The History of Morley in the parish of Batley and West Riding of Yorkshire. ... With some account of Ardsley, Topcliffe ... and other places in the vicinity, also of remarkable occurrences in these parts, in the seventeenth century

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THE HISTORY OF MORLEY, AND ITS SURROUNDING VILLAGES. THE HISTORY OF MORLEY, IN THE PARISH OF BATLEY, AND WEST-RIDING OF YORKSHIRE; AND ESPECIALLY (3t tit <©ltr CJapel in tijat ©tllagr: WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF ARDSLEY, TOPCLIFFE, WOODCHURCH, BATLEY, HOWLEY-HALL, SOOTHILL- HALL, CARLINGHOW, BIRSTAL, USHER-HALL, ADWALTON, THE BATTLE OF ADWALTON MOOR, THE BATTLE OF DUNBAB, GILDERSOME, CHURWELL, COTTINGLEY, MIDDLETON, THORPE, AND OTHER PLACES IN THE VICINITY. ALSO, OF REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES IN THESE PARTS, IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. BY NORRISSON SCATCHERD, ESQ. "To abstract the mind from all local emotion would be impossible, if it were endeavoured— and would be foolish, if it were possible. Whatever withdraws us from the power of our senses ;— whatever makes the past, the distant, or the future predominate over the present, advances us in the dignity of thinking beings.

Far from me and from my friends be such frioid phUosophy, as would conduct us indifferent and unmoved over any yround which has been dignified by wisdom, bravery, or virtue. That man is little to be envied, whose patriot ism would not gain force upon the Plain of Marathon— or whose piety would not grow warm among the Ruins of Iona."— Dr. Johnson. LEEDS: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY J. HEATON, 7, BRIGGATE. m* MDCCCXXX. DEDICATION TO MY FAMILY. My dear Children, There is no delusion more common amongst men than the supposition that the events of past times, or such as themselves have witnessed, will be of little moment to their descendants, nor is there any delusion more provoking ; for, if there be one thing about which a more than ordinary curiosity is generally felt, it is respecting our ancestors, and especially such of them as have cut a conspicuous figure in the most interesting period of our annals.

Judge, then, of my regret at being left in the dark as to innumer able circumstances which our forefathers might have communicated, without cost or trouble to themselves, and which would have enabled me to present you with a well-connected narrative. Had the particulars alluded to transpired in an age of literature, like the present, when periodical Works of every kind are abundant, much of what is lost to me might have been recovered ; but, falling out otherwise, it happens that I can dedicate to you little more than a few scraps of our village history. The great error of the seventeenth century alas ! has been that of succeeding times. The men of those days appear to have at tached far more importance to matters of opinion, of speculation, and of fancy, than to matters of fact. Instead of communicating VI to us those particulars respecting their forefathers, themselw*--. their neighbours, and the state of society within their townships which would have been perused by future generations, they have left us little more than their thoughts upon polemical subjects, or metaphysical dissertations of some other kind.