|
Kents Bank
|
Kents Bank.
This Village History is part of the CPLHS Village
Histories Project. It is an historical overview of the village and should be read as a “work in progress”.
It is written from the perspective of the influence of landowners and housing development. It will be expanded as research
progresses
Version 2.
|
A
History of Kents Bank.
Kents Bank lies to the west of Grange over Sands and until the middle
of the 19th century it comprised a few buildings on the shore where the cross bay route across Morecambe Bay met the land.
Abbot Hall and Kents Bank House, then known as Kents Bank Hotel which was operating as a lodging house, stood on opposite
sides of the road at the base of the hill now known as Kirkhead Road.
A railway station had opened in August 1857 on the
"Ulverstone to Lancaster" railway running along the edge of the shore. Part way up the hill on Kirkhead
Road was Laneside Farm. Further along the coast, towards Grange, Guides Farm sat on the shore at the bottom of the road now
known as Carter Road. Seawood House was above Guide Farm at the top of the steep hill with access from Carter Road. The two
roads climbed northwards up the hill to join the main road linking Grange with Flookburgh. Kentsford Road, the connecting
road between Kirkhead Road and Carter Road, did not exist. The land between Kirkhead Road, Carter Road and Allithwaite Road
was farmland.
Mary Lambert – Landowner.Mary Winfield Lambert owned all the land and buildings
around Kirkhead Road including Laneside Farm which was the base for the agricultural operations on the land in Kents Bank.
On her death in 1857 Mary Winfield Lambert lived at Boarbank House, Allithwaite.Miss Lambert’s estate stretching from Boarbank Hall in Allithwaite to Abbot Hall in Kents Bank was sold by
auction in August 1858 to ‘capitalists from Manchester, Bury and Whitehaven’ (Westmorland Gazette Aug 28 1858).
At the auction Mr Tulk of Whitehaven purchased Abbot Hall and 10 acres of land (£1510) and Kirkhead
(£1310) with 54 acres of land and James Simpson Young of Salford purchased Laneside Farm (£5000) with 69
acres of agricultural land and Kents Bank Hotel (£1140) with 5 acres of land.
James Young – Landowner &
Industrialist.Within
a short period James Simpson Young became the owner of Abbot Hall and thus owned all the buildings and agricultural land previously
owned by Miss Lambert in the Kents Bank area. By 1861 the census shows the Young family, comprising James and Alice and their
children Edwin(2), Jane(1) and Charles(one month old) living at Abbot Hall. There were also two nurses; a cook; a waitress
and a housemaid.
James Simpson Young was born at Lennox
Town, Stirling in Scotland on 31 May 1818, the son of James Young and Jean (nee Simpson). The 1841 census
shows him at New Brighton, Wallasey, in Cheshire with Edward Phillips, Chas Buchanan, Marion Young and James Simpson.
They are all described as being of independent means. No relationships are given. As New Brighton was a fashionable resort
for the gentry was he on holiday?
By 1851 he had married Rosina and was living at 10 Leaf Square, Pendleton, Salford in Lancashire. They had 3
children, Richard, James and George. Between the censuses of 1851 and 1861 they had two more children (John Edward and William)
but Rosina died about 1857.
The 1851 census entry has been transcribed and much of it is missing because the original
writing is illegible. The transcription incorrectly names him as George Simpson Young but the age and place of birth, Scotland,
and subsequent census information of his family convince me that this is the correct person. Fortunately his occupation was
legible and it states he was a ‘calico printer/coal miner employing 1000’.
Calico is a type of cloth, heavier than wooden blocks. The cloth was laid on a table and
the blocks covered with dye and placed linen and made of cotton. A calico printer drew a pattern on paper, as wide as the
cloth. The pattern was divided up into squares about 8 inches by 12 inches and cut into on the calico to make the print
Lennox Town,
where James was born had a large calico printing industry. Did he move south to establish a new manufacturing outlet in Salford?
James married Alice Ann Riley at Bolton-le-Moors in 1857. She was the only daughter of Richard Riley, a cotton spinner
(employing 435 people according to the 1851 census) of Preston. She had an older brother, James who lived at Underwood, Fernleigh
Road, Grange in the 1871, 1881 and 1891 censuses. Had the death of his first wife forced him to reassess his life and leave
Salford? I do not know what happened to his calico and coal mining business. He was only 43 in 1861 and the 1861 census shows
his occupation as a landed proprietor. He obviously was very wealthy. It would have been easy to travel regularly to Salford
by train from Kents Bank.
The
1871 census record James and Alice and five of their youngest children living at Abbot Hall. He describes himself as a landowner.
They had five servants comprising two nurses, one cook and two housemaids. James and Alice had at least thirteen children before he died on 6
January 1879 at the age of 60 at Abbot Hall. Four of his five sons from his first marriage were still alive also when
he died as they are named beneficiaries in his will. Two of them are shown as resident pupils at Cartmel Grammar School in
the 1861 census. Members of the family remained in Kents Bank following James’s death. In 1881 Alice with her children
Jane, Mary, Margaret, Alice, Charles, Frank and Jessie lived at Lyndock Villas and in 1891 Alice lived at Monklands with her
children Mary, Jessie and Frank. Alice died on 27 February 1899 at Monklands, Kents Bank aged 70. The 1901 census shows Mary
and Jessie at Enfield House Ilfracombe. However in 1911 the pair lived at The Cottage, Kents Bank.
Housing Development in Kents Bank.
James was responsible for developing the first plots at Kents Bank. These included - Kents Bank Hotel was built and opened in 1876 to attract tourists to the quiet resort of Kents Bank. The original
hotel, by Abbot Hall and the Station, was renamed Kents Bank House. It had been an Inn and Lodging House serving the cross
bay route when James purchased it but it became a private school. The opening of the railway in 1857 ended the centuries
old tradition of crossing the sands and therefore the trade that the Inn relied on ceased. The Manchester Times contained
an advert on Dec 26 1868 for Miss Metcalfe’s school for young ladies under the heading ‘Education by the
Sea’. I have not been able to establish when the school opened.
- Kentsford
House - built in about 1870 and occupied by John and Mary Clegg in 1871 – let to James Garstang Brogden from 1877 to
1884 when he was made bankrupt by the furniture firm John Lamb of Dalton Square, Manchester to whom he owed over £2000
for furniture and furnishings that he had purchased when he and his new wife Elizabeth moved into the house. He owed at least
a further £1000 to local businesses. An auction of the contents of the house was advertised to take place in Kendal
on Dec 11 1884. James Garstang Brogden was the son of Alexander Brogden and the grandson of John Brogden, the mine owner and
railway director who was responsible for building the railway. Alexander’s bankruptcy, owing £800,000, led to
his son being declared bankrupt. The private carriage road linking the house with Kirkhead Road and Carter Road eventually
became Kentsford Road.
- Lyndock Villas - a pair of semi-detached houses situated
opposite Moorhurst.
- Kentsford Terrace – a terrace of four houses between Kents Bank
Hotel and Lyndock Villas
- Monklands Villa – facing Kirkhead Road on the
edge of the Abbot Hall estate.
James’ will specified that all his
property in Cartmel, Silverdale and Arnside was to be sold and several attempts were made to sell it, or let it, but economic problems were affecting
trade at that time and advertisements appeared in newspapers in September 1879, May 1880 and July 1883 showing that the market
was not good.
David Mycock in his book "Eighty Years Onward 1916-1996" states that just before his death
James sold Abbot Hall to Mrs Francis Jane Blair for £7000 but this information is not supported by death notices that
state that James died at Abbot Hall, the will or subsequent advertisements for the sale of James estates.
As the buildings could not be sold money needed to be raised and advertised in the Times for sale by auction by
Christie, Manson and Woods on Dec 10 1880 in London were ‘190 dozens of fine Port, of the vintages of 1847, 1851 and
1863, late the property of James Simpson Young, Esq., deceased of Abbot-hall, Grange-over-Sands, Carnforth.’ Tragedy stalked the family. On 2 June 1882 Edwin Young, aged 23, died in a yachting accident on Morecambe Bay, along
with his friend and neighbour Herbert Elliot. A night time sail from Humphrey Head in Norman Chandler’s yacht ended
in tragedy. The accident was due to stormy conditions and an error in Edwin’s handling of the tiller causing the boat
to keel over in deep water. Edwin was a sailor on board a merchant vessel and Herbert was a surgeon dentist. Both families
lived at Lyndock Villas in Kents Bank.
On 30 June 1888 Charles Frederick Young died at Two Rivers, Manitoba, Canada.
He was 17 years old. On 20 Aug 1891 John Edward, aged 39, died suddenly at Hampton Court. The family grave at Cartmel Priory only contains four bodies. Charles
Septimus, aged 9 months, was buried on 21 Nov 1861. Alice Marion, aged 4, was buried on 7 Dec 1869.
James Simpson, aged 60, was buried on 10 Jan 1879. Edwin, aged 23, was buried on 6 June 1882.
Extract from The Westmorland Gazette 18 Jan 1879
The late
Mr J S Young. The remains of the late Mr J S Young, were consigned to a grave in Cartmel churchyard on Friday week. The service
was read by the Rev W Townson, Vicar of Allithwaite and the Rev W B Lightfoot, Vicar of Cartmel. A large number of friends
attended the obsequies. The grave was vaulted, and fringed within with ivy. Some beautiful wreaths of white camellia, and
primulas interwoven with maiden hair fern were laid on the coffin as it was placed in its last resting place.
Margaret Helen Young married the Reverend
Frederick Marshall MA on 6 Aug 1890 at St Paul’s Church, Grange-over-Sands. Frederick was the curate in charge of St
Michael’s, Crown Point, Leeds. Thomas Simpson Young married Marion Susannah in about 1894.
In the 1911 census they are recorded as living at Broughton Hall. Thomas’s occupation is given as pensioned major Indian
Army.
See Annex 1below for a timeline
for James Simpson Young and his family.
Pat
Rowland 8/11/10.
Sources.Old postcard
views. Extracts from The Times and Westmorland Gazette
Newspapers. National Census
Records.
Annex 1. Timeline for James Simpson Young and family.
1818 31st May James Simpson
Young born at Lennox Town, Stirling 1841 census at New Brighton, Wallasey, Cheshire 1846 marries Rosina registered at Altringham 1847 Richard(1) born
at Pendleton 1848 James
Henry(2) born at Pendleton 1851 George(3) born at Pendleton 1851 census living at 10 Leaf Square Pendleton, Salford 1852 John Edward(4) Young birth registered
at Altringham Oct-Dec 1852 1853 19 Nov announcement of birth of son at Bowden, Cheshire –William Simpson (5) registered
Altrincham Oct-Dec 1853 1857 marries Alice Ann Riley at Bolton le Moors Lancs 1859 Edwin (6) born in Altringham, Cheshire? 1860 Jane Simpson(7)
born at Kents Bank 1861 Charles
Septimus(8) born at Kents Bank 1861 census living at Abbot Hall, Kents Bank 1861 Nov Charles Septimus aged 9 months died at Kents Bank; buried at Cartmel 1862 Thomas Simpson(9)
born at Kents Bank 1864 Robert
Arthur(10) born at Kents Bank 1865 Alice Marion(11) born at Kents Bank 1867 Mary Catherine(12) born at Kents Bank 1869 Margaret Ellen(13) born at Kents Bank 1869 5 Dec Alice Marion Young
(aged 4), second daughter of James Simpson Young died at Abbot Hall, buried at Cartmel 1870 Alice(14) born
at Kents Bank 1871 Charles
Frederick(15) born at Kents Bank 1871 census living at Abbot Hall, Kents Bank at Kents Bank 1873 Frank Fleming(16) born at Kents Bank 1875 Jessie Elizabeth(17) at Kents Bank 1879 6 Jan James Simpson Young
JP dies at Abbot Hall Kents Bank; buried at Cartmel 1882 2 June Edwin Young (aged 23 years) died in a boating accident on Morecambe Bay;
buried at Cartmel. 1888 30
June Charles Frederick Young (aged 17) died at Two Rivers, Manitoba 1890 6 Aug Margaret Helen Young married Rev Frederick
Marshall, curate in charge of St Michael’s, Crown Point, Leeds at St Paul’s Grange–over-Sands 1891 20 Aug John Edward Young
fourth son of James Simpson Young died suddenly at Hampton Court (aged 39) 1893 5 Jul Marriage: St Leonard, Balderstone, Lancashire, England
Thomas
Simpson Young - 30 Lieutenant, 3rd Madras Lancers Bachelor of Fielden Arms Hotel, Balderstone Marion Susannah Simpson - 41
Spinster of Samlesbury Old Hall
Witness: Mary Louisa Simpson; Richard Parker Young; Fred Baynes; Frank T. Young Married
by Licence by: F.Marshall 1899
24 Feb Alice Anne Young, aged 70, widow of James Simpson Young died at Monklands
|
