The next record of Yeadon is in the papers relating to
Esholt Nunnery in which one Galfred Haget is reported as giving two carucates
of land (about 100 to 200 acres each) towards the support of the convent.
Esholt Priory was founded in the latter part of the
reign of Henry 11 by the generosity of Galfred Haget and Simon Ward and his
wife and son, and confirmed in A.D.1184 by
Pope Lucius 3rd to the Cistercian Nuns.
The Priory was sheltered to the north by Esholt
Woods and Hollings Hill, which in those days was covered with holly trees and
evergreens.
The streams which flow from Upper Yeadon and the
one from Reva Hawksworth join before entering the woods and make a stream
called Esholt Springs.
Then it was beautiful clear streams, abounding with
trout and other fish, it was a delightful place to choose for a convent.
Simon de Braam, Lord of Yeadon granted leave to the
nuns to pass through the middle of his Manor of Esholt.
Alan son of Walter Yeadon gave lands to the Priory also
the corn mill which stood on the boundary of Yeadon and Guiseley at Nunroyd
Beck, which was the site of Peates Mill.
Bolton Abbey was founded in the year 1121 at Embsay
near Skipton and later the monks moved to
Bolton where the present Abbey whose ruins stand by the river was built.
Both Yeadon and Rawdon contributed to it.
Simon de Braam gave one oxgang of land in Lower
Yeadon to Adam son of Thomas de Mohant the latter paying annually to the Prior
of Bolton the sum of 10d, a goodly sum in those days.
The oxgang of land (25 acres) was what was later
known a Abbey Garth.
THE LIVES OF THE HAND LOOM WEAVERS
During the next 400 years life in Yorkshire followed a
steady pattern.
The monks lived peaceful lives building their beautiful
Abbeys supported by the richer men of the villages.
The crops and land given to the Abbeys were worked on
by the villagers.
News traveled slowly and until the 1600's little was
known of the world outside.
Only the seasons
changed and until parliament began to put taxes on the people in various ways
life was peaceful, although hard, and devoid of luxury for the poor hand loom
weavers, who were content to be self supporting.
They had no ambition and knew nothing of any other
way of life except the simple routine of their own.
From 1600 life changed even in the isolated North
of England never again was there to be real peace for the rural areas except in
the very remote Dales.
Yeadon being in the Aire valley between Leeds and
Bradford felt the changes much earlier than its neighbors in the valleys of the
Washburn and the Nidd.
In 1673 when the Hearth Tax was passed, Yeadon had 45
houses with one fireplace each, 13 houses with two fireplaces, 3 houses with 3
fireplaces and 3 houses with 4 fireplaces, so there were only 6 large houses in
the village at that period, the others being
handloom weavers cottages and tenants of the Lord of the Manor.
Each year, they reaped their few crops and made
provision for the winter.
One year on Fosters Day Mowing, records show a
great feat with a scythe.
It must have been hard work to cut whole fields of
hay by hand, and a lengthy process compared to today.
Old names have died out but in those days lands between
the Peacock Hotel and the top of Green Lane were the "Old Lands" one
named Footgate Close another Town End Dub and Tenter's Close, Dead Mans Reins
and Swine Carr, very descriptive names.
Old Yeadon names from over 300 years ago were
researched from notes based on Old Manor Court records. The manor court of
Rawdon met in October 1642 and gave Yeadon
names as follows:-
John Baitsin: Giles Hammon: Richard Hanwirth: John
Marshall: Widow Marshall: William Oddie: Widow Overin: Steven Pollard: Mr, Ben
Rhodes: John Snowden: Joseph Thackeray: Widow Walker: John Ward and William
Ward.
Other inhabitants of Upper Yeadon:-
Christopher Asheler: William Bateson: Mathew Casse:
William Claton: Robert Dinison: Samewell Foster: Edward Hoppey: Thomas Jowitt:
Timothy Leadbeater: Peter Lambert: Thomas Mires: Christopher Oddie: Mathew
Swane: Widow Swane: Jake Walker son of Edward: William Walker: Thomas Ward:
Thomas Wilkinson: Widow Wilson and Samewell Yeadon.
The freeholders were the owners of land and
property and other inhabitants are tenants of the Lord of The Manor.
Many names listed are still often pronounced in the
district as spelt in olden times,