I was requested to undertake a very brief investigation into the history of The Grove, in South Kirkby, by a former Councillor of South Kirkby and Moorthorpe Town Council. Though this building sits outside of my area of interest i agreed that as a local landmark of some importance that i would provide a potted history to the building, to allow people with a more specific interest in South Kirkby, the Carlton Main Colliery Company, or The Grove itself to use as a starting point for future in depth investigations.

On the 29th of January 1848 the Leeds Intelligencer published an advertisement, on page one, for an auction of all furniture and farm equipment belonging to the late Robert Allott Esq of The Grove. This branch of the Allott family have baptism records in South Kirkby back to the 1720’s at least, but these lack any mention of The Grove, so are not useful in respect to finding out the age of the property. With more time, this family could have records that help find clues to the age of The Grove.

Page five of the 11th of November 1848 edition of the Leeds Times announced the birth of the son and heir of T. Pollard Esquire, surgeon of The Grove. All Saints South Kirkby baptism records show that the father was Tempest Pollard, the mother Sarah Pollard and the son was called William Pollard. The census shows us that the Pollards had left South Kirkby by 1851, so their stay at The Grove was a short one. The Grove can be identified as existing (but is not named) on the 1854 published Ordnance Survey map of South Kirkby. This is the earliest currently known map that shows The Grove.

By 1859 the owner of The Grove was owned by Mr Gleadall, and the 6th of August 1859 edition of the Leeds Mercury (page three) advertised the property to let, along with it’s 45 acres. This is the first time the owner of The Grove is noted in newspapers, specifically, so the Gleadall family may have owned the property when occupied by the Allott family then Pollard family, this is an area in need of further investigation. The Gleadall family are recorded in land ownership documents as landowners in South Kirkby back into the 1700’s, at least. With more time and effort, the wills and other documents of this family may well be the key to identifying the age of The Grove.

On the 11th of April 1868 the birth of the son of Edward A. Mackie Esquire of The Grove was announced on page eight of the Wakefield Free Press. Census records show that the son was Edward Dacre Mackie and the family had left South Kirkby by 1871. The father was Edward Alexander Mackie, and in the 1861 census he lived in Wakefield, so again the Mackie family did not remain at The Grove very long.

The 1871 census records that Charles Booth Elmsall Wright, his wife Edith de Cardonnel Nesfield and their children lived at The Grove, along with an army of employees providing a range of domestic and other duties. Between 1879 and 1880 Charles Booth Elmsall Wright was the Sheriff of Yorkshire, an important position. He also attended Cambridge University. In the 1881 census Charles Booth Elmsall Wright and his family still resided at The Grove, by the 1891 census they had left South Kirkby. This family were of high ranking, held lands, titles and properties around the country and would make an interesting subject of research, given their long association with The Grove.

W. Schmidt advertised for ‘Clippers’ to work the season at The Grove on page two of the Yorkshire Post of the 11th of October 1883. This is interesting, the 1881 census shows that this was Wilhelm Schmidt, a Stud Groom who was born in Germany but became a British citizen. His wife Elizabeth was born in Surrey. The family had left South Kirkby by the time of the 1891 census. It is likely Schmidt was simply employed at The Grove due to the property being noted in a number of newspapers and in some local history books as being able to stable dozens of highly prized horses, linked to the Badsworth Hunt. This grandeur was evidence when The Grove was advertised as to let on page nine of the Yorkshire Post, on the 15th of September 1888. It was describe as having three sitting rooms, twelve bedrooms, offices, dressing rooms, stables and grass lands. Charles Booth Elmsall Wright of Bolton Hall in Clitheroe was still the owner.

On the 23rd of March 1889 Charles Booth Elmsall Wright, Master of Badsworth Hunt, was noted as having owned The Grove for eighteen years, and it was noted that the property had hot water. The gardens included hothouses, stables for horses etc. The Yorkshire Post again advertised the property to let on the 31st of August 1889. This time it was noted that the property had a gas supply, the grounds had a kitchen garden and workers cottage and saddle room along with the stables. The 1891 census shows us that Henry Gleadall, a retired Solicitor, lived alone with a gaggle of servant girls at The Grove. Had Henry Gleadall rented back the former family mansion? Or purchased it back? On the 2nd of October 1894 the death of Henry Gleadall of The Grove was reported on page one of the Daily Telegraph and Courier in London.

On page three of the 21st of August 1897 edition of the Wakefield Express, it was reported that Mr A. Macauley of The Grove was one of the patrons of the local annual sports festival. On the 18th of May 1900 the Eckington, Woodhouse and Staveley Express noted, on page two, that Charles J. Tyas of The Grove was a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters. On page eight of the 24th January 1901 Sheffield Daily Telegraph it was reported that Charles J. Tyas was a subscriber to a new limited company, Swaithe Main Co. Ltd, involved in coal mining. He was a Solicitor by trade. The 1901 census confirmed that Charles’ full name was Charles Joseph Tyas, he lived with his wife Mary Jane Tyas and their army of servant girls at The Grove.

The Sheffield Daily Telegraph reported on page seven of their 24th of June 1908 paper that Charles Joseph Tyas of The Grove had been appointed as a Magistrate in the West Riding Commission of the Peace. The 1911 census found Charles Jospeh Tyas and his wife and servants still living at The Grove. A potentially interesting story worth looking into is that Charles Joseph Tyas unveiled The Oaks monument to The Oaks pit disaster, at one time the largest piece of public art in Barnsley, in 1914. He was Chairman of the Oaks Relief Fund. Charles Joseph Tyas was still putting notices in papers as late as the 21st of September 1918 Penistone, Stocksbridge and Hoyland Express, on page two, for domestic employees for his personal needs at The Grove.

On page two of the 26th of May 1921 Sheffield Independent, Mrs Gill was advertising for personal staff at The Grove. The 1921 census confirms that Mrs Gill was Maria Andrews Gill and her husband was Sidney Gill, an Agent for the Carlton Main Colliery Company. They lived at The Grove with their numerous children and their servant girl. The Sheffield Daily Telegraph of the 10th of March 1927 reported that Sidney Gill was a Director of The Carlton Main Colliery Company and lived at The Grove, on page ten. Sidney Gill succeeded Captain F. K. Robinson as Manager of Frickley Colliery, as reported on page twenty two of the South Yorkshire Times of the 2nd of April 1982.

Through 1930 and 1931 various church-based garden fetes and events were hosted by the Gill family at The Grove, including events for St. Joseph’s Catholic church of Moorthorpe, various papers as sources. The 30th of March 1934 edition of the South Yorkshire Times reported (on page sixteen) that The Grove was now known as The Presentation Convent. It had a chapel on site, Father McNiff of St. Joseph’s church in Moorthorpe was linked. The 1939 register confirmed that the Gill family, previous occupants of The Grove, had moved to Cheshire. The South Yorkshire Times reported on page 14 of the 30th of December 1967 paper that an independent school had been on site at The Grove as part of The Presentation Convent, since 1960. Local residents remember that there was also some element of learning on site in the 1950’s, prior this school being established.

I would usually expand on the family history of the various residents and owners that i uncovered in my brief investigation, but i will leave this to the residents of South Kirkby, their local council and others with such an interest in that area of interest to do so. I hope that readers understand that decision. I was overwhelmed online with local residents, who clearly cherish The Grove as a local asset, sharing their memories of The Grove and it’s people with me.

In 1997 West Yorkshire Archaeology Advisory Service were engaged by South Kirkby and Moorthorpe Town Council to undertake a survey of The Grove, in respect to plans to restore the property. This record can be found with West Yorkshire Archives Service in Wakefield, ref WYHER/12219. In summary this found that “The house appears to have an older stone house of uncertain date to which a new north front range was added, forming a double pile plan, in the early 1800. Regency features survive in the building, but the exterior has been subject to alteration this century which destroyed much of its period character.” It is fairly obvious from glancing at where the roofline meets the elevation that the older parts of The Grove are hiding a much older stone building beneath the render, possibly originally linked to agriculture.

It is my belief that The Grove has enough importance via links to the history of coal mining, the Badsworth Hunt and through a number of regionally important previous owners that earlier parts of the building should have been proposed to Historic England many years ago, to be considered for Grade II listed buildings status. I hope that this happens urgently, given that the older parts of the building are reportedly in a poor condition and we would encourage South Kirkby and Moorthorpe Town Council to quickly make this recommendation, to prevent it from being demolished.

In the process of my brief investigation into The Grove i was alerted by a local resident to the fact that it was their belief that Brierley Hall in nearby Brierley was associated with The Grove, and that both buildings had been at one time owned by Wakefield Metropolitan District Council. With this in mind i did a very brief summary of the ownership and occupation of Brierley Hall, from the 1900’s to the 1990’s, to try to find this link, but was unable to do so. This claim was, in summary, that one of the council bodies had purchased Brierley Hall and The Grove, spent vast amounts of money on doing so, and renovations, and this had been underhand.

In 1911 Messrs Lancaster and Sons began auctioning the lands belonging to the Hoyland family of Brierley, including the Hall (as per Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer of Thursday 20th July 1911 etc). Alphonse Wood became owner of Brierley Hall in 1912, purchased from the widow of Reverend John Hoyland. In 1916 Hodroyd Coal Company purchased Brierley Hall, for £2800. Their Managing Director was Captain Roland Addy, and he and his family lived in the hall. He personally purchased the colliery company’s share in Brierley Hall prior to nationalisation, to avoid it being taken over in the nationalisation process.

Captain Addy then sold Brierley Hall to Hemsworth Rural District in August 1948, for £8750, and retired. This is the same company and Director who had ties to The Grove in South Kirkby at around the same time. In 1972 the abolishment of the Hemsworth Rural District began to come into action due to the Local Government Act of 1972, though Brierley Hall was still the address of the Clerk of Hemsworth Rural District until at least mid 1974 (see South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times form Saturday the 2nd March 1974 as evidence of this). Hemsworth Rural District’s council was briefly considered to be amalgamated into the new Wakefield Metropolitan District Council (see South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Saturday 9th February 1974 where this is discussed). The Clerk of the Hemsworth Rural District council at this time was A. H. Colley. We see no evidence of Brierley Hall passing to Wakefield Metropolitan District Council or that body being based there, during this local reorganisation at district level.

However, by September 1974 Brierley instead became part of Barnsley Metropolitan District Council’s area, as was common, boundaries changed and some parishes changed across into different bodies, Brierley was not alone in this). This eventually saw Brierley Hall pass into the ownership of Barnsley Metropolitan District Council and surgeries were held by local Councillors of the new Barnsley Metropolitan District Council straight away (see South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Saturday 14th September 1974) and none under the Wakefield Metropolitan District Council were ever held at Brierley Hall, that I can find. The County Councillor was Mrs N. Hollins and local Councillors were Baines, Nettleton and Stacey.

At the same time Brierley Hall held offices for the South Yorkshire County Council and other local bodies (see Saturday 8th February 1975 edition of the South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times). Various other council functions and offices then used Brierley Hall via the Barnsley Metropolitan District Council, such as the Domiciliary Services body that oversaw elderly care etc (see South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times of Friday 8th of October 1982) and travel scheme organisation (see Friday 6th May 1988 edition of the South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times) and then Social Services (Friday 16th March 1990 South Yorkshire Times and Mexborough & Swinton Times) etc. Later into the 1990’s the council leased office space to private companies such as Qualitemp (see Batley News Thursday 9th May 1996).

All through those district council changes the local parish council continued to exist, as it had from 1866 to 2016, when Brierley’s parish council was abolished. This was never affected by the district council re-arrangements that took place and this local council never held any powers over South Kirkby as a settlement, as South Kirkby had (and still) has it’s own local parish council, who were based at The Grove after the convent closed until fairly recently. Whilst we see no evidence that Brierley parish council ever owned The Grove, there was a connection many years ago via the fact that connected colliery companies were owners of both properties and these colliery companies had links to Carlton Main Colliery Company, and then would have been part of the privatised local coalfield. It is important though to note that this link pre-dated the existence of both the Wakefield Metropolitan District Council and the Barnsley Metropolitan District Council by many years.

I felt it important to at least touch on Brierley Hall here, given that area of recommendation was given to me by a local resident during public consultation. Should people wish to investigate this claim and find records to substantiate such a transfer of ownership between the various council bodies noted, that is for them to do and is not something i will be following up on.