History Page

Lynne Wilkinson of Butterfield House has a very interesting attic. As she is the third generation of her family to live there, and previous generations never cleared out the attic completely, she keeps finding little gems of history. Lynne found this picture (opposite) in a basket in her attic. It is of a little girl posing very proudly in the middle of the road in front of the Reading Room. It must be a special occasion as it is taken by Horner Photography of Settle, she has a very clean smock over her dress and is standing on her skipping rope. We think it is dated about 1910, but we don't know who she is and what the connection with Butterfield House could be.

Can you help us? Have you any old photos of school children from about that time? Do you recognise her as your Great Grandmother?

April's History Group meeting is all about Rathmell School. We have been allowed to borrow some really great documents including copies of photos that go back to approx 1914, 1954-8 and 1960, and a book entitled "The School of Rathmell" by D.W.Barker.

There will be a slight change to the meeting time this month. The Methodist church will be open from 6.30pm when you can pop in and see a display about the school.

If you attended Rathmell School, no matter which year, and would be happy to speak for a short time about your memories, please contact Pat Gibson on 01729 841129. The actual meeting will start at 7.30pm with tea. coffee and biscuits available.

"How the West Was Won - Rathmell 1600-1900"

A talk given by Ian Roberts to Rathmell History Group.

On 26 Feb 2010 a packed Methodist Chapel was regaled with tales of swashbuckling landowners in Rathmell by Ian Roberts, formerly of Settle. Mr Roberts gave a lively account accompanied by slides, of land disputes, swordfights and local farms whose whereabouts are now lost in the mists of time.

A summary of his talk is as follows:

In the late 1500’s many Lords of the Manor were having financial problems. George Clifford of Giggleswick and Settle was one, and when he died his Executors raised money by granting 6000 year leases to their tenants. Lords of the Manor in Rathmell were the Catteralls who owned approx 2/3 and the Carrs and Nowell families who owned approx 1/3 between them. The Catteralls’ seat was at Hollin Hall and then at New Hall. Cappleside was first the seat of the Carrs and then, in the period being discussed, the seat of the Nowells’.

In 1615 a dispute arose between John Catterall and William Nowell regarding land at Cockett (possibly modern day Swawbeck, thinks Mr Roberts) where each family owned a portion of the land, but the boundary was unclear. When Catterall decided to remove his tenant and farm the land himself, Nowell entered the land with armed men and put his own cattle on the land. Catterall retaliated by removing the cattle and beating up Nowell’s servant who was there. This sparked violent episodes on both of their parts for about a year, ending when Nowell personally attacked one of Catterall’s servants after challenging him to fight, beating him and cutting his hand such that it bled copiously. This resulted in a court action in 1616 where Nowell was fined £20. He then bought Cockett from Catterall who had presumably had enough aggravation, for £35.

The fortunes of the Nowells’ fared well for the rest of the century and most of the 1700’s. The last of the Nowells, one Charles, was having financial problems . He married an innkeeper’s daughter from London, and was visiting relatives at Corfe Castle in Dorset when he fell ill and died. She was so worried about the creditors that she buried him under a false name in Dorset. This caused great legal problems for the Executors who had to prove him dead before they could dispose of the properties! Eventually, Cappleside was sold to the Geldard family in the early 1800’s, who are still there today in 2010.                  Julia Weston

The Rathmell Tutor at College Fold, Rathmell

Richard Frankland M.A. 1630-1698 by Vanessa Stone