Marrian Deeds

Mar D/1-214. Deeds to Thurcroft Hall, Laughton-en-le-Morthen, Yorkshire, property of the Marrian family.

These 7 bundles of deeds numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9 relate mainly to copyhold property in the manors of Laughton-en-le-Morthen and Slade Hooton, Yorks. Thurcroft itself appears to have been copyhold, though there are very few deeds relating to the capital messuage itself. The deeds do not appear to form a complete title to the estate.

<span class="wrapper"><p>ITEMS RELATING TO THE THURCROFT ESTATE DEPOSITED IN SHEFFIELD ARCHIVES BY WALKER &amp; SON OF BAWTRY, SOLICITORS:</p> <p>LD/1097 Tracing of plan and copy of particulars of sale of Thurcroft Hall Estate. 1863</p> <p>LD/1091 Bundle of papers relating to questions of copyhold in the Manor of Slade Hooton and applications to the Board of Agriculture. They relate mainly to the property of Marrian's trustees. c.1906-1909</p></span>

Thurcroft was at an early date in the possession of the Mirfin or Mirfield family. In the deeds here, William Mirfin's messuage in Thurcroft is mentioned in 1493. It continued in this family until 1644, when Robert Mirfield died without children, leaving a widow Margaret (née Ellis) who was his step-sister. She married secondly William Beckwith, whose family held property at Aldborough and Ripon. There is little in the deeds here to show exactly how Beckwith and his heirs acquired the Thurcroft estate; he is first mentioned as William Beckwith of Thurcroft, esquire, in 1653.

The Beckwiths continued at Thurcroft until the early years of the 19th century. The marriage of a later William Beckwith to Elizabeth Woodifield in 1714 brought the Manor of Trimdon in Co. Durham to the family. The last of the family to be 'of Thurcroft' apparently got into financial difficulties, raised what money he could on the Thurcroft estate and moved to Durham. When his son came of age in 1817 the estate was mortgaged for £10,000. It was not until 1841 that the last representative of the family surrendered the estate in the Manor Court of Laughton-en-le-Morthen and John Drabwell was admitted. The Drabwells were at Thurcroft only a very few years. The estate was later acquired by - Marrian and now belongs to the National Coal Board.