History
View the Magna Carta online
Roche Abbey
Wickersley, 1854
Wickersley, 1901
Bramley Grange, 1901
Flanderwell 1901
Moat Farm, 1901
Pinchmill, 1901
Quarryfields, 1901
Slacks Farm, 1901
Hellaby Hall, 1901
Wickersley, 1971
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According to Domesday Book the names Wic and Wike meant a Farm or a Group of huts. Ley and Lea meant a clearing.
A Dictionary of English Place-Names states Wicresleia 1086 (Domesday Book). Woodland clearing of a man called Víkarr Old Scandinavian . personal name plus Old English
Estan (Aestan) was a Saxon who held land in Wickersley in the time of Edward the Confessor.
Roger de Busli who was born in Normandy and took his name from the town of Bully-en-Brai near Dieppe in Normandy- the first Norman lord of the Honour of Tickhill which included Hellaby, Maltby, Wickersley, Laughton, Greasbrough and Kimberworth. He died in 1098; his son Richard was joint founder of the Abbey of Roche along with Richard Fitzturgis, who, it is recorded, made a gift of land to the Cistercians for the foundation of Roche Abbey. He also held land in Wickersley. From the The foundation charters of Roche 30 July 1147
Read this book Memoirs Illustrative of the History and Antiquities of the County and City ...
Wickersley has been referred to by the names of Wykeslae, Wikreslae, Wickesly, Wicresi, Wicreslea , Wilgesie, Wickersleslia.
Radulphus de Wilgesie and Beatrice, his wife, gave to the canons of Worksop Priory, one bovate of land in Wickersley.
John Ledes was Chaplain of the manor of Wickersley in 1438
Wickersley, situated on a broad plateau three miles east of Rotherham, lay at the eastern edge of the coalfield.
The village gave it's name to the Wickersley rock which underlies a large part of the area. This hard brown sandstone was used to construct buildings locally, but became more widely used as grindstones for the cutlery industry, based in Sheffield.
The quarries to the south of the village and to the north-west were the sites of a once thriving industry in an otherwise agricultural area. The grindstones apart from being used locally were also transported to foreign countries. 5000 grindstones of various sizes from 1 to 6 foot in diameter, were sent each year by land carriage to Sheffield.
In 1848 there were ten quarries providing employment for 100 men.
The main road through Wickersley and Bramley had previously been part of an important export route from Sheffield to its nearest river port at Bawtry, this was until the River Don was improved to Tinsley in 1751. The road was authorised to become a turnpike in 1760.
Bramley Grange, situated on Lidgett Lane Bramley, was a fish farm. In the late 1700's, It was owned by William Spencer and Margaret his wife, the only daughter and heir of Henry Eyre , late of Bramley.Read More »
A dwellinghouse called Bramley Hall, Bramley with buildings and land, formerly in the possession of Henry Eyre and then was in the possession of William Spencer and Christopher Radley. Later sometime before 1809 John Fullerton was owner. More »
Slacks Farm totalling 73 acres, comprised 16 closes known as Kingsforth, Slacks and Whinney Holes fields, they were formerly in the occupation of Francis Snidal, Thomas Turner, Henry Revell, Henry Downes and Henry Yates. Read more »
Moat Farm It has been suggested that a brook near the Moat farm south of Wickersley village marks the spot where Constantino and others began their flight in connection with the Battle of Brunanburh. Read more »
Quarryfields, situated between Hollins Lane and Nether Moor Lane. Pinchfield House was situated here. It is noted there were Alms houses for the old and infirm situated on Quarryfield Lane.
Wickersley Hall, also referred to as 'The Old Hall' where Dr. and Mrs. Holt Yates resided for a number of years.
There is also reference to Wickersley Hall and the name of Copeland. It would seem that Mr. Copeland converted his cottages, Copeland Cottages ? , and renamed them Wickersley Hall .
Henry Tomlinson lived at Wickersley Grange in May, 1877
Wickersley Social Club: Stage coaches stopped by on their travels. It was described as a farm owned by Mrs. Styring, and known as 'The Needless'; at some stage it ceased to be an Inn, and continued as a farmhouse until many years later when it was converted into a social club once again.
To the east of this region the area lies over magnesian limestone. This was used at Hellaby, Carr and Hooton Levitt.
Hellaby Hall, built in the late 17th century, had an unusual Dutch-style gable frontage reminiscent of the eastern counties. The history of Hellaby can be traced back over 1,000 years, as the estate is recorded in the Domesday Book. The present Hall was built in 1692 by a Ralph Fretwell, who made his money as the owner of sugar plantations in Barbados.
Braithwell parish registers record that his 2nd daughter Morafe was baptised on 14th February 1690 at the house of Mr. Eyre in Bramley as Hellaby Hall was not yet finished. Fretwell died in 1701
Samuel Clarke farmed at Hellaby Hall in 1807 and was still there in 1824, John Clarke farmed at Hellaby Hall in 1840, until at least 1848.
A failed hotel venture meant the Hall was closed for a few years until it reopened in 1995.Behind the original Dutch Colonial frontage, many features have been retained or restored .
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