1628-1897 HAWORTH COLLECTION of Legal Manuscript Leases, Mortgages, Wills and Conveyances
Fascinating collection of signed and sealed legal documents which together detail three and a half centuries of property leases and sales in Haworth, beginning in the early 17th century and concluding at the end of the 19th century. Fourteen of the documents (1824-1876) follow the activities of John, James and Joseph Greenwood all of whom were well known to the Bronte family, with a cluster of documents around 1848-1849 which chronicles the disastrous bankruptcy of James Greenwood and the consequent unemployment of his Bridgeshouse mill workers in Haworth which so distressed Charlotte Bronte. There is a copy of John Greenwood of Bridge House’s will of 1834 as well as the printed sale catalogue for ‘Particulars of Valuable Freehold Estates at Haworth.... by order of the Assignees of Mr James Greenwood’ which was caused by James Greenwood’s bankruptcy and the sale of the family’s Haworth property mill. The sale particulars includes a coloured map of Greenwood’s Haworth land holdings - we can’t find any other institutional copy of this document. It’s extraordinary to think that even as this disaster for the local economy unfolded in Haworth, Charlotte Bronte was rising to fame with the first publication of Jane Eyre in 1847 and her siblings Branwell, Anne and Emily would all sicken and die in the following two years. The collection also includes mortgage documents relating to two of Haworth’s inn and a document signed by Robert Butterfield of ‘Cliffe Hall’ - later Cliffe Castle - with whom Charlotte Bronte came into conflict. The final group of documents relates to the land holdings of William Brown who is likely to be a member of the Haworth Brown family from whom the church sextons were drawn until 1875.
The vellum documents are all folded and generally in very good condition. In addition to the Particulars which is a paper document and frayed and worn, there is a further Schedule of Documents from 1882 relating to a Haworth property mortgaged by William Brown. Around half of the documents in this collection are mentioned in this schedule which may explain their survival as a collection. Altogether an extremely rich primary source collection for the study of Haworth and Bronte history. The collection comprises:
1. Indenture, vellum, 17th century
2. Release, vellum, Robert Foulds, Roger Foulds and Gilbert Foulds to James Foulds, signed by Roger Foulds and Richard Foulds, 11th August 1628 (32)
3. Grant, James Foulds to Christopher Holmes, 14th November 1659 (29)
4. Bond, paper, Chris Holmes and John Holmes to Christopher Holmes, signed by Christopher Holmes, John Holmes, 3rd June 1664 (31, 38)
5. Assignment of two annuities, vellum, Christopher Holmes and John Holmes to Christopher Holmes, signed by Christopher Holmes and John Holmes, 3rd June 1664
6. Vellum, James Foulds, May 1714
7. Will (copy), Robert Wright, signed by Jo: Buckle, 1756 (1)
8. Lease of two pieces of waste ground in Haworth, vellum, Midgley to Joseph Wright, signed by Joseph Midgley, 4th October 1758
9. Receipts of two legacies on Haworth Brow Farm, paper, Robert Wright, Sarah Whitaker (mark), 1766 (4)
10. Articles of purchase, vellum, 2pp, Wright to Murgatroyd, signed by John Murgatroyd, Roger Murgatroyd and and Robert Wright, 8th July 1766,
11. Conveyance, vellum, Susannah Wright, Robert Wright, signed by Robert Wright and Susannah Wright (mark), 4th October 1766 (5)
12. Partition deed, vellum, Wright and Murgatroyd to Messrs Pighells and, signed by Joseph Wright, Roger Murgatroyd, Ann Murgatroyd (mark), Ester Wright (mark), 30th May 1767 (6)
13.Lease, Roger Murgatroyd and Robert Wright, 1767 (7)
14.Bond for 50, Joseph Wright of Haworth to William Cockshot of Upper Bradley, 1769 (34)
15.Will, Roger Murgatroyd of Haworth Brow, 1772 (10)
16.Will (copy), Roger Murgatroyd, paper, 1772 (10)
17.Conveyance, Ann Murgatroyd to James Royds, signed by Ann Murgatroyd (mark), 6th November 1772 (11)
18.Assignment and release, John Neve Salt to Thomas Salt, signed by Salts, 27th February 1787 (38)
19. Release of Haworth, John Greenwood, Ann Greenwood (mark), 1790
20.Conveyance, vellum, Jonathan Aykroyd to John Hartley, signed by Jonathan Aykroyd, 7th April 1794
21.Conveyance for Copy Croft, Haworth, indenture, Jonas Bower, Jonathan Aykroyd, Joseph Pighells, 1797
22.Redemption of land tax, Widow Murgatroyd, signed by John Calverly, 1799 (12)
23.Redemption of land tax, partly printed, John Hartley, signed by John Hartley, John Calverly, 1799
24.Redemption of land tax, Mr Madcliffe, 1799
25.Conveyance, Rev Thomas Salt to Joseph Wright, signed by Thomas Salt, John Neve Salt, 4th September 1800 (35)
26.Lease, vellum, Joseph Redman to Robert Sutcliffe, signed by Joseph Redman and Robert Sutcliffe, 1st January 1810
27.Mortgages of promises, vellum, James Hartley of Haworth and Jonathan Jowett, signed by James Hartley and Jonathan Jowett, 21st October 1813
28.Lease for a year, James Hartley to Jonathan Jowett, signed James Hartley, 1816
29.Lease for a year, vellum, Joseph Pighells to Thomas Mills, signed by Joseph Pighells, Thomas Mills, 18th February 1819
30.Release, vellum, Joseph Pighells to Thomas Mills and Jonathan Jowett, signed by Joseph Pighells, Jonathan Jowett, Thomas Mills, 19th February 1819
31.Feofment, vellum, Messrs Thomas to John Greenwood and his trustee, signed by John Thomas, William Thomas, John Greenwood, Joseph Greenwood, 13th December 1824 (13)
32.Lease for a year, vellum, Roger Murgatroyd to John Greenwood, signed by Roger Murgatroyd, John Greenwood, 11th July 1830 (15)
33.Release of a farm and premises at Haworth Brow, vellum, 5pp, Roger Murgatroyd to John Greenwood, signed Roger Murgatroyd, Joseph Greenwood, John Greenwood, 12th July 1830 (14, 15)
34.Lease of premises, indenture, John Greenwood of Haworth to Roger Murgatroyd, 1830 (14)
35.Will, paper, John Greenwood of Bridge House near Haworth, pp9 1834 (16)
36.Mortgage, James Greenwood to Joshua Barton, signed by James greenwood and Joshua Barton, 17th November 1838 (17)
37.Abstract of the title, paper, 32pp, For Mr Thomas, December 1848 (20)
38.Abstract of the title, paper, five pages, John William Thomas, 1849, (21)
39.Further abstract, paper, 13 pp, Greenwood to Thomas, 1849
40.Land lease agreement, paper pp4, Richard Shackleton Butterfield (‘Cliff Hall’) to William Thomas of Haworth,signed x3 Butterfield, 1849 (25)
41.Abstract of release of mortgage, paper, 4 pp, Joshua Barton to Messrs Young, Cheesebrough, Clayton Assignees of James Greenwood, 1st June 1849
42.Release, vellum, Joshua Barton to the assignees under the bankruptcy of James Greenwood, signed by Joshua Barton, Charles Young, John Cheesebrough, Thomas Clayton, 1st June 1849
43.Conveyance, vellum, Messrs Young, Cheesebrough and Clayton (assignees of Greenwood and Baukrupt) to William Thomas, signed by Charles Young, John Cheesebrough, Thomas Clayton, William Thomas, 23rd June 1849 (26)
44.Conveyance, paper, 3 pp,James Greenwood and Thomas Butterfield, John Greenwood, 23rd June 1849 (25)
45.Will, partly printed, Alice Holdsworth, 1862
46. Inland revenue, paper, pp4, Joseph Wright Greenwood of Swindon Hall, 1866
47. Will, vellum, indenture, partly printed, William Thomas to William Brown, signed by John Beaver Thomas, William Lipton Wright, John Edward Thomas, William Brown, 1876 (27)
48.Abstract of the title, paper, Joseph Wright Greenwood of Swindon, 1876 (copy – of 1814 document), (28, 39)
49., Release, vellum, Mr Greenwood to William Brown, signed by Joseph Wright Greenwood, William Brown, Susannah Greenwood, 30th December 1876 (41)
50.Mortgage, vellum, William Brown to Henry Pratchett, signed by William Brown, 1st January 1878
51.mortgage, vellum, 4 sheets, William Brown to the Craven bank, seal of Craven Bank, signed by William Brown, 25th October 1882 (43)
52.Mortgage, vellum, partly printed, William Brown to Sutcliffe Burr, signed by William Brown, 4th April 1883
53.Mortgage, vellum, William Brown to Messrs Sutcliffe and Burr, signed by William Brown (further charge on 31st October 1883), 6th February 1884
54.Mortgage, vellum, partly printed, William Brown to Messrs George Henry Manks and Edward Hemingway, signed by William Brown, 20th September 1884
55.Mortgage, vellum, 2 pp, William Brown to George Henry Manks, signed by G.H. Manks and William Brown (reconveyance 20th January 1890), 8th January 1885
56.Mortgage, vellum, William Brown to Messrs Sutcliffe and Burr, signed by William Brown, 29th August 1890
57.Transfer of mortgage, vellum, 2 pp, Mr Pratchett, the misses Mary Pratchett and Elizabeth Pratchett, and William Brown to Messrs Sutcliffe and Burr, signed by William Pratchett, Mary Pratchett, Elizabeth Pratchett and William Brown, 26th November 1890
58.Transfer, vellum, 4 pp, Messrs H Manks and William Brown to Messrs Sutcliffe amd Burr, signed by William Brown and Manks, 10th December 1890
59.Reconveyance, vellum, 4pp, partly printed, George Sutcliffe and George Burr to William Brown, signed by George Sutcliffe, George Burr and William Brown, 24th March 1892
60.Mortgage, vellum, 2 pp, partly printed, William Brown to James Bairstow and John Clough, signed by William Brown, 26th March 1892
61.Mortgage including the Sun Inn and Fleece Inn in Haworth, 8 pages, William Brown to the Craven Bank, signed by William Brown, 28th March 1892
62.Mortgage, vellum, William Brown to Henry Wright, signed by William Brown, 26th April 1882 (42)
63.Mortgage (copy), vellum, William Brown to Henry Wright, signed by William Brown, 26th April 1882
64.Notice, paper, Craven Bank Ltd to Henry Wright, signed by Wright and Waterworth, 25th October 1882
65.Notice of 2nd mortgage, Henry Wright, signed by Craven Bank Ltd solicitors, 30th October 1882 (43)
66.Recoverance, vellum, Henry Wright to William Brown, signed by Henry Wright and William Brown, 1883
67.Mortgage, vellum, 5 pp, William Brown to Joanna Lansdown and John Whitley, signed by William Brown, 18th May 1892
68.Reconveyance, vellum, 2pp, Joanna Lansdown and John Whitley to William Brown, signed by John Whitley, Joanna Lansdown, 21st December 1896
69.Mortgage, vellum, 3 pp, partly printed, William Brown to James Bairstow and John Clough, signed by William Brown, 2nd February 1897
[PRINTED]
Particulars of Valuable Freehold Estates at Haworth... To be Sold at Auction.... on Tuesday, the 10th Day of Octobert, 1848, C Stanfield, Bradford. Cover leaf and folding printed map - large folio.