General History

Introduction

The information here is a very brief look at the development of the Furness area.  If you are interested in this topic then the reference books used will be a good place to start.  The changes from 5,500 BC to AD 1066 are dominated by our ability as a species to move from focusing on basic food and shelter to producing metal tools, settling in one place and working together to protect this lifestyle. The next 900 years has shown dramatic changes, for example - religious ideas influencing everyday life; a governance system where a King and Lords ruled, to a system where the people can influence the government; free education and healthcare; an infrastructure for travel; industrialisation that has given goods and services; fuel supplies via electricity and gas.  However, we are now in a situation where the majority of people do not understand how the goods are produced and how systems work, unlike our ancestors in the years BC. Also, we still have tendency to fight as a means of resolving disputes.  It is now in the hands of future generations to gain the knowledge and skills to survive.

Mixed Races

It is generally accepted that people migrated from the (European) Continent into Britain, beginning with the Stone Age and onwards until 1066, when the Norman conquest started to define who lived in this land.  The newcomers pushed the native races to the highlands of the north and west, where it was more difficult to survive. It was the gradual pressure of a more advanced civilisation on one less able to retaliate.  However, there came a time when more remote areas like Furness became a mixture of cultures because there was nowhere else to go.  There were groups still living a hunting, food gathering life while others were farming and had a reasonable standard of living.

Early Settlers

Prehistoric Cumbria

This covers the period from the end of the last ice age to the occupation of the Romans. The landscape gradually changed from ice-scoured rock and barren debris to mosses, lichens, grasses, shrubs and later trees.

By about 5500 BC the climate had improved and was able to support hunter gathering humans.  The coastal areas were the first to be populated, probably because the flints needed as cutting tools could be found in boulder clay and on the beaches. The flints were used to cut sinew and flesh, scrape skins and make bone harpoons.  Living by the sea gave food in the form of molluscs, fish, eggs and wild fowl.

In the area of Furness there is evidence of an increased level of clearances and settlements from 3850 - 900 BC. Stone and metal objects are regularly found when fields are ploughed.  There may be evidence of a lakeside settlement at Gleaston Mill.   Arrowheads, pottery and approximately half of the known polished stone axes in Cumbria have been found in Furness.  Perforated axe-hammers have been found along the low wet areas of the Bay, particularly in Egton with Newland. The light soil would have been easier to plough than the high ground inland.

Celtic people arrived approximately 300 BC.  They were technically more sophisticated, introduced an advance in mixed farming economy, in which horses were bred for riding and as draught animals and there was a degree of craftmanship in metal not known before.

Romans

The Roman legions entered Cumbria sometime after 71 AD headed for the Carlisle area and once they had this secure, they set about building a series of forts.  The nearest to Furness was at Ambleside. By AD 410 the Romans had decided to leave. The Christian gospel arrived with the Romans but it met with a mixed reception; there were some who carried on with pagan beliefs and some who converted.

Celtic People

By the end of 6^th century, the old Celtic traditions and language had re-asserted themselves and the Roman influence was over.  There was a common unity between the Cumbrian and Welsh Britons. A good example of this is in place and river names.

Anglian People

During the reign of Aethelfrith (AD 593 - 617), the two Anglian kingdoms of Bernicia and Deira were joined to form Northumbria. After the Battle of Chester AD 615, the Anglian forces split the union between the Welsh and Cumbrian Celtic people.  By the end of 7^th century, the Anglian people had moved west but they preferred the low lands for farming.  The Celts remained but occupied the higher rugged lands more suitable for sheep and goats.

Viking People

It is unlikely that the Vikings who landed on the east coast migrated to Furness.  However, in AD 895 there was a dispute between the King of Norway and some Vikings who were living in Scotland and the Isle of Man.  It is thought that some of the Vikings in the Isle of Man and Scotland fled to Cumbria and settled there as refugees.

The Start of a United Country

The Start of Land Ownership

Once people started to settle in the same place, they invested time, effort and cost in maintaining farms and the activities that supported them.  They would also produce surplus for sale. This way of life needed to be protected from thieves, so there was a basic understanding that a leader, or chief was needed to be in charge who could summon all the able bodied in the community to fight off any raids. This progressed to the leaders dividing up the area of England and having an overall leader i.e. a king.

Before 1066 an area called Eurvicscire included places that are now known as Lonsdale, Kendal, Cartmel and Furness. These lands belonged to an English noble Earl Tostig, the brother of King Harold.  The king was defeated at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and so the lands belonging to Tostig were seized by the new king, William 1 (William the Conqueror – coming from Normandy – in modern day France). 

Twenty years after the Battle of Hastings, William the Conqueror authorised a review of who owned land and how it was used. This was recorded in the Domesday Book. William 1 divided up the land between the Norman Lords who had fought with him in order to win England. William 1 summoned these Lords to meet with him approximately twice per year, in order to confirm his control and set taxes. The Lords then set about collecting taxes from the people who lived and worked on their allocated lands.  The taxes would have paid to fund the lifestyle of the ruling class and to pay for the costs of any current or future wars.

William 1 gave land which included Cartmel and Furness to Roger of Poitou who chose Lancaster as the site for a castle from which he could administer and defend his estates.  This was the beginning of the county of Lancashire and taking into account the route over Morecambe Bay sands, explains why Furness had a long-standing connection to this county.  In 1102 Roger of Poitou took part in a rebellion and as a result was stripped of his possessions.  Between 1107 and 1111, Henry 1 granted land now known as Aldingham to Michael le Fleming.  The rest of Furness and Walney was granted to Stephen, Count of Boulogne and Mortain, who later became King of England.  There is evidence that Furness now entered a period of improved prosperity for example the repair and rebuilding of churches.   

Furness Abbey

Norman Lords in England had been given large amounts of land, however some areas were not regarded as valuable, so they often gave this land to the church.  It is thought that they did this in order to win favour in the next life.  In 1127 Furness Abbey was founded by Benedictine monks but by 1148 it had changed to Cistercian, which was probably better for the area because they focused on agricultural activities rather than educational. Records show that the monks were very good at being landowners, farmers and merchants, trading from ships using Piel Island. Some Abbots were better managers than others.  After King Henry V111 broke with the church in Rome and made himself the Head of the Protestant Church of England, he started closing down the monasteries. In 1537 the deed of surrender was signed at Furness Abbey. The possessions were annexed to the Duchy of Lancaster in 1540.  During the time of the monastery there were periods of disturbances between Scotland and England which occasionally affected Furness. There were also political disputes that could usually be dealt with by the courts.

Changes in the Class System

Some people, who were not Norman Lords, were able to increase their wealth and chose to buy land.  These people would become the new gentry or middle class.  Norman Lords had originally built and lived in defensive castles.  As times became more settled, the Lords and the Gentry chose to build large houses that demonstrated their wealth.

A number of opportunities arose that allowed the appearance of the middle class.  Tenants were not allowed to cut down trees and create clearings, however if they did this action, they could pay a fine.   It was often more financially beneficial to pay the fine and carry on clearing the wood in order to grow crops, graze sheep and use the wood.  These new crops could then be sold as an extra income.  As products entered a supply chain the dealers or merchants could make money by giving an intermediate service e.g. transporting wool to a textile producer.  Some of the descendants of the Norman Lords got into debt and sold off parts of their estates to the new gentry.

As society became more complex with disputes to be settled, goods to be produced, bought and sold, some people made a living by being administrators and managers within the business world.  Education had started with the monasteries and churches because some of the people involved had to be able to read the holy books and copy them by hand.  In Furness Abbey there had been a school for local boys.  During the reign of Elizabeth 1, there was an increase in the number of Grammar Schools as education became valued by the middle classes, who could see the link between the ability to manage businesses and success. The growth of the gentry happened in Furness in line with the rest of the country.

Governing the Country

Parliament

The website below explains the history of the current Parliament from the birth in Anglo-Saxon times to the current situation with the House of Lords and the House of Commons.   In the time from the start to the present day there have been many wars, protests, and disputes between the people living in this land.  The struggles have been about a number of issues, including; money, power, control, religion, equality, perceptions of fairness and moral ideas.

Furness people were involved in all of these struggles, sometimes in the Civil Wars being part of the fighting forces but frequently being on the fringes of any turmoil.

Parliament living heritage

Land Ownership

In Furness, land ownership changed (along with the rest of the country) as opportunities arose and some people worked to make money and buy land from aristocracy.

“Feudalism meant that all land was held by the Monarch. Estates in land were granted to lords, who in turn parcelled out property to tenants. Tenants and lords had obligations of work, military service, and payment of taxation to those up the chain, and ultimately to the Crown. Most of the peasantry were bonded to their masters.

However, from 1348 everything changed as the Black Death swept through Europe, killing a third of the population. If landowners had themselves survived the plague, the peasants' labour on the land had become very scarce. Ironically, the surviving peasants were in a greater position of economic power, in claims or bargaining for wages. Feudalism began to break down. First, serfs could go undergo "commutation", where the lord simply agreed to accept money rents from tenants instead of labour services. This did not mean freedom itself, but abandoning forced labour and payments in kind to landlords meant the open evidence of servility was concealed.”

Reference: Wikipedia English Land Law

These changes started the increase in numbers of enterprising people who could start businesses, make money and buy land.  As mentioned in the section above, this group was known as the gentry. As national and global trade expanded, this new monied class of business men increased, but the economic and political importance of land was changing. They may have had a large house in the country but they also wanted to be near centres of business and industry. They valued other things like town houses with beautiful contents and a social lifestyle.  

From 1066 onwards a number of actions by governments have given opportunities for a range of people to acquire more land.  Today landowners include - aristocracy, gentry, corporate businesses, foreign investors, the government (MoD, Forestry Commission and government buildings), conservation charities, the church and individual home owners.  There have also been government actions to try to assist housing for individuals in schemes like council houses and helping young farmers get into business.

As house ownership became important for individuals, bankers and money lenders became an essential part of the economy. People may now consider themselves to be locked into a system of mortgages or rents.

The websites below give futher information.

Countryfile

Wikipedia

In Furness, there were a number of families who had risen to prominence and had an income from their own businesses and /or rents. Some notable ones were – Fells, Kennedys, Machells, Braddylls.  Their names have been used throughout the area for many public buildings, streets and public houses etc.

Social History

The Plague of 1631

The plague must have spread throughout Furness and there is a report by the parish clerk of Dalton that gives an idea of the devastation this caused.  He recorded that;

“Dalton was a small town inhabited by weavers, smiths, tailors, carpenters, shoe-makers, tanners, millers, maltsters, glovers, vendors of ale and wine, mantuamakers (gown-makers), butchers, wool-spinners, and many shepherds and husbandmen; 612 inhabitants in all.”  As the plague took lives, people tried to leave but they were prevented by the authorities posting men armed with clubs at the exits. The situation lasted for seven months and at the end 360 people had died.  The survivors purified their homes with frankincense, bitumen, myrrh, and sulphur.  They also burnt all their garments and bedding.  One person (who had come from outside the area) had tried to steal goods from the dead, so the authorities had the goods confiscated and burnt. He was expelled from the town but the local woman, not content with the judgement took the matter into their own hands and the record shows that the man -

“did not go off unrevenged by the hands of the woman, who having vigilantly watched the gates and roads, assaulted him with stones which severely wounded his head and then contended with crooked staffs.”

Elsewhere in Furness the death toll would have been equally high.  It was recorded that Walney lost 120 people – half of the population.

Markets and Fairs

In medieval times when communications were poor, the arrival of travelling merchants was welcome.  The occasions would bring people together in one central location and these places would be known as market towns. As well as the selling of items like clothes, furniture and provisions there would also be the opportunity for fun and entertainment.  The fairs could be celebrating an important religious festival and at the same time serve as an important social gathering. Dalton and Ulverston were important Market towns in the Furness area.

The Poor Law System

There has always been a need to support the people who were described as the deserving poor; they used to be grouped as those who are “sick, lame, old or lunatic.”  At the time of the monasteries this group of people could be helped by the monks. After the dissolution of the monasteries they were left to find ways of helping themselves, including begging.  Another group of people were described as “the problem of the sturdy beggar - rogues, vagabonds, or other idle vagrant and disorderly persons who were whole and mighty in body” and therefore considered capable of work.  This second group were the lowest paid workers who often became in difficulty when the living conditions changed e.g. the cost of living exceeded their income, food became scarce, civil wars changed employment options, or there was widespread sickness like the plague.

The Poor Law Acts In 1598 and 1601 were the first attempts at controlling the situation.  There were various changes and amendments until 1929.  Parishes, under the supervision of the justices, were supposed to manage the different actions.  The parishioners were supposed to pay for the funds needed, so they were determined to pay only for the poor from their own parish and not anyone from a different parish.  The people described as lunatic could be put in “a house of correction”; the people who were “whole and mighty in body” were put in workhouses where they had to work in return for food and shelter; and the “deserving poor” could petition for help.  This system was operated in the Furness area along with the rest of the country.

“In 1948 the Poor Law system was finally abolished with the introduction of the modern welfare state and the passing of the National Assistance Act.^[1] The National Health Service Act 1946 came into force in 1948 and created the modern day National Health Service.^[104]”

For further information see the website below

Wikipedia - English Poor Laws

Egton Parish Lands is a charity that has been established to help support people who live in the specific location and fulfill the required criteria.

Quakers

In 1652 George Fox the founder of the Quakers came to Furness. He was a travelling preacher who tried to convert people to a simpler way of life.  His message was that the individual should connect directly with God and live a life that delivered the message of the Bible.  As a result, it meant that the church and all its trappings were not needed.  This belief meant he was in direct conflict with many influential people and also ordinary churchgoers.  In Furness he met a mixed reception but in Ulverston he was given the protection of Judge Fell of Swarthmoor Hall.  The Judge died in 1658 and in 1669 his widow Margaret, married George Fox, so Swarthmoor Hall has since that date been a centre for the Quaker Movement.  In 1688 the Swarthmoor Meeting House was built to allow Quakers to practice their religion.

During the Industrial Revolution, Furness produced many enterprises that needed funding and managing.  There was a network of Quakers who were able and willing to take on these challenges.  They were recognized for their integrity in social and economic matters and were successful, in part, because people trusted them. The customers knew that Quakers felt a strong conviction to set a fair price for goods and not to haggle over costs. They also knew that Quakers were committed to quality work, and that what they produced would be worth the price.  The families of Rawlinson, Machell, Hall and Fell were all Quakers who helped to develop the iron trade and they had Quaker trading connections, for example to William Stout of Lancaster and Abraham Darby of Coalbrookdale.

For further information see the website below

Friends Academy

Travel

Roads

The roads were poor and difficult to use, being boggy and rutted by cart wheels.

“In 1555 the Highways Act made every parish responsible for the maintenance of its own roads and bridges. Every two years two parishioners were appointed surveyors of the highways, and under the superintendence of the justices of the peace, they had to see that all householders worked on the repair of the roads four days a year.”

(Ref A History of Lancashire)

This did not solve the problem and matters came to a head with the onset of the Industrial Revolution when large amounts of goods had to be transported across country. In 18^th century this was solved by a combination of turnpiking roads, widening and dredging rivers and constructing canals.  In 19^th century the railways were built and took over the requirement for long distant movement of goods.

In Furness, to reach Lancaster there was a choice of using the dangerous route over the Morecambe Bay sands (20 Miles) or taking the pack horse route between Ulverston to Kendal and then to Lancaster (40 Miles). In 1763 a turnpike road was constructed from Kendal, over Cartmel Fell, Newby Bridge, Greenodd, Arrad Foot to Ulverston. Trustees were appointed to repair the roads by using the money collected from the tolls.  They were made up of local landowners and industrialists who made the tolls in their favour by having certain goods exempt from payment.  In 1799 another Act was passed which allowed the increase in tolls and stated that there was no free traffic.

The roads have continued to be developed and today the A590 is the main route from the M6 motorway to Barrow, being maintained by the National Highways.

Morecambe Bay Sands

People have used the routes across the sands for many years when they decided to travel between Lancaster and Furness. Using the current place names, there are two stages that have to be taken, from Morecambe to Grange across the River Kent and from Flookburgh to Canal Foot, Ulverston across the River Leven / Crake.  There is a record of guides being in place since 1853 but they were probably available before this date.  The guide’s job currently is part time and paid out of a charitable trust.  Today they will take parties of walkers who are engaged in adventure and pleasure.  In olden times, the people were on foot or using a horse and carriage, in order to travel for many varied reasons.  The guides know how to recognise and avoid quicksand and understand how to work with the tides.

There are two main dangers;

• The tide comes in over a huge largely flat area, this allows it to advance at a speed faster than a man can run. Gullies fill up with sea water as the tide returns but it is not easy to see what is happening or to calculate the depth of the channel.
• Quicksand forms moving to different places depending on the flow of the rivers and the force of the sea. The quicksand is like jelly but if you step into it the sand sets like concrete around you.

Railways

The Furness Railway was laid in sections.  The first was opened in 1846 and by 1857 the line went from Lancaster to Barrow and up the coast beyond Millom.  This was an amazing feat of engineering because it required crossing the Kent and Leven estuaries towards the south and across the Duddon estuary to the north.  In 1863, the Furness Railway Company became linked to the development of Barrow Docks and it was hoped that a port would be built to rival Liverpool.  The railway was originally built to transport iron ore but as this industry declined there was an effort to turn the rail journey into a tourist industry.  Passengers did use the service but it did not pay for the expenses.  In 1923 railways were grouped and this line was transferred to London, Midland and Scottish Railway.

There is more information in the research articles – Greenodd and Plumpton.

Education

The website below explains the history of the Education system.  In ENMO parish the schools developed in line with the country-wide provision.  There were Sunday Schools attached to various churches.  In Penny Bridge, Broughton Beck, Haverthwaite and Ulverston there was primary school provision.  In Ulverston and Cartmel there is also secondary provision.  In the early days children walked to school, later there were buses and other transport to rural areas. 

When schooling started, there was no understanding regarding learning styles or learning challenges for example dyslexia.  This resulted in many children being classified as poor achievers when they actually needed other teaching methods, for example “learning by doing” or “visual learning.” This situation has now improved.

Wikipedia - History of Education

Farming

In Egton with Newland, Mansriggs and Osmotherley there were many small farms but in 17^th century they mainly provided food for the family and any surplus would be sold at local fairs.  The farmers would frequently take other work for example – iron smelting, weaving, also being sea captains or mariners.

In 18^th century farmers were able to work with local industries and take on carting goods like iron, charcoal and slate.  It is reported that the farmers in this area had only recently started using husbandry, for example draining and clearing land, putting manure and fertilizer on the land.  The crops were thought to have been better quality than the stock.  There was a practice of taking the tops off ash trees and using the wood to supplement hay when the grass supply was poor.

In 1801 the main landowners in Egton with Newland applied to enclose and sell off the common land.  Some land was reserved so that the income would pay towards the relief of the poor.  

At the beginning of the 19^th century machinery was gradually introduced to assist with farming, although horses were still in widespread use.  Iron tools were replacing wooden ones.  At the same time there were improvements in varieties of crops like grass, clover and turnips.  Lime and urine were used to fertilize the land but later guano was used and the quality of sheep and cattle stocks improved. As a result of the use of different methods and machinery there was less need for large numbers of farm labourers tied to a single place.  The workforce would become more independent and move around to work as required.

Industrialisation

Water Powered Mills

In the area of our parish (Egton with Newland, Mansriggs and Osmotherley - ENMO) the River Crake, streams and becks are described in the menu section named Water.  There is also an explanation of how the water power operated. 

Industrial water powered mills were in Spark Bridge and Penny Bridge using the river Crake.  There were mills and associated activities at Newland Bottom and Newland, using Newland Beck. In Rosside there was a mill, a forge and a bleach works all using the water in Barn Beck.

Iron

The production of Iron was carried out at Newland and is described in the Research Articles in that section.   A mixture of iron ore, charcoal and limestone was tipped into a furnace stack and heated with the help of air, blown into the bottom using water powered bellows.

There were other production sites outside of the ENMO parish.  In Furness there were a number of families who had risen to prominence who supported the development of the iron industry – Fells, Machells, Crossfields, Lathams, Knotts, Kennedys and Wilkinsons

Steel

In 1856 Henry Bessemer invented his method for converting iron into steel quickly and cheaply.  Furness Ore was very suitable because it had little phosphorus content.  In 1866 the Barrow Haematite Iron and Steel Company was formed.  By 1876 the plant was the largest ironworks and Bessemer plant in the world, and the production of steel rails was undertaken on a grand scale.

Miscellaneous

A number of industries were established in Greenodd and they are described in the Research Articles.

Additionally, in Barrow there were a range of other industries including – a paper mill, jute works, a steam corn mill, Fishers sea transport business, brick works, a salt works and shipbuilding.

Today, the largest employer is BAE systems constructing submarines.  There are a wide range of smaller businesses around the Furness area that reflect consumer needs.

References

There are many books in the Westmorland and Furness libraries and archives covering all aspects of local history.  The area of ENMO is frequently incorporated into specific topics, for example, water mills, iron industry and the Furness Railway.  However, there are some on-line history sites with interesting facts and a few local books - see Books and Appendices below.

Wikipedia
Internet

Appendices

Facts and figures specific to Egton with Newland, Mansriggs, Osmotherley are contained in the Appendices.