"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 Notes

NOTES ON "MEMOIRS OF THE HARTLEY FAMILY

Note 1:

Minnie Growse refers to Helvic Hall, but the more usual spelling and that in force today is Bidwick.  She is not correct about the parents of her great grandfather, James Hartley, who bought the living of Staveley in 1775, and became rector in that year.  He was the son of Jonathan Hartley of Eldwick Beck, who was born in 1707, and married Grace Longbottom in 1731.  Jonathan was the son of William Hartley, born in 1683, who married Mary Rawson in 1704, One of William's sons was Joseph Hartley of Eldwick (b.1716) and this Joseph had at least two sons, Joseph b.1746 and John (Jacky) bo 1743,  It was this Jacky who owned and hunted a pack of Harriers and whose portrait is in the possession of Hubert Horton Smith Hartley.  But it does NOT show him with his hounds.  This Jacky was therefore the nephew of Jonathan, Minnie's great-great-grandfather, and was the first cousin of Rev. James Hartley, of Staveley.

Note 2

The lady referred to cannot have been Bryce-Fisher's daughter, but must have been his grand-daughter.  Fisher married in 1732, and in his will made in 1766, he made bequests to his widow and "....., my son and only child", as well as to his sister and nephew.  He died in either 1767 or 1768 (there is confusion about the exact year), and by the time the Rev. James Hartley came to Staveley, Bryce Fisher had been dead for at least seven years, and his son Richard was presumably ensconced at Follyfoot,  Rev. James was still married to his first wife as late as 1785 when his son Rev, Richard was born.  There is an interesting account of Bryce Fisher in the English Historical Review Vol.42 1927, by Sir Louis Namier entitled "Bryce Fisher M.P, a mid-l8th Century Merchant and his connexions".  His father, Walter Fisher, is described as a "clothier", i.e. someone who supplied the cottagers with wool to spin and "fitted it to the loom",  Bryce Fisher is described as a "Blackwell Hall Factor", meaning a wholesaler in cloth.  He became rich and in 1754 is named as one of the Directors of the South Sea Company.  He was connected with the Sun Fire Insurance Office and was a director of it from 1734 until his death.  He also had Estates in South Carolina and Georgia and a special Act of Parliament was passed after his death regarding their disposal.  In Parliament he was one of the Prime Minister's (i.e. Duke of Newcastle's) advisors on Economic Affairs.  He seems to have been a jolly fellow and gained access into titled society.  Two of his friends were Lord Lincoln (nephew of the Duke of Newcastle), and the famous Marquis of Granby.  The former wrote to the Duke from Follyfoot Lodge in 1762 while staying with Fisher and remarks proudly that "..,... my example even keeps him sober,"  Granby gave Bryce Fisher a gold snuff box which is now in the Jones Collection at the South Kensington Museum.  He was taken ill in the House of Commons on 14th April 1768 and died on 28th May '68.  His grave is unknown.  The family  is believed to be extinct in the male line.  No papers have been preserved. His portrait in oils in its original carved wooden (gilded) frame is in my possession (1973).

Note 3

In fact. Rev. Richard was at Trinity College, Cambridge, which he entered in 1801,  He achieved his B.A. in 1806 and his M.A. in 1809,  He is described as being the son of "James Hartley-Clerk" (that being the normal way of describing a clergyman at that time), "not of Oxford or Cambridge",

Note 4, 

"The First Stone of All Saints Church in the Parish of Staveley rebuilt by voluntary contributions was laid by Charles Slingsby, Esq. of Loftus Hill, April 18th 1831.

                   Richard Hartley, Rector
                   Amaziah Empson, Esq.
                   Joseph Gill
                   Church hardens
                   Peter Atkinson           Architect"

 It is clear from this inscription that the Rev. Richard did not bear the whole cost of the church.  He probably contributed most of it,

Note 5.

The following is taken from "Without Touch of Dishonour" by G.R. Smith (The Roundwood Press 1968)s-

"Along the base of the window is the Chapel of the Red House (the Slingbbys old seat) runs a commemorative inscription to the last of the Slingsbys

 'Sir Charles Slingsby of the York and Ainsty who, with his huntsman, four other men and six horses were drowned in the flooded River Ure when the over-loaded ferry boat capsized,'"

Note 6.

"Bib" was, in fact, at Jesus College, Cambridge, which he entered in 1831, and got his B,A. ir 1836.  He married Maria Louise Williams.  Bib's brother Alfred Octavius and two other Hartleys were at Magdalene in the 19th Century and one in the 20th Century.

Note 7

Minnie Growse could have been more explicit about these relationships,  I can find only one marriage between a Hartley and a Bishop (i.e. Rev. Richard Hartley to Jane Bishop), but           there were clearly two Addams-Bishop marriages.  The difficulty is to identify the Addams who was the model for "Dr. Flare"  with the correct one of these two.  She tells of his question

"What's for dinner. Bell?" to his daughter, which would point to his being the one who married Arabella Bishop and whose daughter Arabella (Bell?) married Major W. Surtees Cook.  On the other hand, she mentions how sweet he was to "Aunt Char."

 (Charlotte Hartley) "after the shock of the elopement had died down".  Aunt Char. and Richard Addams, son of the Addams who had married Charlotte Bishop, having eloped.  This seems to indicate that Dr. Addams "Dr. Flare" was Richard Addams' father and not Bella Addams',  Considerable research would be needed to solve this little problem,

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