how do I find out about Heysham Hall

[dianer]

Thank you for your message and very useful information about my ancester, Thomas Pennington.  I have him being born around 1751 and he died (at Barrow Greaves farm) in 1841.  I have had a look at Barrow Greaves from google maps and I visited Heysham a few years ago and was aware the land had been used to build a housing estate.  I think Thomas Pennington had occupied the Old Hall Inn but am not sure when took up the tennancy.  In view of his age when he died in 1841, he must have moved to Barrow Greaves when he was not able to look after himself.  The farm was occupied by one of his sons, William and he was the main beneficiary in Thomas's will.

Let me know if there is anything you would like to know about this family.  It is a while since i looked at family history but have quite a bit of information to hand.

Kind regards.

 

[John Holding]

Thank you Dianer.
According to the Tithe Schedule he was (an) occupier of the Old Hall in 1838. I am not certain whether at any one time there was more than one tenant; there seems to have been more than one in its early years. But the language used seems to imply mostly sole tenancy.
http://http://www.heyshamheritage.org.uk/html/higherheyshamoldhall.html#chancery
refers to an entry in the 1822 London Gazette. Joseph Procter is stated as tenant of the Old Hall and Thomas Pennington as 'of Heysham'. So the latter's tenancy would seem to start after 1822.
When he died the record is from Cockerham in which parish Barrow Greaves Farm seems to have been although much nearer Ellel; but it also states he was a Roman Catholic. This is interesting because the Old Hall has a significant Roman Catholic dimension. It is not absolutely clear who owned the Hall when it was built but the most likely ones are the Leyburne family who were devout catholics at a very difficult period in history for them. There are references to the discovery of priest holes in the structure when it was renovated in the 18th century.
Much remains to be discovered about the Old Hall particularly for the period from 1800-1850