Midgley of Felkirk, Shafton and farming pioneers of Tasmania. |
+ The vicar of nearby Felkirk in 1339 was Hugh Derfield (Darfield) who granted lands in this year to Nostell Priory.9
* This William is now thought to be the son of Sir William de Midgley and Maud de Hercy (Herci) who also had held the fee or manor of Midgley in Stanley and Shelf. See: http://midgleywebpages.com/knight.html
In support of this last statement, it is
clear that John de Northland, a one-time attorney of John de Eland,
was the guardian of Maude (above) and later in 1351 jointly held in fealty the
fee or manor of Midgley in Stanley nr. Wakefield with John de Wakefield (son of Thomas de Wakefield, spicer,
above).
BACKGROUND TO JOHN DE NORTHLAND: 1274- A Hugh son of Alan de Northland is mentioned. [WCR 1274] 1274- John de Northland mentioned in court records at Raistrick with Adam de Migge and others when John de Migeley.(forester of the forest of Sowerby), having been charged with taking a stag at the Wakefield Court from Earl warenne's forest of Sowerby, was exonerated and went quit. [WCR, 1274, p. 94]. 1296- mentioned in WCR. 1314 - A juror at Halfax Court. [WCR 1313-1316, p. 73.] Early 1330's- Witness to a grant in Barkisland (nr. Halifax) with John de Eland and Henry de Rishworth. [Yorks. Deeds, William Brown (ed.), vol. I, p. 11.] 1331- Mentioned in the Wakefield Court records. [WCR vol. 5, 1322-1331, p. 195.] 1334 to 1338 - He was Sir John de Eland's attorney v's Earl John de Warenne [Legends and Traditions of Huddersfield District, vol. II,(1945), p. 14.] 2 October 1338 - John son of John de Northland mentioned. [WCR, vol. 12.] 1339/1340 - He was an attorney for William de Baildon. [Baildon History] 1338 & 1339 - He was a guardian of Miles de Stapleton's wife, Isabella. [Feet of Fines for Yorks., p. 136.] *1345 - He was guardian of Maude de Miggelay dtr. of William de Miggelay and Agnes. 24 March 1350- Appointed justice and keeper of the peace in W.R.Y. [See Eland Feud] *1351 - Jointly held in fealty the manor of Midgley and Stanley Hall nr. Wakefield. with John de Wakefield. 'In Anno 24.E. 3. John de Northland and John de Wakefield held this manor (of the Midgley fee or manor in Stanley) of the Earl [Warenne*] by fealty only, as at the court held at Wakefield, 22 December, Anno 24. E. 3. it appears. It was afterwards divided amongst many coheirs.....' [The Antiquarian Repository. vol. iv, (1784), pp. 125-126.] *Earl John de Warenne had died in 1347. 10 February 1353 - On a commission with Brian de Thornhill and William de Notton et. al. 2 December 1358 - Mentioned with Brian de Thornhill et. al. [C. P. R., 1358, p. 69.]
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Robert Midgley [I]
Married Martha Wilson [b. 1690 d. 1796]. Richard White has identified
this Robert as his 6th great grandfather followed by Robert Midgley 1730, 5th Great
Grandfather
and Ann Midgley b. 1777 4th Great Grandmother. Ann married Johnathan
White (b. 1768, d. 1858). Jonathan was the brother of Elizabeth White (b.
1774, d. 1836) who married William Shaw (b. 1776, d. 1832). This William
Shaw was the father of William Shaw of Stanley Hall, a nephew to Ann
Midgley who is mentioned on the blue plaque affixed to the present Stanley
Hall building. Contact: Richard
White
Robert Midgley [II]
Son of Robert Midgley [I] and Martha Wilson. b. 1730 Felkirk married Hanna
Speight [Banns All-Saints Wakefield 21st August 1768] They had five children
:
1. Harriet
2. Ann
3. Elizabeth
4. Joseph [I]
5. Lidy
Joseph[I]
Ch. 25th July 1781 d. 10th Sept. 1833. Buried All Saints Wakefield. Married
Sarah Sampson who was christened 11th May 1788 Married: 15th
April 1811, died 15th Feb. 1866. Proprietor of the Dolphin Inn, Doncaster.
They had eight children :
1. Harriet
2. Mary Ann
3. Joseph
4. Hannah
5. John Hirst
6. Thomas Sampson
8. Sarah
PIONEER FARMERS OF TASMANIA
John Hirst Midgley
Christened 24th March 1824 at Doncaster2, died 22nd April 1901 St. Georges.
A farmer, butcher and gambler of Felkirk Green House, Shafton - on common.
He married Mary Margaret Sykes at Huddersfield on the 5th June 1845.
Mary was born 18th March 1827 daughter of Timothy and Lucy Waley.
Mary died 7th January 1899 Shafton, Yorkshire. Like many Victorian families
they had a large number of children- twelve:
1. Sarah Ann Midgley marr. James Bywater of Castleford.
2. Joseph Midgley born 20th Aug. 1827.
3. Timothy Sykes Midgley, [See
Tasmanian link Page with incorrect first name!] farmer born 27th July
1849 probably at Doncaster. Died 13th September 1922 marr. firstly
[25th Jan 1874] Elizabeth Huntington of Hagley, Tasmania. Married
secondly [8th Sept. 1878] Ellen Milnthorpe 4th daughter of
William Milnthorpe and Sarah Horsfall of
Newland Hall, Altofts [nr. Normanton], Yorkshire. Both signed their own
names at the wedding [15th October 1836] and both were of the parish
of Normanton3. Timothy and Ellen had three children, Archibald,
Lucy and Joseph.
It would appear that Timothy migrated to Tasmania on the "Great
Britain" on 25th December 1870 , his wife Elizabeth died probably in
childbirth with their second child in 1877 and he returned to Normanton sometime
between in 1878 to marry Ellen. They then migrated on the "Orient" 15th
March 1879. He became a farmer at Pine Road, Penguin, Tas.
4. Thomas Midgley b. 6th April 1851, probably at Doncaster
d. 1st Sept. 1936. Migrated on the "Great Britain" 25th Dec.
1870 with his brother Timothy.
Married Lettitia Middleton [Middleby] on 7th August 1879
She was born Emu Bay [now Burnie] Tasmania 9th June 1856 and died 22nd Jan. 1942.
5. Lucy Hirst Midgley b. 20th Dec 1823. Married Samuel Cope
of Wakefield, West Yorkshire. Three children.
6. Betsy b. 12th October 1854, married John Pritchard, Armley, Leeds,
West Yorkshire .They had four children.
7. Benjamin Sykes Midgley. b. 30th April 1856 died young [4th
Dec 1856] at Doncaster.
8. John b. 29th May 1860 migrated to Tasmania on 15th March 1879
on the "Orient" with his brother, Timothy and Timothy's new wife.
John married Louisa Sykes [his cousin] who was born at Sassafras near La
Trobe,
Tasmania on 27th July 1861. she was the daughter of Benjamin Sykes and Christina
Plapp. John became a farmer at North Motton, Tasmania.
9. Samuel Hawkesworth Midgley b. 21st January 1865. Migrated to
Tasmania on the "Orient" on 15th March 1879 with his brothers Timothy,
John and Timothy's new wife Ellen.. He is a Boer War veteran and later
migrated to New Zealand in 1909. Died 20th May 1936. Samuel married Max
Wilhelmina Manson who was born 26th Jan. 1877. They were married in 1911
and lived on Banks Peninsula N.Z. and then Timaroo N.Z. Five Children all
born in New Zealand.
See New Zealand
Emigrants.
10. Ellen Sykes Midgley b. 15th Sept. 1861. Married Basil Tomlinson,
wheelwright. Basil purchased the old Midgley home on Shafton Common, Shafton,
West Riding, Yorkshire but sold the farm and kept the orchard. Had one child,
Basil.
11. Mary Emily Midgley b. 11th May 1868.
12. Ian H. Midgley b. abt. 1865 who became a gardener4
In the 1881 census [3rd April] John Hirst Midgley market gardener and his
wife are recorded as still living in Shafton:
Dwelling: Shafton Census Place: Shafton, York, England Source: FHL Film 1342109 PRO Ref RG11 Piece 4597 Folio 30 Page 7 Marr Age Sex Birthplace John N*. MIDGELEY M 57 M Doncaster, York, England Rel: Head Occ: Market Gardener 9 Acres Mary M. MIDGELEY M 56 F Shafton, York, England Rel: Wife Ellen S. MIDGELEY U 19 F Shafton, York, England Rel: Daur Ian H. MIDGELEY U 16 M Shafton, York, England Rel: Son Occ: Gardener * Evidently a transcription error. |
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Midgleys Road, Riana, Tasmania. Midgleys still run a dairy farm on this road. | Killah, Riana, Tasmania - settled 1885. Today this is a dairy farm. |
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Team ploughing under the Western Tiers - Sheffield mural, Tasmania | Horse trap, Sheffield mural, Tasmania |
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Green dot - Today's approximate location of Riana on the Van Diemen's Land Company [V.D.L.C.] map of September 1828 by Henry Hellyer. The red line is the road from Emu Bay [now Burnie] to Hobart etc. Later the town of Penguin developed on the coast and from there Pine Road was driven south into what is now the Riana district. |
Milnthorpe |
Mary Ann Milnthorpe Hd W 73 Retired, formerly farmer, born Altofts. Thomas Milnthorpe So U 38 Farmer6 110 acres employs 4 labourers, born Hilltop. William Milnthorpe Hd M 37 Joint Manager of a Farm of 110 acres employs 4 labourers born Altofts. Sarah Wi M 36 Farm Manager's wife, born Hilltop Charles So 14 Farm Managers son, born Normanton. Ann Da 12 Farm Managers daughter, born Normanton. Sarah Da 11 Farm Managers daughter and Scholar, born Altofts Mary Ann Da 9 Scholar, born Altofts. Helen Da 7 Scholar, born Altofts William So 6 Scholar, born Altofts Thomas So 2 At Home, born Altofts. |
William Milnthorpe*
The third child of _________ Milnthorp(e), farmer of Altofts and Mary
Ann_________
William was born abt. 18144 and became a joint manager of a farm at Hilltop
in 1851. He was married by licence 15th October 1836 to Sarah Horsfall
both of the parish of Normanton3. William had two older brothers,
John b. 1809 [married Hannah Denison, 31st May 1830 both signed of the parish
of Normanton3] who is described as a farmer of 180 acres employing five
labourers in the 1851 census and Thomas 9unmarried0 described as a farmer
of 110 acres employing 4 labourers4.
William and Mary had five children in the 1851 census:
1. Sarah Milnthorpe born abt. 1840
2. Mary Ann Milnthorpe b. abt. 1842
3. Helen [Ellen] Milnthorpe born [abt. 18444] 1st August
1842 who married Timothy Sykes
Midgley.
4. William
5. Thomas b. abt. 1849.
There were contemporaries, possibly cousins to William Milnthorpe in Ann
born abt. 1839 at Normanton and Charles b. abt.
Normanton children of ___________ Milnthorpe, described as a Farm Manager4.
A John Milnthorp is mentioned as the proprietor of the Poplar Inn, Normanton in Kelly's directory of 1901.
* Note: The name Milnthorpe originates from the place of the same name
near Sandal Magna Castle,
Wakefield.