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| Howroyd
was a group of four farms and a couple of cottages, huddled together
in one small community high up above the hamlet of Cloughfoot in
the Bacup valley. The community more often than not would consist
of members of one extended family. A winding track climbs the hillside
from the valley bottom at Cloughfoot, passes Gorpley Farm, eventually
arriving at Howroyd. With only sheep for company, the inhabitants
faced a trek down hill to Cloughfoot for provisions and entertainment.
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Howroyd
ruins |
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Howroyd
was a very ancient farm dating back many centuries. Records from
the 1600's show us it was a stronghold of a Lord family, and a hundred
years later it was home to members of the Haigh and Crowther families.
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William
Haigh and his wife Agnes made their home there alongside his sister
Susannah and her husband John Fielden, his cousin Reuben Haigh and
Mary, and Philip Crowther and his wife Betty. His
son John was there in 1807 as was his daughter Grace in 1809. In
1787, William sold his lease, his livestock, farming tools, furniture
and all his belongings to his brother James Haigh and a John Lord
for the sum of £40. The bill of sale states:
…
I William Haigh of Howroyd in Todmorden in the parish of Rochdale
and county of Lancashire stuff-weaver, for and in consideration
of the sum of forty pounds of lawful money of Great Britain to
me in hand, paid by John Lord of Langfield in the county of York,
butcher, and James Haigh of Gauxholme in Walsden….
…
all the goods, household stuff, implements, furniture, beds and
bedding of mine, the said William Haigh, notwithstanding remaining
and being in and about my dwelling house at Howroyd aforesaid.
Together with all my husbandry tools, one cow, one hog,???? and
all the ??? standing and growing, or which lately stood and grew
upon the two closes at Howroyd aforesaid, called the nearer Green???
And the new Meadow, and also all the Fog and Winter gate upon
my Leasehold farm at Howroyd aforesaid, all and singular which
said premises are now or were in the possession or occupation
of me the said William Haigh, Together also with all other my
personal estate and effects of what nature or kind or wheresoever
the same are or be within the Kingdom of Great Britain or elsewhere,
to have and to hold the said goods, household goods and furniture,
husbandry tools, cows, hay, corn, fog, wintergate and all and
singular other the premises personal estate and effects whatsoever
herein above granted bargained and sold or mentioned or intended
so to be, unto the said John Lord and James Haigh …
However,
his name continues to appear on the land tax assessments as a tenant
for several years after this date, so maybe he bought one of the
other three farms. |
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| William's
neighbour Philip Crowther was widowed in 1793, and was left with
5 small children. In 1796, his newly widowed mother Susan moved
to live with him at Howroyd, joined in 1800 by his brother Eli Crowther
and family, and in 1803 by his brother Joshua Crowther and family.
William's sister Susannah Fielden had moved to Dean Farm by this
time, but after she was widowed in 1801, she moved back to Howroyd
and married Philip Crowther. |
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Philip's
son, Philip junior, was born in 1784 at Howroyd. His story is not
to be missed, beginning with a brave stint in the army and ending
in murder at Summit. It can be read from the link below. |
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By
1841, Howroyd was home to the related Pearson and Farrer families,
and remained so for the next 30 years. The total acreage of the
4 farms appears to have been about 60. |
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| In
1900, Todmorden Corporation purchased the whole of the Howroyd estate
and part of Gorpley farm for £5,900 in order to build a new
reservoir and water treatment works with which to supply fresh water
to the town. |
filter
beds at the waterworks about 1904. Photo by kind permission of Roger
Birch |
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Gorpley
reservoir about 1904,
photo
by kind permission of Roger Birch |
The
1901 census shows the community is reduced to just one farm and
a cottage, inhabited by workers from the waterworks. |
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