The Minor Family of Somerset

In what year Cliff Hill was acquired by samuel Kinge, the elder
, I am unableto say, but it must have been in his possession pr
ior to 1660, for, in that year, the Court rolls, on October 18th
, chronicle the surrender, or lease, ofthe estate to one Joshu
a Cockroft, of Ovenden, clothier. There is no evidence of him r
esiding here, nor can I find any particulars of the Kinges' sta
yhere during their 50 years pssession of it.
Samuel Kinge was assailed with a vicissitude of fortune during h
is tenure of Cliff Hill, which effected the sequestration of hi
s estate. It appears that business transactions had not beenwh
olly satisfactory with him, which resulted in the intereventio
n of creditors, and an enfilade of interrogatories; however, a
n amicable settlement ofall demands was ultimately arrived at
, and the old homestead duly embarked onanother cycle of its hi
story under the more quiescent rule of the Farrars.
A deed dated 20th September, 1701, informs us of the admittanc
e of William Kinge, jacob Chadwick, and George oldfield to clif
f Hill, on the surrender of Samuel Kinge and Mary, his wife.
William Kinge was uncle, I believe, to the said Samuel, and appe
ars to have acted as intermediary in the matter, which isexplai
ned in a document bearing date 27th May, 1702 an Indenture, whic
h recites numerous names including Samuel Lister, of Shibden hal
l, gent., RichardWitton of Wakefield, Esquire, Gregory Empson
, of elland, gent., James cockroft of London and several other L
ondon gentlemen, Thomas dunn, of Halifax, mercer, John Foster, o
f Heptonstall clothier, Richard Tattersall of Warley, yeoman, Jo
hn Murgatroyd of Newland, in Warley, yeoman, James Chadwick of W
arley, clothier, John Stansfield of sowerby, yeoman, George Oldf
ield of Warley, yeoman, William Kinge, of skircoat, yeoman, etc.
, etc., Creditors of Samuel Kings, now or late of Cliff Hill i
n Warley, clothier of the one part and John Farrar of Warley o
f the other part.
The Indenture sets forth that the said creditors had consented
, in case the said Samuel Kinge and Mary, his wife, wouldsell t
he Cliff Hill messuage to accept of the money arising by such sa
le in full payment and satisfaction of their several and respect
ive debts. And further recites, that the said John Farrar had o
ffered to purchase the messuage called the Cliff Hill, with tw
o barns, on dyehouse, and several closes of land callled by th
e names following viz:- The tenter Corft, The Schoolmaster Field
, the Long Field, the Wood Field, the Paddock Hill, the Lumb Ban
cke, The Turn Royle, the Astley, the Ing, also the Paddock and G
arden, with all theAppurtenances. the creditors accepted and J
ohn Farrar was placed in possesson, he being admitted to Cliff H
ill, 19th october 1702.