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I am posting a little bit of research I did in 2005 for the people who live at High Halstead. The house overlooks Swinden Water and Extwistle Hall.


I have managed to get together some details regarding your house “High Halstead” which I promised when I saw you last week.

The house, circa 1600 was originally owned by The Halsteds whose status was listed as yeomen gentlemen. They were an important family because the Parish Registers show that in the 17th Century they were allocated their own seat in Burnley Parish Church. I found in “The Division of Seates with the Chapel of Burneleye” that “the Halsteds” were allocated the fourth seat in the South side of the North Alley.

The oldest record I can find at the moment for High Halstead is a christening in the Burnley Parish Register. It is dated 20th July 1595 and states:

Christening of Agnes daughter of John Halsted de high Halsted.

John Halsted also had the following children baptised whilst living at High Halstead

Elizabeth: 4.2.1598

John: 11.12.1601

Robert: 1.11.1604

Thomas: 12.3.1606

William: 25.2.1609

I have included a document showing the sale of High Halstead 1st June 1641. It shows that Robert Halsted (probably the one shown above born in 1604) sells the house to Nicholas Parker for £440. Possibly he had fallen on hard times as selling the family home must have been a drastic measure.

On the same document we have the will of the above Nicholas Parker for 4th June 1661. He leaves High Halstead to his nephew John Parker.

The Parker family lived nearby at Extwistle Hall.

High Halstead probably stayed with the Parker family for several generations, being rented out to different tenants, as the enclosed document “Brooke of Norton Collection” shows High Halstead included in Harriot Brooke’s settlement when she was to marry Robert Towneley Parker of Cuerden in 1816. The Parker family left Extwistle Hall for Cuerden Hall after the tragic accident which killed Captain Robert Parker in March 1718.

The document shows that at this time (1816) the tenant of the house was James Smith.

Moving forward in time I am enclosing the 1881 Census which shows the Varley family in residence. Benjamin Varley , head of the household was a widow age 56. The family had moved there from Bolton by Bowland. Benjamin was a farmer of 150 acres, employing one man. Living with him are his children John, Hannah and William and a farm servant John T Baxter of Clitheroe.

I hope this information sheds a little light on your home’s history. If I discover any-thing else whilst doing my research I will let you know. It would be interesting to find out why Robert had to sell his ancestral home and what happened to him after that time.

Pollyanna
Is High Halstead the property on the right hand side as you get to the top of the Hill past Swinden Water Schoolhouse?
Was this the property that was converted into 2 or 3 seperate dwellings about 20 years ago?
Or am I thinking of a different property?

Yes you are right David. The very old house on the right. Two or three dwellings now.

Yes thought it was that one,I should know because when I lived at Proctor Cote they were converting them around that time.

I remember that being converted.
The Parkers and Halsteads married a few times---

Isabel Halstead married Henry Parker 26th July 1596
Jane Parker married John Halstead 13th Nov 1808
Elizabeth Parker married George Halstead no date for that one.

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Gloria

I'd be dangerous with a brain.

Hello everyone..
These 3 houses were apparently Halstead homesteads for eons....
I see we have an old photo of Jackwell House in the archives...but I would very much like to see a photo of the other 2., especially Rose Cottage....if David happens to be out for a stroll in those areas. No rush.....Spring would be fine.

Thanks, in advance.

Be a pleasure to take photos Sue,I drive past High Halstead regularly.Will try and select a reasonable day.

Hi. I have been doing my family tree for a couple of years now and have managed to get back to the Marsden/Brierfield area (just down the road from Briercliffe). The earliest I can get is a James H. Halstead b. Nov 1815 in Brierfield, son of a Robert Halstead & a Margaret, married Sarah Ingham b. Brierfield in 1815. I was intrigued to know if the name originates from "High Halstead" or if anyone can help me connect to earlier Halsteads in other peoples trees - one tree has a William Halstead going back to c 1300 whose grandson (b c 1414) lived at High Halstead. His brothers were William (1416 of Worsthorne) & John (1418 of Cockden).
Thanks for any leads anyone can give me, Andrew Halstead, Australia

Hi Andrew.
Have you ever managed to fnd James on a census? The only James I can find of the right age is married to a Sarah who is 10 years older than him.

I did find a baptism which may or may not belong to your tree:
Baptism: 24 Jun 1808 St Bartholomew, Colne, Lancashire, England
Mary Halstead - Dau of Robert Halstead & Margaret
Born: 19 Apr 1808
Abode: Sandhole
Occupation: Weaver
Register: Baptisms 1790 - 1812, Page 244, Entry 1
Source: LDS Film 1471024

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

Hi Maureen, Thanks for that - did you get this from OnLine Parish Clerks project for the County of Lancashire or do you have another source? I hadn't thought of looking for him in the census - seeing as they didn't start until 1837 I suppose he would have been in his fourties by then - good idea - I'll try it
Regards, Andrew

Yes, I got it from the opc site (http://www.lan-opc.org.uk). I've found that, if you can't find stuff through the "parishes in Lancashire" link, you can sometimes get a result through the "registers" link. Not altogether sure why but it's always worth checking both.

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Maureen
If you can't fight, wear a big 'at

ok thanks Maurine - I'll give that a go
Regards, Andrew