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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.
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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. |
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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.
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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. |
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Property taxes were paid to the landlord of the rented farms who acted
as tax collectors for the government. |
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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). |
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*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. |
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