Johnny Farndale

28 February 1724 to 24 January 1807

“Old Farndale of Kilton”

We can imagine how he might have looked

The patriarch of the Kilton Farndales, regaler of smuggler tales, alum merchant and farmer, of whom the Squire once said “When you are gone, there will never be such another Johnny Farndale”

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Old Farndale of Kilton

Old Johnny’s grandson, John Farndale wrote And now we come to our grandfather’s and father and mother, William and Mary Farndale, and their seven children’s birth place; farmers and merchants of wood, rods, coals, salting bacon; church people. And those premises are held by our youngest brother, held from generation to generation this two hundred years. Springing from this roof may be said to be forty Farndales of this last generation…..’

John Farndale’s grandfather, Johnny Farndale, was a farmer, alum house merchant, yeoman and cooper of the Kilton 1 Line, who came to be known as Old Farndale of Kilton.

He was baptised at Brotton on 28 February 1724, the son of John and Elizabeth Farndale.

He married Grace Simpson at Brotton on 16 April 1750. Grace was born in 1733. Therefore he was 25 and she was 17 when they married.

They had eight children, but their fifth, Sarah Farndale, died when she was only one year old. John Farndale was born in 1750, then George Farndale in 1753, Hannah Farndale in 1755, Elizabeth Farndale in 1755, William Farndale in 1760, Mary Farndale in 1761 and Grace Farndale in 1764.

By 1773 John Farndale was a tenant of Cragg Farm of 31 acres on the Wharton Estate for which he paid rent of £26, that is 17s an acre. He seems to have started to farm at Craggs Hill, where his descendants, the Craggs Line of Farndales later farmed, on the hill of Saxon ghosts.

John Farndale wrote that my Grandfather, who was a Kiltonian, employed many men at his alum house, and many a merry tale have I heard him tell of smugglers and their daring adventures and hair breadth escapes.

The church rate was a tax levied in each parish for the benefit of the parish church. The rates were used to meet the costs of services, repairing the fabric of the church and paying salaries. It was always a matter of common law, not statute. The compulsory levying of the church rate was abolished by the Compulsory Church Rate Abolition Act 1868, though it continued on a voluntary basis in many parishes.

In 1775 and again in 1776, Johnny paid Church Rates at Kilton of £1 2s 0d, when they were paid at the rate of 2d in the £ and 4d per house. In 1778 he paid £3 3s 0d and in 1779 £1 11s 0d, both years at the same rate.

John Farndale ran the church rates account and presented it in 1779. In 1784, 1789, 1791, 1792, 1795, 1796, 1797 & 1802 he was one of those approving the account

In 1780, he paid 2s 2d; in 1781, £4 5s 0d; in 1784, £6 9s 1d; in 1785, 4s 10d; in 1786, two payments of 10s 8d; in 1787, 10s 3d, all at the same rate.

In 1787 he was paid 15s for going to Hutton Buschell.

In 1788 he paid church rates of 6s 11d; in 1789, 3s 9d; and in 1790, 18s 5d.

In 1692 the British government instituted a scheme to increase revenue which came to be known as the land tax. The tax was administered locally. From 1780 to 1832, a copy of the Land Tax Assessment was placed in the quarter session records.

In the Land tax Assessments for Kilton the owner of the Wharton Estate was Miss Waugh and John Farndil paid £3 4s 0d in 1782, 1783 and 1784 and £5 3s 4d in 1785.

Grace Farndale, wife of John Farndale of Kilton, cooper was buried at Brotton on 5 May 1789. She was aged 56. She died on 3 May 1789. There is also a record of Grace, wife of John Farndale of Kilton, buried 5 May 1783. I think this must be the right Grace, but the date must be wrong as can be seen from the gravestone below.

Johnny’s grandson John Farndale narrated the Kilton of his grandfather, I see in the book recorded and registered in olden time, the names of farmers who once occupied this great farm [at Kilton] – R and W Jolly, M Young, R Mitchell; W Wood, J Harland, T Toas, J Readman, J Farndale, S Farndale, J and W Farndale, all these tenants once occupied this great farm; now blended into one. I remember what a muster at the Kilton rent days, twice a year, when dinner was provided for a quarter of a hundred tenants, Brotton, Moorsholm, Stanghoe, those paid their rents at Kilton; and were indeed belonging to the Kilton Court, kept here also, and the old matron proudly provided a rich plum pudding and roast beef; and the steward also a jolly punch bowl, for it was a pleasure to him to take the rents at Kilton, the day before Skelton rent day. The steward always called old J Farndale to the vice-chair, he being old, and the oldest tenant. Farndale’s was the most numerous family, and had lived on the estate for many ages. Kilton had many mechanics, and here we had a public house, a meeting house, two lodging houses, and a school house, to learn our ABCs, from which sprang two eminent school masters, who became extremely popular; we had a butcher’s shop, we had a London tailor and is apprentice, and eight other apprentices more; we had a rag merchant and a shop which sold song books, pins, needles, tape and thread; we had five sailors, two soldiers, two missionaries, besides a number of old people, aged 80, 90 and 100 years. But last, not least, Wm Tulley Esq., who took so much interest in the old castle – planted its orchard, bowling green, and made fish ponds, which were fed by a reservoir near the Park House, Kiltonthorpe, Kilton Lodge, together with all these improvements around the castle, which are now no more.

Then passing down Cattersty Creak, where many a cargo of smuggled goods have been delivered here, is a very choice place. The last I remember in this place is that Tom Webster strangled himself by carrying gin tubs round is neck. Once more I stand on Skinningrove duffy sands, where I have seen it crowded with wood and corf rods for the North by the said Wm and John Farndale. But what crowds of horses, men, and waggons, when the gin ship appeared in view. Our friends had no dealings with those Samaritan gin runners, yet they had great dealings at Skinningrove seaport, both in export and import, as well as supplying the hall of F Easterby Esq., with corn, wheat, oats, beans, butter, cheese, hams, potatoes &c, &c, and once, a year at Christmas – they balanced accounts, over a bottle of Hollands gin, and after eulogising each other, the squire would rise and say, “Johnny, when you are gone, there will never be such another Johnny Farndale”.

Here lived the King’s officer, in the high season of gin running, but I knew of few captures; he wished to live and die in peace, and the revenue received little from his services.

Near Skinnngrove are the Lofthouse iron mines, Messrs Pearse, lessees. Above is the grand iron bridge standing on twelve massive pillars, 178 feet high, which spans the cavern from the Kilton Estate to Liverton Estate, the first and grandest in all England. Lofthouse, and their long famed alum works, which has been the support of Lofthouse for ages gone, but now discontinued. How well I remember my school days when we faced all weather through Kilton Woods, and how I respected my masters – the Rev Wm Barrick, Mr Wm King, the great navigator, and Captain Napper, steward to the works. The popular Midsummer Lofthouse fair was the only fair we children were allowed to attend.

“Johnny,” said the Squire, balancing the books over a bottle of Holland’s Gin, “When you are gone, there will never be such another Johnny Farndale.”

Johnny Farndale seems to have moved to How Hill Farm also on the Wharton Estate at Kilton on 1791. This was just over 83 acres for which he paid £66 9s 8d in 1791.

Howe Hill is to the north of Kilton Hall on the road to Brotton.

John Farndale continued to pay his Church Rates at Kilton at the same rate as before, in 1791, £5 8s 2d; in 1792, £3 5s 2d; in 1793, 3s 3d; in 1794, £3 3s 1d; in 1795, £3 3s 1d; in 1796, 3s 4d; in 1797, 6s 1d; in 1798, 3s 4d; in 1799, 3s 4d; in 1800, 3s 3d, in 1801 an unknown sum; in 1802, 6s 7d, in 1803, 5s 9d.

John Farndale, signed the Kilton Overseers Accounts in 1796, 1797, 1798, 1800 and 1802. He was paid 2s 6d in 1802.

John Farndale, signed the Kilton Accounts for the Disbursement of money to the poor in 1795. He donated £3 7s 0d in 1798; £6 2s 11d in 1800; £11 14s 6d in 1801; £3 3s 4d in 1803; £3 3s 0d in 1804.

The Defence Acts of 1801 to 1805 were a series of acts that provided records relating to the nation's readiness for foreign invasion during a period of heightened national danger. These records provide more information than the 1801 census and offer a unique account of the nation's preparedness, including livestock and agricultural capacity. Roger Pearce edited a book titled Facing Invasion: Proceedings under the Defence Acts 1801–1805 that includes illustrations and charts.

Under the terms of the Defence Act of 1801 Parish Constables were required to put in returns showing what could be contributed to help in the defence of the Realm in the event of a French attack. Schedule 1 listed men between 15 and 60 who could fight; Schedule 2 listed equipment and schedule 3 listed those who could help in some other way.

John Farndale Senior of Kilton was listed as being able to provide 2 oxen; 11 cows; 11 young cattle and colts; 32 sheep and goats; 9 pigs; 1 riding horse; 4 draft horses; 2 wagons; 2 carts; 26 qtrs of wheat; 48 qtrs of oats; 2 qtrs of barley; 10 qtrs of beans and peas; 19 loads of hay; 25 loads of straw; 20 sacks of potatoes.

John Farndale, of Kilton Thorpe was buried in Brotton Old Churchyard on 27 January 1807. He was aged 83. He had lived for 18 years after the death of his wife and outlived four of his eight children.

His Memorial Stands in Old Brotton Churchyard: Erected to the Memory of John Farndale who died 24th January 1807 aged 83 years. Also Grace his wife who died 3rd May 1789 aged 56 years.

John Farndale, of Kilton Thorpe was buried in Brotton Old Churchyard on 27 January 1807. He was aged 83. He had lived for 18 years after the death of his wife and outlived four of his eight children.

The Will of John Farndale read:

In the Name of God Amen. I John Farndale, of Kilton in the County of York, yeoman, being weak in body but of sound disposition, memory and understanding, do this day, the twenty second day of January in the year of Our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seven, make, publish and ordain this my Last Will and Testament in the manner following. First, I give and bequeath unto my son John Farndale the sum of Thirteen pounds: also I give and bequeath unto my daughter Grace Francis, the wife of William Francis, the sum of Thirteen pounds: also I give and bequeath unto my said daughter Mary Franklin the sum of Thirteen pounds: and all the above said legacies shall be paid at the end of twelve months next after my decease. All the rest, residue and remainder of my money, goods, chattels and personal estate whatsoever as I may die possessed of after my just debts and funeral expenses are discharged, I give and bequeath unto my son William Farndale whom I likewise make and appoint my said son William Farndale sole executor of this my Last Will and Testament. In witness whereof I have to this Last Will and Testament set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.

Signed by John Farndale

Witnesses, William King, Ralph Newbigin

How does Johnny Farndale relate to the modern family?

John and Grace Farndale are the website author’s great x5 grandparents. They were central figures in the extended family at Kilton in the mid eighteenth century.

Those who trace their ancestry through the Kilton 1 Line are likely to be closely related to Johnny and Grace Farndale, and many well be directly descended from them.

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The webpage of John Farndale includes research notes, reference to sources and a chronology.