Selside seems to be the beginning, middle and end, playing an important role in the 200 Year story of the Morphets of Ribblesdale. A small hamlet between Settle and Ribblehead 3 miles beyond Horton –in-Ribblesdale in the Dales National Park and between the 3 peaks of Ingleborough, Whernside and Penyghent - near Alum Pot, a pothole visited by thousands of people since Victorian times. The Settle- Carlisle railway runs past and Selside had its own signalbox!
A group of 4 houses, 2 farms, a shant and a primary school (until the end of WW2) which was attended by generations of Morphets, their cousins and ancestors.
The shant stands on the village green, a tiny stone building, a door and a tiny window which through its history is known to have been a cobblers shop and a store but mostly was the meeting room- community centre. At Christmas it was cleaned up for parties and dances. No electricity – just a coal fire. The men in the district, young and old, would gather there and talk in the evenings, playing cards or dominoes. The Home guard used it in WW2
1800 Metcalfes
My story begins in 1800 when a Jane Metcalfe gave birth to a boy called William. He grew up in Selside ( no school then) until, in 1826, he married Hannah Marsden from Clapham. They set up home in Langcliffe where William was a Bootmaker, probablyhaving learnt the craft in The Shant! They had 10 children, the youngest being Margaret, born in 1846 at Stainforth.
1850
Soon they moved to a farm in Threshfield with four of her brothers and Jane and Hannah, her sisters. They all worked together and ran a small inn until their mother died around 1860. They then moved to The Old Hall, a larger inn with farmland. After leaving school Margaret continued to live at Old Hall helping run the inn and farmhouse.
Jane had a daughter Mary (Polly) in 1860 who they all helped to look after.
1860
Margaret and a local farmer’s son J B. fell in love and wanted to marry but were prevented from doing so by his parents. Margaret was pregnant and gave birth to a girl in 1868 naming her Annie Isabella . She was brought up by her grandfather at Old Hall, her mother later became Margaret Caton and had a second daughter Martha and a son Henry, living in the Skipton area. She died in 1879 aged 32. and is buried in the same grave as her father William and sister Jane in Linton churchyard.
Remember, William had 10 children so there were many uncles and aunts to visit. In 1885 Annie was called to housekeep for her cousin Robert Dawson (son of John) Metcalfe in Clapham who’s wife had died, leaving a young son Charles. They were also visited by her step-sister Martha and step-brother Henry at Lodge Bank. It was during this time Annie met a handsome James William Morphet who fell in love with her and they married in 1891.
1900 Morphets
J.W. was the only son of John and Alice Morphet of Chapel le Dale. They were farmers, increasing their profit by butchering and selling meat to the 1000 navvies and families living on their doorstep building the railway and viaduct at Ribblehead. Wishing to extend their land holding and provide a home for the newly weds John and Alice took over the tenancy of a larger farm- Nether Lodge - 2 miles from Ribblehead and, in the other direction, Selside. There were 2 houses , an old farmhouse and a newly built one which James and Annie had with their new baby John (Jack) Richard. b 1893.
Jane Metcalfe (Annies aunt from Threshfield who had helped to care for her as a child) came to housekeep for Alice and John in her retirement, dying there in 1914 and buried in Threshfield with her father and sister Margaret (Mother to Annie, Martha and Harry Caton). Inscription reads “William Metcalfe. Threshfield died January 15th 1881 aged 80. also daughter Margaret 1879 aged 32 and Jane Metcalfe 1914 aged 77 years”
Alice also died in 1914 leaving John a widower. His sister Elizabeth Nowell lived with her sons at Lodge Hall and were frequent visitors. Also, their only daughter Libby living nearby at Scale Farm, Horton-in-Ribblesdale and he shared his time between the two farms. Libby had married a farmer’s son from Selside, Arthur Wilcock, and had 2 sons John Robert and James William (she always insisted on both names being used).
1910
JW and Annie had 9 children, the last one Arthur dying of polio in 1910 aged 2 years.
They all attended Selside school walking daily across their meadows and streams, including the Ribble then up a lane, under the railway bridge to school. At school they met children of other farming families – the Redmaynes and Lunds of High and Low Birkwith who had a similar walk across fields and rickety bridges each day. The children living in the village Towlers, Lamberts and Wolfendens had the advantage of living near the school. During severe winter weather Annie would pack up some clothes and food and arrange for her children to stay with the Lamberts until the weather improved. Friendships would last a lifetime and in some cases lead to love and marriage, the schoolmistress was Mrs Sedgewick in 1914. The railway opened in 1876 it played a very important part in their lives. They would walk to Ribblehead station across very muddy ground, changing their boots for clean shoes before catching the train to Settle market. Many of their farm supplies would arrive by train and be collected by cart - coal, lime, cattlefood and even cattle themselves. Life was hard but help was plentiful both on the farm and in the house until 1914 when everything changed as men were sent to war and girls to the ammunition factories.
By this time three of the boys and 2 girls had left school so available to run the farm and dairy. Betsy was born in 1900, leaving school just as war was declared. She took up the popular habit of keeping a diary and continued until 1918 leaving us with a record of life at that time. She was particularly upset when her father had to take her favourite horse to Settle for the army to buy, as is graphically depicted in book and film “Warhorse”. It was during haytime they all had their first sighting of an aeroplane. She did her best to help by writing to friends who were at the front and knitting warm socks and scarves. Annie and JW were deeply religious and brought up their children in ways of the church even if they were unable to attend services regularly due to the distance.
They all attended classes and were confirmed in their teens. Hymn singing in the parlour was a usual Sunday evening family event. Sundays were spent reading or writing but no games or handicrafts. Most of their clothes were hand made so any spare time was taken up sewing or knitting – but not on Sundays.
Betsy gives the following entry for Friday March 19th 1915:
“Lovely day. I got churning done (butter) Me, Alice and Bertie walked to Horton station for 1 o’clock train (5 miles). Me and Bertie got confirmed. I had cream dress and veil. I went to altar with Bessie Jackson, Bertie went up with Bobbie Jackson. All snowdrifts to Horton- -went on wall tops sometimes. Service at Settle church.”
Transport from the farm was by pony and trap which would carry up to 4 adults+ children. This would be used by the parents or for travelling greater distances, especially visiting family members. A well remembered rare holiday September 5th – 11th. 1917 was taken by Jimmy, Alice and Betsy visiting relations in Threshfield and Ripon, returning through Wensleydale . They stopped at many friends en route for refreshment and to rest the horse.
We also read of a Whit weekend spent at Newby and Clapham with her parents revisiting Lodge Bank and the Metcalfes farming in the area. In those pre-war days most of the farms in Chapel-le-dale and Upper Ribblesdale were owned by Farrars of Ingleborough hall at Clapham. The estate agent was Claude Barton and he was responsible for finding tennats and collecting rents, making sure they were kept in good repair. Annie Isabella had a cousin William Metcalfe living at Clapdale Farm with a large family including daughters Annie and Edith. Annie born in 1883 married Thomas Newhouse and in the 1920’s the family moved to South House Farm Selside. Similarly a younger daughter Edith married William Shepherd and moved to Borrins farm Selside, also on the Farrar estate. Their children were at school with the Morphets from High Birkwith.
Annie was a good letter writer and kept in contact as much as possible with her many relations. Letters were delivered daily from Horton post office by a postman who walked the 4miles up to Selside delivering to all the outlying farms and railway cottages. His bag would be lighter as he left Selside across to Nether Lodge which was the end of his patch before turning back towards the Birkwiths and Old Ing then down to Horton via Scale and Newhouses on the eastern side of the dale. His route is still marked by footpaths, styles and gates in an area now walked by thousands of charity walkers doing the 3 peaks every year. A very beautiful walk on a fine day! Betsy mentions a young Mr Jimmy Caukeld as their postman, showing an older man the route – he had been injured and discharged from the army while Jimmy Caukeld had just received his calling-up papers and was preparing to go for training. In WW2 Jimmy was back on the rounds, still plodding the daily round. How many miles had he walked in those 25 years? He trained the local Home Guard in the evenings, using his army skills learnt in WW1. It wasn’t just letters he delivered but parcels and the all important supply of fresh yeast which was essential for the bread-making to feed all the farm men and children at each of those farms. News spread quickly too as Jimmy stopped for a quick cuppa – no need for internet ! Larger parcels were sent on the train and were left to be collected from the waiting room by horse and trap.
Annie was very hospitable and encouraged her friends and family who lived away to visit whenever they had free time. Many dales people moved to mill towns in Yorkshire and Lancashire to earn a living. These were smoky, crowded places and to escape to the dales for a weekend was a rare treat, so by cycle or train they arrived bearing small gifts of cloth or wool off-cuts from their looms. In exchange they received hospitality and a chance to walk in the peaceful countryside for a few hours. Haytime was a popular time to visit, during the towns wakes week the mills were closed and helping out in the hayfields was a way of “paying for their keep”. One young man arrived on his bike with a fonogram which provided entertainment and music for dancing. Family contacts in the towns were used to trade the cheese and butter made at the farm and distributed by train. Lambs were sold early September either taken to local sheep sales ie Gearstones or to dealers visiting the farm. Lambs in groups of 50 – 60 were driven by 2 men and sheepdogs along green lanes or moorland roads to an organised market and auctioned to lowland farmers who had better land where they could be fattened ready for slaughter.
Wool from the sheep was put in large hessian sacks and taken by special trucks on the railway to Bradford mills. This was an important revenue source and important for the country to clothe the army. Sheepdogs have always been important to farmers and Jimmy was a good trainer who enjoyed sheepdog trials- he won a silver cup at Sedburgh . Bert and Jimmy used horse- back for transport when possible. They would ride to Ingleton and leave their horse at an uncles farm, perhaps spend the night and catch a train to Sedburgh and meet up with friends and distant family members. Morphets continue trading there into the 21st century.
1920
Jack and Nellie had three children Martha, John and Arthur . Nellie longed to be nearer her parents in Hawes and also close to a school. Jack found a farm at Appersett and they moved in 1922. Jimmy married his childhood sweetheart Clara Wolfenden from Selside the same year and moved into High Birkwith. They also had three children, Robert Wolfenden, Alexander and Clara. Tragically their mother caught a fever when Clara was very young and she died in 1927. Baby Clara Annie was taken to Nether Lodge and cared for by her paternal grandparents and Aunty Annie (Nan) until 1944 when Annie married and Granny died. Clare left Settle Girls High School early to care for her Grandad until she went to Athol Crescent Domestic Science College in Edinburgh. Bert, Jean and Jim moved into Shaws in 1945 looking after Grandad until his death in 1949. They continued farming both farms until Jim and his wife Margaret Amelia retired in 1995 to live in Bowness-in- Windermere.
1930
Alice, Harry, Bert, Betsy and Willie were all married and James W and Annie both in their 60’s retired to “The Shaws” Selside. Bert and his new wife Jean lived at Hill Foot farm across the road. Clare was able to join her brothers at school in the village – no long morning walks for her! The school mistress was Miss Snowden from Haworth. She came by train on a Monday morning and lodged at the Railway cottages until Friday then went back home for the weekend. One summer she brought her best friend from Haworth for a short holiday to show her where she was working and introduce her to a gentleman who she intended to marry, Charles Towler, a local farmer and widower. While Alice was visiting she met Jimmy from High Birkwith who was looking after 2 little boys and running a farm with the help of housekeepers. They became friends and after several more visits and Jimmy had met her parents and family in Haworth they became engaged, marrying in October 1932. Alice had worked as a weaver and sung in the Baptist chapel choir, played tennis, watched her brother play cricket, —- she knew nothing about farming. She had to learn butter and cheese making, cooking on an open fire, use oil lamps and no flush toilet! But she soon learnt to drive a horse and trap, feed the hens and collect the eggs, preparing them for sale, skin a rabbit and cope with 2 little boys who accepted their new Mum and all the nice food she made them. In 1934 they had a baby sister, Shirley, who was a bit of a nuisance at times but they learnt to care for her too.
Robert was a studious boy and passed his entrance exams for Giggleswick school in 1935. He hoped to study veterinary science at university but when war was declared he was invited to live with his uncle Jack and aunty Alice Fawcett at Pry House farm Hawes. They had no sons and wanted to teach him the business of farming and save him or Alex being called up for war service, agriculture being a reserved occupation for 1 son per farm. Alice had studied dairy work at Leeds during WW1 and Jack had experience in estate and auction management. Sadly Alice died in 1942 and when the war ended Robert decided to return to help his father and Alex at Birkwith. Alex never wanted to do anything other than care for his sheep and dogs and enjoy the company of his local friends. He eventually took over the farm and bringing up his family there until his death in 2015 at the age of 90yrs. He is buried on his favourite pasture Overgrounds, where he and Robert played as children. The ashes of Jimmy and Alice are scattered on the side of the ghyll behind the house where red sycamores glow in May.
They took on the tenancy of Cosh Farm which was a mainly moorland farm going over to Littondale. They were able to increase their sheep and cattle stock and soon able to buy both farms. Another family member lived at Cosh as hind. His name was Morphet Wood, brother to Jim Wood at Old Ing and cousin to James W. at Selside . The land is now farmed by David and Richard, Alex’s sons. His daughter Sandra and her husband David Ireton with son Alexander live at Chapel le Dale back where the Morphets farmed for centuries. Sandra shares her fathers love of sheep and was a successful breeder. She gained a degree at the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester and now teaches aspiring young farmers at Penrith.
The dales are criss-crossed by a network of drove roads and old coaching routes. High Birkwith was a grange for FURNESS abbey on a coachroad from Lancaster to Durham. The route came over from Clapham to Selside crossing the Ribble into Drain Mires, up past Low Birkwith. They would change their horses and have a meal at High Birkwith before continuing their journey over to Greenfield and into Wensleydale. There was also a road over Ling Ghyll to join the Roman road on Cam End over to Bainbridge. These routes would be used by monks coming from the abbey to control the tenants, collect the tythes and arrange shipment of wool to the coast. We now have the Pennine Bridlepath bringing walkers, cyclists and horseriders across the new Dalesbarn bridge over the Ribble.
In 1932 the new owners of Nether Lodge (W.S.Booth) and Lodge Hall (Chris Mason) combined with auctioneer Richard Turner to start a sheep sale at Lodge Hall, close to Ribblehead station from where the lambs could be shipped to their new homes. Railway staff were specially trained to handle sheep and cattle, how to secure them in the wagons, feed and water in transit and herd them into pens. This was the foundation of Ribblehead Annual Sheep sale which was held in the approach road to the station.
Farmers from all the surrounding hill farms walked 1000s of lambs for sale, they held in wooden pens set up especially for the occasion. The logistics was fantastic – keeping the lambs under control and avoiding mixing with the flock in front waiting to be penned! On such a day one could only guess how many of those farmers were descended from drovers coming from the Scottish borders with herds of cattle and sheep to sell at Malham Fair. Did some of them see the possibility of a more settled life style in the dales? They have certainly inherited the droving skills from someone.
Ribblehead lamb sale was held for 50 years by which time movement by road in large special sheep-carriers was more convenient and modern auction-marts could cope with the annual influx.
Which brings our story in full circle. From Selside (when our branch of the enormous Metcalfe clan began) via Stainforth, Threshfield Ingleton and Nether Lodge back to Selside (and almost Litton where the Morphet story began in 1692). The last Morphet left Selside when Jim sold up and retired in 1996 to live in Bowness in Windermere.
The school closed soon after Shirley went to Settle Girls High School in 1944 and all children attending Horton School were picked up from home by taxi. Shirley graduated from Bradford as a Pharmaceutical Chemist and worked with her husband Frank in their own pharmacy until 1991. After retiring they set up an Age Concern Day Centre in Chalgrove and helped in the administration for 15 years before moving back to the dales to refresh family ties and visit old haunts. She was awarded the MBE for her work in the community of Chalgrove in 2005. Their son Nigel and daughter Annette enjoyed introducing their children to the dales when visiting Redmire and climbed Penyghent, Ingleborough and Whernside as well as Penn Hill. Ill health caused Frank and Shirley to move back to Oxford into sheltered accommodation in late 2014 nearer their family who can now visit regularly.
The railway is still open, but in a much reduced capacity – but I have just seen (on TV) the restored Flying Scotsman pass over Ribblehead viaduct ( March 2016) What an amazing sight! Some claim it is the most picturesque rail journey in the country – who am I to disagree!