GRIMSHAW/CROWTREES INFORMATION

[Stanley]

I have been looking at Doreen Crowther's index to Pendle Deeds in Colne Library. There are a number of references to the Whittycroft and Crowtrees Estates and it seems they were linked through the Grimshaw family who owned both estates at one time. I also kept an eye open for references to Taylors and Stansfields.
Three cottages on Gisburn Road, Higherford (162, 164 and 166) were inherited in 1879 by Sarah Bracewell of Whittycroft, from her aunt Harriett Grimshaw.
Sarah Bracewell born 1820 was the descendant of Mary and William Bracewell. Mary & Harriett were daughters of Thomas & Grace Grimshaw of Crowtrees. Mary married William Bracewell of Coates, Barnoldswick,
 The cottages were sold by Anne (or Anna) Bracewell in 1903. The conveyance mentions Mary Taylor as a tenant. In a 1905 conveyance Tobias Taylor is a tenant.

Grace & Thomas Grimshaw lived at Crowtrees. Grace inherited the estate from her uncle Christopher Bulcock who died in 1805

From deeds for Croft House Higherford.
Croft House was originally 6 cottages, part of the Whittycroft Estate. recently erected in 1825 by William Bracewell of Coates, Barnoldswick
"One or some of them were occupied by the Stansfield family."

Whitty Croft Estate
From a document in the record office, Preston. A schedule of several deeds & writings affecting the two estates at Barrowford, Whitty Croft and Crowtrees, both in mortgage to Mrs Elizabeth Birdsworth for securing £2,500 with interest.
Thomas Grimshaw owned both estates in 1808.
 In 1825 they were mortgaged to finance the building of Higherford Mill.
29 December 1825 mortgage document states, "All that dwelling house called Whittycroft with the 6 cottages or dwellings lately erected there and the several closes of land of 22 acres or thereabouts.......now in the tenancy of William Bracewell.

Sorry that none of the deeds recorded go much beyond the turn of the century, so I couldnt find out any more. It looks from the deeds of the cottages on Gisburn Road as if our last known owner of Whittycroft was Anne (or Anna) Bracewell.

There is a topic about the Grimshaw family  on the site which is from a Doreen Crowther history of the family.

Edited by - wendyf on 11/05/2011 2:43:42 PM

[lancashirelass]

You mention Tobias Taylor in this posting ...........my grandfather. He later moved from Gisburn Road and took over the tenancy of Crowtrees Farm until his death.

[Wendyf]

Welcome to the site Lancashirelass. I must have posted this in response to a query on our old site before it crashed. I'm still a volunteer at Colne Library, so if I can help with your research just ask.

[Stanley]

Such a shame we lost that archive......

[Wendyf]

if you haven't already come across it there is a link to the original topic on the old Archived OGFB site HERE

[Stanley]

Fascinating stuff isn't it. One thing I noted was that John Clayton mentioned Abel Taylor, he was at Green Bank. it was May and John Wallbank who were at Brown House.



May and John in about 1960. Good people, both dead now....

[rossylass]

I just took a peek at the stuff on Crowtrees hoping to find some information. I thought that I had posted what I found out about Crowtrees on my travels, but I see I haven't so here goes...

My family moved from Blacko Foot Farm to Judson’s Fold sometime after 1831. During my research I came across documents relating to the removal of Stephen Pickles from Chorley Workhouse to Burnley. Stephen gave an account of his early life which was submitted in evidence. (Lancs County Archive QSP/4559/4.) (I already posted something about this).

“ 6) That subsequent to the birth of the said pauper and before his attaining the age of 16 years, that is to say about the year of 1824, Richard Pickles the father of the said pauper removed to the parish of Roughlee Booth within the Burnley Union…..in which parish the said Richard Pickles occupied, resided in and rented tenements known as the Blacko Foot Farm, and afterwards occupied, resided in and rented tenements known as Judsons Fold otherwise Judsons Kitchen or Barn Farm the length of his residence in the said Parish………” &etc.

At Nelson Library I also came across the 1961 “Abstract of the title of F. Waine & Son Ltd to a freehold farm known as Judson Fold Farm in Roughlee Co of Lancaster.” It was from a conveyance in 1871.

“….Known as Judson Fold Farm and formerly by the name of Crow Trees Farm formerly in the occupation of Henry Holgate and then of the purchaser.” —“ …All herriditament and premes (?) contd (?) (?premises contained) in the whole 70 acres, 1 rood, 26 perches or thereabouts and did not include 6 back cottages and 6 front cottages at or near Crowtrees.”

My ggg grandfather was still living at Judson Fold in 1851. Also living there, along with three other families was Wilkinson Dyson (very possibly a relation by marriage), Farmer of 50 acres along with his brother, who was a shepherd. Judson Fold was a small enclave of HLWs of delaine. There is no record of a farmer at Crowtrees in the 1851 census, at least not one that I could find.

it remains a mystery really so if anyone can solve it I should be very pleased. I sent the information to John Clayton, but he hadn't come across it.

[Wendyf]

What is the mystery Rossylass? I've read through your post a couple of times and it hasn't sunk in yet. Is it the whereabouts of Judson Fold Farm also known as Crowtrees Farm but not the Crowtrees in Barrowford?

Have you rediscovered this topic about Roughlee Mill from 2012?

[John C Layton]

A Survey Of Lands In Roughlee Booth In Forest Of Pendle in 1809
(Document In Lancashire County Records Office, Preston DDBD 36/31) Detailed by RS 28/04/2010

The above survey doesn't list a Crowtrees Farm or a Judson Farm - it does list 'cottages' owned by Mary Judson and tenanted by:
Joseph Holden
Thomas Preston
Betty Robinson
James Smith
James Whittam
Wm Dyson
Wm Pollard
Mary Dyson
James Dugdale

This is odd as there is an 1808 land plan, drawn for the late Richard Judson, of Roughlee Farm (the neighbouring farm to Crowtrees) and the Crowtrees Farm buildings and land. I think that R. Judson had Roughlee Mill and that he gave his name to the Judson Fold cottages - there is a drawing of the Lower Mill on the front of the plans.

Crowtrees is mentioned in FILE - ref. DDX 93/17 - date: 26 Sep. 1831
Conveyance: for £21: Thomas Grimshaw and James Hartley to William Baldwin (as DDX 93/16): -- Tithes from Crow Trees Farm and closes called the Holme, the Great and Little Hive Banks, the Lower and Higher Parts of the Old Meadow and the Haycroft, in Roughlee Booth (cf. DDX 93/1 - (8ac. 1r. 10p.) --: recites Will of Christopher Hanson (as DDX 93/15). Witn. Henry Wilkinson, Henry Bolton, Solicitor, Colne, and his clerk R. Hartley.

In 1880 Henry Hewett was paying for road repairs at Judson Farm.

[Stanley]

Lovely to see this oldie is still being pursued..... I edited the title so the bots would pick up the correct spelling.

[rossylass]

The whole topic seems to be a mystery! When I first posted the information about Stephen Pickles' statement the thinking was that the term "Kitchen" referred to premises which were occupied by more than one family, which would point to Judson Fold /Barn Farm etc being one building.

Call in the Time Team!!!

[Stanley]

Wendy will know about Kitchen. I think it's a farm near her....

[Wendyf]

There is a Kitchen Farm near me, but we are a long way from Roughlee.
So, the question (I think) is, was the Judson Fold Farm/Barn where the Pickles lived the same place as Crowtrees Farm? Which we know is not the same Crowtrees mentioned in the title of this topic?
Back to the library this morning, I'll see if I can discover more.

[plaques]

Now I'm totally confused, actually not that hard to do. Round this area most crows in 'rookeries' were considered as crows. Burnley has an area at the bottom of Westgate called 'Crows Nest'. Similarly, trees that had numerous crows/rooks were called crow trees. It would help my simple brain if the 'Crowtrees' being referred to was qualified by the location. ie; Crowtrees- Barrowford. etc;

[rossylass]

Hope you find something Wendy. You were right about the question, which I hadn't explained very well.

[Wendyf]

I didn't find anything I'm afraid, except Jean Ingham from the LFHHS doing some research on Stephen Woods and the Pickles family of Judson Fold! Would that be a query from you?
We both think (with no proof whatsoever) that the farm must have been the block of cottages set at an angle to the road, separate from the main block of Judson Fold. Part of that has now been demolished for the entrance to the holiday park and I have been trying to find old photographs that might give a clue. It was there when the 1960's aerial photos on MARIO were taken.
You can see it on this map:



The cottages that remain from Google Street View.



This map was surveyed in 1844, so its the right time period. There is no where else it could be really!

[Wendyf]

I've just checked the later census returns and Judson Fold was a farm at least until 1911.

[Wendyf]

There are a few articles in the Burnley Express in the 1920's and 30's which mention Judson Fold Farm, this is the latest one I can find from February 1938:



Archibald Tattersall & his wife Alice were there when the 1939 Register was taken. There seems to have been 3 other cottages in the fold at that time, Yew Tree Cottage, Hawthorn Cotttage and one other which is a closed record.
Crow Trees Farm is listed as well in 1939.
There is a map on the Pendle Council website which names all the cottages there now...but I closed it down and cant find it again.

[Stanley]

Lovely stuff......

[plaques]

A couple of years ago I got involved with researching the background of the Grimshaw breweries in Burnley, which is another story which I will tell you about later. Although the more recent posting appeared to have drifted away from the original 'Grimshaw's' it may be worth reading an article by John Clayton (an OG member and an authority on Barrowford) Grimshaw.

[rossylass]

This is so fascinating! The one thing I have learned about family and local history is that one needs to check and recheck any information before you are sure and even then you can't be sure! I think Wendy and Jean Ingham are probably right about the location of Judson's Farm though. It must have been divided into smaller dwellings when Richard Pickles was living there in 1841/51.

I did put out a request on the Barrowford LHS site to see if I could find out more about the Woods / Pickles families. I am in the throes of writing a book about my Pickles's. I was so tempted to write that they had occupied a house once lived in by a "witch" but in the interests of accuracy I will have to leave that one open!

My Pickles' are very well documented and a right load of rogues and vagabonds some of them were...literally! They were connected with portable theatres and like a lot of working class history, very little has been written about them. (On my soap box now.) I read John Clayton's article which refers to Henry Pickles (thanks for the link Plaques) but I don't think he was one of mine.

[Stanley]

Lots of Pickles round Lothersdale.... That was the origin of the Kelbrook and Barnoldswick Pickles that affected my life so much.