Leonard Berry was succeeded by his son "Thomas Berry, of Hagg," who died in 1614, and his wife Alice in 1617. A Richard Berry of the same place was buried at Almondbury, Nov. 18, 1626, and we find also mention in 1610 of Andrew Berry of Hagg, who probably was a brother of the above. At Deanhouse-a short distance from the Hagg, and like it situated on the Deanbrook-there was also a Thomas Berrye, who was buried at Almondbury, Feb. 2, 1623, where his wife Elizabeth was interred Jan. 5, 1624. He was succeeded by Leonard, his son, (bap. at Almondbury, June 24, 1594,) who had issue and who was living in 1630. There was a Godfrey Berrye of Deanhouse in 1658. Another branch of the family settled at Thongsbridge, viz. Edward Berrye, who in 39 Elizabeth held lands and tenements in the township of Wooldale near Thongsbridge, which had been devised to him by his father, William Berrye, deceased. He also held a close of land in the same township, which had been previously granted to him by Sir Cotton Gargrave, knight, deceased, to the use and behoof of Elizabeth Berrye, one of the daughters of the said Edward Berrye, and James Haigh (the son of James Haigh de la Hurste) on their marriage, &c. These lands seem to have lain contiguous to the Berry-Banks Road, which acquired its name from this family. NEWTON OF MOOR GATE, IN NETHER THONG. This family was a branch of the Newtons of Stackwood Hill in Fulstone. The following notices are extracted from the Registers of Almondbury and Kirkburton : Robert, son of William Newton, bapt. 17 Aug. 1633. William, son of John Newton, of Stackwood Hill, bapt. 22 Jan. 1689. William Newton, of Stackwood Hill, parish of Kirkburton, and Lydia Wordsworth, of Almondbury, mar. 23 June, 1717. John Newton, of this parish (Almondbury), gentleman, and Hannah Woodhead, of the parish of Huddersfield, mar. by licence 2 June, 1748. Mr. John Newton, of Thongsbridge, widower, and Mary Walker, of Honley, spinster, mar. by licence 16 Dec. 1762. John Newton, bur. (at Kirkburton) 14 Jan. 1637-8. Robert, son of Samuel Newton, of Nether Thong, bur. (at Almondbury) 14 Jun. 1650, William Newton, of Netherthong, bur. 8 Oct. 1661. We have already seen that in 17 James (1619), William Newton of Stackwood Hill, purchased land in Nether Thong from Godfrey Beaumont, and that further purchases were made from the Kaye family in 1649 and 1650. In 1686 Jonas Newton, son of William Newton, alienated the estate. By indenture made between Jonas Newton of Nether Thong, yeoman, of the one part, and Henry Jackson of Totties, in Wooldale, and Elizabeth, his eldest daughter, on the other part, he conveyed to the said Henry Jackson and Elizabeth, his daughter, the messuage called Moorgate in Nether Thong, with barn, &c., gardens, &c., and certain closes of land called The Whinns or Whinny Close, The Over Oxclose, The Nether Oxclose, The Over Westfield, The Nether Westfield, The Over Brownhill, The Nether Brownhill, and the Whinney Reape, "together with all parcells of land, heath, Waste or wasteground enclosed or unenclosed, Common of pasture, Turberie, Estovers, Mynes, Quarreys, Wayes, Water, Watercourses, &c., Woods, libertyes and Rentes, Chief rents, Services, Fines, Amersements, Royalties, Franchises, Jurisdictions, Court fees and perquisites of Court, waiver, estreats, Warrents, reliefs, Escheats, Fishings, profits, commodities, Emoluments and hereditaments whatsoever to the said Messuage belonging, in Nether Thong, or within the village of Meltham." This reference to the village of Meltham (which is indicated also in the deed of 1649 above mentioned) probably arises from the fact that the lands of that township and of Nether Thong were not clearly defined at that particular place. On the marriage of Elizabeth Jackson to Gervas Seaton of Blythe in the co. of Nottingham, she released to Henry Jackson (her father) for the sum of £600 all her right and title to the freehold lands in Nether Thong, &c., by deed dated 16 Oct., 1693. The estate passed by will to Abel Jackson, the third son of the above-named Henry; but by indenture dated 14 Feb., 1715, made between Abel Jackson of London, gentleman, and Elihu Jackson of Doncaster in the co. of York, gentleman, the former granted the estate with all its privileges to the said Elihu Jackson, his eldest brother. VOL. XIII, P On the extreme western edge of the township we come to the Hamlet of Greave. This probably comprises about 250 acres of land; it is bounded by Upper Thong on the south, by Meltham on the west and south-west, and by Honley on the north. The hamlet is of ancient origin, and the estate vested for several generations in the family of Shaw, of Honley Wood-nook, from whom it was purchased by the late Joseph Hirst, Esq., of Wilshaw, whose ancestors had long held property at Lower Greave. His extensive alterations and improvements combine to impress the observer with the conviction that this is indeed a "model village." We must however revert to its ancient condition. We have already given a charter of 38 Ed. III. (1363) in which mention is made of "Thong-greve:" and we have seen that William and Thomas Gudman, whose names appear in the Poll-tax Rolls of 1379, were probably the owners of this estate. But from the reign of Rich. II. till the latter part of the reign of Elizabeth, we meet with no further allusion to the Greave or its owners. We get, however, an interesting glimpse of its surroundings from an ancient document, formerly in the possession of the late Joseph Green Armytage, Esq., of Thickhollins. We are informed by the Rev. J. Hughes (History of Meltham, p. 213) that this charter was a grant from Edw. III. to John de Thickhollyns, empowering him to cut wood in the Willow Shoe or Shaw. This (now known as the Wilshaw) was waste until the enclosure of the commons in 1817. It is in immediate proximity to Greave, and we may gather that in the 14th century it was well wooded and well watered. In 1594, we find Robert Shaw, then of the Greave, where he remained till his death in 1626. His successor was Thomas Shaw, probably his son, who however died in the following year. Contemporary (or nearly so) with these was Henry Shaw of Honley Wood-nook, and in this family the property remained (as we have seen) till recent days. Extracts from Register : Jana, filia Roberti Shaw, de Thong Greve, bapt. 1 Dec. 1594. tta, uxor Henrici Shaw, de Thong Greave, sepult. 19 March, 1649-50. Henricus Shaw, de Greave, sepultus 4 Aug. 1667. 66 Mary, wife of Jonathan Shaw, Nether Thong (a rich yeoman), buried Feb. 27, 1766." We must not conclude our notes without some mention of the ancient village of Nether Thong, though we have little to add to our notices of the families who formerly resided in it. It is situated on rising ground rather more than half a mile from Thongsbridge (already described as the estate of the Wilsons) which has now risen rapidly into importance as a centre of industry. Nether Thong lies within the Holme valley, having a south-easterly aspect and commands a fine view of the distant hills and of the winding vale beneath and beyond. It may be said that few villages possess greater advantages of situation for carrying out its sanitary requirements than this. Nether Thong was formerly a member of the Chapelry of Honley, with which it remained till 1830 when a parliamentary grant was obtained and a church was erected, Mr. R. D. Chantrell of Leeds being the architect. The site, in the centre of the village, was given by Mr. John Woodhead. The church is dedicated to All Saints. It contains. 700 sittings. The following is a list of the incumbents or vicars:— 1. Rev. John M. Evans, 1830, resigned in 1834. 2. Rev. James North Green Armytage, 1834, resigned Dec., 1835. 3. Rev. George Docker Grundy, M.A., 1836. 4. Rev. David Meredith was in charge for a few months. 5. Rev. David Hughes, March, 1839, to March, 1842. 6. Rev. James Tidemore, May, 1842, to 1846. 7. Rev. Parsons James Maning were here for a very 8. Rev. Josiah Rogers short time. 9. Rev. Thomas James, M.A., LL.D., F.S.A., 1846 to 1879. 10. Rev. John Prowde, M.A., 1879, the present vicar. It may be of interest to append the names of some inhabitants of Nether Thong township in the reign of Queen Elizabeth which we have extracted from the Almondbury Registers, &c. Dorothy, filia Jacobi Taylor, de Nether Thong, bapt. 25 July, 1568. George, son of Thomas Linley, de Nether Thong, bapt. 2 Aug. 1573. Nicholas Booth, of Thwonge-brygge, sepultus erat 22 Dec. 1558. William Booth, of Nether Thong, sepultus erat 29 Dec. 1560. Richard Aynelay, of Thongs Bridge, sepultus erat 19 Nov. 1563. Alice Brooke, de Nether Thong, vidua sepulta erat 25 Oct. 1566. Agnes, uxor Edwardi Brooke, de Nether Thong, sepulta erat 16 July, 1571. Johannes Swallow, de Nether Thong, sepultus erat 17 March, 1573-4. John Brooke, of Nether Thong, sepultus erat 9 Nov. 1580. Margaret Hinchliffe, de Nether Thong, æt. 80 annos, sepulta erat 31 Dec. 1590. Robert Haigh, of Markbottom, aged 90 years, buried 13 March, 1592. Elizabeth Kaye, of Wolfestones, widow, 80 annos nata, sepulta erat 28 April, 1596. |