"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 4

Aunt Charlotte and the Slingsbys

Aunt Charlotte drove to the beautiful old parish church at Knaresborough every Sunday.  Here a sum of money was left for the bells (lovely ones) to be rung every Wednesday night, left by a man who, lost in the forest and hopeless, was guided to safety by the sound of those bells.

Here the gallant Slingsbys sleep their last sleep.  Sir William Slingsby was the discoverer of Harrogate healing waters in 1571,

Sir Henry Slingsby, who is buried in York Minster, fought for the King at Marston Moor (in 1644)Poor charming foolish Charles.

Sir Henry was spied upon by a Roundhead, taken to York and executed in London in 1658 on a trumped-up charge.  He must have been a saint, for in a diary he left, he continually refers to his faith in God and in all good.  He was caught in his lovely old place called the Red House - approached by a lovely avenue - running through a well~stocked deer park.  Time went on till there were only two Slingsbys left, Sir Charles and his sister Emma, who married a Captain Leslie in the Blues.

Sir Charles hunted the York and Ainsty Pack,  He was much beloved but unmarried.  One day in February 1869 while hunting he got on to the ferry boat with many more men and horses, as the fox had crossed the River Ure - poor thing,

Sir Charles was on his hunter "Salt Fish",  He had another "Egg Sauce" " as they were bought on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. The river was terribly swollen and the crowded boat at last lost balance and  overturned.  Sir Charles and crowds of others, with their horses, were flung into the water.  Sir Charles was a fine swimmer, but it was thought he could not disentangle himself  from the bridle, which he had wound round his arm when resting his horse on the boat, or poor Salt Fish kicked him in his plunging and terror - anyway he was dead, and many others too.  My father and he were such good friends.  He used to say to my mother " Fred  will kill himself, Mrs. Hartley, if he will ride so hard."  My mother replied, "You are never far behind Sir Charles."

I can never forget the ghastly scene of my poor Father's return home on that day.  He was I believe the last man Sir Charles spoke to during the run.  Father and Uncle Henry would not go on the ferry boat, as there were so many on it.  My father unselfishly had gone to the ford.  Hardly had they arrived there than a whip came galloping up - "Gentlemen, gentlemen, the boat is swamped and Sir Charles and many others in the water."  Father and Uncle Henry tore back and found the terrible truth.

"Oh Fred" said my Mother, seeing his marble face.  "Have you killed your horse."   He had sunk down on a chair near the door and we were all at lunch, when my Mother spoke.  He covered his face and said "Would to God it were that,"  (Note 5),

Now there was only Mrs. Leslie, Sir Charles' sister left.  She took her maiden name back on inheriting the estates all over Yorkshire, but they never had a child " so goodbye to the ancient Slingsbys.

My Mother and Father loved to dine at Scriven Park with Sir Charles and his sister seated as hostess - and many were the bachelor dinners my Father and his two brothers Uncle James Bishop the sporting rector of Staveley, and Uncle Henry of the Grange enjoyed at Scriven Park after a hunt.  The trio were always called the Handsome Hartleys, and so they were.

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