CHAPTER 6
STEPHEN TEAL – 1837 – 1906 - LAST OWNER OF LINGBER FARM
Stephen Teal was
born on
He was brought up on the farm living with his mother and father until some time between 1851 and 1861 when he went to live and work as a farm hand for his sister Ann and her husband William Calvert in Appletreewick in the parish of Burnsall. Shortly afterwards he started working a, possible rented, farm of his own of 60 acres in the nearby Skyreholme hamlet.
On
- Annie Maria born in 1867
- Mary Ann born about 1870
- John born about 1872
- Stephen born in 1873
- Hannah Elizabeth born in 1875, she died in 1880 and is buried in Burnsall Churchyard
It appears that
the children may have been a bit of a handful, for an entry in the
Cautioned the following children for annoying Mr. G.
Holden, farmer at dinnertime: - Mary Ann Teal, Margaret Whiteley, Harriet Newbould,
Thomas Hebden, William Darnborough,
Stephen Teale, John Teale,
John Reynard, Thomas Lumb, Nathan Newbould
& William Birch.
Sometime between
1884 and 1891 Stephen moved his whole family to Fenwick near
Fenwick Hall, near
Following the death of his father Stephen in 1875, Lingber Farm at White Cragg was passed to Stephen. He added to this land in January 1876 by purchasing an additional four acres, one rood and twenty-six perches for £ 400 from John Hardcastle. The land was adjacent to his existing holdings at Timble and was known by the names “Shoulder of Mutton”, “High White Craggs” & “Lower White Craggs”. This purchase pushed his land holding in the area to over seventeen acres. Stephen let the land to a series of tenants, and judging by the following entry not always successfully:
From ‘Timble Man - Diaries of a Daleman” Published in 1988 by Hendon. Extracts from the diary of John Dickinson born Timble
1844, covers period 1878 - 1912.
Other tenants names known are Joseph Edward Simpson & his sub-tenant Mrs Marjerrison
The final chapter
of Teal ownership of Lingber Farm started in the
1890s. Leeds Corporation became
concerned about the pollution of their reservoirs in the
Title and Preamble from
the ‘Leeds Corporation Act 1897’
All of the Teal land fell into this category and therefore it was only a matter of time before it would have to be sold. The act allowed the Corporation five years in which to purchase the property and negotiations with Stephen began in 1901.
Letter from Stephen Teal
to the Leeds Town Clerk dated
Map from Leeds
Corporation Act 1897, Book of Reference.
The Teal Farmhouse / buildings are shown under reference 1549 The buildings remain
substantially unchanged to this day
Plan showing all land /
building purchased by Leeds Corporation from Stephen Teal under the 1897
Leeds Corporation Act
The negotiations
for the purchase were long and protracted.
The Corporation had concluded, from the plans which had to be submitted
with the Act, that Stephen owned over 30 acres of land in Timble. However, following a preliminary interview
with him it was changed to fourteen acres and it was finally agreed at
seventeen acres two roods and one and a half perches. Stephen initially asked for £ 2,500 stating that the “buildings were
recently re-built”, the Corporation only valued it at £1,256. He dropped the price to £2,000 then to £
1,600 and finally both sides agreed on £ 1,500.
The purchase took place on
Transcript of Stephen Teal’s Sale
Indenture for Land at Timble to Leeds
Corporation. Public Record Office Reference DL 30 / 684 Pages 2,36,37 - 40 Duchy of (Page 2) Knaresbrough - to wit The Court of our Sovereign Lord Edward the seventh by the Grace of
God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland King (of Record)
held for His Forest and Liberty of Knaresbrough
aforesaid within His Castle there on Wednesday the Eleventh day of February
in the third year of His reign and in the year of our Lord One thousand
nine hundred and three Before John Leonard Bolden Esquire Steward by
Charles Albert Powell Gentleman Understeward or
Clerk of the Courts there. (In Left Margin) Stamp £ .10.0 (Page 36) This Indenture made the Sixteenth day of September one
thousand (Page 37) nine hundred and two Between Stephen Teal of Fenwick
Hall Askern near Doncaster in the West Riding of
the County of York on the one part and The Lord Mayor Aldermen and Citizens
of the City of Leeds (hereinafter called "the Corporation") of
the other part Whereas the said Stephen Teal is seised
of or otherwise well and sufficiently entitled to the copyhold lands and hereditaments firstly and secondly hereinafter described
and intended to be hereby conveyed being parcel of and holder by copy of
Court Roll of the Forest of Knaresborough in the said West Riding of the
County of York for an estate of inheritance in customary fee simple
according to the custom of the said Forest subject to the customary fines
rents suits and services therefor due and of
right accustomed in respect of the same but otherwise free from all incumbrances and whereas
under and by virtue of the Leeds Corporation act 1897 and the act or acts
or parts of acts incorporated therewith the Corporation are authorised to
purchase and take for the purpose of the said act and the execution of
works thereby authorised or connected therewith (inter alia)
the said copyhold lands and hereditaments firstly
and secondly hereinafter described and intended to be hereby conveyed And
whereas the said Stephen Teal has contracted and agreed with the
Corporation for the sale to them of the said land and hereditaments
and the inheritance thereof in customary fee simple in possession free from
incumbrances except as aforesaid at or for the
price or sum of One thousand five hundred pounds Now this Indenture Witnesseth that in pursuance of the said agreement and
in consideration of the sum of One thousand five hundred pounds to the said
Stephen Teal paid by the Corporation (the receipt of which said sum of One
thousand five hundred pounds the said Stephen Teal hereby acknowledges not
only is the purchase money for the said lands and hereditaments
firstly and secondly hereinafter described and intended to be hereby conveyed but also as
full compensation for all loss injury or damage sustained or to be
sustained by him the said Stephen Teal his heirs executors administrators
or assigns by reason of the carrying into effect of the powers of the said
Act) The said Stephen Teal as Beneficial Owner (Page 38) hereby grants and
conveys to the Corporation and their successors Firstly All that one
ancient building barn and two closes of land called Stoney
Closes and Low Close and two Garths containing by estimation one acre in
customary measure be the same more of less called Lingber
with all hereditaments and appurtenances to the
same belonging situate lying and being in Timble
within the said Forest and formerly in the occupation of Jane Teal or her
assigns And also that incroachment or parcel of
land distinguished in the award of the Commissioners for the division and inclosure of the open parts of the said Forest or in
the plan thereto annexed by the number 1478 containing one rood and six
perches in statute measure and by the said Award described to be situate in
Timble aforesaid near Swinsty
And also all that the west side of all that parcel of land formerly part of
the open parts of the said Forest and distinguished in the Award made on the
inclosure thereof by the number 1473 containing
in customary measure two acres three roods and twenty eight perches or
thereabouts as the same was some time since fenced off from the east side
thereof and containing one acre two roods and twenty eight perches or
thereabouts in customary measure situate in Timble
aforesaid and formerly in the occupation of George Teal and of Thomas Mawson or their assigns and also all that incroachment or parcel of land distinguished in the
said award by the number 1480 situate lying and being in Timble aforesaid on Swinsty
Moor containing two six perches or thereabouts in customary measure and
formerly in the tenure or occupation of John Mawson
or his tenants and which said parcel of incroachment
and premises formerly consisted of a dwellinghouse
called Cragg House one garth
and five closes or parcels of land called Pasture Allotment High Allotment
Middle Allotment Low Allotment and the Ginnel
Which said lands and hereditaments herein firstly
described are better known by the more modern description following that is
to say :- All that messuage or dwellinghouse barn and outbuildings and the several
closes of land known by the names of Stoney Close
Low Close High Garth Low Garth Pasture allotment High allotment Middle
allotment Low allotment Ginnel and Garth
containing in the whole twelve acres statute measure or thereabouts and
were formerly in the occupation of Stephen Teal (the father of said Stephen
Teal party hereto) Secondly all those two (Page 39) incroachments
or parcels of land situate and being in Timble
Great in the said Forest formerly in the possession or occupation of Thomas
Rhodes one of such parcels of land being formerly described as containing
in customary measure one rood and thirty one perches and the other as
containing in customary measure two roods and seven perches but since
divided into three closes known by the names of Shoulder of Mutton High
White Craggs and Lower White Craggs
and stated to contain in statute measure four acres one rood twenty six perches
or thereabouts and which said lands and hereditaments
were formerly in the occupation of John Hardcastle
afterwards of Joseph Hardcastle and lately of
John Hardcastle the grandson of the said John Hardcastle All which said lands and hereditaments
firstly and secondly herein-before described were formerly in the
occupation of the said Stephen Teal party hereto and are now in the
occupation of John Edward Simpson or his subtenants and have been found by
recent measurement to contain an area of seventeen acres two roods and one
and a half perches and are more particularly delineated on the plan drawn
on these presents and thereon coloured pink and edged with a red line And
which said lands and hereditaments firstly and
secondly hereinbefore described form part of certain lands and hereditaments situate in the Township of Timble
Great in the Parish of Fewston in the West Riding
of the County of York and are described in the said plan drawn on these presents
and in the plan and Book of References referred to in the said Leeds
Corporation act 1897 deposited with Clerk of the Peace for the West Riding
of the County of York by the numbers 1492, 1493, 1496, 1497, 1498, 1501,
1502, 1504, 1505, 1506, 1510, 1513, 1521, 1548, and 1549 To hold the same
together with the appurtenances To the Corporation their successors and
assigns for ever under the powers conferred on them by and for the purposes
of the said Leeds Corporation Act 1897 and the Act or Acts or parts of Acts
incorporated therewith and according to the true intent and meaning of the
said Act nevertheless until the said copyhold lands and hereditaments
hereinbefore firstly and (Page 40) secondly described which are parcel of
and holder by copy of Court Roll of the Forest of Knaresborough shall have
been enfranchised by virtue of the power contained in the Lands Clauses
Consolidation Act 1845 Subject to the same rents suits and services as have
heretofore been payable and of right accustomed in respect of the same And
it is hereby declared by and between the parties hereto that these presents
are intended to operate and take effect as a conveyance of the said land
and hereditaments made as near to the form in
Schedule "A" to the said Land Clauses Consolidation Act 1845 as
the circumstances of the case will admit and also in every other mode in
which the same may operate and take effect independently of such last
mentioned act. In witness whereof the said Stephen Teal has hereunto set
his hand and seal and the Corporation have caused their Corporate Common
Seal to be hereunto affixed the day and year first written -Stephen Teal
(LS) (The Seal of the City of Leeds) Signed Sealed and delivered by the
before named Stephen Teal in the presence of Hy Dacre, Solr Otley - The Corporate Common Seal of the City of Leeds
was hereunto affixed in the presence of, John Gordon, Chairman of the
Finance Committee - W. J. Reeves, Town Clerk.
Stephen died in Fenwick
Hall on
References:
Public Records Office: DL/30 Knaresborough Surrender Books
Wharfedale Family History Group –
June 2002 Newsletter (
Burnsall Churchyard Memorial Inscriptions
Leeds
Corporation Act 1897 –
Timble Man – Diaries of a Dalesman – Published in 1988 by Hendon
Census 1851
–1891