John Scarth, a “well-to-do” Bransdale farmer

A lovely view of St Nicholas Church appearing through a window in the autumnal canopy from a field near to Bransdale Mill where the National Trust are creating a wildflower meadow.

The little church at Cockayne was built about 1800¹, so it would have been very familiar to John Scarth, a well-to-do farmer who was a bit of a Bransdale character.

Scarth was born in 1834 in Bransdale and, in the 1861 census, was still living in the dale with Issac and Mary Scarth².

I assume Issac was his farther who was of sufficient standing to be appointed to a Grand Jury at the North-Riding Sessions³.

John Scarth followed in his father’s footsteps perhaps taking over the family farm. According to a 1865 newspaper report he was a local supporter of Liberal politics⁴.

In 1874 though, we begin to learn of Scarth’s less favourable traits. In that year he was host of a “pig-killing”, a local custom when a pig was killed and weighed, an excuse for conviviality and rejoicing. I’ve posted about this gathering before when Robert Johnson, the 70-year-old schoolmaster in Bransdale died in such circumstances that ladies were ordered out of the court because the evidence was so indecent.

Two years later Scarth was charged with indecently assaulting one of his female servants in the kitchen in front of his men, and then repeated the offence in the bedroom⁵. He counter accused the girl of stealing a watch which was found in her box. At the girl’s hearing, Scarth failed to appear, and her solicitor said he had proof that Scarth had put the watch in her box. Consequently, that charge was dismissed, with “the magistrates vehemently condemning the dastardly conduct of Scarth“⁶.

Scarth was eventually found guilty and sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment⁷.

But in the meantime , the following month Scarth was in court again, this time charged with poisoning with arsenic six calves belonging to his neighbour, Nicholas Barker. At this time Scarth was described as “being a man of property, owner of the farm on which he lives, and also of an estate in the neighbourhood“⁸.

At this latest trial, the prosecutor asked for an adjournment in order to call the analyst, and opposed bail on the grounds that the prisoner had threatened to shoot him — a loaded revolver had been found in his house. However bail was allowed for £1000, with two sureties of £300 each⁹¹⁰.

But this period of imprisonment did not deter Scarth from leading a quiet life. I have found three newspaper reports where he was charged with poaching¹¹¹²¹³.

So John Scarth — I feel I have only scratched the surface of this character of Bransdale and there is so much more to discover.

1
North York Moors Historic Environment Record (HER) No: 1170
2
‘John Scarth – Born in 1834 in Bransdale E S Yorkshire Farndale West Side – 1861 England & Wales Census’. 2022. Rootspoint.com <https://www.rootspoint.com/record/1861-UK-Census/John-Scarth-1834-Bransdale-E-S-Yorkshire-Farndale-West-Side/02718839-3555-453c-b926-5b5610c0028f/> [accessed 13 October 2022]
3
‘North-Riding Sessions. | Yorkshire Gazette | Saturday 12 April 1845 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000266/18450412/037/0007> [accessed 6 October 2022]
4
TO THE INDEPENDENT ELECTORS OF THE NORTH-RIDING OF YORKSHIRE | Yorkshire Gazette | Saturday 15 July 1865 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000266/18650715/115/0014> [accessed 6 October 2022]
5
‘District News’ (1876) Hull Packet, 11 Aug, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/BB3205982074/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=f575004e [accessed 23 Sep 2021].
6
‘EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A NORTH YORKSHIRE FARMER’ (1876) Northern Echo, 09 Sep, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/BA3200148537/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=cfff699c [accessed 23 Sep 2021].
7
‘QUARTER SESSIONS REPORTS’ (1877) York Herald, 04 Jan, 6+, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/R3211165763/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=e9041a6d [accessed 23 Sep 2021].
8
‘EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A NORTH YORKSHIRE FARMER’ (1876) Northern Echo, 09 Sep, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/BA3200148537/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=cfff699c [accessed 23 Sep 2021].
9
‘EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A NORTH YORKSHIRE FARMER’ (1876) Sheffield Independent, 15 Sep, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/R3212203351/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=4b3c421e [accessed 23 Sep 2021].
10
‘THE EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE AGAINST A NORTH YORKSHIRE FARMER’ (1876) Northern Echo, 21 Sep, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/BA3200148669/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=d590ee4e [accessed 23 Sep 2021].
11
Fond of Illicit Grouse Shooting. | Leeds Times | Saturday 31 August 1878 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000336/18780831/007/0003> [accessed 6 October 2022]
12
‘NORTH COUNTRY NEWS’ (1880) Northern Echo, 02 Feb, available: https://link-gale-com.ezproxy.is.ed.ac.uk/apps/doc/BA3200165209/GDCS?u=ed_itw&sid=bookmark-GDCS&xid=4fd88907 [accessed 23 Sep 2021].
13
‌Petty Sessions. | Yorkshire Gazette | Saturday 29 October 1881 | British Newspaper Archive’. 2022. Britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk <https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000266/18811029/025/0004> [accessed 6 October 2022]

Posted

13th October 2022

Bransdale, North York Moors

Fhithich

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19th-century

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2 responses to “John Scarth, a “well-to-do” Bransdale farmer”

I have been in Bransdale many times mostly volunteering with the National Trust … – Fhithich

9th January 2023

[…] In the late 18th-century, Low Elm House was owned by a George Petch, who sold it in 1780 to Isaac Scarth who farmed the property until the early 19th century5‘MNA144991 | National Trust Heritage Records’. 2015. Nationaltrust.org.uk <https://heritagerecords.nationaltrust.org.uk/HBSMR/MonRecord.aspx?uid=MNA144991> [accessed 9 January 2023]. Isaac Scarth was the father of John Scarth who was one of Bransdale’s most colourful characters, I have posted about him before. […]

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Tis the season for burning – Fhithich

19th January 2023

[…] do keep coming across the names Issac and John Scarth, see here and […]

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… on the North York Moors, or wherever I happen to be.

John Scarth, a “well-to-do” Bransdale farmer

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John Scarth, a “well-to-do” Bransdale farmer

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