At the time of
The Norman conquest Great Harwood was an area of moor, marsh,
clearings and cultivated land with many springs and small streams
running down the hillside and it was near these streams that the
first farms were built. The area formed part of the holdings of
the de Lacy family but in 1177 it was bequeathed to Richard de
Fitton. |
|
In
1289 the holding was split and passed, through marriage, to the
Hesketh, de Legh and Nowell families but the de Leghs sold their
part to the Heskeths so that they owned the Upper Town (Overton)
and the manor house and demesne land of
Martholme, two thirds of the town, and the Nowells owned the Lower
Town (Netherton). Great Harwood remained in the hands of these
two families for nearly five hundred years.
Disputes between the two families over land resulted in a judgment "Given at the Chapel of Harwode
Friday next after St. Luke the Evangelist in the eighth year of
the reign of Edward III after the Conquest" (25th. October 1335). This is the first record of a church in
Great Harwood.
Another dispute in 1490 resulted in Thomas Hesketh being allowed " a way through John Nowell's
land called the Park, on horseback or on foot".
This "right of way" became Park Lane. |
For
his services in Scotland King Edward III granted a charter for
a Market
and Fair to Adam Nowell, Lord of the Manor of Netherton, Great
Harwood in 1338. The market is still a weekly event but the last
fair was held in 1931 until revived by the Great Harwood Civic
Society in 1973. |
|
The
Heskeths and Nowells owned all of Great Harwood, the land, the
wood, the minerals and all
corn had to be ground at the Heskeths' mill, Mill Lane still exists
and was the way to Martholme mill.
The inhabitants of the town had a share of the "town fields" in
both the Upper and Lower town, grazing rights on Harwood moor
and enough wood for everyday needs in
return they worked the Manor lands and paid tithes to the Lord
of the Manor and to the Church. Town Field House, Church Street, is a reminder of the original
use of the land and the deeds for St. John's Church show it was
built on part of the "town field" of the lower town. |
Though
an isolated community Great Harwood was still affected by changes
which took place in the 1300s. Around the middle of the 14th century
England was struck by the Black Death and although there is nothing
to show that the town was infected the resultant shortage of labour
affected the way manors were run throughout England. People wanted
more
freedom,
and were able to demand it, to farm their own land, which began
to be leased although non was sold in the town, and the farmers
became tenants rather than serfs.
Great Harwood was still, however, a small rural community. The
Poll Tax of 1379 levied on every person over 14 years of age,
man and wife counting as one, showed only 29 people in the town
were due to pay. The resultant Peasants Revolt caused the tax
to be repealed. |
|
The
manor house, Martholme, rebuilt in 1577 during the reign of
Queen Elizabeth I.
|
 |
|
Justice
was dispensed at the gate house on the right of the picture.
|
|
Over the years clusters
of houses were built in what is now the town centre, Hindle Fold, Lower
Fold, Cliffe, Stopes, Butts, Lidgett and Whalley Banks. Farming,
as always, could be precarious crops failed for various reasons and
people turned more and more to their weaving as a way of making a living.
This was originally the production of woollen cloth, an industry in
which the whole family played a part, however the majority of the inhabitants
still considered themselves farmers, first and foremost. |