St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

A little something (aliquantulum) about our area's history...

Eglsehill ... a millennium ago

I suppose the history of Eccleshill begins with the discovery of a prehistoric reptile in a coal pit at High Beck, which has become the property of the Leeds museum? But the earliest written record of civilization in our area is in the Domesday Book (1086), where Egleshill has three carucates (300 acres) of land in the soke (manor) of Wakefield. William the Conqueror owned the manor of Wakefield (from 1066), and freeholders and copyholders from this area came under the jurisdiction of Wakefield, being required to attend annually before the Court Leet there. The bellman and constable were appointed from Wakefield too.

In dividing up the land after the conquest, William granted Wakefield with its nine berewics (dependent manors) to his relative the Earl Warren, who died in 1089. Earl Warren’s son William and his family were Lords of the Manor until 1274, when Ecckleshill (as it was then known) was granted to the Sheffields, who kept it until 1362.

There have been two main lines of thought about why it is called “Eccleshill”, but neither of them is supported by much evidence. On the one hand, some say the place was originally called “Eagles Hill”, as the whole of the hilltop, where the village now stands, was covered with forest from the outskirts of Bradford.* On the other hand, it could be the “hill of the church” (which in Greek is ekklhsia - Ecclesia, from which we get the word ecclesiastical), meaning that the land lay within the parish of Bradford Church (now the Cathedral). A modern consequence of this is that when the post of vicar in St Luke’s Church falls vacant, the person responsible for finding the next incumbent is the minister of Bradford Parish Church - i.e. the Dean (formerly the Provost) of Bradford Cathdral.

The main puzzle here is that while Egleshill was still attached to Earl Warren’s manor, an agreement was reached to compensate Dewsbury Church for the lack of tithes from Egleshill, which in 1349 were worth Ł1-9-3 1/4d. Dewsbury was Earl Warren’s church, but why should that mean Dewsbury deserved compensation? Some claim it was because the folk of Egleshill murdered a cleric, so maybe next month I’ll tell you about it, if no-one writes anything more interesting?**

John Hartley

(Grateful thanks to “Eccleshill in Times Past” by Vera G Taylor for much of this information.)

Notes added later:
* Perhaps the existence of the name "Ravenscliffe" down the hill is evidence that the name came from the presence of eagles on the hill?
** In the event there was too much material for the next magazine, and the article about the murder finally appeared in February 2002!

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. October 2001, Page 8.
Home Page. Index of articles. Local History: index, Eglsehill, Stony Loin. In this issue: (October 2001) Vicar's Letter, CW book, Money, Question, History.	A little something (aliquantulum) about our area's history... Eglsehill ... a millennium ago I suppose the history of Eccleshill begins with the discovery of a prehistoric reptile in a coal pit at High Beck, which has become the property of the Leeds museum? But the earliest written record of civilization in our area is in the Domesday Book (1086), where Egleshill has three carucates (300 acres) of land in the soke (manor) of Wakefield. William the Conqueror owned the manor of Wakefield (from 1066), and freeholders and copyholders from this area came under the jurisdiction of Wakefield, being required to attend annually before the Court Leet there. The bellman and constable were appointed from Wakefield too. In dividing up the land after the conquest, William granted Wakefield with its nine berewics (dependent manors) to his relative the Earl Warren, who died in 1089. Earl Warren’s son William and his family were Lords of the Manor until 1274, when Ecckleshill (as it was then known) was granted to the Sheffields, who kept it until 1362. There have been two main lines of thought about why it is called “Eccleshill”, but neither of them is supported by much evidence. On the one hand, some say the place was originally called “Eagles Hill”, as the whole of the hilltop, where the village now stands, was covered with forest from the outskirts of Bradford.* On the other hand, it could be the “hill of the church” (which in Greek is ekklhsia - Ecclesia, from which we get the word ecclesiastical), meaning that the land lay within the parish of Bradford Church (now the Cathedral). A modern consequence of this is that when the post of vicar in St Luke’s Church falls vacant, the person responsible for finding the next incumbent is the minister of Bradford Parish Church - i.e. the Dean (formerly the Provost) of Bradford Cathdral. The main puzzle here is that while Egleshill was still attached to Earl Warren’s manor, an agreement was reached to compensate Dewsbury Church for the lack of tithes from Egleshill, which in 1349 were worth Ł1-9-3 1/4d. Dewsbury was Earl Warren’s church, but why should that mean Dewsbury deserved compensation? Some claim it was because the folk of Egleshill murdered a cleric, so maybe next month I’ll tell you about it, if no-one writes anything more interesting?** John Hartley (Grateful thanks to “Eccleshill in Times Past” by Vera G Taylor for much of this information.) Notes added later: * Perhaps the existence of the name "Ravenscliffe" down the hill is evidence that the name came from the presence of eagles on the hill? ** In the event there was too much material for the next magazine, and the article about the murder finally appeared in February 2002!
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