The
Crossleys of
Scaitcliffe
Hall
Scaitcliffe
Hall is beautifully situated in a picturesque part of the
Burnley valley. The south part was re-built in 1666 and
the north part in 1738, but it was completely pulled down
and re-erected in 1833. It is now a hotel and restaurant,
but from medieval times it had been the home of the Crossley
family
Scaitcliffe
Hall in 2007
THE
PEOPLE OF SCAITCLIFFE
The
Crossley family is credited with a long connection to Todmorden,
back to Saxon times, when there was an Adam del Croslegh
and his wife Matilda living there in the middle of the 1300s.
There was also a Roger de Crosselegh who was once fined
for putting his hay in the Queen's enclosure in 1336. Unfortunately,
the family did not register its pedigree with the heraldry
society and the published pedigree is incomplete and inconsistent.
One
of the earliest proved connections with Scaitcliffe comes
in the will of Anthony Crossley in 1623. He is described
as a yeoman of Scaitcliffe. He devised his goods to his
wife Mary, his sons Luke and Samuel, and his daughters Susan
Kershaw and Mary Crossley. He excludes two other sons, apart
from a bequest of 1 shilling, on the grounds that they were
married by then and already held part of his estate. His
eldest son and heir was John who held lands at Scaitcliffe
in 1626 by a grant (or deed of gift) from his father.
John
served King Charles I in the Civil War and fought at Marston
Moor on July 2nd. 1644. His sword was preserved in the Scaitcliffe
armoury and museum. He married Dorothy daughter of Richard
Lord of Godpleye in Honorsfield in 1615.
John's
grandson was Anthony of Scaitcliffe, yeoman. Anthony rebuilt
part of Scaitcliffe House in 1666. He married twice. Firstly
to Ann the daughter of Mary Eastwood who died in 1697, and
secondly to Grace Ramsden, widow of Broadhaugh in Spotland.
Anthony and Ann appear in the Quarter Sessions records as
having been prosecuted and convicted of a criminal offence.
Anthony was also the subject of Maintenance Order for the
support of an illegitimate child by Elizabeth Lee of Burnley
on 3 separate occasions between 1674 and 1679. He died at
Scaitcliffe in 1707 and was buried in St. Marys Churchyard.
His will reads:
"I give Scaitcliffe to John Crossley, my eldest
son, in whose possession it now is. I also give to him Hollinrake
and other estates, and a corn mill at Scaitcliffe".
From the inventory attached to his will, it seems that Anthony
worked in the wool trade. Amongst the items were:
20
kersey pieces £25
5
packs of fleece wool £80
1
pack of skin wool £5
Meal in the shed at Scaitcliffe £12
Sheep
at Scaitcliffe £3 |
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Anthony's
son, John Crossley of Scaitcliffe, was appointed in 1715
as pole for providing a foot soldier and arms to serve in
the Lancashire militia. He was High Constable of Salford
Hundred in 1724. He married twice, firstly to Sarah daughter
of William Sutcliffe of Higher Ashes in Stansfield Co. York.
She died childless Feb 3rd. 1696. Secondly to Mary Halstead
of Burnley Bridge End married 1700. She died May 5th. 1743
aged 63. John died on 5 th . February 1745. |
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John's
son and heir, Anthony Crossley of Scaitcliffe, was born
April 11th.1702. In 1726, he went to London and served
for 4 years as a private gentleman in the second troop of
the Horse Guards. In 1738, he built the north part of the
mansion of Scaitcliffe. In 1744 and following years he served
as an officer in the Lancashire Militia during the Scotch
Rebellion. He was High Constable of the Salford Hundred
in 1757 and chief contributor to the rebuilding of Todmorden
Church in 1770. He died at Scaitcliffe Feb. 20th. 1779 aged
77. He married Elizabeth daughter of James Gibson of Lower
Ashes in Stansfield, a Gentleman, in 1735. She died Jan
14th. 1769.
Anthony's
grandson, also Anthony, took over the seat in 1799 after
the death of his father. He was born at Foster Mill in Yorkshire,
his mother's home, April 11th 1762. He purchased the Todmorden
Hall estate in 1795. His wife was Betty, daughter of Abraham
Gibson of Briggroyd, Yorkshire. Their only child was Anne
who went on to marry James Joseph Hague Taylor of Whitworth.
Because he had no male heir, he sold Scaitcliffe in 1810
to his brother John with a view to the subsequent owners
bearing the name of Crossley. Anthony died on June 1st 1810.
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John
Crossley of Scaitcliffe, brother to above Anthony, was born
at Scaitcliffe May 23rd. 1778. He had a Lieutenant's Commission
in the Lancashire Provincial Cavalry in 1797 and served
in that capacity until the Peace of Amiens, May 27th. 1802.
In that year he purchased Scaitcliffe from his brother Anthony.
In 1803 he was appointed by the deputy lieutenant of the
Middleton sub-division as a guide to the army in case of
invasion. |
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On Sept. 23rd. 1807 he had an Ensign's Commission
from the right honourable William Wentworth Fitzwilliam
and served in the Corps. of West Halifax Volunteers commanded
by Colonel Moore. He was appointed Captain in the Oldham
Regiment of Local Militia 1809 and was appointed Treasurer
of the Rochdale Canal Company June 24th. 1815. In 1816,
having purchased and re-granted the tithes of the Township
of Todmorden and Walsden from the Archbishop of Canterbury,
he was presented with a dinner service in acknowledgement
of his gratuitous services to the landowners of that Township,
and in the same year was presented with a sword by the non-commissioned
officers and men of his own Company in the Oldham Regiment.
He was appointed Commissioner of Taxes in 1818, and a Magistrate
for the County in 1819. In 1827 he was appointed a deputy
lieutenant for the county of Lancaster and in the same year
was elected a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He died
Dec. 11th. 1830 aged 52 years. He married Sarah, only daughter
and heir of John Lockwood of Ewood, Co. York May 20th 1800.
She was born Feb. 8th. 1779, and died June 19th. 1857 aged
78.
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Portrait
of John Crossley of Scaitcliffe, M.A., Todmorden,
by Joseph Severn, 1851. By kind permission of Christchurch
Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu, New Zealand
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The
next owner of Scaitcliffe was John's son and heir,
also John Crossley of Scaitcliffe. He was born March
20th. 1807. He was a MA of Christ's College Cambridge
and of the Inner Temple and was a Barrister at Law
and Justice of the Peace for the county of Lancaster
and for the West Riding of the county of York. He
died June 4th. 1864, and is buried at St. Peters Church
in Walsden. It was during this John's time at Scaitcliffe
that the house was pulled down and re-built. John
married the only daughter of Thomas Ramsbottom of
Centre Vale Mill in Todmorden on Sept. 27th. 1834.
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They
were childless and therefore John devised Scaitcliffe and
his other estates in Lancashire and Yorkshire to his nephew,
Croslegh Dampier, son of his sister Matilda. This was with
the request that Croslegh Dampier would take the surname
Crossley and the Arms of Crossley in addition to that of
Dampier.
On
1st. August 1889 at the White Hart, Todmorden, the auctioneer
Mr. J. Shoesmith offered the Scaitcliffe Estate for sale.
The highest bid was £13,000 but this was not accepted
and the property was withdrawn from the sale.
THE
PUBLISHED PEDIGREE
Adam
del Croslegh de Todmaredene in the town of Honorsfield in
the time of Edward 111, married Matilda.
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John
del Croslegh, alive in 1365, married Johanna
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William
del Croslegh living in 1411 in Todmorden
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Thomas
del Croslegh, living in 1411
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Richard
del Croslegh, living in 1411
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????????????
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Richard
Crosle de Caitccliffe in Honorsfield, living in 1545
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John
Crosley de Skatclyffe believed to have died in 1586
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Anthony
Crosley of Skatecliffe
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John
Crosleye of Scaytecliffe served King Charles 1 in the Civil
Wars and fought at Marston Moor on July 2nd. 1644. His sword
is preserved in the Scaitcliffe armory. He married Dorothy
daughter of Richard Lord of Godpleye in Honorsfield. The
indenture of marriage is dated 21st. Dec 1615
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John
Crossley de Scaytcliffe married the daughter of Caesar Jackson
of Worsthorn, March 10th. 1640
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Anthony
Crossley of Scaitcliffe. he died there and was buried at
Todmorden on April 11th 1707. He married twice. (1) Anne
daughter of Mary Eastwood in 1664. She died in1697. (2)
Grace daughter of Abel Whitaker of Broadhaugh in Spotland
in 1702
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John
Crossley of Scaitcliffe died Feb. 5th. 1745. He married
twice. (1) Sarah daughter of William Sutcliffe of Higher
Ashes in Stansfield Co. York. She died childless Feb. 3rd.
1696. (2) Mary Halstead of Burnley Bridge End
married 1700. Died May 5th. 1743 aged 63.
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Anthony
Crossley of Scaitcliffe was born April 11th.1702.
He died at Scaitcliffe Feb. 20th. 1779 aged 77. He married
Elizabeth daughter of James Gibson of
Lower
Ashes in Stansfield, a Gentleman, in 1735. She died Jan
14th. 1769
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John
Crossley, brother of above Anthony. of Scaitcliffe
and Walsden was born June 14th. 1737. He died at Scaitcliffe
Sept. 29th. 1799 aged 62. He married Mary, eldest daughter
of Thomas Foster of Foster Mill, Co. York, a Gentleman.
They
married July 10th.1759. She died July 15th. 1804.
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Anthony
Crossley of Scaitcliffe was born at Foster Mill April 11th.
1762. He died June 1st. and was buried June 6th. 1810. He
married Betty elder daughter of Abraham Gibson of Briggroyd,
Co. York on Aug. 19th. 1783. The only child of the marriage
was Anne of Todmorden. She married James Joseph Hague and
died at Torquay in Devon Nov. 21st. 1848.
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John
Crossley of Scaitcliffe, brother to above Anthony, was born
at Scaitcliffe May 23rd. 1778. He died Dec. 11th. 1830 aged
52 years. He married Sarah, only daughter and heir of John
Lockwood of Ewood, Co. York May 20 th 1800. She was born
Feb. 8th. 1779, and died June 19th. 1857 aged 78
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John
Crossley of Scaitcliffe was born March 20th. 1807. He died
June 4th. 1864, and is buried at St. Peters Church in Walsden.
John married the only daughter of Thomas Ramsbottom of Centre
Vale Mill in Todmorden on Sept. 27th. 1834. They were childless.
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Croslegh
Dampier was born July 20th. 1839. He assumed the name and
arms of Crossley in addition to that of Dampier on succeeding
to his uncle's estates in 1864. He was the son of Matilda
the youngest child of the above but one John Crossley. He
married Mary Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. William Palin
MA, rector
of
Stifford in Essex, married Sept. 19th. 1867
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John
Crossley born 1873
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