People & Families
In the Burley Archive we have large numbers of records of individual people who have connections to Burley District. They may have been born, lived and/or worked here This page gives a few examples of those people.
We also have records & research that have morphed from individuals to their relations. In other words family histories, these will be included too.
Where the information is extensive then a dedicated page will be created, as for example:
Fred Midgley; Fred Sharp
We also have records & research that have morphed from individuals to their relations. In other words family histories, these will be included too.
Where the information is extensive then a dedicated page will be created, as for example:
Fred Midgley; Fred Sharp
Thomas Maude (1717-1798). Poet and essayist, belonged to the ancient family of Maude of Alverthorpe and Wakefield, Yorkshire. Built Burley House & Burley Lodge, Main Street, Burley in Wharfedale in 1783.
Jonas Whitaker (1769-1850). Joint founder of Greenholme Mills. Short horn cattle breeder & exporter of repute.
Job Senior (1780-1857). Hermit of Burley Woodhead.
John Peele Clapham (1801-1876). Lawyer, Justice of the Peace & Poet.
Founder of Salem Church, Main Street, Burley in Wharfedale. Born Hunslet Road, Leeds - became a lawyer. In April 1827 married his cousin Mary Ann Clapham, they had 2 sons & 2 daughters. Between 1834 and 1840 rented Burley Hall, Corn Mill Lane, from Thomas Horsfall. Bought the land & built "The Grange", Burley in Wharfedale in 1840. The plot is believed to have extended from Moor Lane (now Station Road) down Town Street (Main Street) including a number of cottages, to the junction with Back Lane at the rear of The Lawn & across to what is now Langford Lane & back to Moor Lane (Station Road). Clapham was a keen independent churchman, who had founded Sunday schools for the working classes in Leeds. In Burley in 1835, Clapham bought the three cottages (Post Office Yard) next to St. Mary's Parish Church in Main Street, converting the upper rooms into an ecumenical Sunday school. It closed in 1837 when a new Anglican Sunday school was opened in Back Lane. But protests from Independent church folk, led to JP Clapham in 1840 building, as well as The Grange, Salem Church, Salem Sunday school, a Manse and the burial ground. He sold the Grange in 1848/9 & moved to Leeds, before dying in Ilkley almost 30 years later. The family gravestone can still be seen in the old Salem Church burial ground in Grange Park, Burley in Wharfedale. More detailed info on wikepedia: John Peele Clapham
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Thomas (1803-1861) & Martha (1807-1891) Horsfall - Burley Hall.
x2 daughters - Sophia (1835-1901) and Emmeline (1837-1910). Sophia married 1856 Henry Bliss Crofton (1833-1868). Emmeline married twice - John Gethin (m1858) and John Henry Hudleston (m1867)
Stephen Fawcett (1807-1876) Poet born Burley in Wharfedale.
Excerpt from "Modern Yorkshire Poets by William Andrews William, 1848-1908 published 1885." (archive.org)
"We are indebted to Mr. A. Holroyd for the following :— Stephen Fawcett was born in the year 1807, at Burley, in Wharfedale, and was the son of a farmer of that place. In 1837, whilst living there, he published his first book, " Wharfedale Lays, or Lyrical Poems." In 1842, he published " Edwy and Elgiva." After that time he removed to Bradford, where he resided until his death, which took place suddenly, on December l0th, 1876. In 1872 he published, by subscription, a collection of poems under the title of " Bradford Legends". This work was dedicated to the Mayor of Bradford, M. W. Thompson, Esq., J. P., of Park Gate. After the death of his wife, as he became old, he fell into poverty ; but, being of a happy disposition, and familiar with our English literature, he spent his time in a much happier way than is possible to one without such resources. His writings are on the whole so valuable that they will not sink into obscurity, but will some day be published in a collected form."
"We are indebted to Mr. A. Holroyd for the following :— Stephen Fawcett was born in the year 1807, at Burley, in Wharfedale, and was the son of a farmer of that place. In 1837, whilst living there, he published his first book, " Wharfedale Lays, or Lyrical Poems." In 1842, he published " Edwy and Elgiva." After that time he removed to Bradford, where he resided until his death, which took place suddenly, on December l0th, 1876. In 1872 he published, by subscription, a collection of poems under the title of " Bradford Legends". This work was dedicated to the Mayor of Bradford, M. W. Thompson, Esq., J. P., of Park Gate. After the death of his wife, as he became old, he fell into poverty ; but, being of a happy disposition, and familiar with our English literature, he spent his time in a much happier way than is possible to one without such resources. His writings are on the whole so valuable that they will not sink into obscurity, but will some day be published in a collected form."
Thomas Emsley (1816-1885) Railway contractor, major land owner & philanthropist.
Buried in St Mary's Parish Church graveyard, Burley in Wharfedale along with his mother & brother.
Buried in St Mary's Parish Church graveyard, Burley in Wharfedale along with his mother & brother.
1880 Last Will and Testament - transcribed.
John Shepherd (1816-1902) Mechanical engineer, machine & tool maker.
Born Burley in Wharfedale to Francis Shepherd (1767-1821) and Ellen Myers (1779-1854).
Born Burley in Wharfedale to Francis Shepherd (1767-1821) and Ellen Myers (1779-1854).
William E. Forster (1818-1886) Partner in Wm Fison & Co. Politician. Architect of the Education Act 1870.
William Fison (1820-1900) Founder of Wm Fison & Co. worsted spinners & stuff manufacturers. Bradford & Greenholme.
Charles Ingham Black (1821-1896)
Born Sligo, Eire. The second son of John Black (d1832)(Sligo merchant & alleged smuggler).
Educated at Trinity College, Dublin. 1855 installed as curate at St Mary's Parish Church, Burley in Wharfedale. 1856 became the first vicar at St Mary's Parish Church, Burley in Wharfedale. 1867-8 acted as English Chaplain in Darmstadt, Germany. Returned to Burley. Remained as vicar upto his death in 1896. He was married to Anne Black nee Allan (1837-1920) & they had 11 children. One of Charles & Anne Black's sons was called Ladbroke Lionel Day Black (1877-1940) a journalist & writer.
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William 'Billy' Swain (1827-1910) Master Tailor, Poet, Professional Cricketer, Cricket Coach & Cricket Bowling Machine Inventor
Born 8th September 1827 Burley in Wharfedale. Died 3rd October 1910 Brisbane, Australia.
Thomas Clark (1837-1898).
Born in Leeds. Headmaster Greenholme Mills School 1856-1897. Had no formal qualifications as a teacher, but was known by William E. Forster (Greenholme).
The school was established in 1856 with 46 boys and 48 girls attending as half–timers. The classrooms were on mill premises at first, but they occupied a part of the Lecture Hall (Queen‘s Hall) from 1868. Clark lived on Main Street in a house, called Rose Cottage, which stood next to the old Methodist Church at the end of what was known as East Terrace.
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Joseph Hartley Foulds (1851-1943)
Walter Gledhill (1854-1917). Teacher, Headmaster & Chess Player. The chess opening "French Defence - The Gledhill Attack" was named after him.
Born at Leeds to William & Sarah Gledhill, he had 2 sisters (Caroline & Susan) & 2 brothers (Harry & Horace). His father was a woollen warehouse worker.
Walter Gledhill married Rebecca Hirst (1853-1933) in 1879 at Leeds Parish Church. c1881 he became a teacher & then headmaster (upto 1895) at Ladysmith National School on Back Lane, Burley in Wharfedale & lived at 260 Main Street. (Burley District Schools). Walter & Rebecca had 8 children - Isabel, Hilda, Carrie, Horace, Walter Gordon, Lucy, Alice May & George Brumfitt. Walter Gledhill was one of the founders of Burley in Wharfedale Chess Club & was the first secretary of the Wharfedale Chess Association. In 1888 he became a founder member of Otley Chess Club, being appointed its team captain, even though he was already team captain for Burley. To complicate matters further, he played for Ilkley in the YCA’s Minor Trophy tournament. In 1889-90 he won the Silver Queen Challenge Trophy. He was also a member of the Yorkshire Chess Association (YCA), played for Yorkshire in the 1890 correspondence match against Sussex. 1895 Emanuel Lasker, the world chess champion of the time, played a simultaneous display at Ilkley. Of the sixteen players, Walter listed as from Burley, drew his match. Of the others 3 left before finishing their games & all the others lost. Around 1895 Walter Gledhill left Burley for West End near Harrogate & a year after that became headmaster at Dacre Braithwaite School & lived at Dacre Banks, Harrogate. He continued to teach & play chess upto his death in 1917. He & his wife Rebecca are buried at Holy Trinity Church, Dacre Banks, Harrogate. Info & image courtesy of Yorkshire Chess History. |
Sir William Watson (1858-1935). (Born John William Watson). Poet - popular in his time for the political content of his verse.
Born at 4 Peel Place, Burley in Wharfedale. The house was built by his father.
The family moved to Liverpool in 1860 when William was 2 years old & he grew up there. Watson married Adeline Maureen Pring in 1909 & they had two daughters. He is buried in the graveyard of All Saints Church, Childwall, Liverpool. |
Arthur Newsome (1860-1934). Road Contractor & Manufacturer, Quarry Owner & Philanthropist
Mary Chorley née Kimber (1865-1936). Volunteer teacher at Burley Woodhead school, entomologist, folk song & dance instructor, amateur dramatics & philanthropist.
Harry Sutton Chorley (1869-1939). Architect.
William Ingham Warburton (1885-1964). Burley & District Brass Band leader & conductor, motor engineer & garage proprietor.
Robert Peel (1891-1965). Road Materials Contractor, Wharfedale Football Association vice-president, managing director the Cream Bus Service.
James Knights Trench OBE (1893-1969). Resident Burley Hall, Burley in Wharfedale c1939 to c1946
Walter Flesher (1894-1984). Burley & Bingley Moor Gamekeeper. Radio & TV Naturalist, Writer & Broadcaster 1940s to 1970s. Founder member of Wharfedale Naturalists Society.
Laurence Town (1895-1969). Book Binder & Teacher.
Born in Burley in Wharfedale & christened Lawrence Town. (Also known as Laurie Town)
Education: Burley National School & Ilkley Grammar School. Bradford Art College - art & craft skills including book-binding from Charles Turner. Employment: Teacher of arts & crafts at Saltaire Road Senior Boys School and introduced book-binding as an additional subject to the students. Lecturer at St John's College, York teaching book-binding. Master craftsman of full leather bindings. In 1951 he wrote "Book Binding by Hand for Students & Craftsmen". Info & image courtesy of notjusthockney
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Frederick A. Rathmell (1898-1973). Cream Bus Service founder & mechanic.
Elaine Coventry Denby (1924-2010) - Architect, Singer and Writer.
Elaine Denby was born in Burley-in-Wharfedale 17 Nov 1924, later lived in Harrogate and Ben Rhydding, and was educated at Casterton School near Kirby Lonsdale. She enrolled at the Leeds School of Architecture in 1941, and after qualification worked in the planning department of Westminster Council, became an Associate of the Royal Institute of British Architects in the 1950s and established her own practice with Gordon Badnell in South Kensington, London.
She had lifelong interests in music, singing and opera, sang in the Royal Philharmonic Choir in the 1950s and 1960s and became a Friend of Glyndebourne Festival Opera on its revival at the end of the Second World War. She was the author of 'Grand Hotels: Reality and Illusion' published in 1998. She died in London on 31 Mar 2010. Her brother Patrick Denby (1920-2001) served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War and at Bletchley Park. (Info courtesy of West Yorkshire Archive Service - Bradford). |
Richard Peace (1933-2013) - Emeritus Professor of Russian at the University of Bristol
"Richard was born in Burley-in-Wharfedale, near Leeds in Yorkshire, and from the age of eleven attended Ilkley Grammar School. He started to teach himself Russian while still at school and, like many British Slavists of his generation, studied the language intensively during his period of National Service. In 1954 he went on to read French and Russian at Keble College Oxford, from which he graduated in 1957. After a period of postgraduate study in Oxford, culminating in 1962 with the award of a B. Litt., he was appointed to the first lectureship in Russian at Bristol, where the subject was being established by the late Professor Henry Gifford under the aegis of the Department of English. Under Richard’s leadership a single honours programme in Russian and various joint degree programmes were introduced. In 1975 Richard was appointed to a Chair of Russian at the University of Hull, where he also served from 1982 to 1984 as Dean of the Faculty of Arts. In 1984 he returned to Bristol, to take up the Chair of Russian that had just been created, and there he remained, as Head of Department, until his retirement in 1994."
Obituary courtesy of Derek Offord (University of Bristol) & the International Dostoevsky Society. |
Richard Burton's Castles Collection - Photos & Postcards.
Families
Fison Family of East Anglia & Bradford - background to William Fison & Co., Greenholme Mills, Burley in Wharfedale
William Rayner (1844-1911) & Family - Blacksmith. Burley in Wharfedale
Burley Community Library, Grange Road, Burley in Wharfedale, West Yorkshire England LS29 7HD
Opening Times: Monday, Tuesday and Friday 10.00am to 5.00pm, Thursday 2.00pm to 7.00pm, Saturday 10.00am to 1.00pm. Closed Wednesday & Sunday
Burley Archive & Local History Group: Drop-In Sessions Friday 2.30pm to 4.30pm. For other times please contact us
Burley Archive & Local History Group: Drop-In Sessions Friday 2.30pm to 4.30pm. For other times please contact us