David Hiley 1700-1767 (Part 4 - Burial in Luddenden)

David's body was brought back from Morton Beck and buried at St Mary's Church in Luddenden with his wife Dorothy who had died 34 years earlier.

St Mary's Church, Luddenden

There is a record of the inscription on the gravestone of David and Dorothy:

Here lieth the Body

of Dorothy the wife

of David Hiley of

Warley who depart

ed this life the (13?)th

day of January Anno

Domini 1733 in the

51: year of her Age.

Also the abovesaid

David Highley who

departed this Life

the 4th Day of Au

gust 1767 in the 68th

Year of his Age.

The grave was in the yard south of the church but there is no sign of it today. We know that some gravestones have been moved and areas grassed over and some have simply been lost over the years. Some have been stolen and used for building purposes, and some have been broken or damaged and removed. It is thought that for most burials the flat slab was the usual graveyard monument.

There were many Hileys/Highleys buried at Luddenden but only a handful of their gravestones can now be seen. Although none of David and Dorothy's 3 children stayed in Warley a number of the descendants of their son David were buried at Luddenden. Many of those buried were descendants of James, son of Henry, who was born in 1694, and some were descendants of Michael, born in 1692. At the moment it is not possible to confirm the relationship between David, James and Michael.

St Mary's Church, Luddenden

St Mary's Church in Luddenden has been in existence since the late 15th century. It was rebuilt in 1600 and then demolished in 1814.

Consecration of the church took place in 1624. This meant that it became a 'parochial chapel' rather than a 'chapel of ease' and so baptisms, weddings and burials could be carried out.

The present church was re-opened in 1817. A new chancel was added in 1866 and the church extended in 1910.

Stoddart's Old Halifax Series No 2
With thanks to Calderdale Libraries
http://www.calderdale.gov.uk/wtw/

Photo taken in 2017

There are a number of baptisms and burials recorded for Hileys and Highleys (and some Hyleys) at Luddenden, and a small number of Hiley marriages.

The first recorded Hiley baptism was that of Martha, daughter of James Hiley of Warley, on 21st March 1668. The first recorded Hiley burial took place the following year on 17th October when Sarah Hiley was buried.

There were four Hiley marriages recorded at Luddenden. The first one was the first recorded marriage at the church and was between Henry Hiley and Mary Swaine on 1st May 1661. Henry was living at the Hileley (Hiley) messuage at the time and went to live at nearby Hathershelf with Mary. These were properties just off Sowerby Lane on the hillside above Luddendenfoot in the Upper Calder Valley.

Marriage of Henry Hiley and Mary Swaine
(with the permission of West Yorkshire Archive Service)
www.wyjs.org.uk/archives

The other marriages at Luddenden were between Henry Hiley and Sarah Cockcroft in 1691 and Henry Hiley and Sarah Bedford in 1707 (most likely the same Henry), and between Deborah Hiley and Michael Oldfield in 1714. Deborah was the daughter of Henry and Sarah Cockcroft.

The churchyard was closed for burials in 1853 and a public cemetery over the other side of the river was opened in 1860. The earliest surviving gravestone is dated 1625. Research is continuing to establish whether there are any remaining gravestones which bear the Hiley/Highley surname.

High Lee today

Below are some recent photos of High Lee and the surrounding area. Part of the property is now a Care Home and part private residences.

High Lee taken from Sowerby Lane

Looking from Hathershelf across to High Lee Green. In the distance on the left is the Warley hillside across the Calder valley

From above Luddendenfoot on the Warley hillside 

looking west across the Calder valley

From behind the cricket field of Luddendenfoot C.C.

The buildings at High Lee

Glossary of items listed in Henry Hyley's Inventory

A glossary of some of the items listed in Henry Hyley's Inventory:

(see the last 2 blogs)

The Inventory of Henry Hyley (part 2)

Last week's blog showed the Inventory of Henry Hyley's belongings, produced after his death in 1732/3. A transcription of the items is shown below. The next blog will give explanations of some of these items. Underlined are the 7 parts of his house where items were found.

An Inventory of the Goods and Chattels of Henry Hyley of Warley

Henry Hiley, a Weaver from Warley near Halifax, was buried on 22nd February 1732/3 in St Mary's Church, Luddenden. On 23rd February the following Inventory of his belongings was produced, valued and apprised by the four men shown at the end.

The next blogs will give a transcription of the Inventory and an explanation of some of the items.