Royd Pitts, nr Netherton or Thornhill, Yorkshire

[shelleyite]

Hi
Maybe just a matter of interest, if you are still interested, but recently I came across the whereabouts of a Pitt Royd only 3.5 miles from Thornhill Parish Church! On researching the history of a farm in Kirkheaton, my G Grandfather purchased in early 1900's, I came across, by accident, the place name 'Pitt Royd'. At Kirklees Archives in Huddersfield I viewed a large and amazing map of 1720, which belonged to the Whitley Beaumont Estate, a beautifully illustrated map. Within the 1st minute I spotted it and it is located (I think, as its difficult to orientate and pick out the trackways adjacent to the site) near Liley Lane 1/2 way between Kirkheaton and Grange Moor. I have attached two images, one of the map and a document giving the acreage. The farm I have been researching there is a dwelling indicating a farm drawn on the map, but regarding Pitt Royd there is no indication of a building within the field boundaries, so may not be the Pitt Royd associated with William Hey unfortunately. Take care.

[DominoD]

Hi,
Not sure if you worked out your Pitt Royd puzzle but I've just discovered an ancestor of mine - Richard Taylor - was the father of your Elizabeth Taylor who married William Hey at Thornhill around 1735. Richard was baptised in Thornhill around 1686 and died in 1742. His burial record states he was buried in Thornhill but died at Pitt Royd. This would presumably have been at Netherton and not the other one you were considering as there are also other family links to Netherton, near Thornhill. Hope this helps if you still need it. Take care.

[dobfarm]

Hi All,

I've been looking at  the shelleyite map to the location of Pitt Royd to the old Whitley Beaumont Hall and Liley (Lily) lane that is now the B6118 to Grange Moor from Bradley (Bog Green Lane) Huddersfield. The old Whitley Beaumont Hall is now a Quarry (thus Pitt Royd would be part of the Quarry now or near by fields).

Whitey Hall Temple or Black Dick's Tower is about (Beginning of the Whitley Hall Drive where the Tower is located on the hill above the drive) roughly where Pit Royd was.

What is a question - is the reference to Pitt Royd as an abode when it seems to be a farmers field? or an entrance gate to Whitey Beaumont Hall - which could have had an entrance cottage & a entrance estate security officer of some kind. ?

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QeMXfTL4eck

[shelleyite]

Hi Dobfarm
Thanks for your response. I wish to inform you that I have found the location of another Pitt Royd, which is nearer to Thornhill and is looking good for the actual dwelling site for our (possible) ancestors registered in the Thornhill Parish Registers in the 17th/18th centuries. I found it in a newspaper advert   of the 'Wakefield and West Riding Herald 08 August 1856'.
Not possible to pin point it exactly, but its locality is off South Lane/Stocksmoor Lane(or Road now), south of Netherton, which is a little closer to your Pitts Beck.

[shelleyite]

Hi Dobfarm
Just to add to that, not far from your Pits Beck is Whitley Farm. In the 1841 Census for that farm is a  George Hey, 15 years old - cannot make out his occupation. Our GGG is a George Hey, born in Silkstone, 1824, but he is missing from the 1841 census for that area. Could he have moved out of that household to go working as an Agricultural Labourer to the farm above, given our presumed connections with both geographical regions? One problem with that is the age discrepancy - 15 on the 1841 census but he would have been 16 or 17 at that time. Would he have known his actual age given possible illiteracy?

[shelleyite]

Hi DominoD
Thanks for your response. Fascinating we might have a common ancestor! Still trying to find concrete evidence of our links with Thornhill though. Just posted a reply to Dobfarm regarding my recent discovery of another Pitt Royd near Netherton which might be worth a read.

[shelleyite]

Here is a map with an area roughly outlined where Pitt Royd may have been.

[arthurk]

One problem with that is the age discrepancy - 15 on the 1841 census but he would have been 16 or 17 at that time. Would he have known his actual age given possible illiteracy?

Not a problem - for anyone aged over 15 in the 1841 census, the age was supposed to be rounded down to the nearest 5 below; so 16 or 17 should appear as 15, 22 as 20, etc etc.

(Occasionally you find a section with exact ages, and I suspect some might have rounded up rather than down.)

[shelleyite]

Hi Arthurk
Thanks for your response. Interesting they did that but I wonder what time of year they took the census's.