The Minor Family of Somerset

Temple recordsof proxy bapstisms
"Old Skircoat Homesteads", Halifax Antiquarian Society.
In 1582 Henry Mawde had sold to James Kinge, senior and James Ki
nge his son, of Willow Hall, in Skircoat a parcel of land calle
d Bullclose, inskircoat, conditionally that Janet Mawde, his wi
fe, should not claim dower in it.
In 1591 we meet with the sale by Henry Mawde of two closes in s
kircoat, called priestcarr and pighill, to Anthony Wade of the K
ing Cross.
In 1597too we find him Granting the right to work stone in a "d
elft or stone pitte"in a close called the lees, in Skircoat t
o Samuel Kinge.
It will have beennoticed by the various deeds quoted, what a la
rge number of the mawde familywere domiciled in Warley and Skir
coat. It would be an impossible task, I believe, to trace eac
h separate line to a common ancestry.
In regard to the last ransaction quoted, the Pighill (a name mea
ning a little paddock) came intothe possession of the Kinge fam
ily, in 1601 in the person of the above-namedSamuel Kinge, of L
ower Bairstow.
As we approach the end of the Mawde ownership of this ancient se
ttlement we find the old, old story of an old family gradually b
ecoming less influential and selling the lands of their father
s inorder to keep straight with the world. Henry Mawdew was un
doubtedly doing this at this period.
In 1608 Henry mawde of Trimmingham, leased Trimmingham to the af
oresaid Samuel King for a period of 12 years after the decease o
f thesaid Henry, and this was in all probability a mortgage tra
nsaction as is indicated by after proceedings.
Mr. Rolleston Edwards, of Pyenest, has kindly allowed me the us
e of an original document relating to a water course, of which t
he following is an abstract. it is an arbitration award, prbabl
y to save alaw-suit, dated July 28, 1620, and the parties to i
t are Samuel King and richard Waterhouse of Mereclugh Bottom:--
Certain suits and controversies are depending between the partie
s concerning an ancient spring or water course arising in a cert
ain corft on the West side of Trimmingham, which is claimed by R
ichard Waterhouse, as descending through four of the Trimmingha
m fields, called Upper Ing, lower Ing, Lees, and Upper Roides, a
nd from thens "in and through divers lands, grounds and highways
," into the lands of Mereclough Bottom.
The arbitrators in the matter are John Bairstow, or Brownhurst
, gent. JamesMurgatoryd of Murgatroyd. Rober Wittol of elland
, and John ramsden of Bowers.
The parties contract that Samuel King shall t all time turn th
e water into any part of his four closes without interruption fr
om Richard Waterhouse, but not into any other lands out of its a
ncient course, and shall permit the stream to run from the fou
r closes in that ancient course.
And if, in summer,the spring be so small that by reason of wate
ring the said four closes it will not run, then Samuel King is t
o put the water back into the ancient coursewithout any diversi
on whatever.
The witnessed to the documents are HumphreyDrake, Samuel Drak
e and Joseph Drake, and there is some elaborate scrollworkin th
e signatures.
Henry Mawd made his will on August 28th 1623 bequeathingto eac
h of his grand-daughters Mary and Elisabeth Bayley 5 pounds an
d to Grace their sister 6 pounds.
He mentions his daughter Mary Mawde, so the abovechildren mus
t have been by another daughter then deceased.
--"Item I give to Anthonie Maud, my kinsman, the sum of six penc
e in money in remembrance ofmy love unto him." The daughter Ma
ry, was appointed executrix, and the willproved July 15, 1624
In 1629 mary Mawde, then living in Northowram, released to Samue
l Kinge all her interest in Trimmingham, and that already wealth
y gentleman became the absolute owner.
In 1632 Samuel Kinge, the elder of Bairwtow, yeoman, Granted a
n annuity of 10 pounds out of Trimmingham in considerationof th
e marriage of his son james Kinge, and Ma