History
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New YouTube Video – The 18th Century Weaver
Richard Wilson’s Long Walk Here’s the short version of Richard’s long walk combined with the Leeds First White Cloth Hall. Enjoy!
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Kirklees Cousins now has a YouTube Channel
I’ve been working hard over the last couple of weeks to make some Audio Visual presentations to accompany this website and, so far, there are just two videos. The first is the story of the events leading to the Battle of Hastings in 1066, where William “The Conqueror” defeated Harold Godwinson to take the throne of England. But who had the right to the English throne? There were actually four claimants! The video explains who they were and how it all came to a head after the death of Edward the Confessor in 1066, as told in the Bayeaux Tapestry. Entitled, the “Grey Apple Tree”, it is about 10 minutes…
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Shibden Hall – from William Otes to Anne Lister (Gentleman Jack) and beyond
Straying from Kirklees into Halifax for this article, I re-visited Shibden Hall and fell in love with it all over again. The 600-year-old medieval hall is surrounded by the wooded grounds of Shibden Park, and beautifully restored gardens and I have included some of the photographs that I took on one of my visits. I was recently looking more into my Savile ancestors and discovered that Robert Saville, who married Joan Otes, heiress of Shibden Hall was a very distant cousin (his grandfather was my 17th Great Grandfather) and Joan Otes was similarly related…not surprising, since Robert and Joan were related to each other. A later owner, John Waterhouse, was…
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Early Cartography and How Ossett-born Christopher Saxton Mapped the Counties
A look at early map-making from the ancient Egyptians to the late medieval period. How Christopher Saxton, a young man from Dewsbury, became one of the great map-makers of the Elizabethan Era and produced the first county maps of England and Wales.
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Fishers of Briestfield – Coal Miners
In the 1870-72 Gazetteer of England, Briestfield was described as a hamlet in Lower Whitley, situated on the edge of Thornhill parish in West Yorkshire. Also known at various times as Briestwell and Briestwistle, records show that in 1150 it was known as Brerethuisel, meaning “common or waste overgrown with briars in the confluence of two rivers”. Flint stones found nearby hark back to a much earlier occupancy and cannon balls found in the vicinity were a legacy of the Civil War bombardment of nearby Thornhill Hall. The villagers were won over to Wesleyan Methodism and a chapel was built in 1875. It is a place with which I had…
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Weighing the World – John Michell 1724-1793
The story of John Michell, Rector of Thornhill Parish Church near Dewsbury, who was a member of the Royal Society, and who entertained some of the world's most eminent scientists of the18th century at his Rectory. He published ideas in astronomy that were 200 years before his their time and is one of the greatest unsung scientists of his age.
