William Drake of Coates Hall

[Wendyf]

Stanley, do you have any information about William Drake of Coates Hall? He seems to have rented property in Earby from the Lister Kaye Estate, possibly around the mill site, in the middle of the 18th century.

[Stanley]

Plenty, he crops up all over the place.

DRAKE INDEX ENTRIES AS OF 26 October 2005

1667
Reference from John Savage’s ‘History of Barnoldswick: William Drake owned Coates Hall in 1667, it having previously belonged to Sawley Abbey. William Bagshawe became owner of the hall and estate in 1758. In 1883 Colonel Roundell of Gledstone bought the estate and in 1915 it passed to Sir Amos Nelson when he bought the Gledstone estate. Langdale’s Topographical dictionary for Yorkshire 1822 records ‘Barnoldswick Coates. The large hall built by the Drakes is now cottages.’

1753
Mr Drake paid land tax for Lane Head of 2/-. Same address, 4/- recorded for 1756.

1753.
William Drake paid land tax for Coates Hall, £4-10-0. 1756; £9. 1757 the tax transferred to William Bagshawe. £9.

1851
1851 census records Elizabeth Drake, Wesleyan Chapel, 49 years, dressmaker, born West Marton. Living with mother, Mary, 81. 3 sons: Thomas 18. Laurence 17. John 12 and daughter Mary, 10.

1841
Census records William Drake as Corn Miller at Pickhill, Thornton Parish aged 35. Wife Elizabeth, 35, milliner. Son Thomas, 8. Lawrence, 6. Eleanor, 4. (almost certainly Broughton Mill)

1881/1891 census.
No Drakes recorded in Barlick or Thornton.

SCG/26 October 2005

I've Bumped the Bagshawe papers as they detail ownership after 1757.
It looks as though the Drakes left the district after selling Coates Hall however William crops up all over the place as owner of land and farms in the district. Problem is that these references are scattered all over the place.
Hope this helps.....

[Wendyf]

Thank you, it all helps to build a picture. The Drake family papers are with the Bagshawe deeds in Sheffield City Archive, we might have to plan a visit.
The Lister Kaye Estate records for Thornton in Craven, including court rolls, which could be very useful to us for our mill project, are at the Yorkshire Archaeological Society in Leeds which is now closed. All the records are being moved to Sheffield University and wont be available until 2016.

[Stanley]

It always was difficult to access local evidence pre-boundary changes! Some in Leeds and even some in Northallerton! Sounds as though it has just got worse.