Huddersfield Parish

QUARMBY, in the parish of Huddersfield, Agbrigg-division of Agbrigg and Morley, liberty of Wakefield, 2 miles W. of Huddersfield, 8 from Halifax. Pop. including Lindley, 2,040, which being united, form a township.

Quarmby, anciently the seat of a family of that name. In the reign of King Edward III. 1341, Sir John Elland, being High Sheriff of Yorkshire, a quarrel took place between him and three neighbouring gentlemen: John de Lockwood, Sir Robert Beaumont, and Sir Hugh Quarmby; what occasioned the dispute does not appear, but it arose to such a dreadful height, as to cause the death of all the three, who were murdered in one night, by the Sheriff and his men; a circumstance that strongly marks the ferocious manners of the times. --Watson.

The fate of Sir Hugh Quarmby is thus related by a poet of those days :-

                     "He raisd the country round about,
                     His friends and tenants all,
                     And for his purpose picked out
                     Stout sturdy men, and tall:
                     Stout sturdy men, and tall:
                     To Quarmby Hall they came by night,
                     And there the Lord they slew;
                     At that time Hugh of Quarmby hight,
                     Before the country knew."