Marr, South Yorkshire
Encyclopedia
Marr is a village and civil parish
in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
in South Yorkshire
, England
. It has a population of 138. It was in the historical county
of the West Riding
and is listed in the Domesday Book
(Domesday Book 307d) complied in 1086 at the command of William the Conqueror at reference 307d. During feudal times, and even beyond, the manor was the basic administrative unit of the kingdom. The lord would be granted the land by a higher magnate in return for services - and that magnate would in turn receive his land from someone higher, all the way up to the king. Some manors were owned by abbeys, which were powerful landowners. It was not uncommon for someone to have several manors, in which case he would appoint a steward to look after his affairs on each manor. Each manorial title carried certain rights and privileges and as with other manorial titles Lord of the manor
, ownership could be inherited, transferred or bought and the current title of the Lordship of the Manor of Marr is held by Ewa Lucas Gardiner M.Sc., F.Coll.T..
Marr stands on the main road between Barnsley
and Doncaster
(A635 Barnsley Road) and also 5 minutes drive from the A1 (M) junction 37. Marr, although now mainly modern, does have a number of outstanding features; there remains an iron-age barrow at the junction of Barnburgh
, Marr and High Melton which can be seen through aerial photographs. Seventy Roman coins were found recently as evidence of the boundary line which Marr formed at Rickneild Street. The Gothic-style church of St Helens has original herringbone masonry, early Norman chancel and nave, 13th/14th century short spire tower, 15th stone-ribbed porch and font and the pulpit has fine medieval woodwork. The church also contains figures of John Lewis and wife dated from 1579 in Brass and pieces of funeral armour. There are two further buildings of note in the Marr Hall Farm. Parts of the farm buildings are original (1800's) and fairly unique, the Hall itself retains an Elizabethan/ Jacobean
west side with a semi-circular entrance porch. This building is now the farmhouse and has a Georgian style overall. The farm also maintains over 14 arched openings which would have been used for storage of carts, drays etc. The arches stand on solid stone piers and is thought to be have been designed by Charles Sabine Augustus Thellusson an Italian architect
who died in 1885.
The story of how Charles Thellusson (The Landed Gentry, Burke pages 598-600) gained control over the Brodsworth Estate (including the farm) is a saga in itself. The Thellusson family was involved in a long-running feud over inheritance money and Brodsworth Estates belonging originally to Peter Thellusson, a city merchant who died leaving the equivalent of £50 million in trust. The money was put aside to gather interest during his own lifetime and the lifetime of his sons and grandsons (who were living at the time of his own death) only to be divided up between his remaining male descendents when the last of his three sons/grandsons died. The will and its subsequent litigation case (brought by his family) was even referred to by Charles Dickens
in Bleak House
(Jarndyce v Jarndyce) such was the controversy.
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster
The Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster is a metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire in Yorkshire and the Humber Region of England.In addition to the town of Doncaster, the borough covers Mexborough, Conisbrough, Thorne and Finningley....
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...
. It has a population of 138. It was in the historical county
Historic counties of England
The historic counties of England are subdivisions of England established for administration by the Normans and in most cases based on earlier Anglo-Saxon kingdoms and shires...
of the West Riding
West Riding
West Riding could refer to:Areas:*West Riding of Yorkshire, England*West Riding of Lindsey in Lincolnshire, England*West Riding of County Cork, Ireland*West Riding of County Galway, IrelandTransport companies:*West Riding Automobile Company...
and is listed in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
(Domesday Book 307d) complied in 1086 at the command of William the Conqueror at reference 307d. During feudal times, and even beyond, the manor was the basic administrative unit of the kingdom. The lord would be granted the land by a higher magnate in return for services - and that magnate would in turn receive his land from someone higher, all the way up to the king. Some manors were owned by abbeys, which were powerful landowners. It was not uncommon for someone to have several manors, in which case he would appoint a steward to look after his affairs on each manor. Each manorial title carried certain rights and privileges and as with other manorial titles Lord of the manor
Lord of the Manor
The Lordship of a Manor is recognised today in England and Wales as a form of property and one of three elements of a manor that may exist separately or be combined and may be held in moieties...
, ownership could be inherited, transferred or bought and the current title of the Lordship of the Manor of Marr is held by Ewa Lucas Gardiner M.Sc., F.Coll.T..
Marr stands on the main road between Barnsley
Barnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
and 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"...
(A635 Barnsley Road) and also 5 minutes drive from the A1 (M) junction 37. Marr, although now mainly modern, does have a number of outstanding features; there remains an iron-age barrow at the junction of Barnburgh
Barnburgh
Barnburgh is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England. The village is adjacent to the village of Harlington - the parish contains both villages, and according to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,979...
, Marr and High Melton which can be seen through aerial photographs. Seventy Roman coins were found recently as evidence of the boundary line which Marr formed at Rickneild Street. The Gothic-style church of St Helens has original herringbone masonry, early Norman chancel and nave, 13th/14th century short spire tower, 15th stone-ribbed porch and font and the pulpit has fine medieval woodwork. The church also contains figures of John Lewis and wife dated from 1579 in Brass and pieces of funeral armour. There are two further buildings of note in the Marr Hall Farm. Parts of the farm buildings are original (1800's) and fairly unique, the Hall itself retains an Elizabethan/ Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
west side with a semi-circular entrance porch. This building is now the farmhouse and has a Georgian style overall. The farm also maintains over 14 arched openings which would have been used for storage of carts, drays etc. The arches stand on solid stone piers and is thought to be have been designed by Charles Sabine Augustus Thellusson an Italian architect
Architect
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...
who died in 1885.
The story of how Charles Thellusson (The Landed Gentry, Burke pages 598-600) gained control over the Brodsworth Estate (including the farm) is a saga in itself. The Thellusson family was involved in a long-running feud over inheritance money and Brodsworth Estates belonging originally to Peter Thellusson, a city merchant who died leaving the equivalent of £50 million in trust. The money was put aside to gather interest during his own lifetime and the lifetime of his sons and grandsons (who were living at the time of his own death) only to be divided up between his remaining male descendents when the last of his three sons/grandsons died. The will and its subsequent litigation case (brought by his family) was even referred to by Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
in Bleak House
Bleak House
Bleak House is the ninth novel by Charles Dickens, published in twenty monthly installments between March 1852 and September 1853. It is held to be one of Dickens's finest novels, containing one of the most vast, complex and engaging arrays of minor characters and sub-plots in his entire canon...
(Jarndyce v Jarndyce) such was the controversy.