"Memoirs of the Hartley Family of Bingley and Staveley,  Yorkshire"
by Minnie Growse (1864-1939),

Foreward
Introduction
Page 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Low Hall
Notes
Hartley, Staveley
Hartley, Bingley

memoirs Continued 10

Rev. John Hartley of Marton-cum-Grafton

For a long time his son Joshua owned the Grange at Staveley, where Uncle Henry lived.  He took to hunting again when he was very old, had a bad fall and was dragged in the stirrup, but survived it all. He was indeed a gallant fearless old man and met death with great calmness - saying to his son just before the end - "Soon over now".

His eldest son Harrison (Harry) was a keen sportsman and much beloved in the county.  He was clever and charming and handsome.  He was going to marry in three weeks' time and said he would have a last day with the hounds and not hunt again till after his wedding.  Some friend lent him a horse that day.  They had a long run and galloped over a ploughed field and the poor horse was evidently pumped.  Harry however put him to a big hedge.  He rose to it, but stumbled and fell, throwing gallant Harry on his head so that his neck was instantly broken.

The hunt mourned him deeply and at the funeral four masters of hounds lowered him into his grave.  The Squire put up a fine monument to mark for ever the spot where Harry fell.

His brother Alfred went out to see Lady Middleton with a high temperature, when he should have been in bed.  He got pneumonia and died and Bertie, the most charming of men,  passed away too.  So out of three doctor sons none lived to be old men, or pass the wonderful practice and land on to other generations.

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