'Few homesteads are  more pleasantly  situated than Brearley Hall, which stands on an eminence between Mytholmroyd and Luddenden Foot. Antiquaries tell us that this is the ancient residence of Midgley's Lord of of the Manor, and, digging very deep into the past, they refer to the time when the Soothills were Lords of Midgley in the 14tb century, with Brearley Hall as their seat'

It is from the vill, township or parish name of Midgley that some of the earliest Midgley toponymic names originated.
"Across the road (Burnley Road, the main road through Brearley)- behind the cottages of Brearley Lane Top stands Brearley Old Hall, a private residence. The history of this family residence is not wholly clear but it is presently the relic of a late Tudor house constructed around 1600 on the site of an earlier timber structure."² "The house front was rebuilt about 1905."²  Brearley Old Hall is commonly confused with Brearley Hall further east.

THE MANOR PASSES FROM THE MIDGLEYS TO THE SOOTHILLS
 At some time, perhaps in 1317/1318, the manor of Midgley passed to the Soothills.  At the time the 'Nomina Villarum' was tested (1316) the manor of Midgley was shown only to be held in capite by earl (John) de Warrene¹⁰ who subsequently lost it along with the rest of the the manor of Wakefield in 1317/1318. Whether the manor was sold, gained through marriage, or more likely illegally entered during the rebellion of Thomas earl of Lancaster, is not known. By 1326 it was recorded as being held by the Soothill family.

THE SOOTHILLS                                                                                                                                                                        The original stone house was probably built for the Soothills (Norman-French: Suitille, Anglicised to Sotehill, Sothill, Sothull &c. )  This  family are known to have held the manor of Midgley in 1326 when they possessed Brearley Old Hall. The lord at this time was Thomas de Soothill (d. 1326) uncle to Henry I de Soothill [b. ~1278 d. 1350-1352] whose father Sir John II had died in 3 Edward II [1309-1310]. Thus it is probable that the manor devolved to Henry in or after 1326. Henry and other members of his family are known for having been involved in the rebellion of Thomas earl of Lancaster, Henry having being pardoned about June 1322.⁸

THE MANOR PASSES FROM THE SOOTHILLS TO THE LACYS                                                                                Much later in the mid 1400's the daughter and heir of Gerard II Soothill married Gilbert Lacy second son of John Lacy. Gilbert's daughter Jane/Joan Lacy married Henry Murgatroyd⁴.
In the 15th century it became the home of the Lacy family to which the ownership of the house is perhaps most identified."²

                                           .

^{TWO HALLS                                                                                                                                                               There were in fact two halls. Brearley Old Hall in Brearley ( behind cottages near the corner of Burnley Road and  Brearley Lane Top) and Brealey Hall to the east of Mytholmroyd. On the 1840 O.S. map Brearley Old Hall is in fact marked but as as 'Lower Brearley'. It is now a grade II listed building (O.S. grid ref: SEO268926083).}

 Wikimapia aerial view of Brearley Old Hall, Brearley

Wikimapia aerial view of Brearley Hall, Mytholmroyd