|
Some Important Dates In The History Of Darfield.
1050. Possible date for foundation of the earliest extant parts of the Parish Church. 1066. The Norman Conquest. Darfield had two manors each with a Saxon Lord, Alsi and Chetelber. 1086. The Domesday Book was compiled. "In Derewelle Alsi and Chetelber had four carncates of land to be taxed. Alsi has now there two ploughs and five villeins." A carncate was between 60 and 120 acres. 1450. The old Bridge Inn, (formerly known as the Ring O` Bells), is established. 1538. The value of land at Darfield owned by the monks at Monk Bretton Priory was £4..3..10. (This Priory, now in ruins, is in the care of English Heritage, and is at Lundwood about three miles away.) 1661. The militia are recorded as meeting at Shroggs Head Green in Darfield. 1740. The Turnpike Road from Doncaster to Barnsley is created, passing through Darfield. By the river crossing a turnpike lodge is built. The board showing the tariff for using the turnpike may be viewed in Darfield Park. 1761. The present Middlewood Hall is built by George Walker on a site occupied for many centuries. 1788. First meeting place for Darfield Methodists recorded, in the house of Robert Foster. 1794. A sheep roast is held in the village to celebrate the birth of George III. 1801. The population of Darfield is recorded as being 447. 1805. The Enclosure Act is passed by Parliament. Areas of common and waste land at Shroggs Head Green; Middlewood Green; The Carr; The Dikes; Quarry Hill; Far Rofe; Near Rofe; Darfield Green; and fifty acres at Edwardthorpe Green are enclosed. 1821. Of the 112 recorded families in Darfield, 100 are involved in agriculture, 4 are in trade, and 8 otherwise. 1835. Mr. E. B. Beaumont builds Upperwood Hall, the third Hall to be built on that site. (The hall is now divided into flats.) 1831. Population of Darfield stands at 521. 1840. The railway through Darfield is opened. This was built by George Stevenson and the village is served by a station. 1842. The National School is opened in the village. This later became the Green Monk toy factory and is now demolished. 1849. Ebenezer Elliott, the "Corn Law Rhymer", dies at Great Houghton and is buried in Darfield Churchyard. (The only tomb to retain its wrought iron railing surround.) 1850. The Low Valley Clay Works are opened, providing work for local people. At the works are made sanitary ware; fire bricks; drainpipes; and glazed tiles. Mr. Goody, the owner of the works, lived at Poplar House which until recently served as the Council Offices for Darfield. The building remains in the ownership of the Local Authority, is listed Grade 2, but is now boarded-up and very sad looking. 1857. Gigantic explosion underground at Lundhill Pit, near Wombwell on 19th. February. A memorial obelisk now stands in Darfield Churchyard to the 189 men and boys who were killed, 146 of them being buried in the churchyard. 1860. The Wesleyans enlarged their chapel on School Street. 1861. Darfield Main pit was sunk. 1863. The Primitive Methodists open their chapel on Pitt Street in Low Valley. 1871. In the five areas of Darfield - Snape Hill; Darfield Bridge; Millhouses; Edderthorpe; and Low Valley there are now 370 dwelling houses. The population stands at 1673 - 906 males and 767 females. The rapid growth in seventy years indicates the corresponding growth in industry. 1872. Fire at Darfield Main pit on the 13th. October. 1875. The first coal is mined at Mitchells Main Colliery. (Adjacent to Darfield Main.) Houghton Main Colliery is sunk. (This lay in the Dearne Valley, the above two collieries lay in the Dove Valley. It was sufficiently close to Darfield centre though as to create further work opportunities for the village.) Darfield cricket club was established. 1878. 515 yards of coal were won at Houghton Main on 1st. February. 1879. The Reading Room in the village was given to the people of Darfield by Rev. H. B. Cooke. (This lies only a few yards from the Maurice Dobson Heritage Centre.) 1880. Mr. D. Hammerton bought land at the top of Snape Hill in Darfield from Trinity College, Cambridge. On that land he then erected College House and College Terrace. The tunnel at Darfield Station is "scalped" to make a cutting. 1886. The Wesleyan Chapel on School Street was bought by Mr. F. H. Taylor of Middlewood Hall for a Conservative Club. On December 30th., the cage bringing miners from the pit bottom at Houghton Main overshot on its ascent, broke the winding rope and plunged to the pit bottom again. 10 men were killed. The winding man, Mr. Beresford, was later tried for manslaughter but was acquitted. A memorial to the men killed is in Darfield Churchyard. 1887. Opening service in the new Barnsley Road Methodist Chapel on 31st. March. (Cost £1,200.) 1896. Darfield became an Urban District with its own Council. 1898. Electric street lighting was installed in the village at a cost of £854. 1902. The Church School on School Street was opened. 1905. A train was derailed at Storrs Mill, the engine overturning, with several killed. 1906. The `Darfield Judgment` was pronounced in the House of Lords. This case had risen through the courts with backing from the Rector of Darfield. Under the Judgment, a child who attended a church service on Ascension Day morning could take the rest of the day as holiday but be given his mark as present on the register of his school. 1909. Old age pensions began, being paid to those over the age of 70. 26 old people in Darfield received a pension. 1910. The new 960 place Council Elementary School at Low Valley was opened on 27th. January at a cost of £11,031. (Now Valley School.) The Primitive Methodist Chapel in Low Valley was opened on 9th. June replacing the chapel on Pitt Street. 1911. The Taylor family of Middlewood Hall gave the land on School Street for the Cricket Club. 1944. The Darfield Foulstone Secondary School on Nanny Marr Road was opened. (Now the Darfield Foulstone Comprehensive School.) 1947. 450 silver coins from the Roman era and dated 100 - 300 AD were found during building work on North Street. 1948. A further hoard of Roman coins were found during excavation work on Morrison Road/Clarney Place. 1950. Yet another find of Roman coins in the Clarney Avenue/Barnsley Road area. Altogether 981 silver coins and 541 copper coins have been found in Darfield. 1960. Darfield railway station is closed. 1969. The course of the River Dearne before Darfield Bridge is changed again and high banks created as part of the formation of "holding fields" to prevent flooding in Bentley, which is many miles downstream, during times of very heavy rain. The new River bridge was erected. 1981. Population of Darfield now officially given as 10,563. There are now some 3,795 privately owned houses and some 1698 Council owned properties. Surfers are welcome to copy and use this potted history, but acknowledgement should please be given to this website. |
|
|