Manorley Hall, Buttershaw

Interesting History of the Tordoff Family

Manorley Hall is very pleasantly situated on the low side of the Bradford and Halifax highways and its notable dimensions have a south-east aspect facing Royds Hall woods.

It was built by the late Mr Thomas Bottomley, son of the late Mr James Bottomley of Farfield House, Buttershaw.

Manorley Hall is now the residence of Mr John Tordoff, the principal partner and managing director of the well-known firm of Messrs J & S Tordoff Limited, Devonshire Arms Brewery, Thornton Road, Bradford, which was established 50 years ago. The history of the Tordoff family is a most interesting one. The members of the Tordoff family about North Bierley, Shelf and Great Horton are the descendants of the "Tordoffs" who hailed from Scotland in 1745.

The were soldiers and followers of "Bonnie Prince Charlie," grandson of King James II, whose policy was to establish himself on the throne as the descendant of the Stuarts. They passed through Lancaster and Preston, and got to Derby, where they were defeated, and members of the Tordoff family escaped into Lancashire and Yorkshire.

The Yorkshire Tordoffs settled, as aforesaid, locally, and their descendants are located at Wibsey and adjoining villages. This tradition has been told to us by many branches of the Tordoff family.

Mr John Tordoff is the only son of the late Mr Squire Tordoff, of Spring Field House, Clayton Heights, and of the firm of Messrs Tordoff as aforenamed. Mr Tordoff died on January 7th 1903, and was interred at the Old Dolphin Wesleyan Chapel, Clayton Heights. He was the grandson of the late Mr Squire Tordoff, of Cock Royds Farm, Soper Lane, North Bierley.

The family of Tordoffs have been connected with the Old Dolphin Chapel at Clayton Heights for over 70 years, and have very generously supported it and have contributed largely to the erection of the new Sunday School near it. The aforesaid Mr John Tordoff laid the memorial stone in memory of his grandfather in 1892.

William Tordoff, the founder of the present Tordoff family, was a resident and native of Great Horton, residing in the early part of the last century at Upper Green, Great Horton. He was pressed into the militia in 1803, belonging to the 3rd West York Militia. During the early part of the last century, when the Napoleon wars were on, Mr Tordoff being married, he had to leave his wife and go with his regiment to do garrison duty at Edinburgh Castle to take the place of the regular troops who had been sent down below London to the coast. Mr Tordoff marched along with his regiment from Bradford to Edinburgh in stages. His wife, Mrs Tordoff, wishing to see her husband, went from Bradford to Edinburgh by the stage coach, meeting the coach at Leeds en route.

It took a week to go to Edinburgh, the expenses of the journey there including the coach fare being £7. During her visit to the castle Mrs Tordoff had a son born to her, the late Mr Squire Tordoff. After a time she returned home to Great Horton from Scotland by the stage wagon in easy stages, at the rate of 2 miles an hour. Mr William Tordoff, her husband, was an officer’s servant while stationed at Edinburgh Castle, his commanding officer being Colonel Pollard, a well-known Bradford man. He was so well pleased with the conduct of his servant that when the regiment returned to Bradford, Colonel Pollard inquired of Mr Tordoff what had been his occupation when he was "pressed" into the Militia. He told him that he had been a "collier" at Great Horton. He offered to give Mr Tordoff all the coal that was is his (Colonel Pollard’s) land at Fairweather Green, Allerton, for his attention to his duties, but Mr Tordoff told him he had worked on the coal at Fairweather Green, and that the coal was worthless. Colonel Pollard, on hearing this statement, rewarded him by giving him a handsome present in cash. When Mr Tordoff returned home to Great Horton he took the Cross Keys Inn, now called the Hare and Hounds Inn, at Horton Bank Top. He is interred in the Old Dolphin Chapel yard, Clayton Heights.

His son, the late Mr Squire Tordoff, senr., lived and farmed Cock Royds Farm, Soper Lane, North Bierley, for many years. He was in his younger days connected with coal-mining, in Great Horton and North Bierley. In sinking a pit at Wibsey, 50 years ago, he found an "Ancient British Canoe," made of wood, but what became of it we have not been able to discover. Mr Tordoff is also interred at the Old Dolphin.

The other members of the family now living are the sons of daughters of the above Mr S Tordoff, and who reside at - Mr Jonathan Tordoff and Mr Joshua Tordoff, Snape Farm, Horton Bank Top; Mr John Tordoff, Morecambe; Mrs Binns and Mrs Holroyd, Hollingwood Villas, Great Horton.

William Tordoff, while he kept the Hare and Hounds Inn at Horton Bank Top, went to York to vote in 1807, at the great county elections, when Yorkshire only returned two county members.

The poll was open 15 days, and all the public-houses were kept open day and night; the supporters of Lord Milton and Hon. Henry Lascelles were allowed to refresh themselves to their heart’s content. The following is a copy of an old hotel bill for that memorable election, which is a staggerer:-

Skip Bridge Inn. Mr Fletcher’s Bill against Mr Lascelles Election, 1807

The Results of the Election

It was computed that the Earl of Harewood, father of Mr Lascelles, and the Earl Fitzwilliam, father of Lord Milton, spent about half a million sterling on the contest on behalf of their sons.

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