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Thorner Supplementary

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In 1822, the following places were in
the Parish of Thorner:


"BIRKBY, in the township and parish of Thorner, liberty of Pontefract; 5 miles from Leeds, 8 from Wetherby."


"HOBBERLEY HOUSE, a farm-house in the townships and parishes of Thorner and Barwick in Elmet; 4½ miles from Leeds."


"RED HALL, a farm-house in the township of Shadwell, and parishes of Thorner and Barwick in Elmet; 5 miles from Leeds."


"ROUNDHAY GRANGE, a farm-house in the township of Shadwell, and parish of Thorner, liberty of Pontefract; 3 miles from Leeds."


"SCARCROFT, in the parish of Thorner, lower-division of Skyrack, liberty of Pontefract; 7 miles NE. of Leeds, 7 miles from Wetherby. Pop. 108."


"SHADWELL, in the parish of Thorner, lower-division of Skyrack, liberty of Pontefract; 4 miles NE. of Leeds, 8 from Wetherby. Pop. 197."


"WINMORE, in the parish of Thorner, wapentake of Skyrack; 6½ miles NE. of Leeds.

This place is famous for a great battle fought here, on the 15th of November 655. Penda, King of the Mercians, bore a constant enmity to the Northumbrians, and very often made ravages in their dominions, without any regard to treaties. Oswy, the Northumbrian Monarch, did all he could to stop these ravages; but, being unable by force of arms, he had recourse to bribes, and offered great sums of money, and all the royal ornaments; but the haughty Penda, grown grey with age, old as he was, would not hearken to any offers; being obstinately resolved to ruin all his territories, and extirpate the whole nation. His army appeared more than sufficient to execute his cruel resolution, being thirty times the number of that of Oswy. In this dreadful dilemma, the devoted Northumbrians, seeing no alternative but that of conquest or death, received the charge of the Mercians with an heroic firmness, scarcely to be equalled in the annals of war. Oswy, and his son, Alkfryd, at the head of their troops, charged like men in despair. The Mercians gave way, and the greatest part of their army was cut to pieces; amongst which, was the haughty Penda, and nearly thirty of his principal officers. --Whitaker's Ducatus Leodiensis."

[Description(s) edited from various 19th century sources by Colin Hinson © 2013]