WEEK 42

Chapel Hill, Swinton

John Sharpley, born circa 1829 in Penistone, married Emily Crawshaw in 1873. Together, they had a very large family, issuing at least eighteen children. John was a farmer and in the 1880s, he and his family, moved to live and work in Swinton.

The Sharpley family had, over the years, to my knowledge, four businesses in Swinton; a farm at Chapel Hill, Church Street (Church Farm that dealt with dairy), Fitzwilliam Street (Manor Farm) and a butchery at Swinton Bridge. It may be that Chapel Hill Farm and Church Farm were one and the same farm.

Sons of John and Emily that followed into the faming business, were, James (who initially farmed at Wombwell, then Swinton’s Manor Farm and latterly at Elm Tree Farm, Hooton Roberts), Thomas (known as Tom) (Chapel Hill Farm), Ben (Church Farm), John (Chapel Hill Farm & Manor Farm) and Albert (who became a butcher). Their youngest son, Colin, may also have helped with the business although he died relatively young at the age of 23, but was living at Church Farm at the time of his death.

The farm at Chapel Hill, which included an orchard, was demolished when St Johns Road and Chapel Hill bungalows were constructed. At the time, Tom Sharpley was operating from here and following the construction of the new bungalows on St Johns Road, he resided at 9 Chapel Hill.