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Crosby Ravensworth, Cumberland 'Frank' D B Farrar My suspicions were that the Halifax Farrers came from South Lancs. or possibly Cheshire with the powerful Pilkington family who settled at Elphaborough Hall (very close to Ewood), Mytholmroyd in 1434, although their main base was in South Lancashire. These Pilkingtons came to Halifax parish as newly appointed stewards to the young Duke of York who came into his inheritance in 1432. This inheritance included the very large manor of Wakefield and Sandal Castle, Wakefield. (Halifax was in the manor of Wakefield) The head of the family was John Pilkington, who had been at Agincourt with his father, where they were decorated for bravery. They took a very large contingent of Cheshire archers to Agincourt, and to the later French Wars. No doubt some of these were retained in Pilkington Livery as a peacetime army and perhaps were then taken to Halifax parish when the Pilkingtons became Steward there? I decided to investigate these Cheshire archers, most of whom were recruited in 1397-8 by Richard II as his private bodyguard. The recruiting lists were of no help as to the locality where the archers originated, but there were two Farrars: William Ferrour, appointed yeoman of Livery of the Crown, with 6d a day for life (31st January 1398) and Henry Ferrour mentioned 3 days later as receiving a grant of 2d a day. The similarity of names made Henry interesting, but close perusal of the lists indicated hat William was the recruit and that he probably obtained the 2d a day for Henry on the grounds that Henry was an old soldier from the French Wars, which indicates some relationship between the two. Cheshire archers came from as far a field as the Scots border, so this wasn't much of a help in tracking William and Henry down. However, using the Calendar of the Patent Rolls, I discovered that William was almost certainly from Crosby Ravensworth. When Henry IV came to power in 1399, he kept in favour with the Cheshire archers. He kept up Richard's practice of rewarding them with appointments, usually in the area from where they were recruited. In October 1400 William was granted the post of Jailer at Carlisle and in 1402 porter at Carlisle Castle. William then fought against the King at the bloody battle of Shrewsbury, where Harry Hotspur was slain (July 1403) He was of course guilty of treason and lost his position at Carlisle, (August 1403) but was pensioned (1405). This William is almost definitely identical with, or the son of, William Ferrour who married (about 1377) Eleanor de Engayne (Gaines). The only child of a rich family of Norman origin, and previously married. They lived at Clifton a few miles from Crosby Ravensworth. In 1383 Eleanor was found to be heiress to Robert Lowther, a very rich man who had just died. Unfortunately, it was taken away from her, legally by a more distant, but richer heir. In this way Eleanor lost the manors of Great Wittington, Thirston, Linzford, Barlow, Winton and Halton. Sometimes, when a migrant family makes good in a new area, they are eventually joined by some relative from their former village. There was one Farrar in Halifax who fitted the bill, the martyred Bishop of St Davids, Robert Ferrar, burned at the stake by Queen Mary in 1555. I was never convinced that he was born into the Halifax family, and I knew that there were 'other traditions'. The only connections with Halifax were: In the will of Jennet Kent of Halifax (1547), where it is mentioned that 'Mr Robert Farrowe (clerk) owes 48/-' (Bryan Farrar was a witness). That a 1545 deed where Robert Ferrar leases land at Wibsey (Bradford) called Reevy, to build a house. The witnesses of the lease included William Farrar of Ewood, William's brother-in-law John Lacy and Hari Farrar, who is almost certainly Henry Farrer of Hollinghey and William's brother. There is nothing solid to connect Bishop Ferrar with Ewood, and nothing at all to connect his known relative Nicholas Ferrar. We do have the Bishop's name on documents connected with both Ewood and the Halifax Town Farrars. Therefore the logical assumption is that the Bishop was related to both these families, who both appeared in the Halifax area about the same time (1440 - 1450). The only way this could be true is if the Bishop was of the original parent stock of both these Halifax branches. Heptonstall and Halifax was not an area to which a family from the south would emigrate, since it was not yet prospering in 1440 - 1450, but it would appeal to anyone from further north where things were tough. Many bishops and archbishops came from humble beginnings. It was perhaps the only way to rise out of a poor background - as long as the intelligence was there. Bishop Ferrar is on record as saying that his sister was married to a poor man (I believe to be a William Pickering.) Therefore it seemed likely that he came from further north. Other things pointed to this:
When I eventually came across various notes that mentioned the Bishop had a brother called Sir William Fayrhaire (L.L.D.) a priest, and this was in a printed book (not yet discovered by me), I tried a different tack, and concentrated on William. The key find was the 1538 entry in Fasti Parochailes (1942) which showed that Sir Thomas Faerher, the priest in the Halifax Town Farrer family, was presented to the living at Rawmarsh by Sir William Faerher L.L.D. This gave a connection between Bishop Ferrar, Sir William Faerher, and the Halifax Farrars. I eventually discovered Sir William Faerhir's birthplace, Crosby Ravensworth. Because of the age difference, it looks more like an uncle/nephew relationship (not a brotherly one) but the relationship with someone called Pickering also exists in the Farrar family at Crosby Ravensworth at that time (The Bishop's brother-in-law, perhaps living nearby at Stonemoor (Brough-under-Stainmore) although it could have been another sister at Stonemoor). The monks of St Augustines (St Austins) were nearby at Shap, and I feel sure that it was they who gave both these Farrars their start in life. When the Bishop's daughter, Sage renounced her right in Reevy in 1573, Nicholas Ferrar witnessed the deed, thus giving him a connection with Crosby Ravensworth also. I know that Nicholas Ferrar claimed to be descended from a family of gentlemen in Yorkshire, but I have discovered that anything in the far north of England was called Yorkshire, long after the sixteenth century. Even a sixteenth century deposition at Ely by a Crosby Ravensworth man stated that he was born at Crosby Ravensworth in Yorkshire! I also found two Crosby Ravensworth Farrars in a Tax list for the North Riding of Yorkshire (1301). The Heralds made a Visitation to Westmorland in 1666 to record the authenticity of the use Arms by local families. William Fairer of Warcop Tower recorded his pedigree beginning with his grand-father William of Shap Grange. He claimed the use of Arms identical to those granted to William Farrer of Ewood. However, he did not provide the heralds with proof of a connection, but this does not rule out the possibility of a link between the Westmorland families and Yorkshire. When the Administration of the goods of John Fayer (father of William of Warcop) was made in 1642, it was recorded in the 'York. Preog. Act Book' and he is described as, 'late of Warcuppe co, Westmorland and province of York'. This indeed does suggest a link between Yorkshire and Westmorland. Warcop Tower, Shap Grange, Orton, Asby, Morland and Crosby Ravensworth are all within a few miles of each other and all are villages were large numbers of Fayrers lived in the 16th and 17th centuries. At least eight fathers brought their children to be baptised in Crosby Ravensworth church between 1568 (when the registers began), and the turn of the century. There may have been many more, the baptism entries between 1572 and 1595 have been lost. At least one family was well established in the area as records of hearings in the Court of Alan Bellingham demonstrate. In 1564, for Crosbybanck and Rawe, Lancelot, Thomas, Anthony and James Farrer were fined 4d each for cutting green wood. The most popular boys' Christian names in the area were Lancelot, James, John, Thomas, and William. The last three were also popular in Yorkshire. Henry, Robert and Bryan, 16th century names frequently used in Halifax, were not used in Crosby Ravensworth, though Robert does occur just to the south in Orton. Another link between Halifax and Westmorland has been pointed out by Dr. John Godfery Fairer who recently retired to live in France. John has traced his ancestors back to William Fairer of Great Asby who died there in 1700. He remembers being told by his father that William, from whom the 'Great Asby Fairers' are descended was from Halifax, and moved there because he had backed the wrong side in the Civil War, and adopted the changed spelling of the name for the same reason. John's father did not say which side William had been on. Fairers however were well established in Great Asby before the Civil War. Roland Fayrer made his will there in 1591, William Farrer lived about two miles away at Asby Grange in the early 17th century, and Edward Fayrer of Asby is mentioned in a will dated 1642. If this theory is correct, and there is little reason to doubt it, that the Halifax family originated in Westmorland, William may have sought refuge in the beautiful countryside at Great Asby knowing that it was his ancestral home and that distant relations were living close by. William Farrer's family who were at Asby Lodge in the early 17th century, appears to have been wealthy, as the following extract from his son's will demonstrates. William Farrer of Hesketon, co. Suffolk, clerk. To be buried in the chancel of the church there. I give to Elizabeth my wife all lands &c. there and in Woodbridge and other property in Woodbridge late of William Farrer my late son deceased. To said wife messuage called the Lion Inn in Woodbridge, on the death of Frances Farrer, widow, late wife of Edward Farrer my brother. To Thomas Farrer of Crosbyravensworth, Westmorland, yeoman, the son of Lancelot Farrer, all the above lands, on my wife's decease, on condition that said Thomas and James Farrer are bound to wife in £400 for her quiet enjoyment and in £50 for payment of her of 90s a year. He was obviously a well educated man and it is interesting to note he used the spelling 'Farrer'. One branch of the family prospered for several generations, first moving to Grayrigg and then to Wythmoor. William Farrer who made his will at Wythmoor in 1837 appointed his son Thomas and William (son or grandson?), a cotton broker of Liverpool, joint executors. At least two of his daughters had married into the Ecroyd family. Margaret, who married William Ecroyd had died, but her sons William Farrer Ecroyd and Edward Ecroyd were given £250 each when 21 year old. William Farrer Ecroyd's son William was born in 1861 and at the age of 35, `in accordance with a provision contained in the will of his great-uncle William Farrer, late of Whitbarrow Lodge, obtained a Royal Licence to assume the name Farrer in lieu of Ecroyd. He also assumed the Farrer arms. William was a keen genealogist and highly respected author. Amongst his works are Early Yorkshire Charters, Honours and Knights Fees, and he was co-editor of eight volumes of Victoria History of Lancashire, regarded as the best of the Victoria County history series. He died in 1924. Another member of this Westmorland family became famous in Austria. William James Farrer was born in 1845 at Docker in Westmorland. He won a scholarship to Christ's Hospital School in London and there was awarded a gold medal for mathematics. He gained a scholarship to Cambridge in 1864 and four years late was awarded a degree in arts. William's mother died of tuberculosis, and because he too suffered, he decided to give up his studies in England for an open-air life in Australia. He arrived at Sydney in 1870. Worked first as a tutor on a sheep station at Duntroon teaching the Campbell family, then he became a county surveyor. At the age of 37, he married Nina Fane de Salis, the daughter of a grazier. They had no children. In 1886, William bought his own sheep farm which he named 'Lambrigg' or 'hill of lambs', the name of the English village where his mother had been born. Australians were mainly growing wheat from seed imported from England which was completely unsuitable for the local climate. William experimented with different varieties in an attempt develop seed which would mature earlier and be less prone to rust and fungus disease. He produced hundreds of varieties and his most famous was called Federation. It produced an excellent crop in the late spring and was especially suitable to harvesting by machinery. It proved very popular with Australian farmers and was eventually adopted by Californian and Indian growers. He became recognised internationally for his work as a scientist and his picture was used on the back of an Australian $2 note. William died in 1906 at the age of sixty-one. Frank Farrar, Frank was born about 400 yards from Reevy where Bishop Robert Ferrar lived, and became interested in Genealogy through an item in the local newspaper about the connection with Reevy and the Bishop. He spent many years researching his family who originated in Halifax area and has developed a particular interest into the 'long lines' of Farrars and how they moved from one place to another. |
