Swineshead

David Hiley married Dorothy Maud on 7th June 1720 at Halifax Parish Church. David was a weaver, Dorothy a spinster, and the couple were both from the township of Warley. David and Dorothy had three sons, Mark, James and David.

James and Mark both moved west from Warley along the Calder valley whilst David stayed in Warley. James was a webster (a weaver) and he married Martha Greenwood on 3rd October 1761 at Heptonstall. Their first child Mary was baptised later that year when the family were living in Castle, just east of Todmorden.

By the time of the baptism of  James and Martha's 4th child Bettey in 1768 the family were living in Swineshead New House on the road heading out of Walsden towards Lumbutts. They stayed there until James's death in 1795. 

Their address is given as Swineshead Cottage for Salley's baptism in 1772 and just Swineshead on the record of James's burial, and it is not clear which of the existing buildings they were living in at the time. Swineshead is now a listed building. Historic England describes it as built in the mid 17th century and then rebuilt in the early to mid 18th century.

The buildings at Swineshead:

The view down to Walsden from Swineshead

James's brother Mark had already made the journey west from Warley. Mark was a comber and he married Mary Law at Heptonstall on 26th March 1754. Their second child William was baptised while the couple were living at Swineshead Rough. The Rough is the land opposite Swineshead between Lumbutts Road and Langfield Moor.

The view from Swineshead across The Rough to Langfield Moor

The buildings at Swineshead, taken from The Rough looking towards Todmorden

'Top O' th' Rough'