The Minor Family of Somerset

from Memorials of an Ancient family.
P 13
Thomas Lyster or Lister of WestbyHall, guardian to the daughte
r of Christopher Lister of Medehoppe 1548 witness to the will o
f William Lister of the Park House, see p 164, 22 June 1566, own
ed lands in Thurston, Clitheroe, and Rimington. Buried at Gisbu
rne 20 March 1572/3 having married before 14 March 1540 Anne Kin
ge daughter of RichardKinge buried at Gisburne 6 Oct 1571 havin
g had issue.
p 112 Thomas Lysteror Lister Esq of Westby Hall or Arnoldbiggi
n york, Eldest son of Thomas and Lucy Lyster of Westby obtaine
d a lease of the Rectory of Gisburne "Late belonging to the Prio
ry of Staynefield, Co. Line from Henry VIII for 21 years in 153
8 G.D., Miles Clayton was plaintiff and Thomas Lyster and Anne h
is wife deforcieants in a fine re a messuage in Hopton, 18 Aug 1
544 (Lancs Feins). Thomas Lister was guardian to the daughter o
f "Christopher Lister" of Medehoppe,Esq 1548. In Nov 1556, "Wi
lliam Lyster of Myddhop"Co Yorks, sells to ThomasLyster of West
by Hall gentleman" his houses and lands in Arnoldsbigging. thoma
s Lister witnessed the will of "William Lyster of the Park Hous
e Gisburne" 1558 and was trustee to the will of "Anthony Lyster
" of the Styrke House 1566. Thomas m Anne King dau and co-hei
r of Richard King of King Cross near Halifax and of Bradford (ac
cording to the marriage settlement) who inherited the Manningah
m Estate at Bradford. She was buried at Gisburne 6 Oct 1571 hav
ing had issue besides Anthony, who married Alicia
N Park PHOTOGRAPHS][VILLAGEHISTORY]
Gisburne Park
Gisburne Park was built by the Lister family in the18th century
. Wild horneless white cattle grazed in the grounds of the Park
. In the 19th century the cattle
became tame and decreased in numbers to around seven or eight an
imals, these were kept on the estate and became more and more "i
n bred". Eventually only
bulls were born and the Gisburne "White Bulls" died out by 1859
. The two lodges at the entrance to the Park are of beautifu1 Go
thic architecture, richly
ornamented with figures and pinnacles carvedwith the greatest .
taste from designs of a former Lord Ribblesdale.
The public were allowed free access to the Park grounds until 18
80, when it was closed to visitors due to "continual disorderl
y behaviour by drunken "riff-raff".
The Lister Family
At the time of the DomesDay Survey, the manor of 'Ghisebum'wa
s part of the Percy fee. It was passed to the Abbot of Salley (S
awley) in 1224 and disposed of
by the King at the dissolution. In 1613 it passed to the Liste
r family. In 1797, on threat of invasion by Napoleon, Thomas Lis
terraised and equipped a troop of
cavalry and yeomanry, for his patriotism he wasmade Baron Ribbl
esdale of Gisburne Park. The Lister family once lived at Westb
y Hall on the Blacko Road.
Ribblesdales (See Historical Cuttings "Titanic")
The first Lord Ribblesdale is reputed to have planted over a mil
lion oaktrees in this stretch of the Ribble Valley; another Lor
d maintained Stags forhunting,
and the Fourth Lord always used to carry his stirrup leathers i
n his bag when he travelled, being too keen a horseman to risk b
orrowed leathers. King Edward
nicknamed the last Lord Ribblesdale 'the ancestor' because of hi
s dignified appearance.
The fourth Lord Ribblesdale had two sons, both werekilled in ac
tion, one in the Boer War and the other in the 1914-1918 conflic
t. Memorial tablets can be
found in the Ribblesdale Chapel in St Mary's Church. Part of th
e estate was sold in 1927 to cover death duties of the last Lor
d Ribblesdale who was survived
only by his two sisters. On their deaths in 1944, the remainin
g estate was sold.
The Hindley family became resident at Gisbune Park. One of the s
tained glass windows in the North side of the Church is dedicate
d to the late John Reginald
Hindley, and depicts the fact that hewas a great horseman.
I n October 1995, Gisburne