Just around the Sherburn-in-Elmet area we have several enparked estates. There is Lotherton, Parlington, Grimston and Scarthingwell for starters. The late 1700's and early 1800's saw the establishment of these landscaped parks based around rebuilt 'manshions' and halls. They are of interest themselves of course, but even more interesting is the change that each brought upon its locale with villages and roads re-positioned and historical buildings vanishing under rolling gardens, lakes and lawns. Details of what went before have been lost or ignored for too long. Any info out there to help fill the gaps?
In my pile of junk papers we have the "booklet to celebrate the opening of the new church" 1984 Sherburn in Elmet. What interests me is the comment about the history of the then mother church of The Immaculate Conception Scarthingwell, an extract from this booklet , "Scarthingwell however continued to flourish from the 16th century onwards due mainly to the efforts of the Hammond family. In1688 a priest was acting as chaplin to Mrs Hammond of Towton(?) and he was followed by a succession of priests. In 1733 the Hammond Family added to funds to the support other centres at Scarthingwell and Saxton"
"When the last surviving member of the Hammond family died in 1756, catholics had to travel to either Hazelwood or Aberford to hear mass"
"A resurgence of The Faith was generated by the arrival of the Maxwell family in 1850. The Maxwell's were an ancient Scottish family connected with both the Herries Baronectcy and the Stuarts. Their ancesrral home 'Traquair' at Inverleithen, Peebleshire, is the oldest inhabited house in Scotland"
"Parishioners attended Mass at the Hall in Scarthingwell untill 1854 in which year Mr Constable Maxwell donated the presant church. Cardinal Manning performed the opening ceremonies and the church was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of our Lady. It was particularly apt because it was in 1854 that the doctrine of the ImaculateConception was promulgated and Scarthingwell Church was the first in England to bear that name"
"The churchwas blessed by Bishop Briggs of Barnsley in 1857. Cardinal Newman preached at Scarthingwell but the precise date is not known to the writer"
"By 1890 the number of parishioners at Scarthingwell numbered between 350 &400"
I have a list of priests from 1854 to 1984 which lived in the Prestbytery at Scarthingwell and also a small amount of history from the booklet on the house which I will write at some point under the history of Scarthingwell
Enparking is a web of families,whealth, religion, & politics
"In 1733 the Hammond Family added to funds to the support other centres at Scarthingwell and Saxton"
Now that's strange because it goes against the view that the Hammonds went bust in the earlier part of that century and the last one died penniless! This is where comparing notes from different sources helps us, EVENTUALLY, get a more valid picture of the truth. Wonder which situation the Hammonds were 'actually' in during the middle 1700's? Were they bankrupt? Benefactor? Or, quite possibly, both???
Were they bankrupt? Benefactor? Or, quite possibly, both???
