FARMING

The Moorhouse family are described as one of the oldest yeoman families in Craven, in the book "Upper Wharfedale" by Henry Speight.  Yeoman is an historical word meaning "farmer owning and farming his own land".   Whilst the family did not own land, they rented farms from two large estates and also from other landowners. 

For details of the locations of the various farms please go to Places/Skipton Area Map.

Their first landlord was the Lord of the Castle of Skipton, and they rented Close House from about the 1500's until Edward Moorhouse took the 'model' farm at East Skibeden in 1620, which was also part of the Castle Estate until 1746.

In 1746 Thomas Moorhouse (1689-1748) moved to The White House* at Elslack on the other side of Skipton because of the unsettled era after the Stuart rebellion [also known as the Jacobite rebellion].

In the 1841, 1851 and 1861 census Thomas Moorhouse (1775-1863), brother of John Moorhouse (1762-1838) is renting the White House Farm and on the 1871 census his son John is described as a farmer farming 250 acres and employing 4 men.

During the late 1700's and the early 1800's the Moorhouses rented land including Small house and Hesliker (now called Heslaker) farms, and The Bull at Broughton with a small farm from 1845 until 1900 from The Tempest Estate.  

For details of the locations and more pictures please go to Places/Skipton Area Map.

Farming in the Skipton area was dairy farming and sheep production with the high quality Yorkshire grass.

Property taxes were paid to the landlord of the rented farms who acted as tax collectors for the government.
The Moorhouse family paid tithes to The Bolton Abbey Estate of the Duke of Devonshire during the period of them renting farms on this side of Skipton. The tithe was originally an annual payment of tenth of one's income paid to the church. After the dissolution of the monasteries this payment would have paid to the tithe owners (usually the lord of the Manor or other local land owner).
 

*Note. The White House at Elslack was not part of the Tempest Estate and I am investigating who owned this property.

John Moorhouse (1762-1838) is described as farmer and grazier from Brown House on the graves of his three daughters in 1815 and I am also investigating where Brown House is, but it is not now, and according to Henry Tempest it has never been, part of the Tempest Estate.

 

<Businesses

 

 

 

  Businesses/Farming >