Return to Social and Industrial History Return to Main Menu
The history of Langcliffe Hall
is closely entwined with the history of the Dawson family who have lived there
for most of the last four centuries, this being their main residence. Extended
members of the family have occupied other large houses at various times
throughout the period including Bolton Hall in Bolton by Bowland, The Folly in
Settle, Marshfield House in Settle, Hornby Castle, Townhead House in Stainforth
and Manor Farm in Halton Gill.
But Langcliffe Hall was here
before the Dawson family arrived. The local historian, Thomas Brayshaw thought
the Hall may have originated as a Grange for Sawley Abbey (Salley) and certainly
Sawley owned this property before the dissolution. It is thought that most
properties in Langcliffe were obtained as a block on the dissolution of the
monasteries by Lord Thomas Darcy. Later Nicholas Darcy 'sold' most of the land
on 500 year leases mainly in 1591. The earliest date stone in the Parish is now
displayed above the Hall's main doorway showing the initials of S (for Henry
Somerscale) 1602 E.R.44., so the Hall is technically Elizabethan but the main
early fabric is typically Jacobean in style. The Somerscale family also owned
Stockdale House in Settle and had the living of Gargrave. This Henry Somerscale
was a Giggleswick School Governor in 1599 and 1604, but by the time of the
Hearth Tax Roll of 1674 there were no Somerscales in the district.
It is thought that William
Foster acquired Langcliffe Hall some time between 1621 and 1627 as in the latter
year his Lay Subsidy payment became the highest in the township. These Fosters
were thought to be descended from the tenants of Sawley Abbey at Winskill, and
who obtained the manorial leases in 1591 from the Darcy family. It is with the
marriage of William's only daughter Mary to Josias Dawson of Halton Gill that
the Dawson family first became involved with Langcliffe Hall.
The first Dawson we have dates
for is Christopher, 1531-1625, farming at Halton Gill as tenant of Lord
Clifford. This farm later came into ownership of the family and is still part of
the Langcliffe Hall Estate today. In 1642 Josias Dawson, great-grand-son of
Christopher, married Mary Foster.
Josias' elder son, Christopher
was at Cambridge with Isaac Newton, and is said to have been 'visited by him in
later life at Langcliffe Hall’. His second son William inherited Halton Gill
and continued the line there. Josias' grandson, William Dawson (16761762) who
lived at The Folly in Settle, married the heiress to Bolton Hall in Bolton-by-Bowland.
William's second son Ambrose (1707-1794) thus inherited both Langcliffe Hall and
Bolton Hall. He lived at Langcliffe Hall for a short while but then moved to
Liverpool where his son Pudsey was in business. Ambrose's son Pudsey I
(1752-1816) was mayor of Liverpool in 1779 and 1780 and had diverse
business interests. When Pudsey Dawson inherited the estate he already had a
town house in Liverpool and a country house in Bolton-by-Bowland, so only used
Langcliffe Hall as a shooting box. It is believed that on his death Langcliffe
Hall Estate (but not Marshfield) was sold by his son Pudsey II (1778-1859). This
Pudsey Dawson had been involved with a long court case involving the rightful
ownership of Hornby Castle, which was eventually won. It was he who renovated
Hornby castle and made it habitable for himself. He was also a founding Director
of the North West Railway and was recorded as cutting the first sod on 28th.
September 1848, then there was a 'bit of a do' for 150 guests (recorded in the
Diary of George Smith of Homby).
After Pudsey II's father died in
1816 Langcliffe Hall and estate was sold to the Swale family of Settle. Mrs.
Swale died in 1860 and Miss Elizabeth Hutton Dawson of Marshfield, Settle bought
the estate back for the Dawson family, re-uniting the Halton Gill and Langcliffe
Hall Estates, as she was the last surviving member of the Halton Gill branch of
the family and also cousin to Pudsey. Her three brothers, two sisters and an
uncle had all died childless. She had been living at Marshfield House in Settle
for many years, but had probably heard that the railway was to be built very
close to this house, so wanted to move out. Elizabeth embarked on a major
refurbishment of the Hall when she bought it, so may have inherited quite a lot
of money from her relatives, or alternatively may have obtained a very good
price for land compulsorily purchased by the railway builders, or both! She was
a great benefactor to several of the local churches and other good causes during
her lifetime.
The Hall probably originally had
small mullioned windows and none of the rooms are very large. It is not a
"grand" house as may have been built in other districts, but a modest
squire's house. The stable block and coach house were added in the 18th.
century. There was a major refurbishment to the house in c1860, when bay windows
were added to the front, other windows were altered and a kitchen and other
utilities added to the rear. The refurbishment also included internal features
such as the Library shelving.
Elizabeth died 1866 and left the
Hall to her cousin William Mosley Perfect Jnr. William had to change his name to
Dawson to enable him to inherit the Estate in 1869. He died unmarried in 1900
and the Hall then went to his sister Margaret Jane Perfect, who also had to
change her name to Dawson. She was also unmarried, so on her death in 1917 the
Hall was left to her nephew Geoffrey Robinson, though her unmarried sister
Katherine (known as Aunt Kitty) Perfect continued to live at Langcliffe Hall
until her death in 1934. Geoffrey also changed his name to Dawson to enable him
to inherit in 1917 at the age of 42.
George Geoffrey was born 25th.
October 1874 the eldest son of 'Colonel' George and Mary Robinson of Skipton. In
1851 'Colonel' Robinson was involved with the banking company of Messrs. Alcock,
Birkbeck & Co. at Settle, becoming Managing Director of the Craven Bank in
Skipton. He married Mary Perfect of Langcliffe Hall, third surviving daughter of
William Moseley Perfect Snr. banker of Pontefract and Solicitor in Blackburn.
Geoffrey spent his childhood at
Dynley House, Skipton until his father built 'Overdale' on the Skipton‑Bolton
Abbey Road. His nurse was a young Cumberland woman called Margaret Nicholson,
who later became Housekeeper at Langcliffe Hall. Geoffrey's brothers and sister
appear to have been less fortunate than he, three of them died early, while his
younger brother Ralph was afflicted with a terrible stammer.
The next major alterations to
the Hall were in 1936-38, after Aunt Kitty had died, when the front door was
moved from the south facing side to the west-facing side in the stable yard,
which had previously been the servants' entrance. The yard was also enlarged by
demolishing an old cottage and moving the southern wall forward by 20 feet. The
door on the south side of the house now leads straight into the gardens which
were redesigned at this time by Sir William Milner. A new "Servants'
Hall" was added at the eastern side of the house. Inside, the Oak hall was
enlarged by moving the wall to the left of the entrance, and the reduced room to
the left of that became a study for Geoffrey Dawson.
A telephone was installed and
some bathrooms were also added at this time. The previous driveway access,
which had come off the High Road between Settle and
Langcliffe and traversed the parkland, was removed, so, that the main
entrance was now straight off the main road.
Geoffrey Dawson was Editor of
The Times from 1910 till 1942 (with a short break between 1919 and 1922). This
brought him into close contact with the leading politicians of the day and he
was particularly influential in the 1930s at the time of the Abdication in 1936
and the lead-up to World War II. Though business frequently kept Geoffrey in
London his happier days were spent on his moors on the Langcliffe Hall Estate.
Geoffrey Dawson died in 1944 but
his widow Cecilia remained at Langcliffe Hall till her death in 1969, though she
also had a house in London. Michael Dawson, their son, inherited the property
then but he died unmarried in 1975. The property then passed to Michael's nephew
Robert Bell (who has not changed his name to inherit!).
In 1978 further alterations were
carried out when the Victorian kitchen and the 1938 extension were demolished.
The house has been a full-time home for Robert Bell and his family since 1988.
Recollections of Ina Hoggarth.
Ina came to Langcliffe Hall in
1927 aged 14 years to work as "House Parlourmaid" to Aunt Kitty
Perfect. She arrived at Settle Station from Sunderland to be met by William the
gardner with a pony and trap, but on not immediately seeing him caused much
merriment by asking a local which number tram went to Langcliffe.
The staff at Langcliffe Hall in 1927
Head Housekeeper - Mrs.
Nicholson (she had previously been nurse to the Robinson family).
Cook - Mrs. Thompson a Scottish lady
Young Kitchen Maid - shared a bedroom with Ina
Head Housemaid - Ena Davidson
Young Housemaid - Ina Hoggarth
Washerwoman - Mrs. Jackman
Head Gardener - William Kitchener
Assistant Gardener / boot boy - Herbert Hocking
Groom - Donald Green.
There was no electricity or
telephone in the Hall. Gaslight was used in the main house rooms, but servants
only had candles. There was no car, only a pony and trap. But when Geoffrey and
Cecilia Dawson came up from London to stay, they would be driven by his
chauffeur (Homer) and would also bring a parlour maid with them so the
servants’ hall was frequently busy with the staff of visiting guests.
During the 1930s there were many
distinguished visitors at the Hall particularly politicians, including Mr
Baldwin the Prime Minister; Lord Halifax the Foreign Secretary and his family
would come for riding holidays; Lord Trenchard the Air Minister would come for
shooting parties.
Sometimes a minister's "Red
Box" was sent up from Whitehall, London; it had to be brought to the hall
from Settle, with a policeman accompanying the postman!
Lord Halifax, a very tall man,
had been given a fancy green dressing gown by an Indian Prince. He gave it to
Cecilia Dawson who had it made into an Altar Cloth for Langcliffe Church, and it
is still in use today.
During the war the Hay family
(Cousins of Cecilia Dawson) moved into the Hall, complete with governess and
servants. There were also three evacuee children from Bradford.
Soldiers in transit regularly slept in the loft above the stables.