Firbeck
Encyclopedia
Firbeck is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
in South Yorkshire
, England
, on the border with Nottinghamshire
. The name is said to derive from "Friebec", meaning a wooded stream. It lies between Maltby
and Oldcotes
, off the A634 and B6463 roads. The village has a pub, The Black Lion, church and the closed Private Parkhill Social Club. It has a population of 317.
An oval field in the village marks what was once the private racecourse of 18th century racehorse owner Anthony St Leger
, who originated the St. Leger Stakes
. While the first "St. Leger" race was held on Cantley Common in Doncaster
in 1776, and was not so named until over a year later, local legend holds that the race was being run in Firbeck prior to this.
Anthony St Leger's Park Hill estate in Firbeck also gave its name to a race in the Doncaster
calendar.
and writer
Henry Gally Knight
who is assumed to have been a principal information source for Walter Scott
during the writing of Ivanhoe
. Firbeck Hall was built in 1594 by William West, who made a fortune practising law and serving as an associate to Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
from 1580 to 1594. West was the author of a legal textbook called "Symbolaeographia." In his will of 1598, West stipulated that "a grave stone be set for me and my said wife in Firbeck Church, and ingraven with our arms and names and some posy."
stockbroker, Cyril Nicholson, opened the hall as a country club, investing £80,000 in its renovation. The interior was dramatically modernised and featured a mirror-walled ballroom and an elaborate and versatile state-of-the-art lighting system. There was also a heated outdoor swimming pool. Membership fees ranged from three to seven guinea
s, and the club was patronised by the likes of Amy Johnson
and the then Prince of Wales
. Such was the reputation of the club, that the BBC
transmitted its weekly Saturday show "Late Night Dance Music" with Henry Hall
, Carroll Gibbons
and Charlie Kunz
from Firbeck.
and the Royal Air Force
, with the adjacent aerodrome
becoming RAF Firbeck
. After the War, the building was bought by the Miners Welfare Commission for use as a rehabilitation centre for injured miners. This centre closed in 1984. It was purchased by Cambridge Construction. From then the Hall fell into a state of disrepair. Jason Cooper of Doncaster purchased Firbeck Hall and its 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) of grounds on July 6th 2010. Cooper has a history of restoring Country Homes in the Yorkshire area. He led the successful renovation of Loversall Hall in Doncaster in 1998.
by a Green Lady; believed to be the daughter of a former owner who drowned herself in the hall's lake when her Roundhead
lover was killed.
Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham
The Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. It is named for its largest town, Rotherham, but also spans the outlying towns of Maltby, Rawmarsh, Swinton, Wath-upon-Dearne, as well as a suburban and rural element composed of hills, escarpments and...
in South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, on the border with Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. The name is said to derive from "Friebec", meaning a wooded stream. It lies between Maltby
Maltby, South Yorkshire
Maltby is a town and civil parish of 17,247 inhabitants in the Metropolitan Borough of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, situated in a rural area about 7 miles east of Rotherham and 12 miles north-east of Sheffield...
and Oldcotes
Oldcotes
Oldcotes is a village in Nottinghamshire, England. It is in the civil parish of Styrrup with Oldcotes. The village is centred around the crossroads of the A60 and A634 roads, five miles south east of Maltby.The history of the village is long and varied...
, off the A634 and B6463 roads. The village has a pub, The Black Lion, church and the closed Private Parkhill Social Club. It has a population of 317.
An oval field in the village marks what was once the private racecourse of 18th century racehorse owner Anthony St Leger
Anthony St Leger (soldier)
Major-General Anthony St Leger was a successful soldier, a Member of Parliament for Grimsby, and the founder of the St. Leger Stakes horse race....
, who originated the St. Leger Stakes
St. Leger Stakes
The St. Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain which is open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a distance of 1 mile, 6 furlongs and 132 yards , and it is scheduled to take place each year in September.Established in 1776, the St. Leger...
. While the first "St. Leger" race was held on Cantley Common in Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
in 1776, and was not so named until over a year later, local legend holds that the race was being run in Firbeck prior to this.
Anthony St Leger's Park Hill estate in Firbeck also gave its name to a race in the Doncaster
Doncaster
Doncaster is a town in South Yorkshire, England, and the principal settlement of the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster. The town is about from Sheffield and is popularly referred to as "Donny"...
calendar.
Firbeck Hall
Firbeck Hall was formerly the home of 19th century architectArchitect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
Henry Gally Knight
Henry Gally Knight
Henry Gally Knight, FRS was an English M.P., traveller and writer.Henry Gally Knight was a country gentleman of Yorkshire, educated at Eton and Trinity Hall, Cambridge. He was the author of several Oriental tales, Ilderim, a Syrian Tale , Phrosyne, a Grecian Tale, and Alashtar, an Arabian Tale...
who is assumed to have been a principal information source for Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
during the writing of Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
. Firbeck Hall was built in 1594 by William West, who made a fortune practising law and serving as an associate to Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury
Gilbert Talbot, 7th Earl of Shrewsbury, 7th Earl of Waterford, KG was was a peer in the peerage of England.He was the eldest surviving son of George Talbot, 6th Earl of Shrewsbury, by the latter's first marriage to Gertrude Manners, daughter of the first Earl of Rutland.In 1568, Gilbert was...
from 1580 to 1594. West was the author of a legal textbook called "Symbolaeographia." In his will of 1598, West stipulated that "a grave stone be set for me and my said wife in Firbeck Church, and ingraven with our arms and names and some posy."
Country Club
In 1935, a SheffieldSheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
stockbroker, Cyril Nicholson, opened the hall as a country club, investing £80,000 in its renovation. The interior was dramatically modernised and featured a mirror-walled ballroom and an elaborate and versatile state-of-the-art lighting system. There was also a heated outdoor swimming pool. Membership fees ranged from three to seven guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
s, and the club was patronised by the likes of Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson
Amy Johnson CBE, was a pioneering English aviator. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, Johnson set numerous long-distance records during the 1930s...
and the then Prince of Wales
Edward VIII of the United Kingdom
Edward VIII was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth, and Emperor of India, from 20 January to 11 December 1936.Before his accession to the throne, Edward was Prince of Wales and Duke of Cornwall and Rothesay...
. Such was the reputation of the club, that the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
transmitted its weekly Saturday show "Late Night Dance Music" with Henry Hall
Henry Hall
Henry Hall may refer to:In politics and government:* Henry Hall, 4th Viscount Gage , British peer* Henry C. Hall , attorney and member of the Interstate Commerce Commission appointed by President Wilson...
, Carroll Gibbons
Carroll Gibbons
Carroll Gibbons was an American-born musician, bandleader and composer who made his career primarily in Britain. He was born and raised in Clinton, Massachusetts. In his late teens he travelled to London to study at the Royal Academy of Music...
and Charlie Kunz
Charlie Kunz
Charles Kunz was an American musician.Kunz was born in Allentown, Pennsylvania in 1896, the only son of a master baker who played the French horn. He made his debut aged six and made his first appearance as a prodigy aged seven...
from Firbeck.
World War II - Present Day
At the outbreak of the Second World War, the hall was used by Sheffield Royal InfirmarySheffield Royal Infirmary
The Royal Infirmary was a hospital in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. The establishment opened in 1792 under the name Sheffield General Infirmary, renamed Royal Infirmary in 1897 and closed in 1980....
and the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, with the adjacent aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
becoming RAF Firbeck
RAF Firbeck
RAF Firbeck was a Royal Air Force station near Firbeck, South Yorkshire, England. The station was opened in 1940 and was closed in 1945 during World War II.-References:*...
. After the War, the building was bought by the Miners Welfare Commission for use as a rehabilitation centre for injured miners. This centre closed in 1984. It was purchased by Cambridge Construction. From then the Hall fell into a state of disrepair. Jason Cooper of Doncaster purchased Firbeck Hall and its 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) of grounds on July 6th 2010. Cooper has a history of restoring Country Homes in the Yorkshire area. He led the successful renovation of Loversall Hall in Doncaster in 1998.
Ghosts
The hall is reputedly hauntedGhost
In traditional belief and fiction, a ghost is the soul or spirit of a deceased person or animal that can appear, in visible form or other manifestation, to the living. Descriptions of the apparition of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visible wispy shapes, to...
by a Green Lady; believed to be the daughter of a former owner who drowned herself in the hall's lake when her Roundhead
Roundhead
"Roundhead" was the nickname given to the supporters of the Parliament during the English Civil War. Also known as Parliamentarians, they fought against King Charles I and his supporters, the Cavaliers , who claimed absolute power and the divine right of kings...
lover was killed.