SILVERDALE
Selredal, 1246; Syluerdale, 1292.
The hilly ground of Lindeth gradually falls away
to the north, and then there is another rise to
Castlebarrow, some 300 ft. above sea level, the
northern limit of Silverdale. This dale, going up
from the Cove on the coast of Morecambe Bay to
the eastern side of the township, joins a more extensive tract of level country extending from Leighton
Moss on the south to Silverdale Moss on the northern
boundary. On this side of the township are Challen
Hall and Hawes Water. (fn. 1) Near Challen Hall is a
large boulder poised on another rock. On the
eastern boundary the land again reaches 200 ft. above
sea level. The area measures 1,168 acres (fn. 2) ; in 1901
the population was 582.
From the Cove a road goes east through the dale;
then, dividing, goes north-east towards Beetham and
south towards Carnforth. A branch of the latter
turns west along the Lindeth boundary, ascending
the hill, and then goes north to join the firstnamed road. From the Cove there is also a
road to Arnside. The roadsides are variegated by
ferns and many species of wild plants; there are
numerous plantations, and the whole district is very
picturesque.
Limestone underlies the surface soil everywhere
except in the Moss, which is clayey. Oats, barley,
turnips, &c., are grown. There are lime works and
quarries, and hematite ore is found.
The township has a parish council.
Hawes Tarn is said to have been the haunt of a
huge water serpent, which used to coil itself round a
neighbouring rock waiting to seize some unwary
sheep. At last it was killed, a pack of wool being
found in one of its hollow teeth.
Manor
SILVERDALE was originally, it would
seem, part of Yealand, (fn. 2) but was called a
manor in the 16th century. By the gift
of Henry de Redmayne and grant of the Prioress of
Farewell in Staffordshire one moiety, with appurtenances, fishery, saltcotes and iron mines, was granted
to Cartmel Priory. (fn. 4) After the Dissolution this
remained with the Crown until 1605, when it was
sold to Edward Lord Zouche and others. (fn. 5) The other
moiety appears to have been acquired by the Crofts (fn. 6)
and to have passed, like Tewitfield, to the Washington
family. (fn. 7) Robert Washington in 1483 held lands, &c,
in Silverdale—no manor being mentioned—of the
king as duke by knight's service and the payment of
2½d. a year for castle ward. (fn. 8) Afterwards the estate,
or part of it, was held by Thomas Kitson and
Elizabeth his wife, who in 1569 sold a moiety of the
manor and various lands there to Thomas Bradley. (fn. 9)
He died in 1586 holding sixteen messuages, half a
windmill, &c, in Silverdale of the queen as of her
duchy by the twentieth part of a knight's fee. His
heir was a son William, aged thirteen. (fn. 10) William
Bradley died in 1605 holding similarly; his heir
was his son William, aged fifteen. (fn. 11) He held it in
1615, (fn. 12) but in 1635 William Atkinson and Alice his
wife sold it to William Wright. (fn. 13) No manor is
known at present, though Sir Maurice BromleyWilson, bart., of Dallam Tower, is sometimes called
lord of the manor.
In a dispute in 1595 Robert Kenney alleged that
in the manor of Silverdale were customary tenants
holding of the lord according to the ancient and laudable custom of tenant right, and he claimed a tenement accordingly under the will of a grandfather.
John Bisbrowne, the occupier, alleged that by the
custom of the manor anyone convicted of felony
forfeited his tenement absolutely; that Kenney had
burglariously broken into a mansion-house at Silverdale and taken a brass pot; and that in 1582 he was
convicted of the same, whereupon Thomas Bradley, a
justice of the peace and then lord of the manor, had
given the forfeited tenement to Bisbrowne. (fn. 14)
Richard Bellingham and Anne his wife in 1508
had an estate in Silverdale. (fn. 15) Lancelot Lawrence of
Yealand Redmayne died in 1534 holding lands, &c.,
in Silverdale by services unknown. (fn. 16) The estate
appears to have gone to the Middletons. (fn. 17) In 1678
Lady Anne Middleton and Elizabeth West, both
widows, of Silverdale were indicted of recusancy. (fn. 18)
There was a family surnamed Noble in Silverdale. (fn. 19)
In 1664 Thomas Hadwen owned an estate called
Redbridge, which in 1704 was sold to James Atkinson
the schoolmaster. William Atkinson in 1772 conveyed it to James Hoggart of Challen Hall, and he
left it in 1783 to his son George, Challen Hall going
to another son James. Hill House estate, formerly
owned by an Inman family, was in 1851 sold to John
Hughes of Manchester.
Church
Before the Reformation there was a
chapel at Silverdale described as a
chantry. (fn. 20) It does not seem to have had
any endowment, and probably ceased to be used
regularly after the Reformation. (fn. 21) During the Commonwealth period the ' poor inhabitants (were) forced
to hire a poor minister for 20 nobles per annum,' (fn. 22)
but a stipend of £40 was afterwards assigned to the
minister, Samuel Harrison, (fn. 23) out of the rectory of
Warton, belonging to the suppressed chapter of
Worcester. (fn. 24) This grant would cease at the Restoration, but in 1680 the chapel was built on the old
foundations, (fn. 25) and soon afterwards a schoolmastercurate seems to have been appointed. (fn. 26) The district
was described as 'bigoted to Quakerism.' (fn. 27) A
stipend of £3 3s. 4d. was given by the vicar and
others for reading prayers every Sunday afternoon,
and soon afterwards the Dean and chapter of Worcester, on increasing the vicar's stipend, required £5
to be given to maintain some kind of service at
Silverdale 'to keep out dissenters from entering upon
the said chapel.' (fn. 28) The vicar seems to have grudged
this payment to a curate, and preached there himself
once a month. (fn. 29) In 1738 Silverdale was 'supplied
by a curate; sermon and prayer there once a
month.' (fn. 30) Later an endowment was secured, and
from 1756 there seem to have been regular ministrations. (fn. 31) The chapel was rebuilt in 1 829. (fn. 32) A separate
district was assigned to it in 1871. (fn. 33) The present
church of St. John was built in 1886, the old one
being used as a mortuary chapel. The net annual
value is £297. (fn. 34) The vicars are nominated by the
vicars of Warton.
The following have been curates and vicars (fn. 35) :—
|
| 1756 | Francis Haygarth (fn. 36) |
| 1758 | Thomas Turner (fn. 37) |
| 1765 | Richard Bailey (fn. 38) |
| 1766 | Thomas Hest (fn. 39) |
| 1770 | William Geldart |
| 1807 | Richard Knagg (fn. 40) |
| 1820 | James Barns (fn. 41) |
| 1828 | Thomas Whinerey |
| 1837 | Thomas Smyth |
| 1850 | Alfred Hadfield, M.A. (fn. 42) (St. Mary Hall, Oxf.) |
| 1877 | John Lloyd Pain.M.A. (fn. 43) (Brasenose Coll., Oxf.) |
| 1893 | William Sleigh, B.A. (T.C.D.) |
A Wesleyan Methodist chapel was opened in 1859.