John (“Johnny”, “Old Farndale of Kilton”) Farndale

28 February 1724 (baptised) to 24 January 1807

We might imagined how he might have looked

The Kilton 1 Line

“when you are gone there will never be such another Johnny Farndale”

FAR00143

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“Old Farndale of Kilton”

Farmer, Alum House merchant, Yeoman and Cooper

The Story of Johnny Farndale is told as part of the Farndale Story. This page provides the more detailed research notes.

Headlines of Johnny’s life are in brown.

Dates are in red.

Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.

References and citations are in turquoise.

Context and local history are in purple.

1724

John Farndale was baptised at Brotton on 28 February 1724, the son of John and Elizabeth Farndale (FAR00116)(BMD).

1750

John Farndale married Grace Simpson at Brotton on 16 April 1750. He was 25 and she was 23 when they married.

Grace Simpson was the daughter of John Simpson (1696 to 1782) and Katherine Hogston (born 1705) and she was born in Brotton Parish on 12 May 1727. Her grandparents were Thomas Simpson (born 1662) and Ann Sipling (born 1670), who had married in Brotton themselves on 4 December 1694. Her great grandparents were Thomas and Jose Simpson who had married in Brotton on 8 June 1659.

John Farndale, son of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 24 March 1750 (FAR00167) (Brotton PR).

1753

George Farndale, son of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 13 May 1753 (FAR00170) (Brotton PR).

1755

Hannah Farndale, daughter of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 17 September 1755 (FAR00174) (Brotton PR).

Elizabeth Farndale, daughter of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 17 September 1755 (FAR00175) (Brotton PR).

1758

Sarah Farndale, daughter of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 21 January 1758 (FAR00178) (Brotton PR).

1760

William Farndale, son of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 20 March 1760 (FAR00183) (Brotton PR).

1761

Mary Farndale, daughter of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 26 April 1761 (FAR00185) (Brotton PR).

1764

Grace Farndale, daughter of John and Grace Farndale, was baptised at Brotton on 2 December 1764. (FAR00189) (Brotton PR).

1773

Tithe Records:

John Farndale is shown as tenant of Craggs Farm on the Wharton Estate of 31 acres in 1773 for which he paid rent of £26 (17s an acre).

So this is a further association with Craggs Farm – see also the Craggs Line. His elder brother William Farndale (FAR00130) had been described as a farmer of Craggs when he died in 1789, so perhaps William had taken the original tenancy there, and Johnny had then taken on the tenancy from about 1773.

Extract from A map of an Estate belonging to John Hall Stephenson Esq lying at Skelton and Brotton in Cleveland in the North Riding of the County of York, produced in 1773 after a survey by Watson and Seagrave (Kindly provided by Tees Archaeology)

John became a tenant farmer at Kilton and became known as ‘Old Farndale of Kilton’. It seems likely that his interest continued to be at Crags, then part of the Kilton lands, and in turn part of the Skelton Estate of John Hall Stephenson.

Johnny Farndale’s Alum House in Old Saltburn

In His Grandson’s Booklets, ‘A Guide to Saltburn By The Sea’ John Farndale, his Grandson wrote, My Grandfather, who was a Kiltonian, employed many men at his alum house, and many a merry tale have I heard him tell of smugglers and their daring adventures and hair breadth escapes.

Mill Farm, the site of John Farndale’s alum house Hagg Farm, once Selby Hagg alum quarry The Saltburn Gill which links to quarry to John Farndale’s alum works

Map showing the location of the White House, Saltburn mill, the Ship Inn and the later coastguard station (from 1848 map) Hagg Farm and Alum works (from 1848 map)

The White House, Saltburn

Old Saltburn around Cat Nab, was an eighteenth century fishing village. It became a centre for smugglers. In 1856, there was a hamlet around the Ship Inn, comprising a row of houses where farmers and fishermen lived. The authors Laurence Sterne and John Hall Stevenson raced chariots on the sands at Saltburn, but otherwise it was but a small fishing hamlet (John Farndale, Guide to Saltburn by the Sea and the Surrounding District with remarks on its picturesque scenery, 1864).

Here stands the conic hill, Cat Nab, where formerly many ship loads of contraband goods, of every description, were landed. Round this hill my father used annually to bring thousands of corf rods to ship for the coal pits in the north, where they are not now used. What activity there was then at this place, when a vessel lay on the beach to be loaded with rods, which were brought to the seaside in waggons accompanied by eight or ten men, under the superintendence of my father, William Farndale, well known to John Wharton Esq., who by the sale of these rods received many hundreds of pounds (John Farndale, Guide to Saltburn by the Sea and the Surrounding District with remarks on its picturesque scenery, 1864).

There was a large alum house near Cat Nab. My grandfather, who was a Kiltonian, employed many men at this alum house, and many a merry tale I have heard him tell of smugglers and their daring adventures and hair breadth escapes. The lime kilns and coal yard were kept by old Mr William Cooper, whose sloop, “The Two Brothers”, was continually employed in the coasting trade. Behind the alum house, Thomas Hutchinson, Esq., late of Brotton House, made an easy carriage road from Saltburn to that place, which road will always be a lasting monument to his memory (John Farndale, Guide to Saltburn by the Sea and the Surrounding District with remarks on its picturesque scenery, 1864).

Peter Appleton in his book The Alum Folk, 2023 has concluded that the large house, Mill Farm, that now stands between Cat Nab and the road from Saltburn, would seem to occupy the site of the alum house complex at Old Saltburn. He supports this conclusion with reference to A map of an Estate belonging to John Hall Stephenson Esq lying at Skelton and Brotton in Cleveland in the North Riding of the Coiunty of York, produced in 1773 after a survey by Watson and Seagrave. The map shows the alum quarry at Selby Hagg, with steeping pits and a cistern, at the place now referred to as Haggs Farm on the modern ordnance survey map.

Extract from A map of an Estate belonging to John Hall Stephenson Esq lying at Skelton and Brotton in Cleveland in the North Riding of the Coiunty of York, produced in 1773 after a survey by Watson and Seagrave (Kindly provided by Tees Archaeology)

At the location of modern Mill Farm, the Saltburn Gill met buildings at a place known as Allum House Bank in 1773 and then continued to a large complex of buildings to the east of Saltburn Gill Beck where it turns to join the Skelton Beck.

Mill Farm, the site of Johnny Farndale’s alum works The Saltburn Gill which flows to the sea from Selby Haggs

So this was the site of Johnny Farndale’s alum works.

Alum production started in Cleveland in 1616. Alum works had previously emerged in Constantinople and Spain, under papal ownership and the first alum works in England began to operate on the Isle of Wight in 1567. In 1609 James I promoted alum production and took a monopoly over the industry for the Crown. In 1616 a contract was agreed to build new alum works at Selby Hagg. By the Civil War and the execution of Charles I, the Crown’s support for the industry declined, while alum mines continued to emerge across England. This only flooded the market and reduced profit. Selby Hagg reopened after the civil war in 1680 and alum works at Saltburn continued until 1720.

After a lull, the alum trade briefly picked up again from 1765. The price had by then risen from £10 per ton in 1736 to £24 per ton. John Hall Stephenson reopenmed the alum works at Selby Hagg. By 1771 howevber the price had fallen back to 13s a ton and Selby Hagg closed again in 1776. It was in this decade between 1765 and 1776 that Johnny employed men to work at his Alum House.

The process began at the quarry where shale was recovered by pickaxes and broken into smaller pieces using mauls. It was then piled into large heaps, known as clamps, on a brushwood base. The clamp was then burnt and more shale was added until the heap was about 25 metres high. The burnt shale was then moved to steeping pits in the quarry floor and fresh water leached the soluable salts out of the shale. It was the resulting liquified concentrate that was run along conduits to the alum house.

Alum Houses such as that of Johnny Farndale would then have taken the concentrate through the next part of the process. The excess water content was evaporated off to achive the desired specific gravity (often measured by seeing whether an egg would float in the substance) and alkalis were added. The alkalis caused waste products to deposit as sediment. The remaining liquid was then run off into large casks and crystallised. The crystals were then broken off and rinsed with spring water and then dissolved in boiling water to create a saturated solution. Ammonia was added to help the crystallisaton process. Originally the ammonia was provided by human urine and there was a bouyant trade in the product. Barrels were left in the streets of such places as Guisborough for households to deposit their chamber pots and Thomas Chaloner of Guisborough sold his own urine for 1d per firkin. An alternative to urine was seaweed, which may have been used at Saltburn, althouigh some believed seaweed to be iinferior in its effect. The near final product was then run into very large casks to roach, the end product being saleable crystals.

The close proximity of Johnny’s Alum House to the Old Saltburn shoreline where ships were regularly beached to load up at low tide, meant that the final saleable product could quickly be exported from Johnny’s works. Sloops were beached on the low tide shore to be loaded and then refloated at high tide for export.

Conditions for the alum workers were generally dreadful. Particularly during the quarry phase, the burning heaps gave off clouds of sulphorous smoke. It was sometimes like working on an active volcano. Employees were often not paid for months on end. The alum worked were described as poor snakes, tattered and naked, ready to starve for want of food and clothes.

The primary use of alum was as a mordant to fix dyes in natural fibres such as wool and linen. It was used in dyeing and tanning and also as Epsom salts.

Old Saltburn

Johnny Farndale’s alum works were at the periphery of the small hamlet of Old Satburn which then comprised a row of cottages which extended from the Ship Inn and another row of houses on the seaward side of Cat Nab. There were a few other cottages in the valley of the Saltburn Gill and a water wheel. Theer was another inn, the Nimrod, and another inn, the Seagull, was next to the Ship Inn (and later absorbed into it). The original Ship Inn was just the snug bar at the road end of the current pub. There was yet another inn called the Dolphin and many of the cottages sold gin for 1d per glass. Near to Cat Nab entertainment was provided by regular cockfighting. At the Sunday fair at Old Saltburn, there were tales of geese being dfriven from Brotton after having their feet dipped in hot tar and sand. This was the ‘wild west’ and the locals were out of control!

Along the valley of the Saltburn Beck, was the White House, in which John Andrew would soon have an intreerst. It is said the James Cook used to call at the White House when sailing out of Whitby, on his way to visit his parents at Great Ayton.

Alongside smuggling, legitimate trade was conducted by landing sloops on the shore at hight tide to carry coal and limer. William Cooper’s vessel, the Two Brothers, unloaded coal and lime at high tide, and refloated with cargoes of oak timber, wood for props, and hazel corf rods, which were used to make large baskets for use in the Durham coal trade.

The Smugglers

(Derby Mercury, 29 December 1785)

Accounts from Redcar and Saltburn and several other places on the Yorksdhire coast mention that the smuggling trade was never carried on to so great an extent as at present. The great number of country people that daily attend the coast (and who seem to have no other employ but to convey off goods is almost incredible. The revenue seizures, yet, notwithstanding their vigilence, it does not appear possible to suppress this pernicious trade, unless the Honourable Commissioners of His Majesty;’s Customs please to order a sufficient number of Cutters with experienced commanders to be stationed upon the coast at proper distances. (The Newcastle Chronicle, 23 December 1769, quoted by Chris Scott Wilson, The History of Saltburn, 2021).

When the alum trade at Old Saltburn declined again from 1776, the out of work locals embraced the enterprise of smuggling. Old Saltburn was an inevitable centre for smugglinh. There were two roads which led to Saltburn, which were easily watched, the Brotton coach road and the Skelton road. The ravines of Saltburn Gill, Skelton Beck and Little Dale provided hidden paths for escape and transporting of contraband. The locals were generally related by marriage, and the Farndales were in the heart of this community.

The most popular contraband for the smuggling trade was brandy, which had a customs duty of 6d (or 2 ½ p) per gallon and an excise duty of 4s 8d (23p). Toge4ther this was roughly the equivalent of the weekly wage of a labourer. Duty was also levied on gin (geneva), tobacco, black tea (bohea), coffee, chocoloate, playing cards, linen, Flemish lace, silk, flax, oars and spinning wheels. If a vessel could be fully laden with about 8,000 gallons of spirit, the smugglers could evade duty amounting to about £2,000, or nealy half a million pounds today. (Chris Scott Wilson, The History of Saltburn, 2021)

Nevertheless, smuggling was a high risk enterprise. The crew of a thirty ton sloop on 10 October 1763 went ashore leaving a boy on board the anchored vessel to wait for Tommy Tiplady and Bill Richardson, of Skelton, to help unload. The boy enjoyed some of the spirits aboard, before rowing ashore to visit one of the Saltburn cottages. By the time he rowed back to the sloop, he had trouble finding the vessel. He staggered onto the vessel and the wind picked up, dragging the anchor. He jumped off the ship and the vessel was found grounded on the shore next morning by the Excise men. They found 1,156 gallons of brandy and 340 gallons of gin. After a dispute about whether the load was contraband or the wreck of the sea, the ship’s master, Thomas Dawson, was arrested. (Chris Scott Wilson, The History of Saltburn, 2021)

However the Excise men were not supported by a coastguard service. The Crown’s Riding Officers were a landbased team, sometimes supported by the Dragoons and the Scots Greys, armed with muskets and cutlasses, wearing three cornered hats, red jackets and white breeches. They had a few small boats, but were ill equipped to counter the smugglers.

We know from his grandson that Johnny had many tales of smugglers and their daring adventures and hair breadth escapes. It seems in little doubt that he was at the heart of the enterprise.

A Kirkleatham brewer, Thomas King, was at the heart of the smuggling trade. It was in about 1778 that John Andrew arrived at Old Saltburn and would become the King of Smugglers. Born in about 1760, he was a contemporary of Johnny’s son, Will Farndale, and no doubt Will continued the family inerest in Saltburn smuggling. Indeed Will Farndale’s grandson, Martin Farndale would marry Elizabeth Taylor in 1842, the granddaughter of John Andrew himself. John Andrew’s daughter would later marry Thomas King. John Andrew and Thomas King later invested in theirt own lugger, the Morgan Rattler, commanded by the fearelss Captain Brown.

The smuggler’s road from Loftus to Bilsdale

It was about 1820 when William Garbutt of Loftus Mill first became involved in smuggling. John King, a brewer of Kirkleatham, and John Andrew of the White House at Saltburn, were joint owners of a cutter, the Morgan Rattler, a very fast vessel. She was used to run cargoes of wine, gin, brandy, silk and Flemish lace to various places along the coast from Runswick Bay to Marske.

Some of the cargoes were hidden at Loftus Mill and delivered round Loftus in a miller’s waggon. The rest were carried away by packhorse. The horses used were Cleveland Bays because, if need be, they could cover 100 miles in a day, and so could get from the mill at Loftus to the sign of the Withered Tree at Ladhill Gill under cover of darkness.

The road they travelled was from the mill to Gate House in Danby Dale, a farm opposite the road up to Lumley House, where the farmer, John Garbutt, hid some of the stuff. Then onto Rosedale, where Thomas Garbutt was the landlord of the White Horse. Next over the more to High Mill in Farndale, where the goods were hidden by the Miller, Leonard Hardwick. From Farndale they went along the moor causeway, across Bransdale Moor and Cockayne Ridge to Todd Intake and down by the Black Intake to William Beck in Bilsdale.

From there, deliveries were made to Robert Med at the Shoulder of Mutton Inn, Michael Johnson at the Buck Inn at Chop Gate, and Thomas Medd at the Fox and Hounds at Urra. The rest of the cargo was taken via William Ainsley at Spout House to the sign of the Withered Tree, at this time a drover’s inn, where John Garbutt was landlord. He was the last, last landlord as it soon ceased to be an inn. It was here that the bolts of lace and silk were hidden and later taken to York, to a seamstress who had a shop in Stonegate. It is believed that the wedding trousseau of the bride of the 5th Earl Fitzwilliam was made of some smuggled silk, but who delivered it is not known.

Jack Sample, who was landlord of the Feversham Arms, Helmsley about 1936, was born at Saltburn, where his father was a Coast Guard and his forbears Preventative Men, who knew about these smuggling activities. John Andrew, part owner of the cutter, was caught at Hornsey and spent two years in prison at York Castle, He was a descendant of John Andrew of Kincardine. The last of that family to live in Saltburn was Miss ‘Tipp’ Andrew. None of the other people involved in the smuggling runs were caught, although they were chased by the Riding Officers several times.

I have written this from the account given to me by John Garbutt of Landhill Gill and Robert Garbutt of Seave Green, Chop Gate, who were the grandsons of William Garbutt of Loftus Mill.

Editor's note. The sign of the Withered Tree is the ruined farmstead at Grid Reference SE 555943, marked as Weather House on the ordnance map but still pronounced ‘Witheris’ locally. It stands at or near the old sheep farm named in the 12th century as ‘Widheris’.

(J R Garbutt, The Ryedale Historian, Vol 16, 1992)

If you would like to find Martin Farndale today, you will find his grave at Old Skelton graveyard, about three metres from the grave of John Andrew. Of course we were involved!

1775

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1775………………….£1 2s 0d (Brotton Church Rates)

1776

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1776………………….£1 2s 0d (Brotton Church Rates)

1778

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1778………………….£3 3s 0d (Brotton Church Rates)

1779

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1779………………….£1 11s 0d* (Brotton Church Rates)

John Farndale ran this account and presented it in 1779. In 1784, 1789, 1791, 1792, 1795, 1796, 1797 & 1802 he was one of those approving the account

1780

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1780………………………2s 2d (Brotton Church Rates)

1781

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1781………………….£4 5s 0d (Brotton Church Rates)

1782

In the Land tax Assessments for Kilton the owner of the Wharton Estate is Miss Waugh and it shows John Farndil paying £3 4s 0d in 1782, 83 and 84 and £5 3s 4d in 1785 (Land Tax Returns).

1783

Grace Farndale, wife of John Farndale of Kilton, cooper was buried at Brotton on 5 May 1783. She was aged 56. He gravestone recorded that she died on 5 May 1789. However all the records evidence that she died on 5 May 1783. Her birth records show that she was born in 1727 and the gravestone confirms her age as 56 at the date of her death which supports her lifespan from 1727 to 1783. So for some reason the carving on the gravestone was wrong.

It seems extraordinary that if she died in 1783, her gravestone recorded that she had died in 1789. However her name was added retrospectively to the gravestone after John, who died much later in 1807, so it was actually carved twenty four years after her death, which might explain how a mistake was made.

1784

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1784………………….£6 9s 1d (Brotton Church Rates)

1785

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1785…………………… 4s 10d (Brotton Church Rates)

1786

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1786…….two payments..10s 8d (Brotton Church Rates)

1787

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1787……………………..10s 3d (Brotton Church Rates)

In 1787 he was paid 15s for going to Hutton Buschell

1788

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1788………………………6s 11d (Brotton Church Rates)

1789

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1789………………………3s 9d (Brotton Church Rates)

1790

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1790……………………..18s 5d (Brotton Church Rates)

In his booklet , The History of Kilton’ John Farndale his Grandson wrote

I see in the book recorded and registered in olden time, the names of farmers who once occupied this great farm [at Kilton] – R and W Jolly, M Young, R Mitchell; W Wood, J Harland, T Toas, J Readman, J Farndale (FAR00143), S Farndale [could this be Samuel Farndale, FAR00149?], J and W Farndale [Perhaps the brothers John Farndale FAR00167, and William Farndale, FAR00183], all these tenants once occupied this great farm; now blended into one. I remember what a muster at the Kilton rent days, twice a year, when dinner was provided for a quarter of a hundred tenants, Brotton, Moorsholm, Stanghoe, those paid their rents at Kilton; and were indeed belonging to the Kilton Court, kept here also, and the old matron proudly provided a rich plum pudding and roast beef; and the steward also a jolly punch bowl, for it was a pleasure to him to take the rents at Kilton, the day before Skelton rent day. The steward always called old J Farndale to the vice-chair, he being old, and the oldest tenant. Farndale’s was the most numerous family, and had lived on the estate for many ages. Kilton had many mechanics, and here we had a public house, a meeting house, two lodging houses, and a school house, to learn our ABCs, from which sprang two eminent school masters, who became extremely popular; we had a butcher’s shop, we had a London tailor and is apprentice, and eight other apprentices more; we had a rag merchant and a shop which sold song books, pins, needles, tape and thread; we had five sailors, two soldiers, two missionaries, besides a number of old people, aged 80, 90 and 100 years. But last, not least, Wm Tulley Esq., who took so much interest in the old castle – planted its orchard, bowling green, and made fish ponds, which were fed by a reservoir near the Park House, Kiltonthorpe, Kilton Lodge, together with all these improvements around the castle, which are now no more.

In the history of France, the First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First Empire in 1804 under Napoleon, although the form of the government changed several times. This period was characterized by the fall of the monarchy, the establishment of the National Convention and the Reign of Terror, the Thermidorian Reaction and the founding of the Directory, and, finally, the creation of the Consulate and Napoleon's rise to power.

Then passing down Cattersty Creak, where many a cargo of smuggled goods have been delivered here, is a very choice place. The last I remember in this place is that Tom Webster strangled himself by carrying gin tubs round is neck. Once more I stand on Skinningrove duffy sands, where I have seen it crowded with wood and corf rods for the North by the said Wm and John Farndale. But what crowds of horses, men, and waggons, when the gin ship appeared in view. Our friends had no dealings with those Samaritan gin runners, yet they had great dealings at Skinningrove seaport, both in export and import, as well as supplying the hall of F Easterby Esq., with corn, wheat, oats, beans, butter, cheese, hams, potatoes &c, &c, and once, a year at Christmas – they balanced accounts, over a bottle of Hollands gin, and after eulogising each other, the squire would rise and say, “Johnny, when you are gone, there will never be such another Johnny Farndale”. Here lived the King’s officer, in the high season of gin running, but I knew of few captures; he wished to live and die in peace, and the revenue received little from his services. Near Skinnngrove are the Lofthouse iron mines, Messrs Pearse, lessees. Above is the grand iron bridge standing on twelve massive pillars, 178 feet high, which spans the cavern from the Kilton Estate to Liverton Estate, the first and grandest in all England. Lofthouse, and their long famed alum works, which has been the support of Lofthouse for ages gone, but now discontinued. How well I remember my school days when we faced all weather through Kilton Woods, and how I respected my masters – the Rev Wm Barrick, Mr Wm King, the great navigator, and Captain Napper, steward to the works. The popular Midsummer Lofthouse fair was the only fair we children were allowed to attend.

“Johnny,” said the Squire, balancing the books over a bottle of Holland’s Gin, “When you are gone, there will never be such another Johnny Farndale.”

1791

Johnny Farndale seems to have moved to How Hill Farm also on the Wharton Estate at Kilton on 1791. This was just over 83 acres for which he paid £66 9s 8d in 1791. (Tithe Returns)

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1791…………………..£5 8s 2d (Brotton Church Rates)

1792

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1792…………………..£3 5s 2d (Brotton Church Rates)

1793

 John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1793………………………3s 3d (Brotton Church Rates)

1794

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1794…………………..£3 3s 1d (Brotton Church Rates)

1795

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1795…………………..£3 3s 1d (Brotton Church Rates)

John Farndale, signed the Kilton Accounts for the Disbursement of money to the poor in 1795. He donated £3 7s 0d in 1798; £6 2s 11d in 1800; £11 14s 6d in 1801; £3 3s 4d in 1803; £3 3s 0d in 1804 (Brotton PR).

1796

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1796………………………3s 4d (Brotton Church Rates)

John Farndale, signed the Kilton Overseers Accounts in 1796, 1797, 1798, 1800 and 1802. (He was paid 2s 6d in 1802)

1797

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1797………………………6s 1d (Brotton Church Rates)

1798

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1798………………………3s 4d (Brotton Church Rates)

1799

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1799………………………3s 4d (Brotton Church Rates)

1800

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1800………………………3s 3d (Brotton Church Rates)

1801

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1801………………………? ? (Brotton Church Rates)

Under the terms of the Defence Act of 1801 Parish Constables were required to put in returns showing what could be contributed to help in the defence of the Realm in the event of a French attack. Schedule 1 listed men between 15 and 60 who could fight; Schedule 2 listed equipment and schedule 3 listed those who could help in some other way. John Farndale Senior (FAR00143) of Kilton is listed as being able to provide; 2 oxen; 11 cows; 11 young cattle and colts; 32 sheep and goats; 9 pigs; 1 riding horse; 4 draft horses; 2 wagons; 2 carts; 26 qtrs of wheat; 48 qtrs of oats; 2 qtrs of barley; 10 qtrs of beans and peas; 19 loads of hay; 25 loads of straw; 20 sacks of potatoes. (Brotton PR, Muster Rolls Cleveland).

1802

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1802………………………6s 7d (Brotton Church Rates)

1803

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1803………………………5s 9d (Brotton Church Rates)

1804

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1804 with Will’m Farndale 6s 3d (Brotton Church Rates)

1805

John Farndale, paid Church Rates at Kilton at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1805 with Will’m Farndale 9s 5d. (Brotton Church Rates) This was his last payment.

1807

John Farndale, of Kilton Thorpe was buried in Brotton Old Churchyard on 27 January 1807. He was aged 83. He had lived for 18 years after the death of his wife and outlived four of his eight children.

His Memorial Stands in Old Brotton Churchyard: “Erected to the Memory of John Farndale who died 24th January 1807 aged 83 years. Also Grace his wife who died 3rd May 1789 aged 56 years.”

John Farndale’s gravestone in Brotton (photographs taken by Richard Farndale in 2016):

The Will of John Farndale read:

“In the Name of God Amen. I John Farndale, of Kilton in the County of York, yeoman, being weak in body but of sound disposition, memory and understanding, do this day, the twenty second day of January in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seven, make, publish and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in the manner following.

First, I give and bequeath unto my son John Farndale the sum of Thirteen pounds: also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Grace Francis, the wife of William Francis, the sum of Thirteen pounds: also I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Mary Franklin the sum of Thirteen pounds: and all the above said legacies shall be paid at the end of twelve months next after my decease.

All the rest, residue and remainder of my money, goods, chattels and personal estate whatsoever as I may die possessed of after my just debts and funeral expenses are discharged, I give and bequeath unto my son William Farndale whom I likewise make and appoint my said son William Farndale sole executor of this my Last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have to this Last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.

Signed by John Farndale

Witnesses, William King, Ralph Newbigin

(Brotton PR, Memorial Records, Yorkshire Wills)

John Farndale of Kilton - August 1807, Skelton, Will, (Borthwick Institute, Document reference vol.151, f.465, Index reference 1804011809050097.tif/22, Record set Prerogative & Exchequer Courts Of York Probate Index, 1688-1858).