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| 1938 Bentley map showing Rostholme |
A Lost Hamlet Of Bentley
Look at any modern street map of Bentley (except Google Maps*) and you will probably notice the word 'Rostholme' lying north of the town centre, off the A19 Askern Road to Toll Bar.
Rostholme today exists in name only; it used to exist as a place separate to Bentley, but gradually became swallowed up by 20th century housing developments, losing its identity and becoming part of the larger township of Bentley. In this article we take a look at the early history of Rostholme and the people who lived there.
*Google Maps show the word 'Rostholme' over the hamlet of Stockbridge, near Arksey, which is incorrect.
Contents
- Rostholme The Elusive!
- What Was Rostholme?
- The 'Rostholme Place Name
- Putting Rostholme On The Map
- Yew Tree Farm
- Residents Of Rostholme
- Parish Registers
- Census Returns
- The Electoral Registers
- Big Changes In Rostholme
- Rostholme For Family Historians
- Parish Registers
- Baptisms
- Burials
- Family Groups
- Census Returns
- Electoral Registers
- The Atkinson-Jowetts Of Rostholme
Rostholme The Elusive!
It wasn't until I started researching Rostholme that I discovered it wasn't going to be easy to uncover its history. First of all, there appear to be no photographs of the place, no mentions in any historical texts that I have access to, and I even hit a brick wall researching the origins of the place name.
Rostholme was quickly becoming a bit of an enigma and I even doubted I could put an article of any sort together. However, with a bit of perseverance and acceptance to be happy with whatever I could find, I did manage to dig up enough to at least satisfy any family history researchers who might have had ancestors living there, plus a little to keep those with local history interests informed.
What Was Rostholme?
I ask this question because, although it seems obvious that Rostholme was a place, it is not listed among the usual hamlets which surround Bentley and Arksey, for example; Almholme, Shaftholme, Tilts etc. You can easily find information on those hamlets in most local history books and online, but Rostholme is different. It could be described as a farm complex; certainly, farming seemed to be the chief occupation when examining the census returns, but there were cottages too, which suggests it was a hamlet, so just why it was left out of any historical documentary is puzzling.
The 'Rostholme' Place Name
Quite a few of the hamlets in the old parish of Bentley-with-Arksey end in the term holme; this is a Scandinavian word meaning 'an island of dry land surrounded by marshy land'. It's not surprising the word was used in many of our place names given the frequency of flooding in that part of north Doncaster. Just where the word Rost comes from is much harder to pin down. The nearest approximation to the use of the word I could find, comes from the Scottish Roust, meaning a tide, or strong current. But while this does relate to water I'm not convinced that this is the correct context for that word.
Of course I have not yet mentioned the many variants I found for the name of 'Rostholme'. These variants are peppered all over the parish registers, census returns and electoral registers. Unlike many other place names, there doesn't seem to have been any natural development from one variant to another, they seem to follow a pattern of 'whoever was writing the record decided how to spell the place name'.
The variants I found include the following:
- Wrostall
- Rosthole
- Wrost Hole
- Wrosthole
- Wrostholme
- Rostall
- Rostholme
Putting Rostholme On The Map
With a lack of any photographic evidence, the best way to get a sense of what Rostholme was like is to study old Ordnance Survey maps. Even that poses a problem though, as Rostholme is continually cut in half by lying on the very edge of two or more map sheets.
The best example I could find of a joined map is the 1888 map (below). Note the place name spelling is the version beginning with a 'W', although Rostholme House to the right doesn't have that.
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| 1888 |
A wider view (below) shows Rostholme in relation to Bentley, lying to the south.
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| Wider view of 1888 map above |
While the 1888 map shows the buildings of Rostholme in reasonable detail, there is a slightly better one dating from 1854, where the name 'Rostall' is used. The only problem with it is the fact that it's over two map sheets again. My attempt to join them on computer had limited success, but I feel it is important to show the map as the properties are so well defined. Here is the joined map with enlarged versions of each half underneath.
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| Rostholme (Rostall) from two map sheets joined together, 1854 |
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| Western side of Rostholme 1854 |
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| Eastern side of Rostholme 1854 |
As can be seen from the above maps, properties existed on both sides of the main road. There appears to be two large farms on the west side of the road, one of them being Yew Tree Farm, the last property to be demolished and well-remembered by many local people. The eastern side of the road appears to consist of smaller properties such as cottages and small holdings, some of which appear to be missing on the later 1888 map.
What both the 1854 and 1888 maps show is the isolated position Rostholme used to occupy. There are very few properties occupying the road from Bentley to Rostholme which very much gives it the appearance of a hamlet.
Yew Tree Farm
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| Yew Tree Farm at Brookside, Rostholme (unknown date) |
As mentioned earlier, Yew Tree Farm is well remembered among many local residents. Occupying the corner of Askern Road by the top end of Bentley Park, it survived well into the 1970's.
The word 'Brookside' on the above photo is interesting in that it doesn't occur in any other records or photos. Whether the person labelling the photo didn't know the name of the farm, or if it was just a name used locally I have no idea. Of course there is a 'brook' to the side of the farmhouse, and that is the mill stream, or dike, as shown on the maps (above), so the word 'Brookside' may just refer to that.
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| Another view of Yew Tree Farm (unknown date) |
Despite my best efforts, finding records for Yew Tree Farm proved impossible. It was just not named on census records at all. Local people recall a farmer by the name of Jack Nicholson who was probably the last person to occupy the farm. He worked the farm with his son Bob, and locals recall Jack driving his herd of cows along Askern Road to Toll Bar for grazing each day.
Another photo of Yew Tree Farm is probably the closest we will ever get to seeing any of the properties in Rostholme.
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| Yew Tree Farm (unknown date) |
Off to the right of this photo you can just make out more buildings. These will have belonged to the next farm and gives a good indication of what Rostholme must have looked like in terms of building style. A cropped section of the above photo shows those buildings in better detail (below).
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| A rare glimpse of Rostholme (unknown date) |
An interesting photo taken of the paddling pool in Bentley Park (below), possibly in the 1920's shows a side view of Yew Tree Farm and the somewhat dilapidated state of the outbuildings.
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| Yew Tree Farm buildings behind the paddling pool at Bentley Park |
Yew Tree Farm was eventually pulled down and a medical centre was built in its place.
Residents Of Rostholme
Parish Registers
Just how long people had been living in the vicinity of Rostholme was one question I wanted to answer. For that I had to check the parish registers, and although I can't put a definitive date on when people began to inhabit that piece of land, it seems people have lived there for a very long time indeed.
As with all the records I looked at, the parish registers don't give you every detail you would like to know, some vicars included place names in their records, others didn't. I could only go on the ones that did mention Rostholme, and the earliest of those dated from 1585.
That first entry from September the 5th 1585 is a burial and is written in Latin, which made translating it interesting. To the best of my knowledge, this is what it says.
That first entry from September the 5th 1585 is a burial and is written in Latin, which made translating it interesting. To the best of my knowledge, this is what it says.
"Two daughters who were burnt at Wrostall whose names are Alice Savage and Ann Seeresbye, daughters of John Savage."
Here is an image of the actual entry in case anyone can translate it better than me.
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| Arksey Parish Registers for Burials, 1585 |
With the name 'Savage' to go on, I was able to track down what I think is Alice Savage's baptism record. An entry for December the 5th 1584 says that Alice Savage, daughter of George Savage was baptised that day. Could John and George Savage be the same person? Mistakes were often made in parish registers, but without further entries to examine it's impossible to say. There were no further records for the Savage family.
Note: To assist anyone researching their Rostholme ancestors I have added a list of all parish register entries which mention Rostholme at the end of this article.
Census Returns
With published parish registers ending in 1837 when civil registration was introduced, the next set of records lies with the census returns. Taken every ten years, the census records details of every household in the country on a certain date. Beginning in 1841, we can currently search for records right up to and including the 1911 returns.
Generally, the census returns for Rostholme were included with the old part of Bentley, but finding certain locations was again challenging when the enumerator just lumped everywhere under the heading of 'Bentley'. This was the case with the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1891 censuses, whereas others did include the name 'Rostholme'.
There were roughly twelve properties in Rostholme and some names were repeated on multiple returns, so in some cases it was possible to track some names back to those earlier censuses where Rostholme as a place wasn't recorded.
Note: To assist anyone researching their Rostholme ancestors I have added a list of all census surname entries at the end of this article. The list also includes the occupations of the residents.
Generally, the census returns for Rostholme were included with the old part of Bentley, but finding certain locations was again challenging when the enumerator just lumped everywhere under the heading of 'Bentley'. This was the case with the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1891 censuses, whereas others did include the name 'Rostholme'.
There were roughly twelve properties in Rostholme and some names were repeated on multiple returns, so in some cases it was possible to track some names back to those earlier censuses where Rostholme as a place wasn't recorded.
Note: To assist anyone researching their Rostholme ancestors I have added a list of all census surname entries at the end of this article. The list also includes the occupations of the residents.
The Electoral Registers
Another good resource when looking up people who lived in an area are the electoral registers. Ancestry have these records available from 1841 to 1962. The electoral registers are particularly useful for looking up 20th century electors, especially after 1911 when the census records run out (the 1921 census records should be released in 2021).
I took two examples of electoral register records for Rostholme, one from 1914, just before the area was demolished, and one from 1962, the most modern available for the new streets of Rostholme, these can be found at the end of this article.
Big Changes In Rostholme
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| The Rostholme area today (via Google Earth) |
The year 1914 saw the end of rural Rostholme. It was the last time it was listed as a separate place, 'Wrostall', on the electoral registers. The following year new street names appeared and the population of the area increased significantly.
Since Bentley Colliery opened in 1908 there had been an explosion in house building. New Village was the largest scheme, but extra housing was appearing all over Bentley, Arksey, Scawthorpe and Toll Bar too. Old, dilapidated cottages and farm buildings were swept away in favour of rows of brick terraced houses, and that is what appears to have happened with Rostholme.
In 1915 three new streets were built on the west side of Askern Road, where farm buildings had once stood, these streets were named:
- Denby Street
- Huntington Street
- Swann (later Swan) Street
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| Rostholme in 1938 |
Yew Tree Farm, as mentioned earlier, lasted the longest and wasn't pulled down until the 1970's, when it was replaced with a health centre.
Later on more streets would be added to Rostholme, along with allotments too.
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| Rostholme 1966 |
What is interesting to note is that after rebuilding commenced, Rostholme became confined to the western side of Askern Road, while all the cottages that were on the eastern side, were knocked down and taken over by the New Village scheme.
Like many mining communities Bentley had its own working men's club. Probably built at the same time as the other housing was being developed, its position on Askern Road, opposite the entrance to Denby Street, led to it being named 'Rostholme Working Men's Club'. It would later be renamed 'The Londesborough Social Club.
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| Londesborough Social Club |
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| The old Rostholme Club inscription, taken just before demolition. Photo courtesy of Keith Wilburn |
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| Londesborough Anglers League and Percy Wright is presented with a trophy. Photo courtesy of Bill Wright |
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| Londesborough Club Christmas party 1951. Photo courtesy of Chris Peace |
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| Londesborough Club Committee, unknown date Photo courtesy of Howard Staff |
So, that concludes our look at the hidden history of Rostholme. A place that doesn't reveal much about its past, but the clues are there if you know where to look for them.
Please read on for parish records, censuses and electoral registers.
I went through the entire published parish registers and collected every entry to mention Rostholme (or its variant spelling). The vicar did not always include the place name, so if your ancestor isn't mentioned and you know they lived there, this is probably the reason why.
In some cases it was possible to find other family members for those which mention Rostholme, so towards the end of this section I have put a couple of family groups together according to their records.
Note: Rostholme is written is in its many variant spellings throughout these records, I include those versions as they appear in the books. Surnames are in bold type. All baptisms, marriages and burials were conducted at Arksey All Saints church, unless otherwise specified.
Please read on for parish records, censuses and electoral registers.
Rostholme For Family Historians
This section is aimed at those researching their family histories who had ancestors living in Rostholme.
During my research into the area I gathered together quite a lot of information on local individuals and families in order to get an overview of the place and the people who lived there, so rather than let all that hard work go to waste, I thought it might be of interest to other researchers, or just those who would like information on the population of Rostholme.
Parish Registers
Arksey parish registers also cover Bentley, Rostholme, and many other satellite hamlets in the area. They were begun in 1557 and the published version ends in 1837 when civil registration was introduced. After 1837 births, marriages and deaths can all be searched via national databases online.I went through the entire published parish registers and collected every entry to mention Rostholme (or its variant spelling). The vicar did not always include the place name, so if your ancestor isn't mentioned and you know they lived there, this is probably the reason why.
In some cases it was possible to find other family members for those which mention Rostholme, so towards the end of this section I have put a couple of family groups together according to their records.
Note: Rostholme is written is in its many variant spellings throughout these records, I include those versions as they appear in the books. Surnames are in bold type. All baptisms, marriages and burials were conducted at Arksey All Saints church, unless otherwise specified.
Baptisms
1712 - Sep 10 - (from Latin)
Sarah, daughter of William Robinson of Wrostall in Bentley.1771 - Dec 12 -
William, son of Thomas Bolton of Rosthole, labourer.1774 - Mar 7 -
Samuel, son of Jonathan Wrigley, Rosthole, labourer.1774 - Nov 24 -
Ann, daughter of Thomas Bolton, Rosthole, labourer.1774 - Dec 7 -
John, son of John Machine of Rosthole, labourer.1776 - May 27 -
John, son of John Kaye of Rosthole, labourer.1777 - Mar 28 -
Hannah, daughter of Jonathan Wrigley, Rosthole, labourer.1777 - Apr 29 -
Robert, son of Thomas Bolton of Rosthole, labourer.1777 - Aug 5 -
George, son of Rebeccah Walker, Rosthole, base born.1777 - Dec 29 -
Mary, daughter of Abraham Manatte, Rosthole. farmer.1778 - Feb 18 -
Hannah, daughter of John Kaye, Rosthole, Labourer.1778 - Mar 23 -
William, son of Joshua Strafford, Bentley, Rosthole, labourer.1778 - Dec 7 -
John, son of William Hall of Rosthole, farmer.1779 - Dec 5 -
Mary, daughter of Thomas Bolton of Rosthole, labourer.1780 - Feb 10 -
Thomas, son of William Hall of Rosthole, farmer.1780 - Feb 21 -
Thomas, son of James Swift of Rosthole, labourer.1780 - Jul 2 -
William, son of John Kaye, Rosthole, labourer.1780 - Nov 14 -
Elizabeth, daughter of John Heaton, Rosthole, horse breaker.1781 - Jun 4 -
William, son of William Hall of Rosthole, farmer.1782 - Mar 31 -
Richard, son of Thomas Bolton, labourer, Rosthole.1782 - Jul 16 -
Sarah, daughter of John Kay[e], labourer, Rosthole.1785 - Mar 30 -
Thomas, illegitimate son of Judith Child, poor of Wrostholme.1785 - Nov 1 -
Edith, daughter of James Swift, labourer of Wrostholme.1786 - Jan 3 -
Thomas, son of Thomas Walker, blacksmith of Wrostholme.1786 - Oct 15 -
Elizabeth, daughter of John Kay[e], labourer of Wrostholme.1786 - Oct 16 -
Mary, daughter of William Hall, farmer of Wrostholme.1786 - Oct 22 -
Martha & Mary (twins) daughters of William Pogmore, labourer of Wrosthole.1787 - Apr 6 -
Mary-Ann, daughter of John Heaton, horse breaker of Wrostholme.1788 - Feb 11 -
Mary, daughter of John Burton, labourer of Wrosthole.1809 - Apr 9 -
James, 3x son of James Swift, labourer of Wrostholme and Jane (Clark), born Apr 8th.1809 - Sep 16 -
John, 1st son of James Wood, labourer of Wrostholme, and Mary (Tyass), born Sep 14th.1811 - Jan 1 -
Elizabeth, 1st daughter of John Aldam, loabourer of Wrostholme, and Sarah (Butterfield), born Nov 27th 1810.1813 - Aug 5 -
William, son of Richard and Mary Gest, labourer of Wrosthole.1817 - Jun 8 -
Ann, daughter of Robert and Hannah Scales, cordwainer of Wrostholme.
Burials
1585 - Sep 25 - (from Latin)
Two daughters who were burnt at Wrostall whose names are Alice Savage and Ann Seeresbye, daughters of John Savage.1587 - Dec 14 - (from Latin)
Wife's sister of William Brigge of Wrostall.1767 - Jun 1 -
George, son of John Kaye of Rosthole.1776 - Sep 3 -
Samuel, son of Jonathan Wrigley of Rosthole, labourer.1779 - Dec 17 -
Jonathan Wrigley of Rosthole, labourer.1784 - Mar 21 -
Elizabeth, daughter of George Reed, soldier, Wrosthole.1784 - Aug 3 -
Mary, wife of John Dickinson, labourer, Wrosthole.1785 - Apr 18 -
Thomas, spurious son of Judith Child, spinster, poor of Wrosthole.1785 - Dec 16 -
Ann, wife of William Wells, labourer of Wrosthole.1786 - Apr 22 -
John, son of Abraham Mannatte, farmer of Wrosthole.1787 - Jan 13 -
Mary, daughter of William Pogmore, labourer of Wrosthole.1787 - May 19 -
Sarah, daughter of John Kay[e], labourer of Wrosthole, poor.1809 - May 3 -
James, son of James Swift, labourer of Wrost Hole, 3 weeks, buried churchyard [Arksey].
Family Groups
From the entries above it was possible to find more entries for certain families that didn't contain the place name 'Rostholme'. I include an example of two families who lived in Rostholme in the 1700's.
Bolton Family
The father of this family was Thomas Bolton, but no mention of his marriage or wife's name was found. Entries for six children were found in the parish registers, they are as follows -
Baptisms
1768 - Oct 3 -
Thomas, son of Thomas Bolton of Bentley, labourer.1771 - Dec 12 -
William, son of Thomas Bolton of Rosthole, labourer.1774 - Nov 24 -
Ann, daughter of Thomas Bolton, Rosthole, labourer.1777 - Apr 29 -
Robert, son of Thomas Bolton of Rosthole, labourer.1779 - Dec 5 -
Mary, daughter of Thomas Bolton of Rosthole, labourer.1782 - Mar 31 -
Richard, son of Thomas Bolton, labourer, Rosthole.
One burial was also found for the eldest son, Thomas.
1797 - Nov 21 -
Thomas, son of Thomas Bolton of Bentley, labourer, buried in the Churchyard, age 29 years, an inflammation of his bowels.
Swift Family
Records were found for James Swift and his wife Jane, and their (possible) nine children.
Marriage
1768 - Aug 13 -
James Swift, servant of the parish and Jane Roebuck, of the parish.
Baptisms
1771 - Jul 3 -
John, son of James Swift of Bentley, labourer.1773 - Sep 26 -
Thomas, son of James Swift, Bentley labourer.1776 - May 31 -
James, son of James Swift of Bentley, labourer.1779 - Jan 24 -
Mary, daughter of James Swift of Bentley, labourer.1780 - Feb 21 -
Thomas, son of James Swift of Rosthole, labourer.1781 - Jul 16 -
William, son of James Swift of Bentley, labourer.1784 - Jun 13 -
George, son of James Swift, labourer, Bentley.1785 - Nov 1 -
Edith, daughter of James Swift, labourer of Wrostholme.
Burials were found for two of James's children with a possible third; although a baptism record could not be found for the Sarah Swift below.
1773 - Dec 15 -
Sarah, daughter of James Swift of Bentley, labourer.1780 - Jan 14 -
Mary, daughter of James Swift of Bentley, labourer. [age 1 year].1785 - Jan 30 -
William, son of James Swift, labourer, Bentley. [age 3 years].
A further burial record shows when the father, James Swift himself was buried.
1824 - Dec 28 -
James Swift of Bentley, age 75 years.
I also found records for James's son James (b 1776). He married Jane Clark on the 24th of November 1801 at Adwick le Street. They had six children. I won't include all the records here, but please contact me if you require further details.
Census Returns
As mentioned earlier, the 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1891 censuses do not specify entries from Rostholme. So, going on the evidence of repeated names from later censuses, and some guess work, I have put together a list of those most likely to have lived in Rostholme. Please note though, these three lists may not be 100% accurate.
Information includes, the name of the head of each household, age and marital status (S = single, UM = Unmarried, M = married, W = Widowed) and occupation, plus any additional identifying details. Details appear in the following order:
Surname and initial > Age > Marital status > Occupation.
Entries are listed in the order they appear on the census forms, except for 1911, which is in alphabetical order.
A glossary of some occupational terms appears at the end.
1841 - Bentley
Stocks, Wm > 40 > M > Ag Lab
Hodgson, G > 30 > M > Bricklayer
Addy, J > 30 > M > Farmer
Broughton, T > 35 > M > Farmer
Broughton, R > 27 > M > Farmer
Fisher, T > 30 > M > Farmer
Watts, J > 50 > M > Farmer
Pogmore, W > 30 > M > Butcher
1851 - Bentley
Smith, J > 56 > W > Ag Lab
Skelton, J > 41 > M > Farmer
Wood, J > 67 > W > Ag Lab
Scales, G > 84 > M > Ag Lab
Hall, H > 28 > M > Farmer
Auty, T > 50 > M > Ag Lab
Pogmore, W > 40 > M > Butcher
Guest, E > 94 > W > Ag Lab widow (female)
Harrison, E > 77 > W > Farmer (female)
Booth, J > 37 > M > Farmer
Wrigley, J > 42 > M > Blacksmith, master
Ledger, B > 27 > M > Farmer
Robinson, J > 60 > M > Ag Lab
Duckett, T > 24 > M > Ag Lab
1861 - Bentley
Stocks, J > 85 > W > Ag Lab
Stocks, Wm > 41 > M > Ag Lab
Skelton, J > 52 > M > Farmer
Strong, Wm > 75 > M > Road Lab
Parsonson, J > 34 > M > Accountant
Stocks, R > 44 > M > Ag Lab
Jackson, J > 35 > M > Ag Lab
Pogmore, G > 28 > M > Ag Lab
Booth, J > 49 > M > Farmer
Brown, H > 31 > M > Police Constable
Smith, J > 33 > M > Wheelwright
Cockin, T > 64 > M > Retired Farmer
Hall, H > 38 > M > Farmer
Spurr, J > 44 > M > Farmer
1871 - Wrostholme
Strong, M > 89 > W > No Occupation (female)
Strong, H > 47 > M > Carrier
Spurr, J > 53 > M > Butcher and Farmer
Duckett, T > 43 > M > Farmer
Yates, J > 37 > M > Seedsman and Malster
Machin, C > 30 > M > Ag Lab
Crowcroft, M > 26 > M > Ag Lab
Pogmore, G > 38 > M > Ag Lab
Marston, T > 50 > M > Gamekeeper
Waddington, C > 40 > M > Railway Works Fitter
Boothroyd, S > 66 > W > No Occupation (female)
Cockin, G > 72 > UM > Retired Farmer
1881 - Rostholme
Wood, G > 37 > M > General Lab
Wood, J > 69 > W > Annuitant
Stocks, Wm > 62 > M > Ag Lab
Tomlinson, G > 45 > M > Ag Lab
Stocks, J > 32 > M > (illegible) Lab
Broughton, R > 69 > M > Hitcher
Hodgson T, > 63 > W > Farmer
Strong, J > 57 > W > Laundress (female)
Strong, G > 28 > M > Gen Lab
Farr, R > 57 > M > Ironmonger and Farmer
Burton, J > 75 > W > Washer Woman
Stanley, J > 20 > UM > Ag Lab
Oldfield, J > 33 > M > Farm Bailiff
Marston, T > 59 > M > Farm Keeper
Bennett, A > 38 > M > Brick Maker
Frunn, W > 66 > M > Ag Lab
Smith, W > 49 > M > Ag Lab
Woodward, J > 45 > M > Carpenter
Denby, W > 54 > M > Farmer
Spurr, J > 63 > M > Farmer
1891 - Bentley
Lister, F > 36 > M > Lending Agent
Wagstaff, F > 28 > M > Farm Lab
Jowitt, S* > 20 > S > Farmer
Cottam, H > 56 > M > Living on own means
Longley, A > 22 > S > Dressmaker (female)
Oldfield, R > 47 > M > Farm Lab
Stocks, J > 50 > M > Farm Lab
Womack, C > 32 > M > Gen Lab
Tomlinson, G > 55 > M > Brick Maker Lab
Stocks, Wm > 72 > W > Ag Lab
Stocks, W > 33 > M > Ag Lab
Oldfield, J > 44 > M > Ag Lab
Wood, G > 46 > M > Gen Lab
Smith, W > 59 > M > Farm Lab
Patchett, A > 26 > M > Farm Serv
Spurr, J > 45 > S > Farmer
Robinson, G > 50 > M > Post Office Pension
Wakefield, G > 52 > Commission Agent
* See added information on S Jowitt below.
1901 - Rostholme
Lister, F > 46 > M > Hay and Straw Dealer
Spurr, C > 76 > W > Farmer (female)
Denby, F > 27 > M > Farmer
Cottam, H > 67 > M > Retired Farmer
Oldfield, J > 52 > M > Ag Lab
Oldfield, R > 58 > M > Farm Lab
Benson, Wm > 38 > M > Milk Dealer
Womack, C > 41 > M > Gas Stoker
Mumby, Wm > 49 > M > Horseman on Farm
Coult, J > 29 > M > Ag Horse Carter on Farm
Duke, G > 45 > M > Poultry Dealer
Jowitt, F* > 41 > W > Living on own means (Rostholme Lodge)
* See added information on F Jowitt below.
1911 - Wrostholme
Boyer, Wm > 48 > M > Pensioner, formerly Platelayer Railway
Clarkson, E > 33 > M > Joiner (Rostholme Cottage)
Clive, R > 33 > S > Colliery Manager (Rostholme Lodge)
Denby, F > 38 > M > Farmer
Frost, F > 44 > M > Slater, General Repairs (Oldfield's Cottages)
Gunn, H > 30 > M > Miner
Hewison, G > 37 > M > Clergyman (Rostholme House)
Long, A > 24 > M > Railway Signalman
Lumb, J > 34 > M > Herbal Brewer
Mumby, Wm > 33 > M > Colliery Lab
Oldfield, R > 32 > M > No Occupation (wife was a greengrocer)
Wilson, E > 54 > M > Haulage Contractor
Woffenden, E > 46 > W > General Cleaning (female) (Oldfield's Cottages)
1871 - Wrostholme
Strong, M > 89 > W > No Occupation (female)
Strong, H > 47 > M > Carrier
Spurr, J > 53 > M > Butcher and Farmer
Duckett, T > 43 > M > Farmer
Yates, J > 37 > M > Seedsman and Malster
Machin, C > 30 > M > Ag Lab
Crowcroft, M > 26 > M > Ag Lab
Pogmore, G > 38 > M > Ag Lab
Marston, T > 50 > M > Gamekeeper
Waddington, C > 40 > M > Railway Works Fitter
Boothroyd, S > 66 > W > No Occupation (female)
Cockin, G > 72 > UM > Retired Farmer
1881 - Rostholme
Wood, G > 37 > M > General Lab
Wood, J > 69 > W > Annuitant
Stocks, Wm > 62 > M > Ag Lab
Tomlinson, G > 45 > M > Ag Lab
Stocks, J > 32 > M > (illegible) Lab
Broughton, R > 69 > M > Hitcher
Hodgson T, > 63 > W > Farmer
Strong, J > 57 > W > Laundress (female)
Strong, G > 28 > M > Gen Lab
Farr, R > 57 > M > Ironmonger and Farmer
Burton, J > 75 > W > Washer Woman
Stanley, J > 20 > UM > Ag Lab
Oldfield, J > 33 > M > Farm Bailiff
Marston, T > 59 > M > Farm Keeper
Bennett, A > 38 > M > Brick Maker
Frunn, W > 66 > M > Ag Lab
Smith, W > 49 > M > Ag Lab
Woodward, J > 45 > M > Carpenter
Denby, W > 54 > M > Farmer
Spurr, J > 63 > M > Farmer
1891 - Bentley
Lister, F > 36 > M > Lending Agent
Wagstaff, F > 28 > M > Farm Lab
Jowitt, S* > 20 > S > Farmer
Cottam, H > 56 > M > Living on own means
Longley, A > 22 > S > Dressmaker (female)
Oldfield, R > 47 > M > Farm Lab
Stocks, J > 50 > M > Farm Lab
Womack, C > 32 > M > Gen Lab
Tomlinson, G > 55 > M > Brick Maker Lab
Stocks, Wm > 72 > W > Ag Lab
Stocks, W > 33 > M > Ag Lab
Oldfield, J > 44 > M > Ag Lab
Wood, G > 46 > M > Gen Lab
Smith, W > 59 > M > Farm Lab
Patchett, A > 26 > M > Farm Serv
Spurr, J > 45 > S > Farmer
Robinson, G > 50 > M > Post Office Pension
Wakefield, G > 52 > Commission Agent
* See added information on S Jowitt below.
1901 - Rostholme
Lister, F > 46 > M > Hay and Straw Dealer
Spurr, C > 76 > W > Farmer (female)
Denby, F > 27 > M > Farmer
Cottam, H > 67 > M > Retired Farmer
Oldfield, J > 52 > M > Ag Lab
Oldfield, R > 58 > M > Farm Lab
Benson, Wm > 38 > M > Milk Dealer
Womack, C > 41 > M > Gas Stoker
Mumby, Wm > 49 > M > Horseman on Farm
Coult, J > 29 > M > Ag Horse Carter on Farm
Duke, G > 45 > M > Poultry Dealer
Jowitt, F* > 41 > W > Living on own means (Rostholme Lodge)
* See added information on F Jowitt below.
1911 - Wrostholme
Boyer, Wm > 48 > M > Pensioner, formerly Platelayer Railway
Clarkson, E > 33 > M > Joiner (Rostholme Cottage)
Clive, R > 33 > S > Colliery Manager (Rostholme Lodge)
Denby, F > 38 > M > Farmer
Frost, F > 44 > M > Slater, General Repairs (Oldfield's Cottages)
Gunn, H > 30 > M > Miner
Hewison, G > 37 > M > Clergyman (Rostholme House)
Long, A > 24 > M > Railway Signalman
Lumb, J > 34 > M > Herbal Brewer
Mumby, Wm > 33 > M > Colliery Lab
Oldfield, R > 32 > M > No Occupation (wife was a greengrocer)
Wilson, E > 54 > M > Haulage Contractor
Woffenden, E > 46 > W > General Cleaning (female) (Oldfield's Cottages)
Glossary of Occupation Terms
Ag Lab - Agricultural Labourer (also General Labourer)
Annuitant - Receiver of an annuity (like a pension)
Carrier - A driver of horse drawn vehicles
Commission Agent - Salesman whose income is from commission
Farm Bailiff - Oversaw tenant farmers
Hitcher - Usually used in mining, putting wagons into cages
Malster (or Maltster) - Brewer, made or sold malts
Platelayer - Laid and maintained railway tracks
Seedsman - Sower or dealer in seeds
Slater - Roofer
Electoral Registers
The following is an A - Z list of 'occupation electors' for 1914. These are men who occupied properties in Rostholme. Women were not eligible to vote at this time. 1914 was the final year of 'old' Rostholme before it was demolished.
1914 - Wrostall
Andrews, William
Ball, Arthur
Beardsmore, Francis (11 Wrostall)
Burnham, Matthew
Clarkson, Edward M
Clive, Robert (Wrostall Lodge)
Flinders, William (10 Wrostall)
Gunn, Herbert
Hemington, William (7 Wrostall)
Hewitt, William
Langton, Samuel T (8 Wrostall)
Lumb, John Francis
Machin, Harry
Martin, Frederick
Mumby, William
Pollard, William
Roberts, Thomas
Shooter, Joseph
Smedley, William
Swindell, Harry
Tomlinson, Harry
Tong, Albert Edward
Wilson, Frederick
The following are the actual images of the electoral records (obtained via Ancestry) for 1962. These records cover 'new' Rostholme, and include the streets - Denby Street, George Street, Huntington Street and Swann Street.
Please note, some of the house numbers have been caught in the fold of the page as it was scanned and are not visible, this is beyond my control.
Denby Street 1962
George Street 1962
Huntington Street 1962
Swann Street 1962
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The Atkinson-Jowetts Of Rostholme
Included in the census records of 1891 and 1901 for Rostholme is the name 'Jowitt'. In this addition to the Rostholme article we take a look at this family using information sent in by John Wrightson, who is descended from the Atkinson-Jowett family.
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| Rostholme House, home of the Atkinson-Jowetts |
The Atkinson-Jowetts were a farming family who originated in Manningham, Bradford and owned the Clockhouse Estate. The 'S' Jowitt from the 1891 census was Samuel Atkinson-Jowett (1870 - 1909), one of twin sons born to Nathan and Mary Ann Atkinson-Jowett. The elder twin John, inherited the Clockhouse Estate, while Samuel came to live at Rostholme House/Lodge. Presumably this was one of the farms in the family estate and Samuel came to work the farm from around the age of eighteen.
Samuel married Bertha Hairsine in 1895 and they had one daughter, Doris in 1897. Samuel was only at Rostholme for around three years, as later in 1891 he moved to a larger farm, Oldcotes Manor in Nottinghamshire where he became a Justice of the Peace among his other accolades.
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| Samuel Atkinson-Jowett |
Samuel wasn't the only member of the Atkinson-Jowetts to live in Rostholme. His widowed father Nathan (1840 - 1899) moved into the house vacated by son Samuel in 1891. He moved in with his three unmarried daughters and his housekeeper Fanny Thornton, whom he married in 1893. They had a son, James later that year.
Of the three daughters of Nathan, the eldest, Mary Ann married in Bolton in 1894. The next daughter, Alice Elizabeth married local man Frederick John Denby (who appears in the 1901 and 1911 census returns for Rostholme) in 1895.
The youngest daughter, Sarah Emily married Rev. Albert Philip Gower-Rees, who was curate at Doncaster Parish church, in 1911. They went to live in Bradford until 1927 when Albert was appointed Archdeacon of Montreal and they emigrated to Canada.
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| Wedding of Sarah Emily Atkinson-Jowett and Rev. A. P. Gower Rees in 1911 |
Following the death of Nathan in 1899, Fanny, who had a daughter previous to her marriage to Nathan, continued to live in Rostholme with he step daughter Sarah and son James until 1910. Fanny's daughter, Eliza Annie (1878 - 1967) was brought up by her parents in Castleford, so it is unlikely she ever lived at Rostholme.
Eliza married David Wrightson in 1898 and the photo below shows Fanny Atkinson-Jowett with her children Eliza Annie Wrightson, James Atkinson-Jowett (aged seven) and her grandson John Thornton Wrightson (aged six weeks), taken in 1900.
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| Fanny Atkinson-Jowett, her children and Grandson in 1900 |
After Fanny left Rostholme House in 1910, her step-daughter Alice and her husband, Frederick Denby moved in. Fanny first moved to Doncaster, then to Caton (near Lancaster) and finally to Drighlington (where she had been born in 1859). In a touch of remembrance, she named her house in Drighlington 'Rostholme'. Fanny died in 1929.
James Atkinson-Jowett, son of Nathan and Fanny was killed at the Somme in 1916 and is commemorated on the plaque in St Peter's Church, Bentley.
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| WW1 Memorial Plaque in St Peter's Church, Bentley |
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| ATKINSON-JOWETT - J - LIEUT |
Many thanks to John Wrightson
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For further information on any of the records shown here, please contact me via the contact box, or email at arkvillhistory@yahoo.co.uk
Alison Vainlo
First written 2019, updated 19 Aug 2019, further updated 2020.
First written 2019, updated 19 Aug 2019, further updated 2020.
