Brotton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Guide to its History including its associations with the Farndale family

 

 

 

  

Home Page

The Farndale Directory

Farndale Themes

Farndale History

Particular branches of the family tree

Other Information

General Sir Martin Farndale KCB

Links

 

Introduction

 

Dates are in red.

Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.

Headlines of the history of Brotton are in brown.

References and citations are in turquoise.

Contextual history is in purple.

 

 

This webpage about Brotton has the following section headings:

 

·         The Farndales of Brotton

·         Brotton, an overview

·         Brotton Timeline

·         Buildings of Brotton

·         People of Brotton

·         Links

·         Texts and Books

·         Brotton Old Churchyard – the Farndale gravestones

 

 

The Farndales of Brotton

 

There are three lines of Farndales associated with Brotton:

 

The Brotton 1 Line were the descendants of Richard ffarndaill (1650 to 1727) who married Martha Sawer and who was a Yeoman of Brotton and the first mention of Brotton in the Farndale ancestry.

The Brotton 2 Line were the descendants of George Farndale (13 May 1753 to 19 November 1782) who married Mary Stephenson and was the butcher of Brotton.

The Brotton 3 Line were the descendants of John Farndale (27 October 1772 to 5 July 1833).

Many other Farndales were associated with Brotton, which lies in the heart of Farndale country. And many Farndales are buried at the Brotton old cemetery.

Its proximity to Kilton means that the many Farndales who lived at Kilton saw Brotton as the local town.

Click here for the first mention of Brotton in the family records.

 

Brotton, an overview

 

In 1923, the parish of Brotton, situated on the sea coast of Cleveland, included the townships of Brotton, Kilton and Skinningrove and the hamlet of Carlin How. It covered 4,262 acres, of which 1,183 acres were arable land, 294 acres woods and plantations, and 1,720 acres permanent grass. The chief crops were wheat, beans, barley and oats. The soil was a strong clay with a subsoil of inferior oolite in Brotton and Kilton. The highest point in the area was at 500 ft.

 

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1857 Map of Brotton

 

In the latter half of the nineteenth century the importance of Brotton was greatly increased by the development of the mining industry. Between 1861 and 1871 several ironstone mines were opened in the parish. In 1874 there were five mines at work in the parish:

 

·         Brotton mines to the north-west of the village;

·         Kilton mines further south in Kilton;

·         Cliff and Huntcliff mines near the coast in Skinningrove, northwest of the village

·         Craggs Hall mines, disused by 1923, south-west of Skinningrove.

·         Lumpsey mine, in the northern part of Kilton near the railway, was opened in 1880.

 

By 1923, there was a special railway line for the mines in Kilton, and several public buildings had been opened in connexion with the miners, such as the Miners' Hospital at Skinningrove, built by Messrs. Pease & Co. of the Loftus mines in 1871, and an institute in Skinningrove opened in 1875.

 

By 1923, Brotton was a large village built on the western slope of the hill. The High Street, which runs east and west, was then a continuation of the road from Loftus.

 

·         In the centre of the village were the new church of St. Margaret; the rectory and schools.

·         The public elementary school in Brotton was built by Messrs. Bell Brothers, Morrison & Co. and the lessors of the royalties of ironstone in Brotton, and was enlarged in 1895.

·         To the southeast of the village is the old church of St. Margaret, then serving as a mortuary chapel.

·         The Wesleyan Methodist chapel, built before 1855, lies towards the eastern end of the village.

·         There were Primitive Methodist and United Methodist chapels and a Salvation Army meeting room.

·         The Roman Catholic church, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, was built in 1906.

 

Brotton Hall, near the centre of the village, was the manor-house. Hunley Hall lay about a quarter of a mile to the north.

 

The Cleveland Cottage Hospital, built by Messrs. Bell Brothers in 1874, is at the eastern extremity of the village.

 

There was a railway station to the south-west of the church, on the Saltburn and Whitby branch of the North Eastern railway.

 

Below the station and due west of the church lay Brotton Grange. Further north and on the eastern side of the line was New Brotton, consisting of a few cottages built about 1868. There was another railway station at Skinningrove. The railway ran through Carlin How (Carlinghow in the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries), and a mining hamlet east of Brotton.

 

(Victoria County History – Yorkshire, A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2 The wapentake of Langbaurgh (east): Brotton, 1923)

 

In 2023 Brotton is a village in the parish of Skelton and Brotton in North Yorkshire. The local council is Redcar and Cleveland. It is about 4km south-east of Saltburn-by-the-Sea, and 19km  east of Middlesbrough and 23km north-west of Whitby.

 

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The name of the village (known in medieval times as 'Broctune') means, "town on the brow of a hill", and is listed in the Domesday Book. The hill is Warsett Hill. The large Huntcliffe was the site of one of the many Roman signal stations built along the east coast to defend against Anglo-Saxon attack. The name has evolved from Bro(c)tune 1086, Brocton 1272, Brotton from 1181. The old English is broc-tun.

 

In the twenty first century Brotton became a bit more isolated when a bypass was opened in 1998 between the villages of Skelton-in-Cleveland and Carlin How.

 

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The discovery of ironstone brought major changes to the village and a large increase in the population. The majority of former miners' homes are found in the 'Brickyard' and 'the Park' areas of the village.

 

Brotton village is divided into two parts: 'Top End' (the area east of the railway line) and 'Bottom End' (the area to the west).

 

Brotton Anglican church is dedicated to St Margaret. Today the village contains a parade of shops on High Street, and its public houses include The Crown, The Ship, The Green Tree and The Queen's Arms.

 

In 2023 Brotton has two primary schools, Badger Hill Primary School and St Peters Church of England school. There is also a school for children with learning difficulties, Kilton Thorpe. The village secondary school, Freebrough Academy, has been rebuilt.

 

The sculptor Charles Robinson Sykes (1875-1950), was born in the village. He designed the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot which is used on Rolls-Royce cars.

 

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Brotton Timeline

 

2,300 BCE

 

The Howe Hill Barrow at Brotton, a mile or so from Skelton, probably dates from about 2,300 BCE. It contained a hollowed out oak tree, which held the remains of a man.

 

Saxon England

 

Before the Norman Conquest, Ucted was the chief landholder in Brotton. Uctred held a 'manor' of 12 carucates in Brotton (Victoria County History – Yorkshire, A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2 The wapentake of Langbaurgh (east): Brotton, 1923).

 

1066

 

The Domesday Book recorded: “In Broctune (Brotton), 12 carucates for geld, and 6 ploughs can be (there). Uctred had 1 manor there. Now Richard has (it) of the Count. On the demesne (there is) 1 plough, and (there are) 8 villeins with 4 ploughs. 12 acres of meadow (are) there. The whole manor (has) 1 and a half leagues in length and 1 in breadth. T.R.E. it was worth 20s.; now (it is worth) 13s. 4d.To this manor belongs soc in Mersc (Marske) of 10 carucates for geld, and 5 ploughs to plough (them). 1 villein is there, ploughing with 2 oxen; and 10 acres of meadow.”

 

1086

 

By 1086 the manor had passed to the Count of Mortain, and his tenant was Richard, referred to in the Domesday Book (Victoria County History – Yorkshire, A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2 The wapentake of Langbaurgh (east): Brotton, 1923).

 

Early Landowners

 

During the reign of Henry I Brotton became part of the extensive estates of Robert de Brus, Lord of Skelton.

 

1272

 

In 1272 the manor of Brotton passed to the Thweng family of Kilton Castle. In the division among the heirs of Peter de Brus in 1272 it passed to Lucy wife of Marmaduke de Thweng of Kilton Castle (Victoria County History – Yorkshire, A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2 The wapentake of Langbaurgh (east): Brotton, 1923).

 

1301

 

The Lay Subsidy of 1301, showed that for the purposes of this government tax Brotton was lumped together with Skinningrove and it’s not possible to tell which taxpayers lived in Brotton and which in its smaller neighbour. 34 taxpayers were listed. These were mostly heads of families who had movable property of sufficient value to qualify for paying tax. Historians reckon that these names represent only about a third or a quarter of the heads of families, so medieval Brotton must have been quite a sizeable village. The highest tax was paid by William Latimer, the lord of the manor, at more than 24 shillings. The total for the two villages was just over 73 shillings.

 

Late fifteenth century to sixteenth century

 

The manor must have been conveyed to the Conyers of Hornby in the late fifteenth century and by the sixteenth century it was in the hands of the Conyers family (Victoria County History – Yorkshire, A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 2 The wapentake of Langbaurgh (east): Brotton, 1923).

 

Seventeenth century ownership

 

In 1641 Conyers Darcy the elder, with his son Conyers and others, conveyed the manor to William Wiggoner, who in 1655 made a conveyance of half the manor to Nicholas Wiggoner. In 1687 Robert Wiggoner held this estate, and in 1697 Timothy Wiggoner, probably his son, and others conveyed it to John Burdett. Its later history remains obscure, though it may be this part of the manor which in 1787 was held by William Jackson and his wife Mary, whose descendants, the Misses Jackson, are landowners here at the present day.

 

1653    

 

Parish registers date from this year.

 

1673

 

From the returns of the Hearth Tax of 1673 it appears that Brotton was a sizeable village in the late 17th century. There were 40 single hearth properties and 9 properties with 2 hearths. Only one property, that of “Mr Fra Seaton” had 4 hearths. The returns record that a further 19 single-hearth homes were assessed as below the tax threshold (“The Hearth Tax List for the North Riding of Yorkshire, Michaelmas 1673, Ripon Historical Society (2011)).

 

1678

 

A letter dated from Whitby, 15th November 1678 (the Calendar of State Papers): “To-day came some Newcastle men hither, who report that Tuesday last part of Tynemouth Castle was intended to have been blown up by powder, that 5 of the contrivers are taken endeavouring to carry on the train, that a ballast man had several barrels of powder and arms found hid and was fled, that 40 horsemen armed were heard and seen to march through Skelton and Brotton 16 miles to the northward of this (town) in the dead of night. On these reports and apprehensions this town has set a watch to guard our shipping and town, 8 masters of ships each night.” This was after the English Civil War and the Protectorate and well into the reign of Charles II.

 

1778    

 

The medieval chapel of St. Margaret was rebuilt.

 

Late eighteenth century

 

Smuggling was rife at Old Saltburn in the late eighteenth century and John Farndale wrote: Since the merry days alluded to the glory of Old Saltburn has departed – its smuggling days have passed away – its gin vaults have disappeared – and the gay roysterers who were wont to make Cat Neb and the adjacent rocks resound with laughter, now rest in peace beneath the green hillocks in the retired grave yards of Brotton and Skelton.

 

1801

 

The Census of 1801 recorded a population of 373 in Brotton.

 

1815

 

There was a celebration of the Battle of Waterloo, in which John Farndale (FAR00217) took a major role. “After the great battle of Waterloo, and Buonaparte had been taken prisoner, that glorious event was celebrated at Brotton by parading his effigy through the street and burning it before Mr R Stephenson’s hall, amidst the rejoicings of high and low, rich and poor, who drank and danced to the late hour. The author formed one of a band of musicians that played on the occasion, and he composed a song commemorating the event, which became very popular in that part of the country. Brotton bever before or since saw the like of that memorable day.”

 

I am grateful to Dr Tony Nicholson who has explained that the hall was built by the Stephenson family in the 1780s after they had made a fortune as woodmongers, trading in timber as a fuel source, and then when timber became scarce, in coal. With the money from this trade, Robert bought a third of the manor of Brotton, and then built ‘Stephenson’s Hall’.

 

Regarding John Farndale’s account of the wild celebrations at Brotton after the battle of Waterloo, Tony elaborated that the old gentleman, Robert Stevenson, provided barrels of ale and a band of musicians (headed by John Farndale), who then sang and danced till dawn.

 

When Robert Stevenson died in 1825, everything went to his daughter, Mary, who had previously married Thomas Hutchinson, a master mariner from Guisborough. Mary and Thomas settled in Stephenson’s Hall which soon became Brotton Hall and over the years they bought various properties in Brotton.

 

In The History of Kilton, With a Sketch of the Neighbouring Villages, By the Returned Emigrant, Dedicated to the Rev William Jolley, Toronto, Canada, America, Middlesbrough, Burnett & Hood, “Exchange” Printing Offices, 1870, Redcar Cleveland Library Book No: R000040114 Classification: 942.854, Book No: R000040114, John Farndale wrote:

 

The church has been greatly improved, new slated roof and a most radical change in the interior; the old pews and pulpit are all gone, and from the walls Our Fathers’ prayer; the Belief; the ten commandments, in the xx chapter of Exodus, saying “I am the Lord thy God which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; thou shalt have none other gods before me.” Had I not seen those well known tablets of young Squire Easterby, of Skinngrove Hall, and Wm Tulley , Esy of Kilton Hall, on beautiful white marble, I should have been at a loss to have known the old church again. I looked at the place where the old pulpit stood, and I remembered the ministers that once preached Jesus and the resurrection, among them my old master, the Rev Wm Barrick, of Lofthouse, - he would descend from the pulpit and join in the chorus of some twenty voices, 57 years gone, when I had the happiness to be their chieftain. The parishioners had … most gladly … and paraded down the mid street at the celebration of the great battle of Waterloo, and burned before Mr Stephenson’s Hall, when barrels of ale were given to the frantic multitudes, and the old gentlemen danced and sang until day break, and here we find young Farndale, once dangling at the mouth of the well, with his bugle and clarionet, the chief musician to the old gentleman, and who had also composed the following lines for the occasion

Hail! Ye victorious heroes,

England’s dauntless saviours, ye

Who on the plains of Waterloo,

Won that glorious victory.

 

It was a day the world may say,

When Napoleon boldly stood,

Upon the plains of the Waterloo,

There flowed rivulets of blood.

 

Before the foe he bravely fought,

And when he’d all but won the day,

Would it were night, or Blucher up,

Our hero Wellington did say.

 

But now behold in effigy,

Him to whom kings such homage paid,

Napoleon mounted on a mule

As though he were on grand parade,

Behold with joy all England sings, Brotton too is up and gay,

The band, the flag, the ball, the dance

Ne’er ceased till the break of day.

 

1822

 

The Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire by Thomas Langdale of 1822 described Brotton, in the parish of Skelton, east division of the wapentake and liberty of Langbaraugh; 6 miles from Guisborough, 14 from Stokesley, 15 from Whitby, population 373.

 

1840

 

White’s Directory of 1840 listed 2 shopkeepers, 2 butchers, 2 tailors, 3 shoemakers, 3 blacksmiths, a wheelwright, a painter, a miller and 10 farmers. It also named the Green Tree and the Ship.

 

1851

 

The Census of 1851 recorded a population of 321 in Brotton.

 

1855    

 

A Wesleyan chapel had opened in Brotton.

 

1857    

 

Cliff ironstone mine at Huntcliff opened. It closed after thirty years.

 

1865    

 

Brotton ironstone mine, known locally as ‘Morrison’s mine’, was opened.

 

1868    

 

Brotton was made a separate parish from Skelton parish.

 

1871    

 

The Primitive Methodist schoolroom and chapel were opened.

 

Of about this time, John Farndale wrote: Brotton in this ramble is a retired village, with a very neat church, pleasantly situated, from the church yard of which there is a lovely prospect of the vale of Guisbro’ and the fine bay of Skinningrove. There is a valuable communion service in silver and gold in this church, presented by one of the Tulleys, and two or three fine marble tablets decorate the walls. Tindale, the sexton here, an obliging person, is ever ready to show any visitor the interior.

 

He also recorded that the local clergy of Brotton were R Jackson and R Stephenhouse, Esqrs.: chapel of ease, Rev J Perrington – 2 miles.

 

1872    

 

Huntcliff ironstone mine opened, not far from Cliff mine.

 

1874    

 

Cleveland Cottage Hospital was built by Bell Brothers. It became known as Brotton Cottage Hospital. Martins Bank opened a branch in Brotton.

 

1875    

 

Railway passenger services from Brotton began.

 

1876    

 

A brass band contest was held in Brotton.

 

1880    

 

Lumpsey ironstone mine, just south of Brotton, began production.

 

1892    

 

St. Margaret of Antioch, the parish church of Brotton, was consecrated.

 

1895

 

Brotton

 

Brotton in about 1895

 

1897

 

  Brotton High Street ca 1900

 

Brotton High Street in about 1897

 

1898

 

The F.A. Amateur Cup semi-final between Middlesbrough and Thornaby was played at Brotton because of the smallpox epidemic in Middlesbrough.

 

1899    

 

Brotton finished fourth in the Northern Football League Division Two.

 

1901

 

The Census of 1901 recorded a population of 3,323 in Brotton.

 

Two passenger trains collided near Brotton station.

 

1906    

 

St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic church was opened.

 

Huntcliff mine was closed.

 

1908    

 

Brotton Temperance Brass Band won the British Brass Band Association competition.

 

1909    

 

The Wesleyan Church was dedicated.

 

1914    

 

The Palace cinema and the Hippodrome cinema were opened.

 

During the First World War Lumpsey Mine had a rail-mounted artillery piece to defend the mine against Zeppelin attack.

 

Kelly’s Directory of 1914 evidenced that Brotton was bustling, with 10 grocers, 9 shopkeepers, 2 greengrocers, 5 butchers, 5 drapers, 3 tailors, 4 shoemakers, a chemist, a newsagent, a tobacconist, a watchmaker, a fancy goods dealer, 2 hairdressers, 2 blacksmiths and 2 joiners. In addition there were 3 beer retailers as well as the Green Tree, the Ship, the Royal Hotel and the Queen’s Arms.

 

1916    

 

Zeppelin airships made bombing raids along the coast.

 

1921    

 

Production ended at Brotton ironstone mine.

 

1923    

 

The Brotton War Memorial was unveiled.

 

1932    

 

The Hippodrome cinema was destroyed by fire.

 

1954    

 

Lumpsey ironstone mine was closed.

 

Brotton County Modern School was opened.

 

1960    

 

Brotton station was closed for passengers.

 

1962    

 

The official opening of Brotton County Modern School, which became Warsett School.

 

1966    

 

The first Skelton and Brotton District Carnival was held.

 

1978    

 

Brotton Conservation Area was created.

 

1985    

 

Kiltondale home was opened. It was demolished in 2011.

 

1993    

 

The shale tips at Lumpsey mine were flattened.

 

1995    

 

A new hospital was built to replace the old cottage hospital which was converted into homes.

 

1998    

 

A new road between Skelton and Carlin How bypassed Brotton.

 

2001    

 

Warsett School, Brotton, De Brus School, Skelton and Rosecroft School in Loftus were amalgamated to form Freebrough College in Brotton.

 

2006    

 

Brotton Library was moved to Freebrough College.

 

2011

 

The Census of 2011 recorded a population of 7,000 for Brotton Ward.

 

 

 

 

 

Buildings of Brotton

 

Selected Buildings

 

Brotton Hall (c.1780)

 

Brotton House (early 19th century)

 

Hunley House (c.1870)

 

Brotton station (1875)

 

St. Margaret’s Church (1891)

 

St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church (1907)

 

Cleveland Cottage Hospital (1874)

 

The Guibal Fanhouse at Huntcliffe Mine (1872)

 

East Cleveland Primary Care Hospital (1995)

 

Ivy Cottage (17th century) demolished in 1936.

 

St. Margaret’s old church (18th century) no longer exists

 

Brotton Grange (c.1865) on Coach Road no longer exists

 

St. Peter’s mortuary chapel (1778) demolished in 1958.

 

The Cleveland Hall (c.1870) demolished in 1984.

 

The Hippodrome (1914) destroyed by fire in 1934.

 

Warsett School (1962) demolished after a fire in 2005.

 

 

People of Brotton

 

Charles Robinson Sykes (18 December 1875 to 6 June 1950) was a sculptor from Brotton who designed the Spirit of Ecstasy mascot for Rolls-Royce cars. He was born in Brotton. Sykes was commissioned by Lord Montagu to make a special mascot for his 1909 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost. Sykes produced a small statue of a young woman in fluttering robes with a forefinger to her lips. It was named "The Whisper".

 

Piercy Henderson "Dolly" Morrison (30 July 1868 to 12 July 1936) was an English rugby union three-quarter who played club rugby for Northern and Cambridge University and played international rugby for England in the 1890s. He was born in Brotton to Robert Morrison, a mine owner from Newcastle upon Tyne.

 

Mary Jarred (9 October 1899 to 12 December 1993) was an English opera singer of the mid-twentieth century. She was born in Brotton. She sang at Convent Garden through most of the 1930s and at Glyndebourne in the 1950s.

 

John Ronald Murray (born 1924) was a merchant seaman from Brotton who took part in the D-Day Landings in 1944.  For his bravery there he was awarded the Legion d’Honneur.

 

Derek McLean (born 21 December 1932) was a footballer from Brotton who played for Middlesbrough in the 1955-56 season and for Hartlepool United. He played alongside the future international players Brian Clough, Alan Peacock and Edwin Holliday.

 

David (“Dave”) William Charlton (27 October 1936 – 24 February 2013) was a racing driver. He was born in Brotton but moved to South Africa where he became the country’s leading formula one racing car driver in the 1970s. He participated in 13 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 1 January 1965. He scored no championship points. He competed in many non-World Championship Formula One races, winning the South African Formula One Championship six times in succession from 1970 to 1975.

 

 

 

Links

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/brottonhistoryphotos/

Cleveland & Teeside Local History Society entry on Brotton.

 

Texts and Books

 

A Guide to Saltburn-by-the-Sea and the Surrounding District” J. Farndale (1864)

 

East Cleveland Photographic MemoriesR.Darnton (2010)

 

Know Your Parish: BrottonM.Wall, C.F.H.S. Journal vol.3 no. 7 (1987)

 

 

Brotton Old Churchyard

 

The Farndale gravestones in Old Brotton cemetery in 2016:

 

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