The Procter Family at Lower Burnt Hill

[Wendyf]

Generations of the Procter (or Proctor) family lived here at Lower Burnt Hill Farm for most of the 19th Century. There was a topic on the old site which many people contributed to, but it is completely inaccessible at the moment throwing up a gardening topic instead. It may be recovered one day, but it was a long topic which went off on various tangents, and I would like to pick out the relevant facts and post them here.
It's going to be a long story, so I'll post it in sections.

[Wendyf]

Lower Burnt Hill was a small hill farm with about 26 acres situated right at the top of Harden Clough above Kelbrook in the furthest corner of Thornton-in- Craven parish, near to the old road between Skipton & Colne. The highest point of the land met the old Lancashire boundary on top of Burnt Hill close to the turnpike at Hainslack which was known as Howshaw Bar.
Samuel Procter took the tenancy of the farm sometime between 1826 and 1828, coming with his family from a farm called Saltersyke which is down the road towards Colne.
(Colne Library have (or had at one time) a sale notice for Saltersyke Farm dated 1826. Jonas, a member on the old site, gave me this information believing that Samuel had sold that farm and bought Lower Burnt Hill, but in fact it was a Colne family called Shaw who owned it at the time.)
Samuel was born in Cowling in 1780, the son of John Procter & Elizabeth (nee Carrington). He was baptised on 7th January 1781 at Kildwick Parish Church.
Samuel married Ann Whitaker on 4th July 1800 at Kildwick Parish Church, three of their children were baptised together at Ickornshaw on 21st September 1809.
John Proctor son of Samuel & Ann born 29/11/1802
James Proctor son of Samuel & Ann born 17/08/1804
Samuel Proctor son of Samuel & Ann born 20/02/1806
Ann died aged 25 on 7/9/1808 and is buried at Kildwick, so her children were baptised as Wesleyan Methodists after her death. I know very little about these children, but it is possible that this is the John who later lived at Proctor Heights in Lothersdale and then Salt Pie, founding the Lothersdale branch of Procters.
Samuel was married again in 1822 at St Bartholomew’s in Colne to a widow called Mary Smith the daughter of James & Mary Hartley of Lidgett nr. Colne. They had the following children:-
Thomas Procter son of Samuel & Mary of Saltersyke baptised St Bart’s 17/8/1823 (buried 11/5/1824 Winewall Inghamite Chapel)
George Procter son of Samuel & Mary of Saltersyke baptised 10/7/1824 Earby Baptist Chapel
Benjamin Procter son of Samuel & Mary of Saltersyke baptised 12/2/1826 Earby Baptist Chapel
Joseph Procter son of Samuel & Mary of Lower Burnt Hill baptised 29/10/1828 Earby Baptist Chapel
Peter Procter son of Samuel & Mary of Lower Burnt Hill baptised 31/10/1830 Earby Baptist Chapel.
Samuel has been described as a blacksmith like his father & grandfather in Cowling, and as a butcher when Thomas was baptised in Colne. I wonder if he carried on either of those trades here, or just farmed?
That is the first generation installed at Lower Burnt Hill, there are three more to come.

[Stanley]

Nice one Wendy, In 1956 when I went there it was Butterfields at Lower Burnt Hill and Metcalfes at the next farm along the hillside.

[Wendyf]

That's right Stanley, James Earle Butterfield bought the farm in November 1947 from a chap called Fred Wood of Lothersdale who had only owned it for a couple of months. He had bought it from Audrey Edith Hinde, who had inherited it through her connections to the Wainman family of Carr Hill, Cowling. When I did some research at the Registry of Deeds I found that Wood had bought & sold a long list of properties, so I think he was a property dealer of some sort.
James Butterfield was the first owner/occupier of the farm since the Shaw family back in the early 18th century. But more about the property in another topic!

[Wendyf]

Samuel Procter died in 1838 aged 57. He was buried on 30/9/1838 at St Andrews, the parish church in Kildwick.
The 1841 census finds Mary Procktor aged 55 still at the farm, described as a farmer, with her sons George 15, and Peter 10. (George would actually have been 16 or 17.) There is another family living at the farm, Thomas Whiteoak, 27 Ag Lab, his wife Margaret & 4 young children.
I haven’t been able to track Benjamin down beyond his baptism, but I have found Joseph. He is living at Midge Hole, Salterforth with the family of Hiram Ellis, a wool carder. Joseph, age 12 is also described as a wool carder. There is a 15 year old girl called Mary Smith a cotton weaver, also living with this family.
Finding this answered one question I hadn’t been able to answer before. Mary Procter died in 1842, aged 57 and was buried at Winewall Inghamite Chapel. The informant on her death certificate was a Mary Smith of Midge Hole. What connection was there between them? I have found a baptism at St. Bart’s, Colne on 21/5/1826 for a Mary Smith, daughter of Betty Smith of Saltersyke. Was Betty a daughter of Mary’s from her first marriage to John Smith and was Mary Smith her granddaughter?
On the census return Midge Hole appears between the Inn at Lane Head and White House in Salterforth, does anyone know where it is or was?
Samuel & Mary’s son George, aged 17 must have taken over the farm when Mary died. I don’t know if he would have been able to take on a tenancy at that age, but the following year on 9th January 1843 he married Ann Hopkinson of Colne, who was just 16, at Thornton-in-Craven Parish Church.
Ann was the daughter of John & Ann Hopkinson and in the 1841 census they are living at Piked Edge Farm, between Jerusalem Farm and the pub at Black Lane Ends.
George & Ann produced a family of 15 children at the farm, nearly all of whom survived. Amazing in this day and age to imagine how tough it must have been to bring up a family of that size in what can only have been a one up -one down house, perhaps partitioned with wood upstairs.
The birth dates are unconfirmed, I have found baptisms for the first 2 children at St Barts, but it would be a lifetime’s work to track them all down! These dates are from an IGI file which I downloaded from the Family search website over 12 years ago.
Samuel 1844
John 1845
William 1847
Benjamin 1849
Mary 1851
Sarah 1853
Henry 1854
James 1856
Elizabeth Ann 1858
George 1860
Joseph 1861
Hartley 1863
Peter 1865
Margaret 1867
Ellen 1869
Here is a photograph of Ann Procter nee Hopkinson. Is it me, or does she look just a little weary?

[Stanley]

She looks l;ike a woman who is having a hard life. Plenty of that about in her day.
Wendy, I think the Midge hole you are looking at is the area round Midge Hole Mill which was the top watermill on the County Brook about 100 yards down the road to County Brook Mill, just below Mount Pleasant Chapel. The evidence I have is that it was run by Sellers and Chris Aspin thinks it was the only mill within the manorial boundary of Barlick that used Arkwright water frames spinning and perhaps weaving cotton. The new Whitemoor reservoir (built 1840) interrupted the water supply and from then on had to pay backhanders to the canal co waterman to let water down to run the mill when the canal wasn't demanding water and it was dry enough to stop any overflow. In about 1882 Sellers abandoned the mill and moved down into a mill in Nelson. Tony Dixon, the man for whom I burned the Bancroft pics the other day posted the following on the old site:

The original black text below is taken from OGFB web site. The alterations are to make it agree with the details in Frank Sellers (1880-1961) red note book.
JOHN SELLERS 1792. (BROTHER GEORGE 1794) 
Born London, died 1882. Orphaned at 5 and 7 years of age, were sent by some persons to an uncle who lived in Barrowford, Lancashire. One story says they tramped it all the way with all their worldly possessions in a small box, brass nailed and covered with cowhide measuring about 8" x 8" x 16". John was apprenticed to hand loom weaving. He married and moved to Barnoldswick where children came to the family circle until there were 11 and their parents All of them were engaged in the domestic duties in their home of producing cloth which their father took to Colne market. This journey from London by these small children no doubt was undertaken with a party of people or carriers who were coming to Colne, at that period, the principal marketing centre for all the cloth produced in the Craven district and right up to Wensleydale. Their father [the brother’s] was probably a cloth agent in London selling for the Colne merchants and they probably were stricken by small pox or some of the other virulent diseases of that period. One story says the boys spent some time in a Free Mason School or orphanage. Certainly both boys could read and write, which at that period was a rare thing unless they came from well to do parents. 

The other child, earned his living as a man by bookkeeping for the farmers around Barrowford and Blacko . Buying eggs and taking them in a wheelbarrow to Burnley market. He used to live on Blacko Moor, but always hid any money, as there were too many robbers about, only taking from his little store when transacting a deal. He emigrated to America at the age of 80 and opened a school for farmer’s children teaching them to read and write. 

EZRA SELLERS 1831 - 1896 
Was the 7th Son of John Sellers, spent his boyhood helping the family occupation of hand loom weaving. Married early, he and his wife started married life on 8 looms in Bracewell's Mill, Barnoldswick from there he moved to Howarth where he managed a small water powered weaving mill. Unfortunately, it was burned down one day whilst he was at Bradford market. He was out of work, so moved with his now young family to Colne where he struck up an acquaintance with W. White, the founder of the loom making firm of that name, who at that time was engaged making weft forks which were only then coming into general use. White’s business began in two cellars formerly used for hand loom weaving. Marshall Sellers, elder brother of Ezra, had, at that time, a small water power weaving shed situated on the border of Lancs. and Yorks. between Foulridge and Barnoldswick containing 24 looms making wincyettes. Marshall Sellers died from a chill and Ezra was asked to take over the business but had no money how could he off 25/- a week as a cloth looker but such faith in him had another[?] older brother, who had no children, that he lent him the money to take over the business. But after a time the waterman who looked after the reservoirs that supplied the mill with power died and Ezra Sellers could not get on with the successor who wanted too much ‘palm oil’. So he began to look out for other premises and in 1882 moved into a portion of Holme Mill, Nelson, where they increased their looms eventually to about 160. His eldest son John going to Manchester on market days seeking commission weaving. At this period Ezra 1884 would be 53 and John his eldest son 25 years old. John had 3 children at that time, Bertha, Frank and Hannah. It was on one of these business journeys that one day he called in T. W. Rice, cotton manufacturer’s office soliciting commission weaving and there came into contact with T. W. Rice Junior, then a young man of 32. His father owned Croft Mill, Chorley with about 400 looms engaged in coloured goods manufacture. This mill, owing to the keen competition and more efficient and better and more modern machinery and very acute trade depression then existing in the cotton trade caused by the increased nationalistic policy of especially France by departing from a nearly free-trade policy to tariffs which completely reversed the policy of the previous 20 years.

[note at end of article: John Rice, b 1789. T Wilde Rice, b. 1820. Same name with two more birth date, (son and grandson?) 1851 and 1882. Children of John Sellers 1792: Elizabeth, James, Marshall, William, Charles, Ezra, Richard, Thurza, Alice. 

At this point Frank's notebook continues, it appears that all this text was written at the same time.

This especially affected manufactured goods, this was in 1881, and had a depressing effect on the Lancashire cotton trade again. In 1892 the French government became full blown protectionists again with a disturbing effect on the cotton trade.

In Germany the liberal tariff remained in operation till 1879 when there was a change in policy he(?) made a moderate increase in duties which tripled the customs revenue and at he same time took steps to avert retaliation by a series of commercial treaties in which they made full use of their prestige acquired by Germany in 1871.
Average duty in France during period 1881-1914 34%
Germany 25%
Russia 131%

Here there is a line ruled across the page and a new section begins

1925
Since the way the tariffs or scale of duties were substantially increased in 1925 this shook the confidence of Englishmen in the infallibility of Free Trade principles. In 1923 Protection was a definite issue in the elections, but the electorate were unconvinced, but during the next 12 years when the slump in world trade gradually developed and reached bottom.
A 33% anti-dumping duty was imposed on a number of articles such as fabric gloves, lace, wrapping paper, gas mantles etc. Colonial Preferences were granted in 1925 duties on silk and ??? thus making considerable [ is there a word missing – perhaps inroads?] into the British Policy of Free Trade.

There is then a separate note in a different hand which adds:

Moved from Nelson in 1886 to take charge of TW Rice's Mill.

This note is signed M.A.V. presumably Mabel A Vere, Frank's younger sister 1885-1980(?)


Tony Nixon 19th Oct 2010 tony@dudleyandtony.co.uk

[Wendyf]

The 1851 census for Lower Burnt Hill shows George Procktor 25 Farmer of 26 acres , Ann 24 farmer’s wife, Samuel 6, John 5, William 3 and Benjamin 1.
The 1861 census shows George Procter 36 Farmer of 26 acres and drainer, Ann 34 Farmer’s wife (giving Trawden as a birthplace) Samuel 16 drainer, John 15 drainer, Benjamin 11 carter, Sarah 8 scholar, James 4 scholar, Henry 6 scholar, Elizabeth A. 2, George 1.
Mary hadn’t survived beyond her first year.
William 13 is listed as a farm boy at the Wilson’s Arms Inn, at Old Stone Trough between Foulridge & Kelbrook.
Henry seems to change his name to Thomas at some point before the 1871 census.
It is impossible to tell exactly how & when George & Ann left Lower Burnt Hill and took the tenancy of Pasture Farm, Black Lane Ends, which was across the border into Lancashire, but it was sometime between 1861 and 1866. I don’t know if they kept the tenancy of LBH farm as well, but by the 1871 census George & Ann’s son Samuel is farming here.
Going by the evidence of the 1871 census return George & Ann’s children, up to and including Peter in 1865, were born in Thornton in Craven, only Margaret & Ellen were born in Lancashire. However their eldest son Samuel’s abode when he married Ann Bentham at St Bart’s on 26th October 1863 is given as Pasture and he is described as a farmer.
Samuel & Ann’s first child John W. is born in Keighley in c1864, Hargreaves the second child in Lancashire in c1866 and their third child Mary is born in Thornton in Craven in c1869 so they are probably at Lower Burnt Hill by then.
The 1871 census is confusing because the enumerator has put the Procter family into a second farm at Higher Burnt Hill and a family called Rushton at Lower Burnt Hill missing out Brown Hill Farm completely. This is the third of a close group of three properties and where the Rushtons are in 1861 & 1881. It appears to be a mistake by the enumerator.
Samuel Procter 26 farmer , Ann 27 wife born Arncliffe, John W, 7 born Keighley, Hargreaves 5 born Colne, Mary 2 born Thornton in Craven, David 2 mths born Thornton in Craven.
Ann was the daughter of Miles Bentham of Arncliffe, but when Samuel & Ann married in Colne her abode is given as Barnside Hall, Foulridge. In the 1861 census she is a servant in a house in Starbotton, so I am guessing that she was also a servant at Barnside, which is just over the hill from Pasture above Laneshawbridge. (This area was a part of Foulridge Parish known as Foulridge Detached .)
Samuel is noted as the occupier of Lower Burnt Hill in 1877 when it is sold to the Wainman Estate, and he is still there in the 1881 census with four more children, Sarah, Smith, Ann & Tom.

[Wendyf]

By the 1891 census Samuel and Ann have moved to Hainslack Farm, back into Lancashire again but in reality just up the road. I think Hainslack’s land would meet with that belonging to Pasture at Warley Wise Lane. They have had a couple more children, Ernest who is 7 and Elise2. Ernest born in Yorkshire and Elise in Lancashire which tells us that they left Lower Burnt Hill sometime between 1884 and 1889.
The farmhouse was improved and extended at some point around then and given two extra bedrooms, a bigger kitchen & a sitting room. I wonder if the Procters were given notice by the owners so that the work could be done, or if it was just a convenient moment when Samuel & Ann moved on.
The Procter Family had been here for around 60 years.

[Stanley]

Wendy, that extension definitely fits the date of the late 19th century and was well-built.

[Wendyf]

Though they no longer farmed at Lower Burnt Hill, the Procter family continued to tenant other farms in the area.
Hargreaves Procter 34,with his wife Susan 32 and children Thomas H. 12 and Florrie 5 is farming at Higher Burnt Hill in the 1901 census. There is a David Procter 29 and wife Alice 26 at Scald Bank Farm.
Samuel died on May 18th 1898 aged 54, he is buried in Colne Cemetery, but his wife Ann is head of household at Hainslack in the 1901 census with her sons Smith, Tom and Ernest.
Samuel’s brother James is farming Pasture following the death of George in 1890. George’s wife Ann is still living there aged 74. She died in 1903 and together they are buried at Winewall Inghamite Chapel.
By 1911 Tom Procter is farming at Hainslack, James is still at Pasture and Hargreaves at Higher Burnt Hill.
It is tempting for descendants of the Procter’s to believe that their ancestors owned the farms where they lived for so many years, but they were tenants, not owners, of the farms in this area.
Lower Burnt Hill was passed down through generations of the Shaw family till it was sold to the Wainman Estate in 1877, finally being sold to an owner/occupier in 1947.
Pasture was sold to a Mr Tunstill of Reedyford in 1906, James Procter was the occupier at the time.
In the Tythe Survey of Colne 1842 “Ayne Slack” was owned by a John Foulds. In 1926 Oswald Folds mortgaged Hainslack for £220 when Thomas Procter was the occupier.
Higher Burnt Hill & Scald Bank both belonged to the Wainman Estate.
For any one researching this Procter Family tree there is a comprehensive pedigree on the shelf in Colne Library.

[Stanley]

Good stuff Wendy.