Darton

The Ancient Parish of DARTON

[Transcribed information mainly from the early 1820s]

"DARTON, a parish-town, in the wapentake of Staincross, liberty of Pontefract; 3½ miles NW. of Barnsley, 6 from Penistone, 8½ from Wakefield, 36½ from York. Pop. 1,340. The Church is a vicarage, dedicated to All-Saints (see Churches for photograph), in the deanry of Doncaster, value, ~£12. 10s. p.r. *£150. Patron, Godfrey Wentworth, Esq.

A branch of the family of Beaumonts had formerly a seat here, at Darton Hall, of which family was George Beaumont, a merchant, who left considerable sums of money, to be employed in several charitable uses; particularly £500. for the founding of the Free Grammar School at this, his place of nativity, in 1675. Its annual value at present is about £120.

In the church, which is a beautiful structure, is a handsome marble monument to the memory of John Silvester, of Birthwaite Hall, which he purchased of the Burdett family. He was originally a blacksmith, and was the inventor of a curious chain made to go across the Thames. He died aged 70, in 1722."



Information on the following places in this Parish is contained on a supplementary page.

Barugh Birthwaite Hall Broad Royd Head Clay Cliffe Day House Fox Hall Gawber

Gawber Hall Haigh Higham Kexbrough Lane Head Lower Carr Green Mapplewell

Oaks Skiers Moor Staincross Swallow Hill Swithin Upper Carr Green