History of Morley, England

The purpose of this book is, to present the reader with a succinct account, historical and topographical, of a locality, which both on account of its ancient history and its modern manufactures, is not unknown to fame.

In the year 1830, Norrisson Scatcherd, Esq., published his History of Morley, which, though displaying considerable research and antiquarian knowledge, and being, in its information, both valuable and curious, yet cannot, in any sense, be considered as a popular or comprehensive account of the place. It is rather the history of the times and persons more intimately associated with the Old Chapel ; the portion devoted to the general history and manufactures of the town is very meagre, besides being prolix to all but antiquarian readers. In addition to this, nearly half a century has passed away since Mr. Scatcherd's book was published, and the mere lapse of time must have rendered it, in many respects, obsolete, even if no new information had come to light respecting the Old Chapel and other portions of the History.

Morley is a township-chapelry, situate in the parish of Batley, in the diocese of Ripon, archdeaconry of Craven, rural deanery of Birstal, and is included in the Dewsbury Poor Law Union, Petty Sessional Division and County Court district. It also belongs to the Agbrigg and Morley Wapentake, and is a polling district for the South-Western division of the West Riding. The chapelry includes Churwell, and the town is subdivided into the hamlets of Bruntcliffe, Howley, Stump Cross, and Owlers. Morley is distant four miles from Leeds, five from Dewsbury, seven from Wakefield and Bradford, eleven from Huddersfield, and one hundred and ninety from London.

Morley has not been altogether neglected by county historians and local topographers. The earliest mention of the place in the history of this country is to be found in "Doomsday Book," which was compiled between the years 1080 and 1086; it is there named in connection with the Norman survey, made by William the Conqueror as a register of the lands of which he had recently taken possession.

Table of Contents

Historical notices
Etymologies
Boundaries
Wapentake
The lords of Morley
Scenery and geological features
Agriculture
Domestic architecture
Means of communication
Local government
Social condition and habits
Ancient customs and amusements
Biographical sketches
Ecclesiastical history
Literary and educational institutions
Industrial and provident societies
The woollen and union cloth manufacture

List of Illustrations

Portrait of the Author
Old Manor House 1
Arms of Lacy 5
Manor House 22
Arms of Beeston 24
Arms of Lisle 26
Arms of Savile 30
Howley Hall (from an old Engraving) 31
Howley Ruins 35
Arms of Dartmouth 44
Old Houses, Pinfold, and Town's Quarry 53
Old House and Gateway 55
MorleyHall 57
Mount Pleasant 58
Thornfield House 58
Osborne House 59
Carrier's Waggon 65
Waterworks Pumping Station 77
Offices of the Local Board 79
Ducking Stool88
Portrait of Sir Titus Salt, Bart. 95
Arms of Salt 95
Saltaire 96
Saltaire Mills97
Saltaire Congregational Church 99
Saltaire Club and Institute 100
Saltaire Elementary Schools101
Crow Nest, the Seat of Sir Titus Salt, Bart. 103
Portrait of Norrisson Scatcherd, Esq. , F. S. A. 107
Morley House 108
Portrait of Manoah Rhodes, Esq., J. P. 118
Old Chapel, 1770 124
Anglo-Saxon Church 126
Arms of Nostel Priory 129
Old Chapel, 1870 134
New Congregational Church 135
Arms of Savile 136
Corporal Crowther's House, Banks' Hill 133
Old Chapel Parsonage 143
Arms of Sharp151
Portrait of Rev. Joseph Fox 156
New School, Troy Hill 157
Ancient Tombstones 163
Ancient Tombstones 166
St. Peter's Church 174
St. Peter's Infant Schools 176
St. Paul's Church 178
Eehoboth Chapel 180
Portrait of Rev. J. Fletcher 184
Cross Hall 184
Portrait of Ptev. J. Wesley 185
Wesleyan Chapel 186
Baptist Tabernacle188
Zion Congregational Sunday School 189
Bethel Reform Chapel 1 90
Brunswick Primitive Methodist Chapel 191
Exterior of Catholic Apostolic Church 192
Interior of Catholic Apostolic Church 193
Ebenezer Primitive Methodist Chapel 194
New Connexion School, Bruntcliffe 195
Zoar Particular Baptist Chapel 196
Turton Hall School, Gildersome 201
Co-operative Hall and Stores 205
Flemish Weaver, XlVth Century 209
Crank Mill 212
Albert Mills 213
Rag Cleaning Machine 219
Rag Grinding Machine 219
Shake Willey 221
Teaser 221
Card Setting Machines 223
Scribbling Machine 224
Carding Machine and Condenser 224
Distaff and Spindle 225
Whorl, for the Spindle of the Distaff 226
Spindle of the Whorl 226
Jersey Spinning Wheel 227
Billey or Slubbing Machine 227
Jenny or Hand Spinning Machine 228
Portrait of Arkwright 229
Portrait of S. Crompton 230
Self -Acting Spinning Mule 230
Long Handled Comb 232
Clay Loom Weights 233
Ancient Hand Loom 234
Portrait of Cartwright 235
Power Loom 235
Fulling Stocks 237
Fulling Machine (Side View) 233
Fulling Machine (Moveable Trough) 239
Fulling Machine (Front View) 239
Hand Raising , 240
Teazle Setting 241
Raising Gig 242
Teazle Head 242
Perpetual Shearing Machine 243
Winding-on Gig for Roller Boiling 244
Tentering Machine 245
Brushing and Steaming Mill 247

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Meaning of the Name Morley

It would be difficult to settle authoritatively what, in past times, was the orthography of the name Morley. Glancing over the leaves of our historical authorities, we have a choice of answers to such a query. In common with numerous other names in those far-away generations, Morley was written in a charming variety of ways. It occurs as Morlege, Moreley, Moorley, Morlei, Maurley, and Morley. Such are some of the forms of the word as perpetuated by the pens of our ancestors, when there was no printing to give greater agreement in orthography. What its pronunciation was, on Saxon or on Norman lips, may be conjectured but not decided. The above transmutations do not by any means include every modification of the word. Generally speaking, in the olden time, there was a large super-abundance of letters employed; and very often, in the same legal or other document, would be found several variations in the spelling of the same name.

As to the origin of the name, there are various and conflicting opinions. Scatcherd ventures no definition, but we explain it as being derived from Moor and Ley, meaning Moorfields. "Moor," in allusion to the physical appearance of the district at the time it was named, and "Ley," a field or fields. Baines, in his recently-published work, "Yorkshire: Past and Present," writes, "Morley (West Riding) is written Moreleia in Doomsday, and probably means the field of the mor or moor,"