjamin, son of Benjamin Steel of Holden,yeoman and Elizabeth his wife’ was baptised at Silsden chapel on 26 May 1775: the baptism was registered atKildwick on 4 June 1775.171 The first David died in infancy and the second on 16 November 1784, aged 21: theother six children survived into full adulthood.

Other activities

The Kildwick parish registers describe Benjamin senior as a ‘comber’ in 1757, as a ‘carpenter’ from 1757 to1767, as a ‘yeoman’ from 1769 to 1793 and as a worsted manufacturer several times after his death. This is clearevidence that farming at Holden Beck was being supplemented by other work.

In October 1762 the manor court heard a complaint that Benjamin Steel had been keeping a stonehorse in IngsClose, adjoining Acre Sykes Lane and had failed to fence it ‘sufficiently to turn either a stonehorse or any othercattle’. He was amerced in the sum of 39s to repair it and threatened with a further 20s fine if he failed to keephis stonehorse in a ‘copy or other proper place’.172

Benjamin served as a manor court juryman in 1765 (signing the record) and again from 1770 to 1772 and in1775 and 1784.173

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Farming conditions

The period around 1770 was one of extensive sheep-rearing around Silsden, with wool-combing and hand-weaving being carried out at most of the farms. A little later, from c.1780 to 1800 a good deal of flax was grownin the swampy areas near the river.174 Much accurate information about farming conditions in the area at theend of the century is contained in the ‘General View’ of West Riding agriculture of 1799:

Farms of different sizes, but the majority rather small. Soil deep and rich. The whole vale [of Skipton] almost in grass, being fromthe wetness of the climate accounted unfit for corn. What land is ploughed, is upon the higher grounds, and oats the principal crop. Few orno turnips cultivated. All the vale is inclosed. Inclosures small. Cannot say whether inclosing has affected population or not, as it is such along time since the vale was inclosed. No common fields here, but thinks, wherever they are they ought to be divided. Wages high—labourers from 18d.to 2s per day, women 1s. Not much paring and burning—does not approve of it. Very little wood, but thinks a great partof the moors might be planted to advantage. Provisions high; beef being at this time 4d and often 5d and 5½d. Corn brought here fromRichmond in the North Riding. Roads good. Farmhouses in general well situated. Lord Thanet’s estate upon lease of 14 years ... formerlygranted leases for 21 years, and the estate was much improved. The covenants laid down by Lord Thanet, are only to fallow, lime, andmanage in a husband-like manner. No manufactures, except some cotton mills, which have done no harm ... Grass lands set from 40s to50s per acre and some at £3 ... grass the sole object. The people unanimously think that corn will not pay so much rent as grass, thereforeraise very little, except upon the higher grounds; and at the same time lay all their manure upon the rich, fertile fields in the vale. By thismeans they are reduced to the absolute necessity of purchasing corn, at an advanced price, from other places, where more attention is paidto the cultivating it. From what we could learn, a great deal more corn was formerly raised than now; which is evident from tithes havingdecreased four fifths in value within these 30 or 40 years ... the husbandry at Keightly is much in the same style as here, only rather morecorn raised, and that the moors and high grounds are used for breeding cattle.175

Arable acreages in Silsden in 1801 were to be: oats 545½; turnips or rape, 54½; potatoes, 51; barley, 38½;wheat, 23¾; beans, two.176 Studies of West Riding farming inventories of the eighteenth and late seventeenthcenturies suggest that to be independent with its own herd, a farm needed £30-worth of farm goods with twoor three cows, steers and heifers apiece. In the textile areas most farms seem to have had £30 to £70-worth ofgoods, with extremes towards the boundaries. Most small farmers in the textile areas reared some sheep andcut, washed, scoured, combed and spun fleece and sold it to factors.177

The Silsden miller’s accounts survive for two of Benjamin Steel’s years at Holden Beck. These show ‘BengemanStel’ paying 3d ‘for gren hover mashen’ and 2d ‘for haver mashen’ in 1763 and 1s for ‘haver mashen’ and 4d for‘1 lod of haveir mash’ in 1764.178

The Leeds and Liverpool Canal

Almost halfway through Benjamin Steel senior’s 35 years as joint freeholder at Low Holden there occurred arevolutionary change in Holden’s economic life when the Leeds and Liverpool canal was cut right through thepark. It opened to traffic on 8 April 1773: on that day two boat-loads of coal were carried, to be sold at half thenormal price at Skipton.179 Benjamin, described as a ‘chapman’ (probably of worsted) ‘from near Silsden’ wasone of three Holden farmers to make a subscription of £100 towards the works in February 1770, 180 althoughthey all transferred their holdings to the lord of the manor, the earl of Thanet, seven months later.181

The chief hopes for the canal centred on cheap carriage of coal and limestone (1d and ½d per ton per milerespectively) and on 28 June 1774 The Leeds Intelligencer reported that there were now 40 lime kilns erectedbetween Skipton and Bradford alone. Land carriage had been costing 1s. per ton per mile:182 among theinfluential committee members was Thomas Leach of Riddlesden,183 the proprietor of the coal pits at HighHolden above Holden Park and father of William Leach, who was to buy Benjamin Steel’s half of Holden BeckHouse in 1815. The canal was to be cut 27 feet wide and 4¾ feet deep and the estimated cost was £260,000:the Bingley to Skipton section was planned as an 18-mile pool, without locks. It was to be capable of takingvessels carrying 50 to 100 tons.184 There were enormous problems encountered in the construction work, notleast in the Holden section, but there was never any doubt about its value. The local effect after the openingwas dramatic and the demand for coal and limestone immense. By 1774 there were already 18 boats fullyemployed in this trade and in 1786 the canal company leased Lord Thanet’s limestone quarries in Skipton.185

That Holden Park shared in the prosperity brought by this increased trade is clear from the canal companyminute books. Messrs Garforth and Leach, lessees of the High Holden coal pits kept a coal-yard at Silsden andcarried coal there from their staithe at Riddlesden, a short distance south-east of Holden Park. 186 Theusefulness of the canal in enabling cheap carriage of coal and lime was very great. Lime was now brought bycanal (in this case from Skipton) and burned at kilns on the canal bank: some of them can still be seen atHolden. The efficient manuring which was thus made possible was of great importance in improvingagricultural techniques.187 The canal must also have encouraged the rapid growth of Silsden’s nail-making

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industry after 1780 and thus of the town’s population, which grew from 1300 in 1801 to 2137 by 1831 and 5538by 1871.

Passenger traffic on the canal was also significant, with fares of ½d per two miles and 14lbs of luggage. ABingley to Skipton packet service was started in 1791 and extended to Leeds with a third boat in 1793. By 1823there were 40 ‘fly-boats’ on the through run from Leeds to Liverpool, some taking four days for the 128 milejourney, some running to timetable through the night, using relays of horses and crews. These services made avital contribution in the years immediately before the railways.188

Death of Benjamin Steel senior

There is little surviving documentation from last years of Benjamin Steel senior, although there is clearevidence that the textile trade was carried on his farm, for he was several times referred to after his death as a‘worsted manufacturer’.

In 1782, together with John Smith of the next farm (Hanson’s Farm at Low Holden), Benjamin witnessed thewill of Smith’s niece Elizabeth Gill, a Holden spinster. In 1792 he did the same for John Smith himself, whenhe died at 86. John was the son of Henry Smith who had succeeded Benjamin’s grandfather Richard Steelsenior at Upper Holden.

Benjamin made his will on 23 December 1790, leaving his house, barns, workshop and lands, together with hiscattle and money, to be divided equally amongst his five surviving sons Thomas, Richard, Joseph, John andBenjamin junior. There was to be an annuity of £10 to his widow Elizabeth (£3 in the event of her remarriage)and a further bequest of £3 to his daughter Judith. The executors were to be his widow Elizabeth and theireldest surviving son Thomas.189

One Elizabeth Steel, alone in 1789; together with William and Joseph by 1798; and with William in 1801, was amember of the Methodist church at Silsden.190

On 1 February 1793, France declared war on Britain, beginning the wearying 22-year period of conflict andinterruption of trade, known as the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic wars. One of the consequences wasthat prices almost doubled in the 25 years from 1793.

Benjamin Steel died aged 75 on 16 April 1793 and was buried at Kildwick. His will was proved on 30 April, hisgoods declared under £100 in value. Benjamin’s grave is still to be seen in Kildwick churchyard, with a stonebearing the inscription:

Mourn not for us though from you fledYou shortly must expireHe and he only mourns the deadWho lives as they desire

With Benjamin and his elder brother William both dead, the family farm of 25 acres had now to be divided intoa theoretical 12 parts, although the division was to take effect only after the wars were over, with the deaths in1814 and 1816 of Elizabeth and Mercy Steel, the old widows of Benjamin and William. It was this final divisionwhich soon led to the scattering of the Steel family from Holden. Meanwhile, as the nineteenth century began,Mercy and Elizabeth were living in the two halves of the divided farmhouse.

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5. LAST OF THE FAMILY FARMERS: BENJAMIN Steel junior

Of Benjamin and Elizabeth Steel’s six surviving children (of whom Benjamin junior was the youngest), onlyThomas (1759–1827) and the only daughter Judith (1767–1816) had married by the time of their father’sdeath: the remaining brothers were Richard, David, Joseph, John and Benjamin. In this account we shall dealfirst with Benjamin, but then with his brothers and sister in order of birth.

Benjamin Steel junior (1775–1818)

Benjamin Steel junior (1775–1818), the youngest child of Benjamin senior and Elizabeth, then a 21-year-oldhusbandman was married at Kildwick on 27 April 1797 to Mary Fortune (1775–1805), daughter of ThomasFortune, a Silsden shoemaker and his wife Katherine (married in 1760). Benjamin signed the register, whileMary marked. Mary was very distantly related to Benjamin by marriage: her great-great-grandmother GraceForton had been the second wife of his great-grandfather Richard Steel.

Mary’s brother William Fortune, who married at Kildwick two days earlier, was probably the future Silsdenmaster nailmaker of that name. In 1806 William Fortune nailmaker was to be fined by the manor court forcontracting Silsden mill goit. In 1825 Thomas Fortune was cited for laying ash in the highway, much of itthrown into the beck.191

Benjamin and Mary Steel settled at Brunthwaite, above Silsden. They had four sons, all baptised at Kildwick:William (born 7 September 1797, baptised 12 November); David (born 4 February 1799, baptised 28 April);Heaton (16 March 1803, baptised 15 May); and Thomas (29 November 1804, baptised 4 January 1805). Marydied aged 29 in April 1805 and was buried at Kildwick on 23 April. Six weeks later the infant Thomas was alsodead: he was buried at Kildwick on 9 June 1805. Benjamin was described in the register as a ‘husbandman’ in1797 and as a ‘woolcomber’ from 1799 to 1805.

The Aire valley was far removed from the Channel coast, but it is hard to imagine that Yorkshire did not sharein the sense of national panic when French invasion was imminently expected: a panic which was particularlyacute from late 1796 to 1798 and then again in August 1801 and the summer of 1803. There had been a shortand illusory truce in the wars, following the Peace of Amiens in August 1802, but Britain declared war onFrance in May 1803.

In July 1803, in preparation for the French invasion then thought likely, the government formed a new defenceforce and ordered a muster of the entire active male population between the ages of 17 and 55: the resulting rollfor Craven (drawn up on 10 October) has survived. Of ten members of the Steel family enrolled in Silsden,Benjamin junior was probably the woolcomber in ‘class 4’ (appropriate for a married man, 17–9, with morethan two children under ten).192 Another Benjamin, a labourer, in the same general class, was probably hismarried cousin (William Steel’s son), aged 51. None of the ten was shown as qualifying for exemption bymembership of the militia or volunteers, or service in the army or navy.

In 1807 the widowed Benjamin and his mother Elizabeth were among many family beneficiaries in the will ofElizabeth’s brother William Steel of Brunthwaite, who died on 4 May. He left an extraordinary total of elevenhouses in Silsden, four at Farnhill, two each in Cononley and Steeton and one each in Eastburn, Glusburn andCowling Lane ends.193 William’s farm at Brunthwaite, inherited from his mother’s brother Jonas Gott in 1784,went to Benjamin’s eldest brother Thomas. Everything else went first to William’s widow Isobel for herlifetime, but she however died three weeks later on 28 May: Elizabeth now received William’s bequest of £20and Benjamin and his brother Richard each received a cottage in Silsden, with a garden.194 On 22 February1798 Benjamin’s cottage was ‘now occupied by John Barker’. ‘Benjamin Steel, weaver’ was one of those inSilsden with a vote in 1807.195

Marriage of Benjamin Steel and Lydia Laycock

On 1 June 1807, after two years as a widower and only a week after Isobel Steel’s death and before probate hadbeen granted, Benjamin junior married again. Again described as a ‘woolcomber’ he married Lydia Laycock,from across the river in Steeton. Again Benjamin (now 31) signed, while Lydia (21) marked. Lydia was to beartheir first child Martha some seven months later.

The Laycock family196

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Lydia Laycock was born at nearby Sutton on 16 October 1785 to John Laycock, weaver and his wife MarthaWhitaker: they had been married at Kildwick on 25 April 1782.

Death of Benjamin Steel junior’s mother Elizabeth Steel

1815, the year of Waterloo, is a decisive one in this account. In August there began the process of realising theindividual shares in the Low Holden farm and of the scattering of the Steel family from Silsden. Benjaminjunior moved across the river to a farm at Braithwaite, Keighley at about this time.

The event which began the process of dispersal was the death on 7 June 1814 of Elizabeth, widow of BenjaminSteel senior, aged 78. 14 months later (and 10 weeks after the battle which changed Europe, but also ushered ina grim post-war depression) Benjamin senior’s half of the family farm was sold. By now in the occupation ofJohn Steel, James Gill and Thomas Gill it was conveyed for £1850197 by Elizabeth’s five sons and her daughtersin law (Thomas of Addingham Moorside, farmer; Richard of Brunthwaite, yeoman and Ann his wife; Joseph ofAddingham Moorside, yeoman; John of Low Holden, yeoman and Ann his wife; and Benjamin of Brunthwaite,yeoman and Lydia his wife) to William Leach (1748–1834) of Silsden Moor on 24 August 1815: the conveyancewas signed by all the parties.198

An indenture of assignment dated the same month also conveyed to Leach the benefits of the mortgagegranted on the property in 1782 by Peter Dale. On Dale’s death in 1791, his interest had passed to his executors,of whom the last to survive was William Wainman. Now Wainman’s heir Richard Bradley Wainman, a trusteefor ‘the members of the Kildwick Society’ conveyed his interest to Leach. William Leach moved into the Holdenfarmhouse in 1832 but died in 1834. By his will (witnessed by William Steel), he left Benjamin Steel’s half ofthe Holden farm to his executors (Henry Fort and George Hollingdrake, both Silsden farmers).199 They sold itto Thomas Booth at auction in 1836.200

Death of Benjamin Steel junior’s aunt Mercy Steel

In December 1815, shortly before Mercy Steel (William’s widow) died, she and her eldest child Benjamin wereparty to a lease and release by which her late husband’s half of the farm, divided in his will between their sevenyoungest children, seems to have been vested in the youngest son Andrew (1766–1837). Administration ofMercy’s estate was granted in December 1816 to her four sons and to her daughters Mary and Martha, thewives of John Booth and Joseph Longbottom.201 A deed of February 1817 records the conveyance of the land,under lease and release, in which Andrew (‘husbandman, Howden’) acted ‘for the benefit of’ his three brothers;four sisters Mary, Martha, Mercy and Hannah and their husbands John Booth of Howden, yeoman; JosephLongbottom of Swartha, farmer; William Gill of Silsden, nailmaker; William Sawley of Silsden, weaver; and ofthe eldest sons of his late sisters Ann and Sarah, who had been the wives of John Gill of Silsden, husbandman;and Henry Sawley of Silsden, weaver. The sum involved was £1348 and this seems to have secured the freeholdfor Andrew, who is listed in the 1832 electoral register with a ‘freehold house and land at Holden’ and appearsin the poll book of 1835.

Andrew Steel was still living at ‘Low Holden’ when he died unmarried in January 1837. By his will made inMarch 1832 and proved in April 1837, Andrew gave ‘the tenement where Mercy Steel, widow did lately reside’as divided, with all its land to his nephew Thomas Booth, then a ‘yeoman of Low Holden’. Thomas Booth thusreunited the farm in one ownership for the first time since 1758. After further bequests of £119 10s, there wasno residue in Andrew’s estate.202 Andrew’s brother David (who had married Sarah Gill of Upper Holden in1823) had been living at Low Holden when he died in 1831:203 his brother William died there (‘at HowdenBottom’) in August 1840. It was almost certainly this house at Low Holden in which Thomas Booth’s widowedmother Mary was living with a servant at the time of the 1841 census.

Benjamin junior moves from Silsden

By now, in addition to his three surviving sons William, David and Heaton (now aged almost 18, 16 and 12),Benjamin junior and his wife Lydia had two daughters Martha (baptised at Silsden on 3 January 1808, whenher father was a ‘woolcomber’ of Brunthwaite) and Elizabeth: when Elizabeth was baptised on 31 July 1814,although Benjamin still gave his residence as ‘Brunthwaite’, the ceremony was at Keighley parish church.

The 1815 sale realised an inheritance of c.£370204 for each of Benjamin senior’s sons. Benjamin junior (theyoungest) lost no time in putting his share to use, for four days later on 28 August 1815 there was signed anindenture of mortgage relating to three cottages and gardens and a croft, all at Sutton and owned by Bernard

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Green (died 1818), a Steeton farmer and horse farrier.205 While the 24 August conveyance describes Benjaminjunior as a yeoman of Brunthwaite, the 28 August indenture has him as a ‘yeoman of Keighley’ and it seemsclear that he moved from Silsden to Braithwaite at this point, if he had not already done so.

On 9 May 1817 Benjamin Steel (together with John Steel) served for the first time on the jury of the Silsdenmanor court.206

Joseph Steel is born and his father dies

When Benjamin and Lydia Steel’s son Joseph was born in 1817, he too was baptised at Keighley (on 27 July)and Benjamin is described in the register as a farmer of Braithwaite (then, as now, a hamlet of some five farmson the hillside west of Keighley). It has not proved possible to identify the farm, but there may have been aconnection with Lydia’s sister Alice (née Laycock), who lived at Braithwaite with her husband TimothyMorehouse and their family from at least 1841 until her death in 1848.207

Great misfortune now struck the family when Benjamin died in October of the following year. He was buried atKildwick on 21 October 1818, no doubt in the grave of his first wife Mary: no gravestone has survived. A weekbefore his death, Benjamin made his will, witnessed by Abraham Shackleton (1777–1857), astronomer,meteorologist, inventor and diarist of Braithwaite Edge. It was finally proved in March 1819. Benjamin left therents and interests of his real estate to his widow for the maintenance and bringing up of the children. Theestate itself he left to his two brothers Richard of Brunthwaite and Joseph (by now ‘of Swartha’), in trust to besold and divided equally amongst all his children at 21.208 Sworn ‘under £300’ the estate was subject to legacyduty and the register makes it clear that bequests of £46 16s were eventually paid to William, David andMartha (by then Martha Smith) in January 1835 and to Elizabeth and Joseph in March 1835: duty of 9s 6deach was paid.209

Benjamin’s widow remarries

On 3 May 1824, when her youngest child Joseph was almost five, Benjamin’s widow Lydia Steel married JohnCockshott at Kildwick. He was a 43-year-old bachelor and Silsden shoemaker, who was an out-pensioner of the84th Regiment of Foot (later the Second Battalion, the York and Lancaster Regiment). Born in Silsden and atfirst a coal-miner (no doubt at High Holden) Cockshott had been discharged from the army suffering fromdyspepsia, adema, swelling of the lower extremities, ‘anasarca’ and ‘general ill health’ in 1820, on his returnfrom India, where 18 of his 20 years’ service had been spent. Cockshott’s army records show him to have been5 feet 6½ inches tall, with sandy hair, grey eyes and a light complexion.210 Both Lydia and John marked theregisters, in the presence of Sarah Steel, probably the wife of David, cousin to Lydia’s first husband.

On 7 August 1824 a daughter Anne was born to John and Lydia Cockshott: Anne was baptised at Silsden on 9June 1825. A son John was born on 17 August 1826 and baptised at Silsden on 7 January 1827. The child’sfather, who was receiving 1s 4d a week from the army, is described in the register and in the 1841 censussimply as a ‘pensioner’. Lydia Cockshott died the following year, in April 1828.

In 1841 John Cockshott senior (by now 60), was still living in Silsden with Ann (16) and John junior (13). Johndied of asthma at Silsden on 16 May 1847, aged ‘63’: his death was registered by Ann Cockshott and he wasburied at Silsden on 19 May. (see below for further details of John and Lydia’s children Ann and John).

Benjamin junior’s brother Thomas Steel of Addingham Moorside (1759–1827)

Thomas Steel was described in a son’s obituary as a ‛small farmer’ ‛who—as was the general rule then—combined with farming handloom weaving and combing.’ Thomas married a minor, Mary Green on 12 June1787 and was living at Holden when they had their first three children: Elizabeth and Benjamin (baptised atSilsden on 12 August 1787 and 10 August 1788, when Thomas was a weaver); and Ann (1790–1804) (baptisedat Silsden on 8 August 1790, when Thomas was a worsted manufacturer).211 The family then moved toAddingham Moorside, where Thomas proved his father’s will in 1793. Thomas and Mary’s daughter Grace(1794–1812) was born here on 15 June 1794 and baptised at Addingham on 20 July, when her father was a‛woolcomber, Moorside’. Mary ‛wife of Thomas Steel, husbandman, Addingham) died in 1797 and was buriedat Kildwick on 2 August. At Addingham on 30 June 1800 Thomas (‛farmer, widower’) married MaryShuttleworth by licence.212 There were five more children (all born at Moorside and baptised at Addingham:John (17 February, 5 April 1801, died 1896); David (7 April 1803, 8 May, died 1887); Thomas (1805–1885) (6December 1805, 12 January 1806); Richard (1809–1869) (20 January, 26 February 1809); and Mary (28 May,

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30 July 1812). Ann (14, daughter of Thomas of Holden, weaver and Mary) was buried at Kildwick on 5 August1804. Thomas inherited a farm from his mother’s brother William Steel of Brunthwaite in 1807 and £10 fromWilliam’s widow Isobel later that year. Grace (17, daughter of Thomas of Brunthwaite, farmer and Mary) wasburied at Kildwick on 3 February 1812. Mary, wife of Thomas Steel of Moorside, woolcomber died ofconsumption, aged 38 on 27 July 1812 and was buried at Addingham on 30 July. Thomas was ‛well and strongat more than sixty’ when he was fatally injured in an accident. He made his will on 12 November 1827, with hisbrother Joseph, his son John and John Wilkinson as executors. Thomas died aged 68 and was buried atAddingham on 17 November 1827. His son John inherited the tenant right of his farm and his daughterElizabeth Hindle and the other four surviving sons each received £52 18s 4d from his estate when the will wasproved in 1828.213

Of Thomas’ first family, Elizabeth (1787–?1853) married Benjamin Hindle.214 Children Ann and Andrew wereborn in 1808 and 1810 and baptised at Kildwick and more children Grace (1813), Thomas (1818), Jonathan(1821) and Judith (1824) baptised at Silsden: their parents’ address was variously shown as Holden, Silsdenand Swartha. By 1828 the family had moved to Allerton (Bradford), where their last children William SteelHindle and Elizabeth (c.1838) were born: William was baptised at Silsden on 31 August 1828. In 1841 and 1851Benjamin and Elizabeth were farming 35 acres at Bailey Fold, Wilsden in Allerton: all eight children were withthem in 1841 and sons Andrew and William in 1851. Elizabeth Hindle probably died in 1853. 215 In 1861 herwidower Benjamin was a blind retired farmer living between his married sons Thomas and Jonathan at 374Bailey’s Fold, Allerton Lane. Benjamin made his will on 7 July 1857, with provision for his daughter Judith,sons Thomas, Jonathan and William and the children of his ‛late son Andrew’: he died at Allerton on 12November 1861 and the will was proved on 29 November 1862.

Benjamin Steel (1788–1857) married Elizabeth Jackson of Brunthwaite at Kildwick on 7 October 1816 (when alabourer of Silsden Moor). They had sons Thomas (born 1 March, baptised at Silsden 13 April 1817) andSamuel (11 April and 17 May 1818), and farmed at Brown Banks, Morton: the 1837 poll book and 1841 censusshow Benjamin Steel (and his family) at Brown Hill, Morton and the family were at Morton in 1841. In 1851Benjamin was a woolcomber at Townend Bottom, Bradford, with his wife Elizabeth (an oat-cake baker) andtheir son Samuel, also a woolcomber. Benjamin died at Haworth and was buried there on 23 January 1857. Hiswidow Elizabeth died at Idle (Bradford) and was buried at Haworth on 4 November 1859.

(For further details of Benjamin and Elizabeth’s descendants, please see this note).216

Of the second family John (1801–1896) was ‛brought up to farm work and hand-combing’ at a time ofexcessive prices, ‛when white bread was a luxury, flour 6d a pound and sugar equally dear’. As a ‘farmer’ hemarried Sarah Robinson by licence at Addingham on 29 June 1828, farming subsequently at AddinghamMoorside: their sons Thomas (born 1828), William (1830–1869) and Joseph Robinson Steel (1832–1919) werebaptised at Addingham on 21 December 1828, 27 June 1830 and 21 August 1832.217 John was a ‛hand comberand hand weaver’ when he came with his family to Wellington Street, Bingley, looking for work in 1833. HereDavid (born 20 August 1834, buried 16 June 1844, aged nine); Hannah (born 24 August 1836, buried 19February 1837) and Jane (born 6 August 1840, buried 5 August 1864, aged 25) were born (and baptised atAddingham on 19 October 1834, 25 December 1836, and 15 September 1840). In 1841 John was a‛woolcomber’ at Wellington Street, with his wife Sarah and Thomas (12), William (10), Joseph (eight), David(six) and Jane (one). A son John was born on 24 March 1842. Sarah Steel died on 11 July 1842 and was buriedat Addingham, where John was baptised on 18 September. John senior was ‛one of the promotors andfounders of Cottingley Bridge allotments in 1842 and took a great interest in the old “Cowgate”’ (land rented incommon for pasturing cows). John made a second marriage to Grace Shuttleworth218 and was a Bingleywoolcomber when their children Richard, Mary Ann (buried 6 March 1851) and Elizabeth were born andbaptised at Addingham (2 February and 4 July 1847; 4 July and 9 August 1849; and 11 April 1850).

In 1851 John was at 19 Wellington Street with Grace, Thomas and William (woolcombers, 22 and 20) andchildren Jane (11), John (nine), Richard (four) and Elizabeth (one). After 21 years in his first Wellington Streethouse John moved to the house next door, where he remained for the next 29 years. Daughters Sarah Ann andMary were born on 23 August 1851 and 6 May 1856 and baptised at Addingham. Another daughter Grace Ellenwas born c.May 1854, but buried at Addingham on 24 February 1855. In 1861 John was a woolcomber atWellington Street with his wife Grace and children Jane, Richard and Elizabeth (21, 14 and 11, factory workers)and Sarah Ann (nine) and Mary (four). Like many hand-combers John found himself superseded by machinecombing and when ‛the source of his livelihoood failed’ John worked from c.1861 on the farm of Mr B. Skirrow.In 1871 John was an agricultural labourer, with Grace, and Elizabeth, Sarah Ann and Mary (20, 19 and 14, allworsted spinners): their son Richard had married and was living next door, an engine driver in a worsted mill.

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In 1881 John (80, curator of the cooperative room) with Grace (67), Elizabeth and Sarah Ann (30 and 28,unemployed worsted spinners) and Mary (34, a weaver). John’s wife Grace Ellen Steel died on 12 June 1881and was buried at Addingham. John’s ‛tall, slight, vigorous figure’ had become a familiar sight in the town. ‛ALiberal in politics, he was always ready to further the cause of the workers’.

In June 1883 at the age of 82 John relinquished his allotment and sailed with an 11-strong family group(‘including 2 sons and 3 daughters’) for New Zealand, ‛where most of his children’/‛two sons’ [recte two sonsJoseph and John, two daughters Sarah Ann and Mary and his widowed daughter-in-law Elizabeth Mary] hadsettled’. Arriving at Christchurch he stayed two years, travelling about, but based chiefly with ‛his eldest son’[recte third son Joseph] in Ashburton. John returned to Bingley on 24 May 1885. By 1891 John (now 90) wasliving on his own means with his 40-year-old daughter Elizabeth at 5 Victoria Place, off York Street in Bingley.In his ‛last few years’ John’s ‛strength slowly diminished’, despite the care of his ‛medical man Dr Craig’. Johnwas Bingley’s oldest resident when he died at York Street on 7 December 1896: he was buried at Addingham on10 December.219 The Keighley News published with his obituary a photograph taken when John was 94, whilethe Bingley Chronicle printed an account of an Old Folks Tea five weeks earlier, when John (with his son[Thomas or Richard] in the front row) gave a rendition of Auld Land Syne.220

For further details of John’s descendants in Yorkshire and New Zealand, please see this note.221

Thomas and Mary’s son David Steel (1803–1887) moved to London by 1835, when he had a vote in St Martin-in-the-Fields parish in respect of a house in St Martin’s Street.222 Later that year he replaced Robert Wilkespaying poor rate of 1s 8d on a house in Spring Gardens.223 From 1835 he appeared in the Post Office directoriesas a newspaper agent at 2 Spring Gardens. In 1841 he was a London ‘news vendor’ at the same address andappeared in a poll book as having voted for Capt. Rous, R.N.224 David was a St Martin’s widower, booksellerand newsvendor by 12 December 1849 when he was married at St James, Piccadilly to Harriet Bennett.225 Theirson David Charles was born at 2 Spring Gardens on 30 September 1850 and baptised on 23 February 1851 atGreat Queen Street Chapel (a Methodist chapel in Lincoln’s Inn Fields). At the 1851 census David was at SpringGardens with Harriet, David (six months) and three servants: by this year he was paying rates of £2 1s 8d on a£50 rental.226 A second son Frederick Bennett Steel was born on 5 November 1852 and baptised at GreatQueen Street on 30 January 1853, but died in 1854.227 By 1861 David was a ‛bookseller’ at Spring Gardens withHarriet (born c.1816) and David C. From 1870 the property is shown as ‘4 Spring Gardens’ (on the N.E. side)and so continues until 1893.228 In 1871 David Steel was a stationer in Orpington village High Street, Kent withhis [unnamed] wife and David C. (also a stationer): Harriet died later that year.229

David Steel once again described himself as a stationer of St Martin’s when he took out a licence on 9 January1872 to marry Mary Ann Beecroft, a spinster of St James’, Piccadilly: the wedding took place at St James’ on 11January.230 In 1881 David was a retired newsagent at 24 Ravensbourne Road, Bromley, with Mary Ann (bornc.1817). David made his will on 8 October 1886, providing annuities of £25 to Mary Ann and £35 to Davidjunior, but leaving all the remainder of his estate to the children of his late brother Richard: the executors wereto be his nephews Joseph (farmer) and William (cordwainer). David Steel died at 5 Denmark Villas, WidmoreRoad, Bromley on 12 February 1887. His widow Mary Ann made her will at Denmark Villas on 28 April 1888,with a bequest of £5 to her step-son David. She died at Keston Villa, Keston on 26 May 1889.231

David and Harriet Steel’s son David Charles (born 1850, fl. 1888) was almost certainly ‘D.C. Steel, annuitant,born St Martin’s’, living in 1881 at 72 Mitford Road, Upper Holloway, Islington.232 David died ‘about 1891’.233

Thomas Steel (1806–1885), married Ann Holdsworth at Addingham on 27 May 1827 and had eight children,all baptised at Addingham: Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Joseph and Ann (born at Sandfit, Addingham on 5 August1827, 8 February 1829, 8 August 1830 and 2 May 1832), followed by four born at ‛Addingham’: Eliza (30 April1837); Jane (11 April 1839); Sarah (18 August 1841); and Grace Ellen (20 March 1845). In 1841 Thomas was anAddingham woolcomber, living with his wife and six eldest children: in 1851 they were at Bland Fold and onlyJoseph had left home.234 Joseph was a joiner and cabinet-maker lodging at 7 Front Row, Leeds. In 1861Thomas and Ann were at Main Street, Addingham, with their three youngest daughters Jane, Sarah and GraceEllen (all worsted weavers). In 1871 Thomas was a Main Street farm servant, with his wife Ann and Elizabeth(41) and Grace Ellen (25). In 1881 Thomas was a silk sorter at Main Street, Addingham, with his wife Ann.Thomas died at 79 and was buried at Addingham 0n 30 May 1885. In 1891 his widow Ann Steel (83) was‛living on own means’ with her daughter Grace Ellen Sutcliffe. Ann Steel died aged 83 and was buried atAddinghham on 27 November 1891.

(For further details of Thomas and Ann’s descendants, please see this note).235

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Thomas and Ann’s youngest son Richard Steel (1809–1869) married Ann Clough at Addingham on 5 July1830: their eldest children (born at Smallbanks and baptised at Addingham) were Robert (7 September 1832)and Thomas (2 July 1834). From this point on all the family’s baptisms and burials were at AddinghamMethodist Chapel. John was born c.1839 and David on 27 May 1841. In 1841 the couple were living inAddingham with Robert (eight), Thomas (six), John (two) and David (11 days). John died on 1 March 1844: ason Joseph was born on 3 February 1844, a son William in August 1846 and a daughter Mary on 9 June 1850.

In 1851 Richard was a woolcomber at Mount Pleasant, Addingham with Ann (38) and Robert (18) and Thomas(16), both woolcombers and David (nine), Joseph (seven), William (four) and Mary (nine months). In 1852Richard (‛43, woolcomber, Addingham’) was a witness in a testamentary case at Addingham.236 The youngestchild Ann was born on 23 June 1853. In 1861 the family were at Addingham Road End: Richard (52,agricultural labourer), Ann (49) Robert (26, stonebreaker), David (20, weaver), Joseph (17, shoemaker’sapprentice), William (13, weaver), Mary (nine) and Ann (seven).

Richard was one of the trustees of Addingham Methodist Chapel.237 He died aged 60 at 1 Moor Lane,Addingham as a woolcomber on 29 July 1869 and was buried at ‘Addingham Wesleyan Chapel’. In 1871 hiswidow Ann was at Moor Lane with Robert (39, a stonebreaker), Mary (20, a woollen weaver) and Ann (17, adomestic servant). The household was unchanged in 1881. Ann died at Moor Lane on 1 October 1888 and wasburied at the Wesleyan Chapel.

(For Richard and Ann’s many descendants, many of them buried at Addingham Wesleyan Chapel, please seethis note).238

Benjamin junior’s brother Richard Steel (1761–1820)

On 10 March 1803 Richard married Ann Jackson (died 1840), a grand-daughter of Thomas Jackson, thesecond husband of Richard’s grandmother Margaret Steel. Richard had already had an illegitimate daughterJudith Steel Jackson by Ann in 1789: Judith was to marry Thomas Lambert of Addingham in 1822, but died in1824. Richard and Ann Steel farmed at Brunthwaite. Their other daughter Margaret Steel, to whom we shallturn again later, was born in 1804: Margaret and her husband William Hartley were to farm at Brunthwaite intheir turn. Richard inherited a cottage in Silsden from his uncle William Steel in 1807. In his own will drawnup in 1819 Richard left the rents of this cottage to his daughters: the farm was to go to them on their mother’sdeath in 1840.239

Benjamin junior’s brother David Steel (1763–1784)

Benjamin and Elizabeth Steel’s son David died unmarried at 21 and was buried in Kildwick churchyard on 16November 1784.

Benjamin junior’s sister Judith Gill (1767–1816)

On 5 July 1797 Benjamin and Elizabeth’s daughter Judith married James Gill senior (1761–1842), farmer of 90acres of Holden Park, but died without issue in 1816.

Benjamin junior’s brother Joseph Steel (1769–1839)

Of Benjamin junior’s brothers, John had predeceased him in summer 1817, aged 44: his brother Richard wasto die in 1820, aged 59. Only Thomas and Joseph were left and it was Joseph, as Benjamin’s surviving executorwho had the main responsibility for his widowed sister-in-law Lydia, her three children and those two of herstep-children who were still minors at their father’s death. Joseph the uncle and guardian, who as we knowfrom the will of his brother John in 1817 already had a natural son David Pickard, had inherited money fromboth his uncle and aunt William and Isobel Steel in 1807 and farmed at first at Addingham Moorside. TheMethodists met from 1800 to 1803 ‘at the house of Joseph Steel in Silsden’. Joseph married Amey Teal ofSteeton in 1818 and farmed at Swartha. The licensed victuallers returns show that by 1822 Joseph had becomelicensee of the Red Lion at Glusburn, another of the Kildwick townships: he was to remain an innkeeper at theRed Lion and then at the Goat’s Head, Steeton until his death on 5 August 1839.240

Joseph made his will as a Steeton yeoman on 21 March 1839 with provision for his wife Amey and after herdeath to her niece Jennet Teal, daughter of Thomas Teal of Liverpool. The executors were to be his friends

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Thomas Pearson the younger and William Hindle, both of Steeton. The witnesses were Procter Hall of Keighleyand David Dixon of Steeton and the will (sworn ‘under £1000’) was proved on 24 February 1840.241

Benjamin junior’s brother John Steel (1773–1817)

Benjamin’s brother John inherited similar moneys from his uncle and aunt in 1807. As a ‛farmer’ of Kildwickparish he married Ann Holdsworth at Addingham on 11 May 1812,242 continuing to farm at Low Holden,although on 27 December 1816 he bought a property at Crosshills, Kildwick from a Sedbergh cotton spinner.243

Described as a ‘yeoman of Low Holden’ in the Crosshills lease and release and ‛of Howden’ in his will made on8 July 1817 (witnessed by John Steel and James Gill) he left £14 per annum to his widow Ann and theCrosshills property in trust and ‘all my personal property at Holden’ equally to ‘all my young children’: thedeath duty register noted in 1818 that his debts had exceeded his assets.244 The only trace of ‛all’ John and Ann’s young children are two sons Richard (1812–1829) and John junior(1817–1892). Richard was born on 18 November 1812 and baptised at Addingham on 27 December, but buriedat Addingham on 14 January 1829, aged 16.245 John junior was born on 23 December 1817 (son of John Steel,farmer, Crosshills) and baptised at Kildwick on 8 February 1818.246

John junior married Jane Summersgill at Addingham on 31December 1836 and their first children (born andbaptised at Addingham were Ann (5 July and 13 August 1838), Elizabeth (30 November and 6 January 1839)and John (19 February and 14 March 1841). John (23, a woolcomber), Jane (25) and their young family were atParkinsons Fold, Addingham in 1841. A daughter Jane was born on 14 March 1845 and baptised on 25 Juneand a second Jane born on 10 October 1849 and baptised 24 July. In 1851 John (33, a ‛woolcomber andfreeholder’ was at Bar Hill, Glusburn with Jane (31, born at Silsden) and the four Addingham-born children.By 1857 the family had moved to Bradford, where Benjamin was born on 16 March 1857: he was baptised atAddingham on 5 July. In 1861 John (42) was an overlooker comb maker at 43 Arcadia Street, Manningham(Bradford), with Jane (46), Ann (23, employed in a worsted mill); John (20, a litter carrier), Fanny (seven,baptised at Addingham on 24 July 1853), Jane (11) and Ben (five, born at Bradford). In 1871 John (53, anoverlooker) was at 8 Fairfax Street, Bowling (Bradford) with Jane (57), John (overlooker, 30), Fanny(machinist, 17) and Ben (15). The 1874 electoral register shows a property at Crosshills, near the toll gate,owned by ‘John Steel of Bradford’: the land tax returns show a cottage there occupied by Hannah Steel from1822.247 In 1881 John and Jane Steel (58 and 63) were worsted mill overlookers at 12 Dock Fields, New Row,Bradford. On 17 March 1887 John was a ‛former combing overlooker, now out of business’ and living at 55Great Cross Street, Bradford when he made his will: his daughters Fanny (wife of William Good of 54Parsonage Road, Bradford) and Elizabeth (wife of James Clark) were to be executors and after provision forJane he made his [five] children Fanny, Elizabeth, John, Benjamin and Ann Woodhead tenants in common.Also in 1887 John, now a ‛gentleman’ of Great Cross Street bought 375 square yards of land at ShakespeareStreet.248 In 1891 John (73, living on own means) and Jane (77, born Bingley) were at 34 Shakespeare Street,(St Peter’s) Bradford. As a ‛gentleman’, John died there on 21 May 1892: his estate was valued at £86. John’swidow Jane died on 7 February 1893.249

On 30 December 1893 all John’s sons and daughters, now named as Elizabeth, wife of James Clark, millmanager; Ann Woodhead of Keighley, widow; Fanny, wife of William Good, librarian; John, of Bradford,warehouseman; and Benjamin, of Bradford, professor of music all combined to sell their grandfather’s sixcottages at Bar Hill, Crosshills.250 Three months later four of the five sold 34 and 36 Shakespeare Street to theirsister Ann for £225: the deed gives Fanny’s address as North Parade, Elizabeth’s as Peel Street, John’s as LeedsRoad, and Benjamin’s as Hall Lane.251

For further details of John and Jane Steel’s descendants, please see this note.252

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6. THE ORPHANED APPRENTICE: JOSEPH STEEL

The young Joseph apprenticed

As we have seen, Lydia Cockshott died at Silsden in 1828, aged 44: she was buried at Kildwick on 13 April.Later that year, on 1 November, her 11½-year-old son Joseph Steel was apprenticed by his uncle and guardianJoseph Steel to Hugh Spencer (1797–1872), a young Silsden blacksmith. Joseph the uncle had moved by thatyear from Glusburn to Steeton to become innkeeper at the newly rebuilt Goats Head253 and now acted as thesurviving executor of his brother Benjamin, to place his orphaned nephew in an apprenticeship which wouldalso provide the young Joseph with ‘meat, drink, clothes, washing and lodging’ for the nine years, eight monthsand 27 days until he reached the age of 21 (calculated as the 21st anniversary of his baptism, of which acertificate was produced and attached to the indenture).254

Silsden was noted for its smithies in the nineteenth century, most of them part of the local nail-makingindustry. The first reference to nail-making in the town is in 1760: by 1821 there were four master nail-makersthere, of whom Hugh Spencer was already one. There were ten smithies by 1841, each with its own master: bymid-century there were said to be 200 forges within two miles.255 Hugh Spencer’s house and smithy lay close toSilsden mill at the bottom end of the town and is almost certainly the building which was still surviving in 1978as Hainsworth Forge. The manor field book of 1823 lists a ‘house, smithy, several cottages and a croft betweenthe mill race and the beck’ in the tenancy of Edward Spencer.256 By 1836 a survey showed Hugh Spencer with a‘house, smithy, yard, garden and waste’ of 1 acre and 21 roods,257 and in the same year he is among the propertyholders required by the manor jury to repair ‘the goit or water-course leading to Silsden Mill’ as far as hisboundary extends.258 Water for the mill was carried from Holden in a wooden duct which emptied into the goitnear Clog Bridge.259 A later hearing in 1859 required the turnpike commissioners to rail off the dangerouswatering place ‘near to Hugh Spencer’s’ ‘at the bottom of the town’.260

No details have come to light of the young Joseph’s life between the beginning of his apprenticeship in 1828and his appearance in Liverpool 17 years later in 1845 (at the age of 28), but we may presume that he lived inSilsden with Hugh and Sarah Spencer and their large family until the completion of his apprenticeship in July1838 at the age of 21. There are a series of deeds dated from 1830 to 1838 relating to the sale of Joseph’sfather’s property at Sutton by Joseph the uncle and executor and the death duties register makes clear thatpayment of all duties and bequests was completed in March 1835.261

Joseph’s apprenticeship ends

There was an additional bequest of £30 for Joseph when his uncle Joseph died of ‘natural decay’ at Steeton on4 August 1839: this was paid a year after the death of his uncle’s widow Amelia, who died of consumption atSteeton on 6 August 1844: she was buried at Kildwick on 11 August. Joseph had left his pew in Kildwick churchto Jennet, a daughter of his wife’s brother Thomas Teal of Liverpool.

By 1841 there was a different apprentice living at Hugh Spencer’s smithy and it seems likely that the youngJoseph Steel moved away, perhaps to Liverpool, after his apprenticeship and his uncle’s death. By this time theyoung Joseph’s nearest relatives in Silsden were his step-father John Cockshott; his half-brothers and sisterDavid Steel and John and Ann Cockshott; and many cousins, children of his father’s brothers, among whomwe shall note particularly Margaret Hartley of Brunthwaite. At Holden there were only the old William Steel (asecond cousin, who was to die in 1840) and William’s nephew John Booth.

Joseph Steel’s half-brothers Thomas and Heaton Steel

Joseph Steel had five half-brothers, two full sisters and one half-sister. Of his father’s four sons by his first wifeMary Fortune we have seen that Thomas died in infancy. Heaton, the third son, died in 1829 aged 26 and wasburied at Kildwick on 30 June. His banns had been called at Silsden in May 1826 when he was a ‘labourer ofSilsden’ for a marriage to a Silsden minor named Mary Shuttleworth, but the wedding probably never tookplace, for the banns seem not to have been completed.

William Steel (1797–1861) and Jane Lancaster (died 1848) and Mary Hartley (died 1875)

Joseph’s eldest half-brother William (born 9 September 1797 and baptised at Kildwick on 12 November) has tobe distinguished from others of that name and particularly from:

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William Steel of Smallbanks, born in 1799 and a great-grandson of William’s great-great-uncle John Steel(1686–1766) of North End; and William Steel of Brunthwaite, nailmaker, probably born in 1792 (perhapsthe William Steel of Silsden buried at Kildwick aged 21 in 1814) and eldest grandson of William’s great-uncleWilliam Steel of Holden.

Joseph’s brother ‘William Steel of Silsden, bachelor, woolcomber’ married Jane Lancaster, spinster (born atStorrits, Bolton Abbey in 1787) after banns at Kildwick on 4 February 1821: both parties marked and thewitnesses were John Asquith and Anthony Spencer. ‘William Steel of Silsden Townhead’ was (with John andDavid Steel of Silsden Moor) among those with pews in Silsden chapel in 1824.262 In 1841 William was awoolcomber, living in Chapel Lane, Ilkley with his wife Jane: the couple seem to have had no children.263 Janedied in 1848, aged 62, and was buried at Bolton Abbey on 16 January. In 1851 William, still a woolcomber (‘53’,born at Silsden in 1797) was a widower, living in Ilkley with a 12-year-old boy William Brown (anotherwoolcomber) as his lodger.

William Steel was the probable father of the child Alfred Steel Hartley, born to ‛Mary Hartley, single woman,Ilkley’, registered in the Setember quarter of 1855 and baptised at Ilkley on 2 September. It was obviouslyWilliam who married Mary Hartley in the September quarter of the same year.264 Mary Steel was 46 in 1861,when the couple were at Chapel Lane, Ilkley with Jane Holmes (80) a retired farmer and lodger. The childAlfred Steel Hartley was also in Ilkley, but in the household of his uncle John Hartley, a farmer of eight acres.William Steel of Ilkley died aged 64 later in 1861 and was buried there on 23 November. In 1871 his widowMary was living alone next to the chapel in Chapel Lane, Ilkley: ‛Mary Steel, Ilkley’ died in 1875, aged 60 andwas buried there on 18 January.

In 1871 Alfred Steel (sic) was a joiner’s apprentice at 6 Salem Street, Bradford West End. He married ClaraJosling/Gosling in 1878265 and in 1881 was a carpenter joiner at 122 Garnett Street, Bradford East. In 1891Alfred was a joiner at 31 Percival Street, Bradford East and in 1901 a joiner’s foreman at 4 Salem Street, ManorRow: his children were Charles Albert Steel (a stuff warehouseman, born c.1880); Alfred Arthur (a joiner, bornlate 1882),266 Herbert (stuff warehouseman, c.1886); and Ernest Victor (1897–1919). The 1911 census foundAlfred (55) and Clara still at Salem Street, with Charles (and his new wife Annie) and Ernest (now 14): Alfredwas now a joiner and builder’s manager and Charles a ‛stuff and cloth trade pattern room foreman’. Claramade her will on 12 December 1911, leaving ‛plate, linen, china, glass, books, pictures, prints and furniture’(bequeathed to her by her mother) to her youngest son Ernest (then under 21): Clara’s husband was alive atthis time. She died (‛wife of Alfred Steel’) at Salem Street on 19 February 1918 and was buried at Undercliffecemetery on 21 February: her will was proved on 12 March.267 Kelly’s Bradford directory of 1922 continued toshow ‛Alfred Steel, foreman’ at 20 Salem Street.

(For further details of Alfred and Clara’s descendants, please see this note).268

David Steel (1799–1854) and Esther Green (died 1868)

Joseph Steel’s other half-brother David (born 1799) is easy to trace. He became a tailor in Silsden and marriedEsther Green at Kildwick on 1 November 1824. He was probably the ‘David Steel, Silsden’ who registered hisuncle Joseph’s death in 1839. David is found in Silsden census returns for 1841 and 1851 with his wife andeight children: Elizabeth (1827–1883); Judith (1829–1866); Benjamin (1831); Rose (1834–1867); Agnes(1836–1891); Mary (born 1840); Sarah Ann (1843–1869); and Magdalene (born 1846). David Steel died atSilsden on 3 June 1854 of ‘inflammation of the lungs, six weeks’ and was buried at Kildwick: he was 55. Hiswidow Esther was living at Crossmoor Road, Silsden in 1861 with five of their seven daughters, all worstedpower-loom weavers: Elizabeth (34), Judith Glover (already a widow, 32), Rose (26), Agnes (23), Mary (20)and Sarah Ann (18). Also with them was Judith’s daughter Magdalene (eight). Esther Steel died in February1868, aged 68.

Of David and Esther’s daughters, Elizabeth was baptised at Kildwick on 30 March 1827; Mary was baptised on20 February 1825; Judith (born 5 July 1829, baptised 1 October) married Thomas Glover, a nailmaker atSilsden on 13 March 1853: Thomas was buried on 22 July 1857, at 25 and Judith on 1 January 1866, aged ‛35’[recte 37]: in 1871 Magdalene Glover (a French polisher) was living in Chapel Street with her midwifegrandmother Jane Glover. Rose was born 22 November 1833 and baptised 16 February 1834; Agnes was born6 November 1836 and baptised 15 January 1837; a second Mary was born 11 August 1840 and baptised 25October; Sarah Ann was born 24 June 1843 and baptised 27 August); Magdalene was born 23 November 1846and baptised 4 April 1847.

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Sarah Ann married Alfred Clarkson, a tailor on 15 June 1861: their daughter Isabella was born 20 November1863,and baptised on 3 January 1864. Alfred was buried at Silsden on 16 July 1864, aged 24 and Sarah Ann on1 January 1869, at 25. Elizabeth married David Mason (1815–1890), a Silsden nailmaker on 26 November1864: at the 1871 census they were living in Back Lane next to the old Wesleyan Chapel and in 1881 inHighfield Lane, with children Tom (5) and Esther Ann (2, baptised 2 August 1868) and their niece IsabellaClarkson (7, orphan of Sarah Ann and Alfred): in 1881 Tom was a tailor’s apprentice and Isabella (who had a 7-month-old son Alfred) a weaver. Elizabeth Mason was buried at Silsden on 20 November 1883, aged 55 andDavid on 5 April 1890, at 75.269 In 1891 Tom (still single) was at 33 Bridge Street, with his nephew AlfredClarkson as a boarder. On 4 January 1864 Mary Steel married a wheelwright, Thomas Berry: they were livingin Silsden in 1871, without children. In the June quarter 1864 Agnes Steel married Sam Cockshott (1838–1901), a labourer: by 1871 Sam was a farmer of 38 acres at Sutton, with their children John (6) and Mary (4). In1881 Sam had 55 acres at Draughton manor house: with Sam and Agnes were John (16) and Mary (14). Agnesdied on 18 March 1891, aged 53 and was buried at Silsden on 23 March and Sam (of Raikes House) on 4 April1901, at 63.270 Their son John may have been the unmarried farm servant (26) at Skipton in 1891.

David and Esther’s only son Benjamin (1831) was born on 16 September 1831 and baptised at Kildwick on 11December 1831. Benjamin was with his parents in 1841 and 1851, but in 1861 he was probably the unmarriedtailor ‛24’ [recte 29] at Main Street, Silsden. In 1871 he was at Back Lane, ‛35’ [recte 39]. Benjamin marriedHannah Tillottson (1846–1920), daughter of Stephen Tillotson, a Silsden farmer in the September quarter1873.271 Their son Stephen Lister was born on 19 March 1876 and a daughter Jane Ann on 3 June 1879: bothwere baptised at Silsden on 25 March 1880. In 1881 Benjamin (‛45’, recte 49) was a tailor in Kirkgate, withHannah and Lister. A daughter Alice was born in June quarter 1887. In 1891 Benjamin was a tailor at MitchellSquare (‛50’, recte 59) with Hannah, Stephen (15, a millhand) and Alice (4). By 1901 Benjamin (‛65’), a tailorworking on his own account was at 10 Mitchell Square, with his wife Hannah (‛55’) and Alice (14, a cottonspinner). It was probably Benjamin who was buried at Silsden on 18 November 1903, aged 73 [recte 72]. Itwas no doubt his widow Hannah who died at Beamsley almshouses and was buried at Silsden on 27 March1920, aged 74.

Benjamin and Hannah’s son Stephen Lister Steel was a stonemason and married Ann Maria Ingleson (born atLeeds) at Keighley in June quarter 1898 and had a son Arthur born there in March quarter 1900: in 1901 thefamily were at 10 Bright Street, Silsden. A daughter Edith Alice was born on 10 July 1902 (baptised 17 July atIngrow, when the family were at Wheat Street, Ingrow), but died in the December quarter of that year. Arthurwas baptised at Ingrow on 17 August 1902. By 1911 Stephen Lister was a stonemason at 13 Fulham Street,Nelson with his wife Ann Maria and children Arthur and Annie (11 and five, born at Keighley), Elsie (three,born at Brierfield) and Edna and Fred (born in Burnley district in September quarter in 1913 and Decemberquarter 1915). Stephen died at Reedyford Cottages, Nelson on 19 July 1958, aged 82 and was buried atWheatley Inghamite church: there were floral tributes from ‛son Arthur, Winnie and Pat; daughter Annie andBill; daughter Elsie and Harry; son Fred, Betty and children; grandaughter Maureen; sister Alice and Harry’.

For further details of Stephen and Ann Maria descendants, please see this note.272

Joseph’s sister Martha Steel (1807–?1843) and her husband William Smith (fl. 1851)

Of Joseph’s two full sisters, Martha (born in 1807 and baptised at Silsden on 10 January 1808) was married toone Smith by the time her father’s death duties were paid in 1838: she was probably the Martha Steel ofSilsden who married William Smith (a Steeton mason, born c.1803) at Kildwick on 19 June 1832. Martha andWilliam Smith’s four eldest children were all born at Steeton: Benjamin (c.1832); John (6 February 1834,baptised 18 October 1835); Thomas (6 February, 13 March 1836); Frederick (5 April, 25 June 1837). Anotherson William Henry (11 November 1840, 14 February 1841) was born at Utley. All except Benjamin werebaptised at Kildwick.

The family were living at Steeton until at least 1837 and then at Low Utley from 1840, where they are found inthe 1841 census: William and Martha’s ages are both given as ‛38’ [recte ‛38’ and ‛34’]. Martha died in 1841–1851 and was probably the ‛Martha Smith, Utley’ buried at Kildwick on 10 September 1843, aged 34 [recte36].273 By 1851 William, now 48 was working as an agricultural labourer on his mother Martha Smith’s 36 acreSteeton farm at Elm: with them were William’s sons John and Frederick (17 and 13, agricultural labourers)and William H. (11, a scholar). William senior may have been the 66-year-old widower and weaver at BlandSquare, Steeton in 1871. It was probably Martha and William’s son ‘Fredric Smith’ who was a 24-year-oldbobbin mill worker, living at Silsden Road, Steeton with his power loom weaver wife Elizabeth and two youngKildwick-born children in 1861.274

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Joseph’s sister Elizabeth Steel (1814–1883) and her husband William Hird (died 1884)

Joseph’s younger sister Elizabeth (1814–1883) appears to have been living in Keighley in 1841 as a lodger (‛25’)with a North Street saddler named Charles Johnson. At 31 she married William Hird, a widower and Keighleycorn-miller at Keighley on 15 October 1845: Elizabeth gave her address as ‘Sumnerville Terrace, near Sheffield’.The Hirds continued to live in Keighley after their marriage. William Hird already had four children and hewas to have another four by Elizabeth: Joseph (born 1847); Elizabeth (1849–1919); Lydia (born 1852); andJames (born 1854).

In 1851 William was a journeyman miller at South Street Back, with eight children. In 1871 William Hird was‘nightwatch’ at 17 Regent Place with Elizabeth, their children Elizabeth (22, a dressmaker), Lydia (19, aworsted spinner) and James (17, a joiner’s apprentice) and their half-sister Asenath (33, a worsted spinner). In1881 William was a ‘general labourer’ at Regent Place with Elizabeth and his daughters Asenath Hird andElizabeth Driver (and her children): William appeared in the voters lists from 1874. His wife Elizabeth died in1883, aged 69 and was buried at Keighley cemetery, Utley on 5 July.275 Hird died at Regent Place on 4December 1884, aged 77. By his will (witnessed by Tom Steel of Queen Street, Keighley and proved on 3 March1885 by William N. Hird, a Keighley hairdresser), William left his property to one of his daughters, but hismoney to be divided equally amongst all his children. William and his daughter Asenath (died October 1900)were buried with Elizabeth at Utley, as was their daughter Elizabeth Driver who died aged 71 at 7 Drewry Road,Keighley in August 1919.

Elizabeth and William’s son Joseph Hird (already a machine tool maker at 14 in 1861) married Mary AnnSpencer at Keighley on 18 January 1868.276 A daughter Annie was born in August 1870 and baptised atKeighley in August 1871: at the 1871 census Joseph was an engine machine tool fitter at 11 Malvern Place withhis wife and Annie. Children Spencer and William were baptised in 1872 and 1875 and in 1881 the family wereat Park Lane, Keighley with children Annie, Spencer, Elizabeth (four) and John (two). Joseph was a milkdealer in 1889 and 1891, when he was at 112 and 116 Park lane with Mary Ann, Annie (20), Spencer (18, amechanic), Elizabeth, John (12, a doffer worsted) and James (four). Joseph Hird died in September quarter1896 and in 1901 his widow Mary Ann was at 102 Park Lane, with Spencer (28, an an iron machine fitter) andhis wife Mary J., their children Joseph (three) and Fred (one) and Spencer’s brother James (19).

Elizabeth Hird junior was a dressmaker and married Hudson Driver in March quarter 1872277: they had fourchildren Bertha (1873); Rebecca (born 1874); Joseph (born 1877); and Mary Ann (born 1880). ElizabethDriver, a married dressmaker was living with her parents in 1881, with her four children Bertha (eight),Rebecca (seven), Joseph H. (four) and Mary Ann (one), as was one of William’s elder daughters Asenath (aworsted spinner). In 1891 Elizabeth was a widowed dressmaker at 12 Heber Street with Bertha and Rebecca(18 and 17, worsted twisters), Joseph (14) and Mary Ann, together with Elizabeth’s half-sister Asenath (adomestic servant). In 1901 Elizabeth Driver was at 34 Regent Place with her daughters Mary Driver and BerthaMidgeley, together with Bertha’s husband John B. Midgeley (commercial clerk) and their daughter Lydia M.(three).

In 1871 Lydia Hird was a worsted spinner aged 19 and in 1881 she was probably the Keighley-born milliner(29) living as a boarder with a Selby plumber.

James Hird (17) was an apprentice joiner in 1871.

Joseph’s half-sister Anne Cockshott (1824–1905) and her husband John Clarkson (1826–1900)

We have seen that Joseph Steel had a half-sister Anne Cockshott, born at Silsden in 1824.278 Ann was livingthere with her father and brother in 1841 and a daughter Lydia was born to her in 1847, but died in 1848. Adaughter Agnes was born on 9 September 1848. On 8 January 1849 Ann Cockshott of Silsden (‘daughter ofJohn Cockshott, soldier’) was married at Silsden to John Clarkson, a Silsden nailmaker and son of Jonas,farmer of Tar Topping. Eight days later (16 January 1849 their daughter Agnes (born in 1848) was baptised atSilsden (as a child of ‛John Clarkson, nailmaker and Ann). In 1851 Ann and John Clarkson (nailmaker) wereliving in Caleb Street, Silsden, with the two-year-old Agnes. In 1857 John was one of six receiving equal sharesin the estate of their father Jonas Clarkson.279 John and his family were still at Caleb Street in 1861, Ann now aworsted power-loom weaver and Agnes (at 12) a worsted factory spinner. It was probably Agnes who wasburied at Silsden on 22 April 1877.280

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In 1881 and 1891 Ann and John Clarkson were at 20 St John Street, Silsden: John still a nail-maker and Ann aworsted weaver. John Clarkson (74) died at Highfield Lane and was buried at Silsden on 7 April 1900. In 1901Ann Clarkson, widow (76) was at 18 Highfield Lane, Silsden: the return notes ‛lives on charity’. Ann Clarkson(80) was buried at Silsden on 17 February 1905.281

Joseph Steel’s half-brother John Cockshott (born 1826) and his wife Hannah Feather (died1908)

The youngest of Joseph Steel’s siblings was his mother’s son John Cockshott junior, born in 1826.282 John wasmarried at Silsden on 9 July 1855 to Hannah Feather, daughter of Edward Feather, a joiner of St John’sSquare, Silsden.283 Both John and his father were described as pensioners, as was John on 10 August 1856when his son John William Cockshott (born 3 March) was baptised at Silsden. Hannah’s husband John seemsto have died soon afterwards.284 In 1861 his widow Hannah (a worsted power-loom weaver) and the five-year-old John William were living at Caleb Street in Silsden with Hannah’s Blackburn-born mother and her family.

In 1871 John William (15, a joiner’s apprentice) was living at 193 Westgate, Bradford with four of his mother’ssiblings.285 On 29 May 1876 Hannah Cockshott of Silsden, widow bought two cottages and a coal-house in StJohn Street ‛formerly used for the reception of the poor’. In 1881 Hannah Cockshott may have been the widowof that name (‛64’) living in Silsden as a servant to Joseph Gill (a nailmaker) at Thanet Square. On 27 February1882 Hannah Cockshott of Silsden, widow sold some property in St John Street to [her sister] Agnes Feather,spinster of Bradford.286

One John W. Cockshott was married at Keighley in September quarter 1880.287

In 1901 John William was said to be ‘47’, ‘single and a ‛scavenger’, living with his mother at 6 Kirkgate, Silsden.John William Cockshott married Mary Butler at North Brierley, Bradford in the December quarter of 1902.

John Cockshott’s widow Hannah was living at 2 Kirkgate, Silsden when she made her will on 19 June 1908,leaving her estate (eventually valued at £66) to a Kirkgate friend, but providing for a 10s weekly payment toher son John William and his wife: Hannah died later that day, aged 86. Curiously the press notice called her‛Hannah, widow of Thomas [sic] Cockshott’.288 Hannah’s will was proved on 17 July.

In 1911 Silsden-born John W. Cockshott was a 58-year-old waterworks worker living at 43 Bridgefield Street,Hapton, near Burnley with two lodgers and his wife ‘Mrs Martha Cockshott’.

John William Cockshott died aged 74 in 1927 at 121 Fell Lane, Keighley and was buried at Silsden.289

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7. LIVERPOOL

Joseph Steel in Liverpool

Joseph Steel probably left Silsden in c.1838 at the age of 21. He may have moved immediately to Liverpool,where living from c.1834 was Thomas Teal (brother-in-law to Joseph’s uncle and guardian). Born at Steeton in1796 Thomas was an elder brother of Amelia Teal, wife of Joseph the uncle.290 Thomas Teal was at first astonemason of 50 Warwick Street, Toxteth Park and from 1841 a stonemason and contractor of 151 GraftonStreet.291 It is not, however, until 1845 that we have evidence of Joseph Steel’s arrival (at the age of 28). ByNovember of that year he was a lodger292 at 31 Dublin Street, beside Clarence Dock (a little way north of thetown centre), but owning a share in houses at Toxteth, on the south side.

In 1845/6 the electoral register for South Lancashire included for the first time in the Toxteth Park ward, 26voters qualifying by ‘a share of freehold houses, Bedford Street, Park Street and Upper Mann Street’. Amongthese was Joseph Steel, one of four of the 26 whose property is marked ‘Thomas Mawdesley and others,tenants’. The register was valid for any parliamentary election for a year from 30 November 1845.293

Bedford, Park and Mann Streets were two miles from Dublin Street, across the town centre, on the southernedge of Liverpool’s rapidly increasing development and close to Brunswick Dock, opened in 1832 to serve thetimber trade. Building had taken place in Bedford Street and the Stanhope Street end of Mann Street by 1823,but was not to reach as far south as Park Street until after 1837. The houses in which Joseph had a freeholdshare were thus probably newly built ones.

Also appearing for the first time in the electoral register in 1845/6, in respect of a similar share in BedfordStreet, Stanhope Street and Mann Street freeholds was Thomas Mather Hodgkinson, whose daughter Marywas to become Joseph’s second wife 14 years later. The Hodgkinson family had arrived in Toxteth Park fromBarton-upon-Irwell in 1839/40, but were by 1845 living ¼ mile from Joseph in newly-built property on thetown’s northern edge at Blenheim Street, Vauxhall Road. This was close to the ‘New Cut’, made in 1846 tolink the Leeds and Liverpool Canal with the north docks.

Dublin Street: 1845

The 1845/6 electoral register gave Joseph’s address as 31 Dublin Street: this lay in the new north docks area ofLiverpool, adjacent to Clarence Dock, built for steamers by the Yorkshire engineer Jesse Hartley in 1830.Dublin Street itself was named after the City of Dublin steam packet service, which had its berths close by. 31Dublin Street was part of a new terrace of houses, built after 1841. By 1848, 31 Dublin Street was to be aboarding house run by Jane Gilling (married by 1851 to Thomas Bell, a blacksmith). There were nine lodginghouses in the street by 1851 and large numbers of Irish. On either side of No. 31 in 1848/9 were an Irishboarding house keeper and an Irish copper dealer.

Clarence Buildings, Whitley Street: 1846–1848

By November 1846 Joseph had moved to Clarence Buildings in Whitley Street. This was a street laid out in thebrick fields after 1836, in an area of corn and guano warehouses, foundries and spirit vaults between GreatHoward Street and Love Lane. The Leeds and Liverpool canal ran nearby, with warehouses on both banks andin October 1846 work had begun on the Liverpool and Bury Railway (later the Liverpool, Crosby andSouthport and Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway), which was to close off Whitley Street to the east.

Clarence Buildings294 was a grand name for one of Liverpool’s infamous courts. Joseph Steel seems to havebeen fortunate indeed to survive the devastating typhus epidemic which swept the whole area between thedocks and Scotland Road in 1847. Even in 1883 Whitley Street295 was to be named as one in which ‘fever densalso abound’. By then, some of its courts had been improved, but others were still ‘blocked up with houses ofthe usual squalid type’. Such courts contained ten dwellings, with a closet such as one which, by 1883, was ‘inthe usual condition of abomination, the atmosphere is foul in the extreme, and no through current of air canever pass’.296

Joseph lived at Clarence Buildings, no doubt as a ‘lodger’, for three years. By 1851 Clarence Buildings were tobe occupied by two mariners, two mariners’ wives, a shipwright, a cab-owner, an engine stoker, a carter, aboiler-maker, a laundress and a dock labourer. The electoral registers of 1846/7 to 1848/9 show Joseph at‘Clarence Buildings, Whitley Street’, with a share in the same Toxteth Park freeholds.297

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Denbigh Street: 1849–1853

The electoral registers show that by November 1849, Joseph had moved ½ mile further north along GreatHoward Street and across the ‘New Cut’ to Denbigh Street, on the furthest extremity of the town’s spread, closeto the sands and brickfields beyond the Kirkdale boundary towards Bootle. Joseph was now living at ‘MrsHolloway’s’ in Denbigh Street, where he is found in the 1851 census as a 33-year-old blacksmith, a lodger withJames Halliwell, labourer (41) and his wife Alice, their boiler-maker son and labourer son-in-law, and anotherlodger, also a boiler-maker.298 James Halliwell is listed in the 1853 Liverpool directory as a ‘provision dealer’ at19 Denbigh Street. The other householders of Denbigh Street in 1851 were two masons, a shipping clerk, anoverlooker, a plasterer, a boiler-maker, a storeman and a labourer’s mother. Joseph Steel is shown at ‘MrsHolloway’s’ in the registers for 1849/50 and 1850/1 and at ‘Denbigh Street’ in those for 1851/2 to 1853/4.299

Denbigh Street was then under construction between the Athol Street coke and gas works to the east andGreat Howard Street to the west: like Whitley Street it had the new railway from Liverpool Tithebarn Street(later Exchange) Station running past its eastern end from 1850. By the 1850s the area round Denbigh Streetwas to become a densely-packed slum, nick-named ‘Sebastopol’.300

A satirical booklet published in 1853 describes the railway journey out of Tithebarn Street, giving a vividpicture of the rapid pollution of this north Liverpool environment as the town expanded:

for several miles out … the heavens are obscured by the graceful wreaths of curling smoke which are vomited forth at intervalsfrom the very bowels of the earth ... connected with the manufacture of gas, vitriol, soap and other perfumery, extensive edifices are erectedfor the sole purpose of forming admixtures of various ingredients, to gratify the olfactory nerves and the admiring gaze of thousands.301

An imaginary picture of the same journey, describes the area as it was to appear 100 years or so later (c.1962):

Further onwards the canal locks are crossed ... and the gasholders of Athol Street come into view on the right. The district is afantastic mixture of industrial buildings, warehouses, tenements, ancient four-roomed houses in narrow streets and a panorama of cranesand ships in the docks to the west of the line. St Albans Church with its square tower, looking like a village church, nestles among theindustry on the down side where it crosses Denbigh Street.302

The electoral register for 1851/2 showed a change. Joseph was still living in Denbigh Street, but he now hadseven freehold houses of his own in Toxteth Park, listed as ‘2, 3 and 5 Mann Street and 7–12 Ancient BritonBuildings, Mann Street’: the tenants were ‘Harker, Martin & others’. Mann Street had a number of ‘buildings’and ‘places’ leading off it: each was in fact one of the Liverpool ‘courts’ (later to become so infamous) andAncient Briton Buildings contained 12 dwellings.303

It was the practice of the Merseyside dock trustees to employ directly shipwrights and smiths for themanufacture of capstans, bollards and other fittings for use in the docks. Many of these worked in the trustees’‘dockyard’ (moved to Coburg dock in the late 1830s), which had its own shipwrights’ shops, smithies andfoundries. Larger fixtures were supplied by contract firms.

Thomas Hodgkinson appears in the 1850 register as occupier both of 9 Tatlock Street, Vauxhall Road and of100 Park Street, Toxteth Park and is shown with shares of freeholds in Bedford Street, Upper Mann Streetand 100 Park Street.304

Joseph Steel’s uncle Thomas Teal was by 1851 a 55-year-old contractor and cart-owner, living at 248 GreatHoward Street with his wife Marion; a son Thomas (born at Manchester in c.1832) and five other childrenborn in Liverpool from c.1834 to c.1842. Teal died on 1 March 1851: administration of his ‘under £600’estate was granted to his widow on 6 May and in 1861 her home at 1 Hurst Street was described as theDumfries and Galloway Arms.

Joseph Steel marries Jane Arnold: 1853

On 14 August 1853 Joseph Steel (now 36) was married at Walton parish church to Jane Arnold (30), daughterof Joseph Arnold (1793–1864), a Chorley joiner originally from Ormskirk. Joseph was described as a‘blacksmith’: both bride and groom were living in Bootle and both signed their names. The witnesses wereWilliam Hartley (husband of Joseph’s cousin Margaret) and Eliza Arnold (probably Jane’s sister).

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The Arnold family

Jane Arnold had been born at Chorley, Lancashire in 1823 and baptised there on 29 June, a child of JosephArnold and his wife Martha (née Rawsthorne, married at St Peter’s, Liverpool on 5 December 1813). A sonWilliam was born to the Arnolds and baptised at Lathom (Ormskirk) on 11 September 1814. Then came themove to Chorley, where children were born and baptised at Chorley as follows: John and Elizabeth (18March 1821); Jane; Henry and Esther (3 April 1825); Eliza (16 May 1830); Hannah; and William. By 1841Joseph and Martha Arnold were living at Water Street, Chorley and Jane, Eliza, Hannah and William werestill with them. By 1851 Jane had left Chorley and together with her younger sister Esther 1826) was lodgingas a dressmaker in the household of Elizabeth Whalley, in Derby Road, Bootle. Jane’s father Joseph Arnold(a journeyman joiner and widower) was still at West Street, Chorley with Eliza, William and a grand-daughter Martha Jane (born 1847). 305

Joseph’s brother William Arnold (born at Ormskirk in 1790) was a retired dyer and farmer at AughtonMoss, Ormskirk: his wife was born in Middlesex. At the 1851 census they were at Halsall Lane, Aughton, butthey also owned a house and shop at 9 Ranelagh Street, Liverpool.306 In his will, drawn up a few days beforehis death from erysipelas on 13 July 1852 (aged 62) William instructed his executors to sell his property(including the Crown and Anchor Inn at Scotland Road in Liverpool) after the death of his widow and todivide the proceeds among his nieces and nephews (children of his brothers Joseph and John and of hissisters). William’s widow Elizabeth died of bilious cholera at Seacombe Street, Liverpool on 9 February 1853,aged 62. William and Elizabeth were buried at Liverpool’s ‘Necropolis’.307

It seems likely that it was the death of Jane Arnold’s aunt Elizabeth in February 1853 which made possibleJane’s marriage to Joseph Steel on 14 August. Jane’s share of her uncle’s estate was paid on 24 August andJoseph acted immediately to pay in a mortgage of £400 through Messrs Sanderson, a firm of Liverpoolsolicitors: a note of his £6 7s 5d costs in this transaction survives.308

Joseph and Jane Steel set up home in Upper Mann Street,309 Toxteth Park, at the southern end of the street,near its junction with Park Street: no doubt in one of the dwellings in which Joseph had had a freehold interestsince 1845. The development of this section of Toxteth Park had followed the construction of Hartley’sBrunswick Dock in 1832 and Upper Mann Street had been built gradually in a southerly direction, parallel withthe river Mersey. For many years building was confined to the east side of the street, with nothing else buttimber yards and rope walks on the hillside falling steeply down to Brunswick Dock, its adjacent graving docksand the river. Up-river to the southeast, open country remained, marred only by the smoke and fumes of thehuge Mersey Forge and Iron Works, only 100 yards from Park Street.

Joseph’s property in 38 (later renumbered as 81) Court and his adjacent house at 215 Upper Mann Street werein an area which became a health hazard long before the end of the century. By 1850 all the land betweenNorthumberland Street and Park Street had been ‘built up with crowded slums’ and as early as 1858 UpperMann Street was shown on Hume’s map as a ‘semi-pauper street’ in the ‘southern pauper area’.310 By 1883 ithad for twenty years been amongst ‘the most unhealthy part of the larger squalid district stretching round it’.Indeed by then Mann Street had become ‘perhaps the most persistently unhealthy street in Liverpool’, withfever deaths in every year since 1865.311

A ‘Report on the Health of the City’ by its Medical Officer of Health in 1906 includes a photograph of UpperMann Street’s ‘insanitary dwellings’312 and gives details both of the incidence of fever in 1882 to 1883 and of theventilation, drainage and general cleanliness of each dwelling. In 1851, 38 Court was occupied by five docklabourers, a forge labourer, a labourer, a mangle-woman, a shipwright, a mariner, a clerk, a constable and agardener and the houses on either side by a cow-keeper and a shoe-maker: the mangle-woman, clerk and shoe-maker were still there in 1861.

No children seem to have been born to Joseph and Jane Steel in their five-year marriage and Jane died aged 35on 28 October 1858 at their home in 38 Court (otherwise Ancient Briton Buildings) in New/Upper MannStreet of ‘diarrhoea, peritonitis and probable perforation’. Jane was buried at the Necropolis (now Low HillGardens) at Low Hill, Everton at 3 p.m. in the same grave as her uncle and aunt William and Eliza Arnold. Thecemetery is now cleared but there is a record of the gravestone inscription:

Jane, the beloved wife of Joseph Steel, who departed this life October 28 th 1858, aged 35 years. Her sorrowing husband deeplyregrets his painful bereavement in the loss of a wife so much loved.313

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Registering Jane’s death Joseph again declared his occupation as ‘blacksmith’. Strangely there occurs here theonly post-seventeenth occurrence of the spelling ‘Steele’ in the family’s affairs. Joseph clearly signed as theinformant in the name of ‘Steele’, although he did not use this form when signing the marriage registers in1853 or 1860.

Joseph Steel was to continue his association with his late wife’s parents and in 1864, together with WilliamPickles and Richard Sherrington, he was appointed executor of Joseph Arnold’s will and a trustee of certainproperty vested in Arnold under the will of his brother William. ‘Joseph Arnold, gentleman’ died on 29February 1864 at 17 Nottingham Street, Liverpool.

The Hartleys

It is now time to examine Joseph Steel’s cousins the Hartleys, who were to be closely linked with him inLiverpool while retaining their connection with Brunthwaite and Keighley. Margaret Steel, the youngerdaughter of Joseph’s uncle Richard (1761–1820), who was left £100 by her father, married William Hartley,a Keighley woolcomber at Kildwick in 1824. The couple had ten children between 1826 and 1844 and farmedat Town Head, Higher Brunthwaite. The six children who survived infancy are shown in the 1841 census asRichard Steel Hartley (born 1826); Judith Steel Hartley (born 1827); Jackson Smith Hartley (born 1828);William Pickles Hartley (born 1830); John Gill Hartley (born 1834); and Martha Ann Hartley (born 1837).

Margaret Hartley died in 1846 and in 1851 her widower William is shown at Town Head with threedaughters: the sons had all left. William Hartley stayed on at Town Head until after 1861 and died atKeighley in October 1871, but his children developed strong links with Liverpool.

William Hartley senior was a witness at Joseph Steel’s first marriage at Walton in 1853. By 1855 William’seldest son Richard was living at 3 Lonsdale Street, Toxteth Park and working as a tide waiter for thecustoms. By 1857 Richard was living in the adjoining 29 Lowther Street with his wife, the former Sarah AnnWhite. Richard and Sarah had four children, the elder of whom, William (1857–1924) and Mary Elizabethwere born in Liverpool. William was born at 29 Lowther Street, Toxteth Park and baptised at St Saviour’s,Toxteth: when he died in 1924 he was cremated at Golders Green, but his ashes were buried at Silsden. By1861 Richard’s wife was back at Town Head, Brunthwaite as ‘head of household’ and two more childrenRichard Steel Hartley and Sarah Ann Steel Hartley were born and baptised at Silsden in 1862 and 1866.Richard Hartley was a spirit dealer at 333 Derby Road, Bootle in 1869.

By 1859 Jackson Smith Hartley had arrived in Liverpool with his young Scottish wife Elizabeth: their sonWilliam James was born there that year and baptised at St Peter’s, Liverpool on 4 October 1859. Jacksonwas a police officer and the family lived at 213 Upper Mann Street (between a shoemaker and a docklabourer), which was one door north of Ancient Briton Buildings/38 Court/81 Court and thus next door toJoseph Steel’s former home.

William and Margaret Hartley’s elder daughter Judith married in 1854 James Verrell (born at Alfriston,Sussex): they had a son Peter (born 1858) and in 1881 were at 4 Elm Grove, Brighton, with William (20, anagricultural labourer) and Martha (13). William and Margaret’s youngest child Martha Ann (born 1837)was also at Brunthwaite at this time: in 1863 at Silsden she married John Murphy a Liverpool engineer.Their children Martha and John William were born in West Hartlepool in 1868 and 1872 and were withtheir widowed draper mother in 1881 at 125 Studley Road, Stranton, Durham.

John Gill Hartley (1834–1899), William and Margaret’s youngest son, arrived in Liverpool as a licensedvictualler by 1864. (One John Hartley, victualler was at 184 Vauxhall Road in 1855).314 From 1864 he keptpremises at 6 Crosbie Street, Park Lane, immediately beside the Wapping Goods Station. This was the goodsterminus of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, connected by tunnel to the passenger terminus at CrownStreet, Edge Hill. John and his Preston-born wife Alice had a son William Henry born there in 1865: he wasbaptised ‘son of John, wine and spirit dealer of 202 Park Street’ at St Michael’s, Pitt Street in July. TheCrosbie Street house, owned by what was by now the London and North-Western Railway Company waspulled down in 1874 when the Wapping Goods Depot was extended and after a short tenancy at 13 HeriotStreet, Kirkdale, the family took The Pheasant, on the north-west corner of Tavistock Street and Park Road,Toxteth Park later that year. It was at this time that John (as ‘John Steel Hartley’) Hartley became a trusteeof Joseph Steel’s will. In 1881 John was a licensed victualler at 77/79 Lime Street, Liverpool, with his sonWilliam, an ironmonger’s apprentice: he was licensee of The Westminster, at 214 Westminster Road in 1881and of The Roebuck, at 14 Great Charlotte Street, W in 1885. John was a licensed victualler at 110 Park

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Street, Bootle in 1891.

John Gill Hartley died in November 1899 in lodgings at Kildwick, leaving bequests to his son and grand-daughter Alice May Hartley, to his sister-in-law Elizabeth and to his sister Martha and nephew JohnWilliam Murphy (a gold masonic trowel and a diamond ring).

John’s brother William Pickles Hartley was a moulder:315 his daughter Elizabeth (born 1861) married JohnWade, a bootmaker in 1881. Another daughter Annie (1871–1953) married Edward Usher, a Bradfordengineer in 1900: they were buried at Silsden.

Joseph Steel’s second marriage to Mary Hodgkinson: 1860

After two years as a widower, on Christmas Day 1860 at St Michael’s, Toxteth, Joseph Steel married MaryHodgkinson (1829–1903), second child and eldest daughter of Thomas Mather Hodgkinson (1805–1878), aToxteth Park shipwright. Mary was 31 and a dressmaker and Joseph was 12 years her senior. The witnesseswere Elizabeth Hodgkinson (doubtless Mary’s sister) and John Gee. It is said that Mary’s parents opposed themarriage because of Joseph’s age,316 but the couple were living with them at 3 Park Street, Toxteth Park at thetime of the wedding and for some months afterwards.

The Hodgkinson family317

We have seen that Thomas Mather Hodgkinson and his wife Alice (née Sparkes) came to Liverpool fromBarton-on-Irwell in 1839/40. They lived at first at 3 Cheshire View, a newly built court at 141 Mann Street.By 1845 they had moved to 9 Tatlock Street, Vauxhall, but Thomas had a share, probably with Joseph Steel,in freehold houses at Bedford Street, Park Street and Mann Street, Toxteth Park.

The 1861 census returns show 3 Park Street between the Sea View public house and a provision merchant’shouse and shop. 3 Park Street was a crowded property, housing 14 persons in two separate households. Thelarger comprised Thomas and Alice Hodgkinson; their sons John and Thomas (29 and 19: shipwrights);William (16: clerk in a merchant’s office); their daughter Elizabeth (24: a dressmaker); and their daughterMary and her husband Joseph Steel.318

Although Park Street formed the southern edge of ‘the dens of Toxteth Park’ by 1883, it was also the boundarybetween Liverpool and the old township of Harrington, almost entirely rural until 1850.

16 Napier Street, Birkenhead: 1861 onwards

Joseph and Mary Steel soon moved from the Park Street house across the Mersey to 16 Napier Street, offCathcart Street in Birkenhead: here their first children Joseph (1861–1941); Benjamin (1863–1944); and Alice(1865–1867) were born. The Lancashire electoral registers of 1860/1–1863/4 show Joseph living at ‘3 NeaperStreet, Woodside [Birkenhead]’, but voting at Toxteth Park in respect of his Ancient Briton Buildingsfreeholds. The poor rate book for December 1861 shows Joseph ‘Stein’ [sic] renting 16 Napier Street from one‘Smith’: the house had a gross estimated rental of £10 and a rateable value of £9: the rate paid was 6s. Ratevaluation lists for March 1863, 1863–4, November 1864 and 1864–6 show Joseph (spelled variously as ‘Steel’,‘Stein’ and ‘Steen’) occupying the same house.319

Joseph’s son Benjamin recalled that his father had to walk three or four miles to near Birkenhead’s Great Float,to be at work for 6.00 a.m: in fact Napier Street was barely half a mile from the Float, at its nearest point andJoseph’s journey to work can hardly have been more than two miles.320 No doubt it felt longer! BirkenheadDocks, built in Wallasey Pool in 1844, were vested in Liverpool Corporation in 1855 and together withLiverpool Docks were taken over in 1857 by the new ‘Mersey Docks and Harbour Board’. Birkenhead’s ‘GreatFloat’, running 1½ miles from Wallasey to Egerton Docks was completed in 1860. Three of Joseph’s grandsonsvariously recalled having been told by their fathers that he was ‘head smith for the Birkenhead DockCompany’; ‘head smith for the Liverpool Tug Company’; and ‘head blacksmith for Liverpool Corporation’.321

The family had only been living in Napier Street for a year, when the area was swept by the sectarian riots ofOctober 1862. The vicar of Holy Trinity church (since 1840 the parish church for that part of Birkenhead)organised public meetings in support of Garibaldi in his struggle against the papacy: an Irish protestant, theRevd John Baylee filled the parish with orange placards. Unfortunately the ‘reformation bulwark’ of Holy

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Trinity lay ‘at the heart of a tangle of narrow streets occupied by some 5000 Irish dock labourers and theirfamilies’: bitter rioting, broken up by troops from Liverpool, was the inevitable result.322

Joseph and Mary’s second child Benjamin (born 18 May 1863) was baptised more than a year later, at HolyTrinity on 18 May. The third child Alice was born at Napier Street on 28 August 1865 and baptised at HolyTrinity on 8 October.

16 Neptune Street, Birkenhead

Sometime in the next 15 months the family moved a little nearer the docks, to 16 Neptune Street.323 Alice diedthere when she was a year old and was buried on 14 January 1867 at Birkenhead (now Flaybrick Hill)Cemetery.324 There was sharp frost and intensely cold weather in January 1867 and the Medical Officer ofHealth for the borough spoke at the beginning of the month of the ‘late outbreak of cholera’.325

6 Gore Street, Birkenhead: 1867–1871

It was perhaps in an attempt to avoid an unhealthy area that the family moved in 1867 to 6 Gore Street,Birkenhead. This was a house owned by ‘Lloyd’ and later by ‘Jones’, with a rental variously estimated as £9 in1868 and £8 in 1870 and £8 10s in 1871 (rateable value £8 and £7 10s): rates payable in 1871 were 17s 6d 326

Gore Street was also off Cathcart Street, two blocks further south-east than their earlier home in Napier Streetand close to Birkenhead Park: it was laid out after 1858 in the grounds of a large villa named Oak Field.327

Another daughter Mary Alice (1867–1891) was born to Joseph and Mary on 21 October 1867 and baptised on29 December. Joseph was listed as a blacksmith at 6 Gore Street in the directories for 1868 to 1872. A third sonThomas Mather (1869–1958) was born at Gore Street on 31 December 1869. Thomas Mather Steel wasbaptised on 20 March 1870 at Holy Trinity church.328 The family are to be found at 6 Gore Street in the 1871census returns.329

Lydiate Street

After ten years in Birkenhead the Steel family moved back across the river in late 1871 to 28 Lydiate Street,Lodge Lane, Toxteth Park. Here on 9 February 1872 the last child William Eaton (1872–1942) was born: hewas baptised on 14 April at St Clement’s, Toxteth.

Joseph Steel was said by his eldest son and namesake to have been a stern, severe Victorian parent: the secondson Benjamin described how Joseph junior was expected to keep the younger members of the family in orderand was severely punished for any of their misdeeds.330

Death of Joseph Steel

By now Joseph Steel was suffering from heart disease. He made his will on 29 September 1874, leaving all hisfreehold and leasehold property to three trustees to be sold for the benefit of his wife and children: the trusteeswere to be his brother-in-law George Hodgkinson of Chester; James Watson, dockmaster of 13 Eden Street,Lodge Lane;331 and John Steel Hartley, licensed victualler of Liverpool. The electoral register that year showedJoseph’s property as 215 Upper Mann Street and numbers 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 Ancient Briton Buildings (81Court), Upper Mann Street.

Joseph Steel died at 28 Lydiate Street of ‘cardiac disease sometime certified’ on 10 October 1874: he was 57.His young son Thomas Mather, not yet five, was dimly to remember the black-draped horse-drawn hearse onthe day of the funeral. Joseph was buried on 13 October at Toxteth Park Cemetery, Smithdown Road, wherehis gravestone bears the inscription:

... Death is the messenger of peace that calls the soul to heaven.332

Mary Steel’s widowhood

At the time of Joseph Steel’s death his six surviving children were aged 13, 10, nine, six, four and two. Hiswidow Mary’s father Thomas Mather Hodgkinson was living in retirement at Mary’s Cottage, Overton inFrodsham, where his grandson Thomas Mather Steel remembered visiting him before his death in 1878.

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At 3 Park Street, Mary’s sister Elizabeth Shiel and her brother Thomas Hodgkinson were living with their ownfamilies, sharing the house with a dock labourer and his large family.

In widowhood Mary Steel was greatly helped in bringing up her children by her brother George, a successfulChester auctioneer and estate agent, who had lived earlier in Australia and grown rich in the Victorian goldrush around Bendigo. In 1871 George had begun a four year partnership with his brother-in-law, anestablished Liverpool shipbuilder named Potter (who was to build the four-masted barque ‘Wanderer’, latermade famous by Masefield). Potter and Hodgkinson were in business together from 1871 to 1874 and Georgeappears in the Liverpool directories of 1872 to 1874 as a ‘shipbuilder (Potter and Hodgkinson)’ of BrookfieldHouse, Chester.

Mary was still listed at 28 Lydiate Street in 1876, later moving to 120 Solway Street, in the nearby Windsordistrict of Toxteth Park. Here she had a vote in 1880 and was listed in the directories of 1880, 1882 and 1884.The family were at Solway Street at the time of the 1881 census.333

The directories of 1885 and 1886 showed Mary Steel at 74 Aspen Grove, Toxteth Park and from 1887 to 1889she was nearby, at 69 Coltart Road.

Mary Steel then moved back across the river to what was probably a newly-built house at 65 Littledale Road,Seacombe: she was listed there from 1890 to 1893: in 1891 63 was empty, while a Welsh woollen merchant wasat 67.334 Mary’s second son Benjamin gave the Littledale Road address when he was awarded his ExtraMaster’s Certificate in February, 1892. Mary moved again in 1896 to 65 Buchanan Road, Seacombe and shemay have been the ‘Mrs Mary Steel’ at 59 Devonshire Road, Claughton from 1898 to 1900.

Two of Mary’s sons began to appear in the directories from 1896, when Joseph was first listed (as a ‘mastermariner’) at 15 Belgrave Street, Liscard (a house named Westwood from 1897).335 In 1901 Mary was atBelgrave Street with her daughter-in-law Esther and her one-year-old child Joseph Lincoln. Benjamin firstappeared in 1897 as a ‘mariner’ at 20 St Mary’s Street, Liscard. From 1902 he was ‘master mariner, Lieut.R.N.R.’336

Thomas Mather served his apprenticeship on the ill-fated 1047-ton barque Dinapore. She sailed fromMiddlesbrough on 12 March 1890 bound for Bahia Blanca in Argentina, but was grounded on 31 May betweenNichochea and Mar del Plata. Tom recalled being washed ashore at Mar del Plata and later going by train toBuenos Aires.337 Later in the year Tom had arrived in Montevideo, where he received a letter from his sisterAlice, written on 10 November.

By the time Mary Steel died in 1903, three of her four sons had married and the first three of eightgrandchildren had been born. Joseph had married Esther Spedding: their first child was Joseph Lincoln.Benjamin Joseph had married Kate Crease: their first child was Benjamin. Thomas Mather Steel (who at the1901 census was 2nd Officer of the Duke of Clarence, moored at Fleetwood Quay and single) married MaudSmith at Liscard later that year: their first child Thomas Eaton was born at Fleetwood on 24 May 1902.338 Theyoungest son William was to remain unmarried.

Death of Mary Steel

Mary Steel died on 1 July 1903, aged 74 at St Mary’s Street, Liscard.339

The death of Mary Steel is perhaps an appropriate place to end this account. It should be mentioned that ofJoseph and Mary Steel’s many descendants, the only ones to bear the name of Steel four generations on are theauthor of this account and Sir David Steel, grandson of Joseph and Mary’s eldest son Joseph. In the nextgenerations are Sir David’s sons Jonathan and Timothy Steel and their families.

For others of the name we have to turn to the descendants of Joseph Steel’s half-brothers William (1797–1861)and David (1799–1854). There then follow descendants of two of Joseph’s uncles Thomas (1759–1827) andJohn (1773–1817).

Meanwhile at Holden, where the family farmed for so long, and on the moor above Silsden where they wereinvolved at some time over a period of 200 years in the tenancy of almost every farm, only deeds, inventoriesand entries in the parish registers remain to tell the tale.

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© Thomas Steel,12 November 2016(In the endnotes, material in bold awaits checking or completion)

Copy documents in author’s collection

Yorkshire1612/13 Map of Holden Park Yorks Arch. Soc., DD 1211661 PR entry Kildwick C Mary1664 Court roll with Richard senior as resiant Y.A.S., DD 121/16/11677 Court roll with Richard senior as resiant Y.A.S., DD 121/16/21680 PR entry Kildwick B Grace7 Feb 1682/3 PR entry Kildwick M Richard & Grace Forton9 Dec 1683 PR entry Kildwick C Richard junior+ 1686 Particular of Holden Park Y.A.S., DD 121/1171686 Sig of Richard senior on Inv. of John Mitchell B1/S/M1689 Richard senior’s holding Y.A.S., DD 121/32/96 Sept 1692 Sig of Richard senior on Clifford’s Fee petition Y.A.S., DD 121/11/1224 May 1696 PR entry Kildwick C DavidApr PR entry Kildwick M Richard junior & Anne Heaton1 Oct 1724 PR entry Kildwick M David & Mgt Gott1705 Richard senior’s tenement in Holden Park survey Y.A.S., DD 121/34/121705 Richard senior’s Holden Park leasehold Y.A.S., DD 121/37/161706 Richard senior’s leasehold Y.A.S., DD 121/?34/121706 Repair estimate for Richard senior’s buildings Y.A.S., DD 121/107

Richard senior’s testimony Y.A.S., DD 121/?107/D2/f17a1713 Map of Holden Park Y.A.S., DD 121/107?1713 do do?? Map of Silsden ?6 Apr 1718 PR entry Kildwick C Benjamin senior1727 Sig of Richard junior on Inv. of Mary Jackson4 Apr 1728 PR entry Kildwick B Grace1739 Sigs of Richard junior & his sons Wm & Benj.1740 Inv. of Jos. Steel, 30 Oct. 17401740 Sig of Richard junior1741 Sig of Richard junior1755 Sig of Richard junior

PR entry Kildwick B David15 Oct 1749 PR entry Kildwick M Mgt & Thos Jackson20 Oct PR entry Kildwick B AnneDec 1756/1757 Banns for Benjamin senior & Elizabeth21 Oct 1757 Will of Richard junior2 Aug 1758 PR entry Kildwick B Richard junior

9 Jan 1757 PR entry Kildwick M Benjamin senior & Elizabeth4 Jun. 1775 PR entry Kildwick C Benjamin junior23 Dec 1790 Will of Benjamin senior 10 Apr 1793 PR entry Kildwick B Benjamin senior

PR entry Kildwick B Mgt Jackson27 Apr 1797 PR entry Kildwick M Benjamin junior & Mary Fortune11 Jun 1814 PR entry Kildwick B Elizabeth

Photo of Ben. & Eliz. Steel’s MI27 Jul 1817 PR entry Keighley C Joseph14 Oct 1818/30 Mar 1819 Will of Benjamin junior21 Oct 1818 PR entry Kildwick B Benjamin junior3 May 1824 PR entry Kildwick M Lydia & Jn Cockshott

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13 Apr 1828 PR entry Kildwick B Lydia Cockshott1 Nov 1828 Apprenticeship Indenture Joseph 4 Aug 1839 D Cert Joseph6 Aug 1844 D Cert Amelia16 May 1847 D Cert Jn Cockshott

Colour PC of Kildwick church, c.19702 b & w pcs ‛The Canal at Silsden’, c.19701 b & w pc Silsden church, c.1970?Colour pc of Silsden, c.19703 colour photos of Holden Park, 1970s1 colour photo of Thos Eaton Steel, at Holden, 1970sB & w photo of Upper Holden, 1970sPhoto of Upper Holden farmhouse, Apr 1979Colour photos of Holden Park, 1980s

New ZealandRe: Mt Jn Steel, Bingley 90 [17 Feb]: Ashburton Guardian, 23 Apr. 1891 (from a ‘Yorks paper’)Obituary: Mr Jn Steel: Ashburton Guardian 10 Feb. 1897 (re 7 Dec.) (from Keighley News)Adv for Steel Bros Victorian Shoeing Forge, Ashburton, NZObituary: Mr Jos. R. Steel: Ashburton Guardian 1 Jul. 1919Re Mrs Jos. Reader Steel 91: Ashburton Guardian 6 Jul. 1920Our Story: SteelBro (Daily Maersk)

31 Dublin St: 1845Map Gage: Dublin St (1835)Map Bennison: Dublin St (1841)Map Bennison: Dublin St 1846ER Dublin St (1846-7)Map OS 5’ to 1 mil. (1847-9)Directory Dublin St (1848)Map Tallis (1850)Panorama ILN (1851)Panorama (1865)Directory Dublin St (1872)Map Goad: Dublin St (1890)Map OS (1890)Photo Clarence Dock (1911)Photo Dublin St & Clarence Dock (1937)Photo Dublin St & Clarence Dock (1938)Photo Dublin St & Clarence Dock (1964)

Clarence Buildings, Whitley St: 1846Map Sherwood (1829)Map Gage (1835)Map Bennison (1841)Map Bennison 1846ER Whitley St 1846-7Panorama Ackermann 1847Map OS 5’ to 1 mil. 1847-9Map Tallis (1850)Panorama Isaac (1865)Map Goad: Whitley St (1890)

Denbigh St: 1849Map Bennison (1846)Panorama Ackermann (1847)Map OS 5’ to 1 ml: Denbigh St 1847-9Map McClure 1849Map Tallis 1850Census Jos. Steel 1851

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Panorama Isaac: Liverpool 1859Panorama LiverpoolMap Goad: Denbigh St 1890

Ancient Briton Buildings, Upper Mann St: 1853--1858Map (..)Map OS 5’ to 1 ml: Ancient B Bldgs (1847-9)ER Mann St (1848)Map Tallis: Liverpool (1850)M Cert Jos. Steel & Jane Arnold 1853Copy Solicitor’s Bill: Jos. Steel 1854D Cert Jane Steel 1858Panorama Isaac: Liverpool 1859M Cert Mary H & Jos. Steel 1860Photo M. Photo Mary H & Jos. Steel 1860Panorama Liverpool 1865Map & report Bd of Health: Upper Mann St (1881-2)Map OS: Court, Upper Mann St (1890)Map OS (1908)Photo Toxteth Dock (1999)

BirkenheadMap BirkenheadB Cert Thos Mather Steel 1869Map Environs of Liverpool 1870Census Jos. & Mary Steel, Gore St 1871Map Liverpool & BirkenheadMap Birkenhead (1909)

LiverpoolD Cert Jos. SteelWill Jos. Steel

LiscardPhoto Thos Mather S in MilitiaDirectory Mary Steel, Littledale Rd 1892Census 1891, Littledale Rd 1891Photo Mary Steel, Thos Mather & bro.Photo Mary SteelLetter Mary Steel to s. Jos. 1897Letter Mary Steel to s. Jos. 1900Photo Esther Steel with Jos. LincolnPhoto Thos Mather SPhotos ?? Ben S, Jos S, Wm S, Alice SPhoto M Photo Thos Mather S 1901M Cert TM Steel & Maude Smith 1901

PPR Will of Mary Ann Steel, Bromley

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1 Jos. was the father of Jos. Lincoln & Mary; Ben. Jos. was the father of Ben., Edwin & Duncan; there was another childAlice, who lived only 2 years; Mary Alice died unm. at 23, of post-operative complications following tonsillectomy; ThosMather was the father of Thos Eaton & Eileen; Wm Eaton remained single2 Kildwick, Farnhill with Cononley, Bradleys Both, Cowling, Glusburn, Steeton with Eastburn, Silsden. Kildwick parishwas bounded by Skipton & Carleton to the N; Keighley & Bingley to the S; Addingham on the E.; & Whalley (Lancs) onthe W. Kildwick was in the rural deanery of Craven & the wapentake of Staincliffe E. For an account of Holden Park, itshistory & its farms, with photos: T.M. Steel, Holden Park, a study (unpub. dissertation, Univ. of Manchester, 1979)3 T.D. Whitaker, History & Antiquities of the Deanery of Craven (Manchester, 1973), I, p. 218; old English hol denu4 Railway runs from Leeds to Bradford. The trunk road was built 1782, as Keighley & Kendal turnpike: Aire valley reliefroad was added 1980s, on S. side of river5 See especially, Steel, Holden Park, pp. 1 ff; Univ. of Leeds, Brotherton Lib. (Special Collections) [hereafter BrothertonLib.], DD 121/103 (chancery bills & answers, Lady Anne, depositions & defendants’ answers); DD 121/32/25 (surveys ofland in Craven, 1603–1700, ‘Holden, 25 April 1650’); /34/12 (‘A survey or particular of all the houses & lands … inRedshaws Lease & lyeing or belonging to Holden Park, now in the possession of Ben. Phillip, Jonathan Berry & RichardSteel’, 1705)6 Brotherton Lib., DD 174/1 (map of Silsden, Brunthwaite & Gill Grange, 1612/13); DD 121/214/1 (‘A plan of the mannor& lordshippe of Silsden’, 1 inch to 5 chains, 1757)7 C.W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English & Welsh Surnames (London, 1901), p. 715; P.H. Reaney, A Dictionary of BritishSurnames (London, 1976), p. 3078 R.W. Hoyle (ed.), ‘Early Tudor Craven, Subsidies & Assessments, 1510–1547’, Yorkshire Archaeological Society[hereafter YAS], Record ser., 145 (Leeds, 1987), p. 939 W.A. Brigg (ed.), ‘The Parish Register of St. Andrew’s, Keighley’, I, 1562–1649, Yorks Parish Register Soc. [hereafterYPRS ], 77 (1925); II, 1649–88, YPRS, 82 (1927); R.G.C. Livett (ed.), III, 1689–1735/6, YPRS, 98 (1935)10 J. Hebden, The Hearth Tax List for Staincliffe & Ewcros … 1672 (Ripon, 1992), pp. 35–711 For baptisms, marriages & burials Kildwick: W.A. Brigg (ed.), ‘The Parish Registers of St Andrews, Kildwick-in-Craven’,I (1575–1622), II (1623–78), III (1679–1743), YPRS, 47, 55, 69 (1913–21); R.G.C. Livett (ed.), ‘The Parish Registers of StAndrew’s, Kildwick-in-Craven, IV, 1744–1789’, YPRS, 92 (1932)12 M.L. Baumber, A Pennine Community on the Eve of the Industrial Revolution (Keighley, n.d.), p. 10613 Univ. of York, Borthwick Institute for Historical Research [hereafter B.I.H.R.], CP.H. 3152 (Coates v. Wilkinson) &3157–3158; The National Archives [hereafter TNA], C 22/62/2 (Eastburne v. Fell & Thanet: depositions)14 R.T. Spence, Lady Anne Clifford (Stroud, 1997), p. 117; for Lady Anne’s first surveys see Brotherton Lib., DD 121/32(surveys of land in Craven, 1603–1700); for rentals see DD 121/25 (rentals in Craven, 1640–1700); for leases from 1650see DD 121/110 (Book ‘GG, A particular of all such leases … made … since … 1650’)15 Baumber, Pennine Community, p. 9916 At Kildwick none were recorded in 1655–6 & only 2 in 1657, when Richd would have been c.21: 3 were recorded1659/60–1660/1 & 6 from 1661 to the time of Richd’s eldest known child’s b. 1661/217 Spence, Lady Anne, p. 13518 Keighley Library, BK 10/523; W. Yorkshire Archives Service [hereafter W.Y.A.S.] (Bradford), 68D82/21/1019 Brackenhill was on what was then called Silsden Moor (N.W. of town & adjacent to Bradley)20 Grace Steele is named as the mother of the 2nd Mary & of Eliz: no place of residence named in these entries, but theyare grouped by township under the heading ‘Silsden’21 See however p. 3122 B.I.H.R., CP.H.3152 & 3157–3158. Antinomians held that rightly believing Christians should rely upon the Holy Spiritalone (& no ethical code) to guide behaviour; Hartley had been lic. 1672 to preach in a Kildwick house: he had been‛driven out [of Lancashire] because of scandalous practices’ (H. Fishwick, ed., ‛The Notebook of the Revd. Thos Jolly’,Chetham Society, n.s., 33, 1894, pp. 14–15); Eliz. was w. of Jn Coates; alleged adultery had occurred between Eliz. &Hartley in an arbor of Coates’ orchard at the Grange. For their wills (in which neither mentioned the other, nor anychildren): B.I.H.R., Wills of Jn Coates, Kildwick, 1709 (exchequer wills, vol. 65, f. 228, 3 May) & Eliz. Coates, Kildwick,1710 (vol. 67, f. 43, 13 Oct.)23 B.I.H.R., V 1674/CB (f. 19, Court Book, Craven deanery, Kildwick parish presentments): the vicar was excusedattendance at the visitation on grounds of age24 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/2 (court rolls, 1661–1677)25 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/2 (court rolls, 1661–1677), /3 (1677–83); Teale was born c.163226 Baumber, Pennine Community, p. 10827 W.Y.A.S. (Bradford), WYB 671/1/1/1; D. Gulliver (ed.), The Courts & People of S. Craven Manors (Cononley, 2015), pp.70–7328 See especially Brotherton Lib., DD 121/25/1 (Craven rental, 1650); DD 121/110 (Book ‘GG’)29 J.W. Clay (ed.), ‘Yorks Royalist Composition Papers II’, YAS., 18 (1895), pp. 13–15. For the Jennings pedigree, see J.W.Clay (ed.) Dugdale’s Visitation of Yorks (Exeter, 1897–1917), II, p. 200 30 See draft indenture: Brotherton Lib., DD 121/67/7 ; DD 121/110 (Book ‘GG’)31 Spence, Lady Anne, p. 119 (action at York, Jan. 1655/6: Yorks assize records for this period have not survived);Chatsworth House, Bolton mss/sundry/letters/II/37, Humphrey Hughes to earl of Cork, 7 Nov. 165532 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/56 (leases 1650–1660): again, this was a lease for lives & expired 1708 33 W. Riding Registry of Deeds [hereafter W.R.R.D.], QD 4/CC/317/42234 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/103 (chancery bills & answers, Lady Anne, depositions & defendants’ answers, ‘Bill’, f. 3)35 TNA, E 134/12Chas2/Mich27 (exchequer king’s remembrancer, depositions by commission, York)36 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/2 (court rolls, 1661–1677); TNA, E 179/210/393 (hearth tax, 1664), /210/418 (1672). He doesnot appear either as a householder or among the excused poor in the returns 1664, 1672 or 1674 (/262/13)37 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): this large box of legal papers contains a bundle labelled ‘unsorted papers in Thanet vJennings’. Items from it are hereafter cited as ‘/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’. The 1706 paper relates to the case set out in

detail in 3 mss, marked ‘The Case’. The paper cited here is thus: 98 (i) Thanet v Jennings, f. 1v (‘to prove that for 40 yearslast …’)38 Jn Steele had 12 hearths at Keighley, while Mgt, wid., Jn, Dinnis, Thos & Thos, jnr all had 1 each: D. Hey, et al.,Yorkshire W. Riding Hearth Tax Assessment, Lady Day 1672, British Record Society [Index Lib. 121], Hearth Tax Series,V (London, 2000), pp. 115–116. Yorks returns for 1662 ‘free & voluntary present’ to Charles II have not survived39 R.W. Hoyle, Lord Thanet’s Benefaction to the Poor of Craven in 1685 (Giggleswick, 1978); Baumber, PennineCommunity, p. 10740 M.T. Wild, ‘The Yorks Wool Textile Industry’ in J.G. Jenkins (ed.), The Wool Textile Industry in Great Britain(London, 1972), pp. 195–196; R.T. Spence, The Cliffords, Earls of Cumberland, 1579–1646: a Study of their Fortunes(unpub. Ph.D. thesis, London, 1959)41 See T.M. Steel, ‛Mitchell of Cowling’: http://tsgf.pbworks.com (online, 2010)42 B.I.H.R., Will of Lawrence Mitchell, Cowling, Kildwick, Dec. 1691 (Exchequer) [FHC 0099596]43 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/117 (‘A Survey of all Sir Edmond Jennings’ land … 1686’); 121/32/47 (surveys of land inCraven, 1603–1700, ‘A booke of landes … in lease of lives’, 1689)44 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/2–4 (court rolls, 1661–1709); /17/1–3 (call books, from 1688). Widdop was succeeded byRoger Barker & Thos Lawson, Teale by Thos Bolton & Henry Ellsworth45 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’, ([map A, c.1710], ‘A map of 40s Closes’)46 In the admon bond of Anthony Whitfield of High Holden. ‘Henry Teale, linen weaver’ (but neither Widdop nor Steel)signed association oath roll for E. Staincliffe 1696: TNA, C 213/314/947 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/25/9 (Silsden rental, 1685); called ‘Holden mill cottage’ 1697: Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/8(steward’s book, 1692–1700, f. 19)48 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/4 (court rolls, 1685–1709, jurors’ verdicts)49 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/32/47 (‘A booke of landes … in lease of lives’, 1689); 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (The Case,‘A particular account of those lands … by John Redshays life’, f. 1) & (‘A particular account of Holden Park’, 1704);121/34/12 (‘A survey or particular of all the houses & lands … in Redshaws Lease & lyeing or belonging to Holden Park,now in the possession of Ben. Phillip, Jonathan Berry & Richard Steel’, 1705)50 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (‘Mr Tempest’s view at Houlden Park’, 25 Nov. 1713)51 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/32/17 (surveys of land in Craven, 1603–1700, ‘High Holden, the Lodge: a particular of HoldenPark, Long Carr & Kirby Closes’, 1650)52 W.Y.A.S. (Keighley Library), BK 10/604 (Brigg mss)53 Chatsworth House, Bolton mss/21954 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/34/2 (survey, c.1770), unf. intro., f. 255 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/117 (‘A survey of all Sir Edmond Jennings’ land … 1686’), f. 356 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/32/47 (surveys of land in Craven, 1603–1700, ‘A booke of landes’)57 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/29/6 (Craven rental, c.1615, ‘An abstracte … of Holden Parke yf the deere bee taken away’)*58 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/32/25 (surveys of land in Craven, 1603–1700), ‘Holden, 25 April 1650’, valuation), f. 359 It may be hoped that the tailors of this period had a better reputation than that suggested in the 19C by AnthonyTrollope, who wrote: ‘Of all tradesmen in London the tailors are, no doubt, the most combative,––so might be expectedfrom the necessity which lies upon them of living down the general bad character in this respect which the world haswrongly given them’ (Can you Forgive Her?, London, 18.., p. ...) 60 Baumber, Pennine Community, pp. 45–4661 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/4 (court rolls, 1685–1709, jury’s verdicts); 17/1–5 (call books, 1688–1720)62 B.I.H.R., Silsden peculiar: Inventory of Jn Mitchell, Silsden, 1686 (box 2, set 43) (929 NI)63 From just across the river, in Utley64 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/11/1265 See draft indenture: Brotherton Lib., DD 121/67/7 (miscellaneous assignments & mortgages); /121/110 (Book ‘GG’) 66 Baumber, Pennine Community, p. 3667 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/11/12*68 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (letter from Bankes to Thanet)69 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (‘A particular of Holden Park…’, 1704)70 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/6 (‘A field book of … Silsden’)71 TNA, IR 29/43/356 (tithe award, 1846) 72 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/37/15 (accounts, 1705), f. 873 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/34/2 (survey, c.1770), unf. intro.74 TNA, IR 18/12639 (Keighley tithe file)75 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/34/2, unf. intro.76 R. Brown, General View of the Agriculture of the W. Riding (Edinburgh, 1799), p. 8077 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/34/2, unf. intro.78 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/34/2, unf. intro.79 A child of that name was bap. Kildwick 12 Sept. 165880 TNA, C 22/62/2 (depositions mention an ejectment in Hilary 7 Anne, a cause in the court of common pleas thefollowing Trinity & an assizes trial the next Lent (York, 1709): records of Yorks assizes for 1709 have not survived);Brotherton Lib., DD 121/37/22 (accounts, 1711–1712), f. 14. 81 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/37/22 (accounts, 1711–1712), f. 46 ; /116 (book of Craven rentals)82 Probably dau. of Richd (1668) or Jonathan (1669), bapt. Kildwick83 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/37/27, f. 20 (accounts, 1714–1715)84 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/4 ff. (court rolls, 1685 onwards)85 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/37/16 (accounts, 1705–1706), f. 16. It was particularly noted (f. 37) that Kirby Close had been

let to Richd, although Berry & Phillipp began paying rent for it 1709 (/37/19)86 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/34/12 (‘A survey or particular of all the houses & lands … in Redshaws Lease & lyeing orbelonging to Holden Park, now in the possession of Ben. Phillip, Jonathan Berry & Richard Steel’, 1705)87 Bingley registers show no Steels prior to 1686: W.J. Stavert (ed.), ‘The Parish Register of Bingley, 1577–1686’, YPRS, 9(1907)88 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (‘an account of what wants to repair the houses of Holden Park’, 29Mar. 1706)89 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (‘to prove that for 40 Brotherton Lib.last …’, n. on f. 1v) 90 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (‘names of witnesses touching Silsden boundary’)91 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (‘A particular of Holden Park…’, 1704)92 TNA, C 22/62/293 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/37/20, f. 9 (accounts, 1709–1710)94 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/116 (book of Craven rentals)95 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/17/3–5 (call books)96 Endowment of a curate’s stipend gave Silsden its first regular schoolmaster: 3 clergy held the office for the next 104 years97 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98/Jennings, unsorted (‘names of witnesses touching Silsden boundary’): this includes anundated evidence note with the deleted entry ‘Widow Steel of Hospital’. This ‘hospital’ was probably Lord Thanet’salmshouse for 12 widows of Skipton honour, at Beamesley98 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/59 (leases 1700 onwards)99 Brotherton Lib., DD/116 (book of Craven rentals)100 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/60 (leases)101 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/1/8/4 (survey, 1836)102 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/6103 Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley: Silsden boxes104 See p. 15105 B.I.H.R., CP.I. 76 (Berry v. Whitfield)106 See p. 4, n. 17107 B.I.H.R., Y.V. (archdeacon of York’s 1713 visitation, court book); copy in Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley: Silsden box6B, I.1108 See T.M. Steel, ‛Heaton of Carleton & Kildwick’: http://tsgf.pbworks.com (online, 2010)109 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/58 (leases 1680–1690); 121/100/43 (quitclaim, High Holden, 1703); 121/67/26 (‘of Holden,tanner’, indenture, 1703)110 Baumber, Pennine Community, p. 46. Baumber cites the inv. of Chris. Berry, tanner of nearby West Morton (Nov.1711)111 Berry d. Skipton 1719112 W.H. Dawson, Loose Leaves of Craven History (Skipton, 1891), I, pp. 133 ff.113 J.J. Cartwright (ed.), The travels through England of Dr Richd Pococke ... during 1750, 1751 & later years’, I, CamdenSoc., NS 42 (1888), p. 49114 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ ([map Ai, c.1710], ‘A map of 40s Closes’); 121/107115 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’; ‘names of the houses & lands wch dropt upon Mr Jennings death…’, 7 Oct. 1713, f. 3; ‘Mr Tempest’s view at Houlden Park’, 25 Nov. 1713, f. 1)116 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (The Case, ‘My Lds case agt Mrs. Jennings’, c.1714, ff. 2 & 3)117 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/5 (jury verdicts, court rolls 1710–1721)118 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/6 (court rolls, 1720–1730)119 Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley: Kildwick box 2B, L.1.1. (ms summary of Kildwick Easter Books (1730–1750 & 1785) 120 R.J.P. Kain, Tithe Surveys for Historians (Chichester, 2000), pp. 5–6121 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/6 (court rolls, 1720–1730/call book, 1728–1730)122 Clay (ed.), Dugdale’s Visitation, pp. 200–202123 Info. from late Mr Bernard Emmott (then owner of Howden House), 1978124 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/117 (‘A survey of all Sir Edmond Jennings lands … 1686’), ff. 5–6; /32/47 (surveys of land inCraven, 1700–1807, ‘A booke of landes … in lease of lives’, 1689)125 TNA, IR 29/43/356 (apportionment); IR 30/43/356 (map)126 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (The Case, ‘My Lds case agt Mrs Jennings’, c.1714, f. 2)127 Info. from late Mr Bernard Emmott128 Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley: Silsden box 6B, 6.1.1129 Charge appropriate for a freehold130 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’ (passim) & ([map B, 1713], ‘A map of 40s Closes’)131 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/2–4 (court rolls, 1661–1709)132 Brotherton Lib., DD/Add/8 (steward’s book, 1692–1700, ff. 36, 52)133 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/98 (i): ‘Thanet v Jennings’, ([map Ai, c.1710], ‘A map of 40s Closes’)134 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/32/5 (‘A survey of the purchas’d lands … & the free-hold lands’, 1689), f. 38135 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/8 (ff. 36, 52)136 W.Y.A.S. (Leeds)], Gray, Dodsworth & Cobb [hereafter Cobb]/184 (96)(n.d.]137 Brotherton Lib., MD 335/5 (Bradfer Lawrence Collection)138 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/6 (court rolls, 1720–1730) & 17/5ff. (call books)139 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/6 (call book, 1720–1730) & 7 (verdicts)140 Only 8% of Keighley invs 1689–1750 exceeded £100 (Baumber, Pennine Community, p. 24)141 B.I.H.R., Silsden peculiar: Admon & inv. of Jn Steel, 1742 (box 4, set 47)*142 W.Y.A.S. (Wakefieild), QE 32/55–59 (brewster calendars, Staincliffe & Ewecross wapentake, 1771–1803) & 32/89–91

(recognizances, E. Staincliffe, 1822–1828); Jos. was bur. Silsden 14 Nov. 1816, Eliz. 27 Feb. 1827 & Anne Weatherhead 19Sept. 1832143 Brotherton Lib., MD 335/6/3/1 (ii) v (Bradfer Lawrence Collection)144 See T.M. Steel, ‛Gott of Silsden’: http://tsgf.pbworks.com (online, 2010)145 Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley: Silsden boxes146 As a Brunthwaite weaver, Wm was one of the execs of Thos Walker of Silsden 1775: W.Y.A.S. (L.), Cobb, 202147 Inquest cost 7s 6d. (Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley: Kildwick box 1B (I), O.1.1 (copies of accounts)148 S.L. Ollard & P.C. Walker (eds), ‘Archbishop Herring’s Visitation Returns, 1743’, III, YAS, Record Ser. (73, 1929), pp.89–90149 C. Annesley & P. Hoskin (eds), ‘Archbishop Drummond’s Visitation Returns, 1764’, II (H—R), Borthwick Texts &Calendars, 23 (1998)150 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/17/5 (call book)151 W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), quarter sessions, indictment books 1733–1769 152 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/7–8 (verdicts)153 B.I.H.R., Silsden peculiar: Admon & inv. of Grace Heaton, 1739 (box 4, set 36)*154 W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), quarter sessions, indictment books 1733–1769155 Poll books (1741, 1745): Geo. Fox was MP for York from 1741156 B.I.H.R., Y.V. CB 13 (archdeacon of York's visitation, court book 1747–1759, ff. 102–103); other evidence of Methodistallegiance in the family concerns Judith’s niece-in-law Eliz. Steel 1789–1801, nephew Jos. 1798 & nephew Wm Steel1801–1813 (see pp. 19 & 21 & n. 158)157 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/8 (verdicts); 121/9/20 (roll of fines … at Silsden)158 B.I.H.R., Silsden peculiar: Will & inv. of Wm Cryer, Brunthwaite, 1755 (box 5, set 3)*159 W.R.R.D., QD 4/AS/26/30 (the original of this memorialised deed & later ones was still at Howden House 1983)160 Since extensively altered & converted to residential use161 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/17/5ff. (call books)162 B.I.H.R., Will of Ben Steel, Kildwick, Apr. 1793 (Prerogative, vol. 137, f. 393) [FHC 0099754]163 Other Steels paying the tax at Silsden 1760 were: Thos (1s 4d); Jn, jnr (3s 4d); Jn, snr (11s 4d): W.Y.A.S., W., QE13/12/24 (land tax, 1760 onwards)164 Perhaps c.£12500 in 2005 values: TNA, online conversion site165 W.R.R.D., QD 4/CM/356/526 (1782); /DK 645/794 (1791)166 See p. 21167 W.Y.A.S. (Leeds), DB/72/box1/58 (papers of Chris. Carr, solicitor, Skipton in Dibb, Lupton deposit)168 See p. 24169 W.J. Robson, Silsden Primitive Methodism (Silsden, 1910), p. 313170 TNA, ASSI 42/9 (Gaol book, 1775–1786)171 Baps at Silsden chapel are recorded from 1768 & burs from 1783172 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/16/9 (verdicts)173 Brotherton Lib., MD 335/6/3/1 (Bradfer Lawrence Collection)174 Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley: Silsden boxes175 Brown, General View, pp. 112–113176 W.Y.A.S. (Bradford), Silsden parish records177 Baumber, Pennine Community, p. 38; W.H. Long, ‘Regional farming in 17th C. Yorks’, Agricultural History Review, 8(1960), p. 105178 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/37/40, 42 (‘Silsden milners account’). ‘Haver’ was oats & ‘mash’ a mixture. Other members ofthe ‘Stel’ family grinding at the mill were ‘Thomeas’, ‘Searea’, ‘Deaved’, ‘Emanul’/’Lemanewal’ & Jn. They ground pecks ofwheat, meal & malt & loads of ‘shelen’179 H.F. Killick, ‘The early history of the Leeds–Liverpool canal’, The Bradford Antiquary, n.s., I (1900), p. 226; C.Hadfield & G. Biddle, The Canals of North-West England (Newton Abbott, 1970), I, p. 73180 TNA, RAIL 846/119 (land purchase book)181 TNA, RAIL 1112/24 (reports & accounts); /846/77 (transfers ledger)182 Anon, History of Inland Navigation (1769)183 TNA, RAIL 846/1 (minute book 1)184 Killick, ‘Early history’, Bradford Antiquary, p. 206185 Hadfield & Biddle, Canals, I, p. 78186 TNA, RAIL 846/3 (minute book 3)187 Hadfield & Biddle, I, p. 66188 Hadfield & Biddle, I, p. 162,176–177189 B.I.H.R., Will of Ben. Steel, Kildwick, Apr. 1793 (Prerog. vol. 137, f. 393) [FHC 0099754]190 Keighley Lib., local history collection. Silsden was transferred to another circuit 1801191 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/3 (court book, 1752–1882). Wm may have been the poor child of that name apprenticedat Silsden Aug. 1774 [W.Y.A.S. (Bradford), 69D82/8/12/1 (Silsden township papers)]192 The Craven Muster Roll, 1803 (N. Yorks Record Office, 1989), pp. 72–78. Unm., between 30 & 49, with no child under10, were: Jn, Zaccheus, Andrew & David (servants); David (a nailmaker); & Jn & Emanuel (woolcombers). Both Jns were‘infirm’ (& thus excused). The others were the 2 Bens & Jos. (a labourer), all in class 4193 W.Y.A.S. (Leeds), Cobb/207 (91)*194 B.I.H.R., Silsden peculiar: Will of Wm Steel, yeoman, Brunthwaite, 1807 (box 6, set 33)*195 W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), C 701/1/2 (poll book, 1807). A less likely possibility is that this was Ben’s 55-year-old cousin, s.of his father’s brother Wm. No Silsden Steels appear in extant poll books for 1809 & 1817 (Guildhall Lib.)196 See T.M. Steel, ‛Laycock of Silsden’: http://tsgf.pbworks.com (online, 2010)197 Perhaps c.£70,000 in 2005 values: TNA online conversion site

198 W.R.R.D., QD 4/GH/405/456199 W.Y.A.S. (Leeds), BB/72 (box 2, 28–29)200 W.R.R.D., QD 4/MH/614/586 (1836). Booth played an important role in Silsden’s tithe commutation award 1844,pronouncing himself ‘perfectly satisfied’ with the proposals: TNA, IR 18/12818 (Silsden tithe file)201 B.I.H.R., Admon Dec. 1816 (Exchequer, vol. 160, f. …) [FHC 0099779]202 B.I.H.R., Apr. 1837 (Exchequer, vol. 195, f. 302) [FHC 0099815]; TNA, IR 26/1466/f. 435) (estate duty register)203 B.I.H.R., Jul. 1831 (Exchequer, vol. 184, f. 116) [FHC 0099804]204 Perhaps c.£14,000 each, in 2005 values: TNA online conversion site205 W.R.R.D., QD 4/GH/405/456; Green’s will proved 1819 (s. Bernard, w. Sarah, daus Mary, Sarah, Eliz. & Ann)206 Brotherton Lib., DD MD 335/v (Bradfer Lawrence Collection)207 Ben. does not appear as owner or occupier of land in Keighley township (in which Braithwaite lay) during these years:it seems most likely that he was an undertenant of the Shackleton family, or of Joshua Cowling (the main landowners inthe hamlet): W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), QE 13/12/30. Kildwick parish register cites birthplace of Ben. Steel’s great-uncleRichd Gott (1710–1770) as Braithwaite, rather than the much more likely Brunthwaite208 B.I.H.R., Will of Ben. Steel, 1819*209 TNA, IR 26/800 (legacy duty register, 2, f. 578)210 TNA, WO 97/933/Pt 2 (Chelsea Hospital, soldiers’ service documents, 84th Foot)211 PR entry of bapt. of their dau. Grace shows that Mary was dau. of Thos Green of Brunthwaite, farmer & confirms thatThos Steel was s. of Ben. of Holden Bottom, yeoman by Eliz., dau. of David Steel of Brunthwaite, farmer212 Thos described his father as ‘worsted manufacturer’; wits Jas Shuttleworth, Marmaduke Spencer & Jas Bradley; PRentry of bapt. of their s. Jn shows that Mary was dau. of Jn Shuttleworth of Moorside, farmer & his w. Grace, dau. ofAbraham Gott of Swartha213 B.I.H.R., Will of Thos Steel, Addingham, 1828 (Exchequer, vol. 178, f. 206); for estate duty: TNA, IR 26/1178/f. 533214 There seems no record of a Hindle/Steel m. & Eliz. was probably the bride entered as ‘Eliz. Green’ (her mother’smaiden name), who m. Ben. Hindle 1808. Hindle’s 1st w. Isobel (m. 1801) had d. 1805, aged 23. Eliz. had beenbaptised only 2 mos after her parents’ m. & had probably been b. illegitimately215 Jun. ¼, Bradford district216 Thos, ‛farmer, s. of Ben. Steel, farmer, Morton Banks’ m. Martha Wilkinson at Keighley 23 Nov. 1843: Sam. was a wit. Thos(farm lab.) & Martha were at Bar Fields House, Millman Lane 1851 with children Ben. (6, b. Bradford), Dor. (5, Bingley) &Eliz. (2, Idle). 1861 Thos & Martha were at 10 Franklin St, Horton (Bradford), where Thos was ‛driver of a wherry’): with themwere Dor. (15, worsted twister), Eliz. (13, worsted spinner) & Sam. (9, worsted spinner) & Sarah (6), both b. Idle. Thos’ bro.Sam. was still at Idle when he m. Jane Spacey at Calverley 28 Apr. 1861. In 1871 Sam. (stone-dresser) & Jane were atMawson’s Fold, Idle with children Ben. (8) & Eliz. (6), both b. Idle. Sam. & Jane’s s. Ben. was a sadler at 47 Cockshott Lane,Idle in 1881, while one Eliz. Steel (15, b. Idle) was a worsted spinner living as a lodger. Ben. (still a sadler) m. Minnie Atkinsonin 1890 & in 1891 they were living with their baby dau. Susannah & Minnie’s parents at 9 Victoria Terrace, Keighley. By 1901Ben. (sadler & harness maker) were at 6 Jay St with Susannah (10) & another dau. Jane (8). In 1911 the family were at 20Thrush St, with Susie (20), Jane (18) & Jack Atha (9) 217 Wit. of m. Richd Steel218 Probably Grace Shuttleworth, Mar. 1845; Grace was b. Addingham c.1816219 The m.i. at Addingham records Jn; his 1st w. Sarah; their children Jane, David, Hannah & Jane; his 2nd w. Grace; &their children Mary, Ann, Jas & Grace Ellen220 Bingley Chronicle, 11 Dec. 1896, p. 5; Ashburton Guardian 23 Apr. 1891 (‛Keighley Times’ account of Jn’s 90th

birthday) & 10 Feb. 1897 (Keighley News obituary); M.I. Addingham to Jn, Sarah & Grace & children Mary, Ann, Jas &Grace Ellen. For photos of ‘Old Jn Steel’ of Bingley: G. Ogilvie, From Gigs to Rigs (Christchurch, N.Z., 1997), pp. 9 & 12 221 Of Jn’s 5 ss & 4 daus to reach adulthood, 4 ss [Thos, Jos., Jn & Richd] & 3 daus [Eliz., Sarah Ann & Mary] survived him, ofwhom 2 ss [Jos. & Jn] & 2 ds [Sarah Ann & Mary] were in N.Z. At his d. there were 30 grandchildren & 37 gt-grandchildren(22 & 24 in N.Z.). The local press later said that 2 of Jn’s ss emigrated to Australia ‛1846 or 1847’, but this date is impossible,as all the ss were still in Yorks 1851 (Wm & Jn still living with their father). 3 of the ss of Jn snr (Wm, Jos. & Jn) emigrated. By1896 Jn snr was called ‛father of Mr J[oseph]R[obinson] Steel of Victoria Works, of Mr Jn Steel of Alford Forest Rd, & of MrsR. [Mary] Blake of Alford’, all in Ashburton, N.Z. Jn snr was also named as grandfather of of ‛the Steel Brothers, Ashburton’ &of Steel Brothers, coach builders of Lincoln Rd, Christchurch (see 3. Jos. & descendants of 2. Wm, below).

1. Thos (1828–?1905): Jn’s eldest child Thos m. Hannah Tate at Otley 10 Feb. 1856: he signed & [his bro.] Jos.Robinson Steel was a wit. Thos’ s. Jn was b. Bingley; Thos was a maltster 1861 at Chequers, Clayton-le-moors, Lancs withHannah (30) and young Jn. 1871 Thos was a maltster at 1 Old Bridge Row, Steeton with Hannah, Jn and Jos. W. (13 & 8, b.Bingley & Accrington, spinners at worsted factory), & Wm & Mary Eliz. (4 & 3 mos, b. Steeton); 1881 Thos (52, a paper tubemaker) was at 9 Victoria St, Bingley with Hannah (washerwoman), Jos. R. (19, worsted spinning overlooker), Willie (14,worsted daffer) & Mary E. (10); 1891 Thos was at same address, now widr & cardboard maker, with Mary E. (20, worstedreeler): Thos’ father & sister Eliz. were 2 doors away at 5 Victoria St. 1901 Thos (now 72) was still at ‘9 Victoria St, York St’with Mary (30) & her husband Thos Barwick & their family. It was probably Thos who d. Dec. ¼ 1905.

2. Wm (1830—1869): Wm m. Eliz. Mary Patrick (1832—1908) Sept. ¼ 1851 & had 5 children born Bingley: SarahAnn (1851—1897) (b. 20 Sept. 1851, baptised 16 Nov. 1851 Bingley Primitive Methodist chapel); David (1852—1909) & Jos.(1854—1938), b. 22 Sept. 1852 & 24 Aug. 1854, baptised together at Methodist chapel 3 Jun. 1855; Evangeline (1856--1933)(b. 31 Mar. 1856, baptised All Ss, Bingley 24 Aug.) & Francis Henry (b. 1858): Wm was a ‘miner’ 1854 & ‘comber’ 1856; Eliz.was ‘Eliz. Mary’ 1854 & ‘Betsy’ 1856. Wm left to join his elder bro. Jos. (see 3. below) in Australia 13 May 1859, leaving his w. &5 children living next door but one to his father in Wellington St, Bingley: the family are found there 1861, when Sarah Ann(now 9) was a worsted spinner. Elizabeth and the children sailed on the ‘Greyhound’ to join Wm 6 Jun. 1862. Four morechildren were b. Australia: twins Jn (1864) & Thos (1864--1908) & Wm (1865) (all b. Huntley) & Emma & Albt (White Hills,1868 & 1869). Wm snr d. 23 Jul. 1869 after a mining accident ‛at the gold diggings’, White Hills, Epsom, Bendigo (BendigoAdv. 26 Jul. 1869) & ‛a few years later’ all the family members still in Australia moved to Christchurch, N.Z. to join Jos. Thereis no record in N.Z. of the m. or d. of Emma or Albt.

Wm’s wid. Eliz. Mary d. Avonside, Christchurch 18 Jun. 1908, aged 76 & was bur. Sydenham. It is difficult to distinguish between Wm & Eliz.’s dau. Sarah Ann & Wm’s sister Sarah Ann, who were both b.

England 1851 & both spent most of their lives in N.Z: one spent 27 years in N.Z., was engaged in ‘domestic duties’ & d. unm.Ashburton, 1897, aged 46: she was bur. Sydenham. One of the two had a s. Lawrence Steel (1891—1959), who was adopted byhis cousin Wm.

The ‘Steel bros, coachbuilders of Christchurch’ were Wm & Eliz.’s oldest ss David & Jos., founding Steel Bros(making horse-drawn carriages) 1878 with £5 capital each: both occur (as blacksmith & wheelwright) at Harper St in 1880provincial roll & as coachbuilder & coachsmith at Addington in electoral rolls 1880 & 1885. By 1895 the bros had 22employees, including their younger bros Jn, Thos & Wm (see below).

Of the 2 founding bros of Steel Bros, David m. Sarah Smart (d. 1925) 1881 & had 1 s. Wm Smart Steel (1885) & 4daus Ada Cath. (1882), Mary Eliz. (1887), Eva (1891) & Florence (1895); David d. 24 Sept. 1909 & was bur. Sydenham.Jos. m. Frances Clarkson 1881 & had 1 surviving s. Geo. Bowes Steel (1887) & 4 daus Elsie (1883), Annie (1884), Irene(1894) & Alma (1892); Frances d. 1929 & Jos. 13 Sept. 1938. They were bur. Halswell.

Jos’s s. Geo. became m.d. of Steelbro 1938. He m. Marjory Harris at Riccarton 27 Aug. 1918 & had 5 children:Geo. (1919), Noeline (1921, m. Richd Pearse), Bruce (1923), Rod. (1927) & Jeff. (1929). Rod. m. Marjorie Harris 25 Feb.1950 & had 3 ss Graeme, Richd & Jn. Rod. became m.d. 1968.

After great success making truck bodies the co. became Steelbro & a major supplier to the global commercialtransport industry: G. Ogilvie, From Gigs to Rigs (Christchurch, 1997); IFW News Service, ‛Our Story – Steelbro’, 14 Jun.2011, www.ifw-net.com/freightpubs/ifw/logistics/our-story-steelbro/. Steelbro remains a family business & both book &internet piece include family photos. Steelbro’s managing dir. is Jn Steel, a 3x gt.-grands. of Jn Steel of Bingley, thro’ hiss. Wm (1830--1869), his s. Jos. (1854--1938), his s. Geo. (1887—1968) & his s. Rodney.

For photos of ‘Old Jn Steel’s grandss Jos. & David; Jos.’s s. Geo; Geo.’s s. Rodney; & Rodney’s s. Jn: Ogilvie, Gigs toRigs, pp. 15, 20, 22, 32 & 33; 17; 33, 47, 48, 57, 65, 69, 79, 82, 86 & 91; 8, 58, 59, 60, 69, 82, 92, 103, 105, 111, 115, 118, 130,134, 160, 161, 167, 170, 171 & 172; 130, 163 & 171.

Wm & Eliz.’s dau. Evangeline m. Thos Robson in N.Z. 1885: she d. Christchurch 1933.Wm & Eliz.’s s. Francis Henry (b. 1858) must not be confused with his nephew (b. 1862). The elder Frank became a

butcher & d. 55 Cambridge Terrace, Christchurch 7 Apr. 1943, aged 84 (bur. Linwood). He probably m. Isabella Robertson1893 & had children Major (1893—1931), Norman (1895), Stanley (1897) & Muriel (1899); Isabella d. 1908 & Frank then m.Eliz. Robertson & had Francis Henry (1908).

Jn m. Ellen Smith 1900. Their children were Lenor (1902), Olive Edith (1903), Jack Allen (1907), Myrtle (1909) &Mary (1912). Jn d. 1941, at 77.

Thos m. Amy Armstrong 1893 & had Herbt (1895), Dor. (1897), Alan Edwd (1900) & Wilfred Percy (1905). Thos d. a‘coachbuilder’ of pneumonia at Spreydon 9 Jul. 1908 (aged 44, bur. Linwood). Amy d. ?1954.

Wm d. at 77 (probably 1942, bur. Halswell). 3. Jos. Robinson (1832–1919): Jos. (the 1st sibling to emigrate) was an assistant smith & farrier 1851, living

with his mother’s bro. at 9 Paper Hall St, Bradford. Jos. m. Eliz. Reader at Bradford Sept. ¼ 1857 & sailed for Australiangoldfields at Bendigo ‛c.1856’ [recte 18 Aug. 1857], his w. joining him Jul. 1858. It was probably Eliz. who (as ‘Eliz. Steel’)arrived Melbourne from Liverpool Oct. 1858 on the ‘Red Jacket’. Jos. worked as a blacksmith & moved on with his w. Eliz. &their ‛young family’/‛s. Frank’ to N.Z. 1863, landing Lyttleton & settling Christchurch. There were to be 5 children: Eva,Francis Henry, Herbert Reader, Sarah Jane & Amy. Jos. & Eliz.’s dau. Clara m. Frank Bevan at Ashburton Methodist church1896: her sister Amy was a bridesmaid, with cousin Jane Steel & nephew Reader Steel as attendants. In the next generationReader Wilfred Steel (of Palmerston S.) m. Harriet May Gilmour 1918: she d. Nov. 1918 & he then m. Alice Gilmour 1923.Langdon Reader Steel m. Elsie Mgt Goodchild 1922.

Jos. Robinson Steel occurs in provincial & electoral rolls for Christchurch 1868–1880 as a blacksmith, with aleasehold on the St until 1897. He started Victoria Shoeing Forge in Tuam St, where he gave employment to his youngnephews, Wm’s ss David & Jos., moving to Ashburton 1872 to set up Victoria Steam Carriage Works in West St. Jos. R. d. ParkSt, Ashburton 30 Jun. 1919 [for his will 1919, see Timaru court], leaving a wid. & 1 s. Jos’s wid. Eliz. (‛Mrs Jos. Reader Steel’) d.81 Havelock St, Ashburton 9 Aug. 1921, aged 92. Both were bur. Ashburton Cem.

The ‘Steel bros, Ashburton’ were Jos. & Eliz’s ss Frank Henry & Herbert Reader Steel, who took over Victoria Worksbusiness, ‛so long carried on by J.R. Steel’, 1897: Ashburton Guardian. Frank m. Emily Rose Amelia Harvey 1888 & by herhad children Leslie Harvey (1889), Reader Wilfrid (1891) & Hubert Wiremu (1893). Francis Henry occurs in Ashburtonelectoral rolls from 1890 as a coachbuilder & 1911 & 1914 as an insurance agent of 34 Havelock St W: his w. Emily also had avote from 1896. Of their children Hubert was killed at the Somme 16 Sep. 1916 & bur. Longueville; 2 other ss (Sergt R.W. &Gunner M.F. Steel) were wounded in WWI, returning to Ashburton 1918 & 1919. Frank’s w. Emilia d. Nov. 1919 & Frank 1Aug. 1953. Frank’s bro. Herbt Reader Steel (1865–1901) m. Williamina Halls Sears 1897, by whom he had Langdon Reader(1898). Herbt (a coachbuilder) & Williamina both had an Ashburton vote 1900. Herbt d. Ashburton 17 Jun. 1901.

4. Jane (1840–1864): B. 1840 Jane was a factory worker 1861, living with her parents. She d. Bingley 1864.5. Jn (1842–1928): Jn (19) was living 1861 with the Robinson family 54 Jermyn St, Bradford: also in the

household was Ellen Conyer (then 16), whom Jn m. 12 Nov. 1864 at Bradford. He was then a ‘grocer’ & called his father a‘maltster’. Jn & Ellen also emigrated to N.Z.

From 1890–1905 ‘Jn Steele’ had a vote as a storekeeper of Alford Forest Rd, Allenton, Ashburton, as did his w.Ellen. Their 2nd dau. Jane Helena m. Henry Garner 29 Nov. 1898 & dau. Ellen Conyer m. Wm Hyde 3 Jun. 1909, both atAshburton Baptist tabernacle. Ellen Steele was bur. Ashburton 31 Jul. 1926 & Jn 13 Jan. 1928 [for their wills 1926 & 1928see Wellington & Timaru courts].

6. Richd (1847–1933): Richd s. of Jn & Grace was with them Bingley 1861. He m. Annice/Annis Wilkinson atKeighley Jun. ¼ 1869 & they were living 1871 next door to his parents. 1881 Richd (34, ‛engine driver’) was at 70 DaltonMill, Keighley with Annis (43). 1891 Richd (‛44, stationary engine driver’) & ‛Annie’ were at 12 Lime St, Bingley; 1901 theywere at ‘14 Victoria St, Chapel Lane’, Richd (54) a road roller engine driver & Annis 64: by 1911 they were 64 & 74 & Richda ‘stationary engine man, worsted factory. Annis d. Mar. ¼ 1922, aged 85 & Richd Dec. ¼ 1933, aged 86.

7. Eliz. (1850–?1923): Eliz. continued living York St after her father’s d: she was a monthly nurse at ‘3

Victoria St, York St’ 1901, living on ‘own account’, but ‘sick’. It was probably Eliz. who d. Dec ¼ 1923, aged 72.8. Sarah Ann (1851–?1937): It was perhaps Sarah Ann who m. Stephen Finlay in N.Z. 1899, for one Sarah

Ann Finlay d. N.Z. 1937, aged 83 [recte c.86]. She may otherwise have been the Sarah Ann who d. unm. 1897 (see above).9. Mary (1856–1930): Mary m. Richd Blake N.Z. 1895: Mary Blake d. N.Z. 1930, aged 73.

222 Westminster Archives, Westminster Register of Electors: 324.42223 Westminster Archives, F 689: St Martin’s Poor Rate, 1835224 Westminster Archives, The Westminster Poll Book, 1841: 324.42225 Both were of full age & signed; Harriet (a spinster of 2 Sackville St) was 2nd dau. of Jos. Bennett, a deceased hatter; witswere Jn Fletcher Bennett & Mary Read...ing (m. noticed by London Standard, 14 Dec.)226 Westminster Archives, F 3225–3230: St Martin’s Paving, Lighting & Cleansing Rate, 1851–1853227 Extant registers of electors (1857–1860, 1862–1863 & 1865–1866 continue to show David with a vote in respect of hishouse at 2 Spring Gdns: Westminster Archives, 324.42228 From 1872 property listed as ‘Steel & Jones, advertising agents, newsvendors & stationers’: site used for 1 st LondonCounty Hall c.1896 229 Jun. ¼, Bromley district, aged 55230 Both were of full age & signed; Mary Ann was dau. of Jn Beecroft, a deceased brewer; wits were Wm Barrett & Edwd G.Allen231 Estate duty: TNA, IR 26/4111/f. 2168232 Mitford Rd not listed in Post Office dirs of this period233 Estate duty register: TNA, IR 26/3869/f. 536. The d. nowhere appears in the English records & he may perhaps havebeen the ‘David Steel, 34’ who emigrated to New York, arriving 6 Jun. 1884234 Eliz. (22), Ann (18) & Eliza (13), all power-loom weavers & Jane (11) & Sarah (9), errand girls & Grace (6)235 Of Thos & Ann’s family Jos. (1830–1899) m. Tamar Stanger at Little Holbeck (Leeds) 18 Nov. 1852: their daus Hannah &Jane Ann were b. Holbeck Sept. ¼ 1854 Sept. ¼ 1857. 1861 Jos. was a cabinet-maker, living Addingham with his family.There were further children Jn Thos (1861–1896) (b. Leeds 22 Apr. 1861 & bapt. Addingham 7 Jul.), Alf. Edwd (1865–1935)(Leeds, 22 May 1865, bapt. Addingham 3 Jul.), Sarah Ellen (b. Leeds, bapt. Addingham 30 Jun. 1867), Wm (6 July 1863) & a2nd Wm (bapt. Ilkley 6 Sept. 1868). 1871 the family were at Main St, Addingham. Jos.’ w. Tamar d. aged 39 13 Mar. 1872 &was bur. Addingham & 1881 Jos. was a Main Street widr with Jane Ann (23), Alf. & Sarah (17 & 15, woollen weavers), & Wm(12, velvet cutter). Jos. then m. Hannah Hewitson at Leeds Jun. ¼ 1883 & 1891 they were at Adelaide Terrace, with Alf. (27,silk trimmer overlooker) & Sarah & Wm (25 & 22, velvet weavers). Hannah Steel d. 7 Nov. 1892, aged 55 & was bur. atAddingham: her widr Jos. d. 15 Apr. 1899, aged 68. Thos & Ann’s daus Jane & Sarah both d. unm. Addingham, aged 29 & 25& were bur. 3 Mar. 1869 & 5 Feb. 1865.236 B.I.H.R., CP 1852/4237 W.R.R.D., 14/670/329238 Of Richd & Ann’s family their unm. ss Robt (75, labourer) & daus Mary (84) & Ann (82) all d. 1 Moor Lane (‛a house theirfather built’) & were bur. with their parents (11 Jan. 1908, 8 Jun. 1935 & 11 Oct. 1935). Mary’s will proved London 26 Feb.1936 by Richd, retired railway clerk & Emily Ann Stanford Steel, sp. [1861–1938, bur. 27 Sept.]; Ann’s will proved London 13Nov. also by Richd, retired railway clerk: for her will see also W.R.R.D., 63/291/107Thos (gardener) d. 40 Main St (83) & was bur. with his parents 25 Apr. 1917: his dau. Emily (1861–1938, bur. 29 Sept.) was aspinster of School House, Beamsley. David m. Mary Ann: she d. Wharfe View 17 Feb. 1900 (57). David d. a retired enginetenter 40 Main St & was bur. with his w. 6 Feb. 1921: David’s will proved 9 Mar. by Jn Wm Steel, grocer & Jos. Steel,shoemaker at Wesleyan chapel: their children were Wm (1864), Richd (1866) & Joseph (1868–1941). Wm m. Ann Ashton1887: their dau. was Gladys. Richd was b. 11 Jan. 1866, m. Martha Nuttall 1891 & d. 166 Scotland Road, Nelson 14 Oct. 1936:Richd was bur. Addingham Wesleyan chapel as was Martha, who d. 26 Hazelwood Road, Nelson 14 Feb. 1949: their childrenwere David Claude (b. Dec. ¼1894, living later Manchester) & Gwen. Joseph (b. 17 June 1868) m. Clara Smith 1892: she d. 31Mar. 1917. Jos. was a clogger, Main St & d. 10 Nov. 1941 at 40 Main St: his will proved 2 Jan. 1942 by Edith Steel, sp. Jos. &Clara’s children were Edith (bur. 9 Oct. 1978), Ethel & Sidney: Edith & her parents were all bur. Wesleyan chapel. Richd & Ann’s s. Jos. m. Mary Petty 21 Mar. 1871: she d. 8 Oct. 1888 & Jos. then m. Emily (probably Emily Thackray,Skipton, Mar. ¼ 1903).Jos. d. a shoemaker 61 Main St. 2 Apr. 1915 & Emily 8 May 1925: all were bur. Wesleyan chapel: Jos.’s will was proved London2 Apr. by Richd Steel, clerk & Agnes Simpson. Jos. & Mary had 8 children, all bapt. Addingham chapel: Richd (21 Nov. 1871),Agnes (1 Nov. 1873), Lewis (1876–1949) (1 Sept. 1876), Thos (1878–1959) (2 Feb. 1878, unm.), David (1 Dec. 1879), Jn (1881–1960) (12 Nov. 1881), Hannah (10 Jan. 1885) & Ethel (29 Aug. 1888). Ethel d. at 1 mo. & Thos 1958. Of the 8, Richd (railwayclerk) m. Sarah Kate Ibbotson 23 Jun. 1902: their daus were Mary Flesher & Muriel Whitwham; Sarah (of 26 Victoria Terr.) d.Blackpool 21 Jun. 1926 & admon was granted London to Richd Steel, railway clerk; Richd then m. Mgt Lucy, who d. 2 Oct.1948. Richd d. Southfield Villas, Brumfitt Hill & was bur. 12 Feb. 1949. Jos. (shoemaker) & Richd (railway clerk) wereappointed replacement trustees of the Wesleyan chapel on 23 Apr. 1894: W.R.R.D., 14/670/329.Agnes m. 9 Aug. 1904: her dau. was Amy, w. of Wm Simpson; 13 Apr. 1903 Lewis m. Mary Ann, who d. Turner Lane Farm 13May 1939 & he d. there 4 Jan. 1949: their children were Herbert (1902–1991, no issue, d. 65 Moor Park Dr., bur. 2 July 1991)& Mabel; Thos was unm. & d. Main St 19 Feb. 1958; David was a Littleborough joiner when he m. 22 Apr. 1905: his dau. wasEvelyn; Jn was father of Jack Steel, proprietor of Steels’ Coaches of Addingham; Hannah’s ss were Jn & Richd Garth; Ethel d.at 1 mo.Wm (warpdresser) m. Jane Holmes 5 Jun. 1869, but had no children: Jane d. 44 Main St 18 Dec. 1916 & Wm 13 Feb. 1936(89). Both were bur. Wesleyan chapel. Will of Wm (14 Main St) proved London 24 Apr. 1936 by Richd Steel, railway clerk.Some of the info. about Richd & Ann Steel’s descendants was provided by Mary Flesher (a gt-grandau.) c.1971239 For wills & invs 1808–1858 (unless otherwise stated): B.I.H.R., Yorks wills (prerogative & exchequer courts)240 W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), QE 32/89 onwards (ale-house recognizances/Staincliffe E. wapentake, from 1822). See also:Baines’ Dir. & Gazette, Glusburn, 1822. One Jos. Steel was occupier of Steeton land under Thos Pearson 1830 & 1831:W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), QE 13/12/38. Jos’ w. Amelia was perhaps related to Wm Teal, who was keeper of Goat’s Head fromat least 1871 (d. 1877, succeeded by wid. Rebecca)

241 B.I.H.R., Will of Jos. Steel, Steeton, Feb. 1840 (Exchequer, vol. 201, f. 152)* [FHC 0099821]242 Wits Ben. & Jn Steel & Jn Cowling; Ann was dau. of Wm Holdsworth of Lum Gill, labourer243 W.R.R.D., [vol.]GO/[p.]151/[no.]/42 (memorialised 1817)244 B.I.H.R., Will of Jn Steel, Kildwick, Oct. 1817 (vol 161, f. 515/575, proved 28 Oct): execs Richd Steel of Brunthwaite,Jn Jackson of Tomlin Coat & Thos Thornber of Silsden, tanner [FHC 0099780]; TNA, IR 26/[piece] 1096 (4/f. ..)245 PR confirms that Jn, husbandman of Howden was s. of Ben., farmer of Howden by Eliz, dau. of David Steel , farmer ofBrunthwaite 246 He must be distinguished from another Jn (who later gave Crosshills as his birthplace) b. 21 Mar. 1818 & bapt. Kildwick 13Jun., a s. of Wm Steel, a Brunthwaite nailmaker & his w. Mgt. Both Jns later lived Addingham with their ws & families. In1841 the other Jn (24, m. to Sarah) was also a woolcomber, at Willington Ports, Addingham with children Wm (4) & Mgt (1) &one Ruth Pickard (24); in 1851 he was 33, a woolcomber, b. Kildwick, at Craven Heifer, Addingham with Sarah (32) & 5children: Wm Young (14), Mgt Ann (11), Abraham (8), Ellen (6) & Sarah (3); in 1861 he was (44), an agricultural labourer atTown Top, Addingham with Sarah (43), Abraham (19, a quarryman), Ellen and Sarah (both 14, cotton winders), Jn (9), Mary& Martha (6), Grace (3) & Mercy (1); in 1871 he was (54), at Hudson’s Yard, Addingham, without Sarah, but with Mary (17),Grace (15), Mary (12) & Alice (7); in 1881 he was 64, an agricultural labourer at Stockinger Lane, Addingham with Jn (30,stonemason), Jn’s w. Eliza (35, b. Storiths), Alice (16, a woollen weaver) & 3 grandchildren: Sarah Ann & Albert (8 & 4, b.Addingham) & Clara (1), b. Kildare. It was probably Jn bur. Addingham 20 Aug. 1883247 The 1832 electoral register shows a Jn Steel of Silsden Moor, with a house in Silsden town; the 1835 poll book lists Jn Steelof Silsden Moor; & that of 1845 Jn Steel of Glusburn: W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), QE 13/12/24 (land tax returns, Glusburn); QE14 (electoral registers); C 701/1/3 (poll book, 1835); W.Y.A.S. (Leeds), DB/227/1/8, 11–12 (land tax returns 1798, 1801–1802)248 W.R.R.D., 7/436/224 (1887, Dewhirst to Steel)249 Jane’s d. not noticed by Bradford Daily Argus250 W.R.R.D., 29/302/160 (1893, Steel to Whitaker, land bounded on N. by United Methodist Free Chapel, on W. byWesleyan Methodist Chapel & on S. by Main St251 W.R.R.D., 9/681/348 (1894, Steel to Woodhead)252 Ann m. Thos Woodhead at Bradford Dec. ¼ 1866. Fanny m. Wm Henry Good, librarian of the Mechanics Institute, at Bradford, Mar. ¼ 1873. In 1881 (aged 38 & 27) they wereat 46 Parsonage Rd, Bowling (Bradford) with children Bea., Rowland & Cuthbert. In 1891 they were at 54 Parsonage Rd withBea. (17, dressmaker’s apprenticeship), Rowland (12), Cuthbert (10) & Flo. Ida (5). In 1901 Wm was an auctioneer, valuer &estate agent at 3 Spring Terr., Shipley with Fanny, Bea. (nursery governess), Cuthbert (dentist’s apprentice) & Flo. Eliz. m. Jas Clark at Bradford Mar. ¼ 1861.Jn jnr probably m. Ellen Hall at Bradford Dec. ¼ 1870: he was a warehouseman 1881 at Priesthorpe, Calverley with w. Ellen(29) & daus Mary J. (7) & Fanny (4), both b. Bradford. In 1891 Jn was a wool warehouseman at 56 Brooklyn St, BradfordExchange with Ellen (38), Mary Jane (17), Fanny (14), worsted spinners & another dau. Mabel (7). We have seen that 1894 Jnwas a warehouseman of Leeds Rd, Bradford. In 1901 Jn (‛wool warehouseman’) was at 2 Whitley St, Bradford with Ellen,Mabel (18, french polisher) & an adopted s. & dau.Ben m. Mgt Eliz. Hargreaves at Halifax Dec. ¼ 1887. In 1901 Ben (‛piano tuner’) & Mgt were at 13 Euston Grove, Poulton,Bare & Torrisholme (Morecambe). In 1902 Ben. (a ‛musician’) suffered a stroke which took away his musical powers: aresultant depression led to a suicide attempt (he cut his throat) & in Sept. he was sent to quarter sessions & bound over (M’crEvening News, 23 Sept; M’cr Courier 24 Sept. & 14 & 18 Oct. Ben. signing himself ‛Steele’, now ‛professor of music’ of 13Euston Grove still retained an interest in 30, 32, 34 & 36 Shakespeare St, Bradford which he sold 1906: W.R.R.D., 18/377/165(1906, Steele to Ogden). Ben d. Euston Gr. 21 Sept. 1906, aged 49 (noticed by Morecambe Visitor & Heysham Chronicle)253 W.Y.A.S. (Wakefield), QE 32/89–91 (1822, 1826, 1828)254 Original counterpart indenture held 1971 by late Sir Lincoln Steel: photocopy in author’s collection*255 Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, Silsden boxes256 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/6257 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/118/4 (Silsden survey, 1836)258 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/3 (court books)259 Cliffe Castle Museum, Keighley, Silsden boxes260 Brotherton Lib., DD 121/Add/3261 W.R.R.D., QD 4/LA/38/32 (Sutton, 1830); LB/7/9 (1831); LP/707/699,442/433 (Sutton), 105/111 (Silsden &Kildwick), all 1833; MP/408/408 (Keighley, 1837); MX/664/632 (Sutton & Kildwick, 1838)262 W.Y.A.S. (Bradford), 76D80/11/6/a263 None bap. Kildwick, Silsden or Ilkley264 Both registrations in Otley district265 Jun ¼ Bradford266 Bapt. 29 Oct. 1882, Holy Trinity, Bradford267 D. noticed by Bradford Daily Argus268 Alf. Arthur Steele m. Amy Cowgill N. Bierley Jun. ¼ 1918. As cabinet-maker’s foreman of 15 Birklands Rd, Shipley 1 Dec.1932 he sold property & he & his w. Amy bought 33 Birklands Rd for £350: W.R.R.D., 102/848/310 & 139/502/178. Alf.Arthur was shown as foreman joiner of 33 Birklands Rd, Shipley in Kelly’s Bradford dir. 1938. Dec. 1956, as ‛retired companydirector’ he sold 33 Birklands Rd: W.R.R.D., 5/717/344 (1957, Steel to Masters). Alf. Arthur Steele d. 6 Apr. 1968, aged 85 at6 Bellamy Ave., Morecambe & was cremated Morecambe 10 Apr. (noticed by Morecambe Visitor; will proved Lancaster 17May): Amy Steele d. 12 Glen View Cres., Morecambe 29 Jun. 1972 aged 77 (will proved Liverpool, 27 Jul: estate £20, 454).Herbert Steele m. Helena White at Bradford Dec. ¼ 1910. In 1911 he was a stuff warehouseman at 18 Firth Road, Heaton(Bradford) with Helena (silk winder). Herbert took out a mortgage at Manningham 25 Feb.1936. W.R.R.D., 47/995/333. Ernest Victor Steele ‛youngest s.of late Mrs. Steele of Bradford’ d. 2 Feb. 1919 at 9 Cornwall Terrace, Bradford: his funeral on 6Feb. was at St Aidan’s Mission, with interment at Undercliffe (Bradford Daily Argus). Ernest was a jeweller: his will (made

18 Jul. 1918) proved London 28 Mar. by [his elder bro.] Alf. Arthur Steele, aircraft factory manager of 15 Birklands Rd,Shipley: estate £668 269 David’s d. 2 Apr. noticed in Craven Herald270 D. of Agnes noticed in Craven Herald271 Tillotson & his w. Ann were bur. Silsden 20 Aug. 1875 & 21 Dec. 1871: his will was proved London 28 Aug. 1875 (estateunder £200)272 Stephen’s s. Arthur m. Winifred Ingham at Nelson Sept. ¼ 1954. He was a well-known local boxer & worked for PressedFelt Ltd, Colne & later part-time for Walter Smith Ltd, Nelson & d. 68 Farrer St, Nelson 12 Feb. 1969273 One Wm Smith was occupier of land under Garforth’s trustees, Steeton 1822–1832274 Curiously another Martha & Wm Smith were at Braithwaite, next-door to Lydia Steel’s sister & bro.-in-law Alice &Tim. Morehouse 1841–1861275 Grave 9a 113276 Jos. was a mechanic of Regent Place, s. of Wm, watchman277 Not noticed in Keighley News278 See p. 27279 Made 14 Aug. & proved 12 Oct: York consistory, vol. 246, f. 371280 An indenture of 20 Oct. 1857 concerning 2 cottages in Caleb St was between Jn Cockshott of Cross Moor (farmer) &Jos. Clarkson of Silsden (nailmaker) [1st part]; Jos. Clarkson [2nd part]; & said Jn Cockshott & Hannah his w., ArabellaClarkson of Seamoor, Silsden (spinster), Jn Clarkson of Silsden (nailmaker) & said Jos. Clarkson: W.R.R.D., TP/515/580281 Jn’s death 4 Apr. (but not Ann’s) noticed in Craven Herald282 See p. 27283 Hannah’s parents Edwd & Mary Feather were bur. Silsden 16 Sept. 1853 (64) & 3 Apr. 1865 (74)284 Jn & Hannah must be distinguished from Jn of Crossmoor, farmer & his w. Hannah: Jn d. intestate 18 Jul. 1859 & hada s. Jn of Crossmoor, woolcomber (see W.R.R.D., UN/510/547). The will of one Jn Cockshott of Crossmoor was made 19Aug. 1854 & memorialised 1856 (W.R.R.D., TB/108/198). One Jn Cockshott of Silsden was bur. there aged 71, 6 Aug. 1894(b. c.1823)285 Confectioner, power-loom weaver, milliner & deputy superintendent registrar: Hannah was not among them286 W.R.R.D., 871/657/763287 The bride was Mary Eliz., Mary Jane, Sarah Mary or Eliz. (Keighley, 2a 276)288 Craven Herald289 One Jn Wm Cockshott (58) was a Silsden-born navvy in 1911 with a w. Martha (45) at 43 Bridgeford St, Hapton,Burnley: he probably m. Keighley Dec. ¼ 1891290 Teal’s 1st Liverpool-born child Sarah was bap. St Peter, Liverpool on 31 August 1834291 Teal lived at Gt Howard St in 1851 & probably d. later that year: his elder children were b. Stockport (Marion, 1826) &Manchester (Thos, 1832)292 The term ‘lodger’ was sometimes used simply to describe a sub-divided household293 Lancashire Archives [hereafter L.A.], EL 1/14 (S) [1845]294 Named after Prince Wm, Duke of Clarence (2nd s. of Geo. III: succeeded as Wm IV, 1830)295 Named after Edwd Whitley, leader of Tory party on borough council & later its M.P.296 F. O’Connor, Liverpool: Our City, Our Heritage (Liverpool, 1990), p. 63297 L.A., EL 1/15–17 (S) [1846–1848]298 TNA, HO 107/2177/875/51 (census records 1851 onwards are cited with 4 elements: class [e.g. HO107]/piece/folio/page)299 L.A., EL 1/18–22 (S) [1849–1853]. It was perhaps Halliwell’s w. Alice, who appeared in dirs with a lodging house at 12Summerseat (1859) & beer house 29 Beacon St (1860, 1862). By 1849 Thos Teal was a contractor 172 Great Howard St300 O’Connor, Liverpool, p. 64301 Y. Koorbezarg (H. Grazebrook), Lights Along the Line (Liverpool, 1853), quoted in J.W. Gahan, Seaport to Seaside(Birkenhead, 1985), p. 31302 Gahan, Seaport to Seaside, p. 76303 L.A., EL 1/20 (S) [1851]304 L.A., EL 1/19 (S) [1850]305 L.A., PR/2799/9–10 (Chorley). For census returns 1841–1891: TNA, HO 107 (1841, 1851); RG 9 (1861); /10 (1871); /11(1881); /12 (1891)306 For wills 1858 onwards: Principal Probate Registry [hereafter P.P.R.]. Wm may have been the dyer & victualler of 7Cases St (1834); the victualler of 166/276 Scotland Rd (1837/1841); or the gent. of 7 Bostock St (1843,1845)307 Liverpool Record Office [hereafter Liv. R.O.], 352 CEM /2/4; /3/2; (Necropolis, burial register: running nos. 41785 &42973; register of graves: no. 2652)308 Photocopy of note in author’s collection*309 Named after John Mann, oil-stone dealer, who d. Park St 1784310 Liv. R.O., A. Hume, Map of Liverpool, ecclesiastical & social, 1858311 ‘Squalid Liverpool’, Liverpool Daily Post, Nov. 1883312 A further photo. of Upper Mann St 1934 is reproduced in O’Connor, Liverpool, p. 35313 Liv. R.O., 352 CEM 1/3/2; 2/1/5; /2/4; /3/2; /4/5 (gravestones removed: flatstone; order book: order by Jos. Arnold;bur. register: running no. 48541; register of graves: no. 2652; day book)314 Gore’s Dir. of Liverpool, 1855315 Wm Pickles Hartley of Fazakerley (founder of the Liverpool jam dynasty) was b. Colne, Feb. 1846316 Info. from Jos’ grandson, late Duncan Steel, s. of Ben. Jos.317 See T.M. Steel, ‛Hodgkinson of Warrington & Toxteth Park’: http://tsgf.pbworks.com (online, 2010)318 TNA, RG 9/2703/110/31319 Wirral Archives, B 205/5 (rate book, Birkenhead); B/547/1, B/545/1–3, 5 (valuation lists, Birkenhead). The Napier St

houses are shown in detail on 1875 town plan of Birkenhead (O.S., Cheshire, XIII.3.14)*; Edward Flavell’s map ofBirkenhead, 1858 shows that they were already built by then*320 Gore St, to which the family moved by 1868 was a little further away321 Info. from late Ben., Duncan & Edwin Steel, grandss322 S. Gilley, ‘The Garibaldi riots of 1862’, Historical Journal, 16 (1973), p. 720, ff.; The Times, 10 Oct. 1862, et seq. Noneof the Steel children were bap. by Baylee323 The St still exists, although the Mersey Vaults, a public house at its junction with Cleveland St is the only possiblyoriginal building still standing324 In public grave 415, section CD 8: Birkenhead Lib., Birkenhead Cem., bur. register. D. not announced in Birkenhead &Cheshire Advertiser, which however referred that mo. to ‘the late outbreak of cholera’. Surviving rate valuation lists forOct. 1866 & Dec. 1868 show the family at Napier St & Gore St & not at Neptune St: Wirral Archives, B 545/3 & 4325 Birkenhead & Cheshire Advertiser, Jan. 1867326 Wirral Archives, B 545/4, B 547/2 (valuation lists) & B 205/6 (rate book)327 Wirral Archives, Flavell’s map, 1858328 Cheshire R.O., P 107/1. Napier & Gore Sts were actually in section which formed St Peter’s parish 1867. Holy Trinitynow demolished329 TNA, RG 10/3747/70/55330 Info. from late Sir Lincoln & Ben. Steel, grandss331 Shropshire-b. Watson was at Eden St 1871 (42) & probably d. Jun. ¼ 1876332 Liv. R.O., 352 CEM 9/1/9 (interment book); 9/3/86 (order book): at section A left/126, it was ‘½ a freehold grave’, no.42653, costing £3 13s 6d333 TNA, RG 11/3650/14/22334 Mary was ‛living on own means’335 Electoral registers from 1898336 Gore’s Dirs of Liverpool, 1886–1900, 1902–1910337 Dinapore was built 1863: Lloyds closed her register (47612) Nov. 1890. Her master & 6 of the crew of 20 (including 2of the 4 apprentices) were lost. For Board of Trade Enquiry: Liverpool Mercury, 9 & 12 Aug. 1890338 TNA, RG13/3977/81/NS; T.E. Steel was father of the author of this account339 Admon of her £253 estate granted Chester 2 Oct; for estate duties 4701 (note FO4 43947)