Where is / was The Gate, Bradfield?

[Richard Axe]

The index from Leader's Apprenticeship records has a John Sanderson, taylor of The Gate, Bradfield, as the father of an apprentice (indenture 1686 / Freedom 1695).

Any ideas on this one, please?

 

[Hopman]

It might be the road leading to the churchyard entrance. There is a sign on the wall calling it Towngate. Might this be it? There is a house nearby keeping watch on the church gates

[Richard Axe]

Interesting thought, Hopman. The only thing I've come across since I made the post is an Alamy stock photo of somewhere labelled Gate Head, Bradfield, which looks like it might be a 'gateway' between Yorkshire and Derbyshire - https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-bradfield-gate-head-which-is-the-highest-point-on-the-derwent-edge-82144609.html.

Bradfield was a large chapelry and there were related Sanderson families across there and Derbyshire (the Hope and Edale area in particular) but I would think the reference to The Gate would be as part of a community, particularly if the resident was a taylor. Your suggestion would seem to be a more likely option than Gate Head.

[Guest leksand]

This building was built well after the date in question but may offer clues to a possible answer. I'm not certain when it was built - 1835 is one suggestion as are earlier years of that century. It served as a pub named the Cross Daggers, but I've seen a reference to it being known as "Heaven's Gate", supposedly at an earlier date, owing to it's proximity to the church. There is, however, clear reference to a Cross Daggers in Bradfield at a date either prior to or very early in the existence of the building pictured. It's far from definite but perhaps this indicates an older building of similar function was there beforehand. Whether "Heaven's Gate" would have been acceptable for recording if it did exist in that era (maybe not?) and Gate was an acceptable reduction I don't know, so in summary a lot of ifs and one perhaps.

There is record of another pub called the Gate in the Oughtibridge area in the early 19th century. I have no idea how long it existed for prior to that or its precise location unfortunately, though it was probably on the Ecclesfield side of the river. There may be an outside chance it was around Middlewood (and hence Bradfield) though that is entirely speculative.

There's also Nether Gate and Upper Gate areas of Stannington, though I'm not aware of their dates of origin.

[RWills]

The house on the churchyard corner was for keeping watch for the 'resurrectionists'  or better known phrase -  the body snatchers.

[Heartshome]

On 10/09/2021 at 16:28, Richard Axe said:

The index from Leader's Apprenticeship records has a John Sanderson, taylor of The Gate, Bradfield, as the father of an apprentice (indenture 1686 / Freedom 1695).

Any ideas on this one, please?

 

Hia Richard. Old maps indicate that " GATE " was the area up off Burnt Hill Lane, left of Hagg Stones. Ok

[Richard Axe]

Thank you, Heartshome.

That suggests very strongly that this Sanderson branch will have been connected to the Midhope-Worrall grouping.

[Guest leksand]

On 04/10/2021 at 14:07, Richard Axe said:

Thank you, Heartshome.

That suggests very strongly that this Sanderson branch will have been connected to the Midhope-Worrall grouping.

That is a great find and I think it may have pinned my missing pub, and definitely gives greater direction for future research, so indeed, thankyou Heartshome!

It maybe worth retaining some level of caution, however. Perhaps Heartshome has access to some older maps, but the one I see "Gate" on dates from c1850. There is no definite article used for the farm buildings/small hamlet or the broader area signified. Is there any certainty it existed at the dates in question? (There does appear to be an alternative route to Oughtibridge, named Old Lane!) The same map also shows two "Gates" in Stannington, which may have numbered 1, 2 or 0 in the late 1600s. It seems quite likely, for reasons already discussed, that there would be some form of address in Bradfield proper bearing the name Gate too. Is there any indication in your source of whether parishes/chapelries were generally used for discrimination, or is there perhaps evidence of more specific addressing?

Obviously that particular piece of evidence fits the picture you presently have nicely, but there appears a fair possibility it may not be relevant at all. Have you looked at Bradfield archives to see if they have any corroborating evidence from closer to the time in question?

[Richard Axe]

Fair points, well made, leksand.

The Gate is listed as such in Leader's Apprenticeship lists so I don't know whether that was a direct transcript from the relevant cutlery records (another source of inquiry). There don't appear to be any older maps than around 1850 in the digital archives for Bradfield but I have an enquiry in with the archivist there.

Anyone looking at records for Sandersons / Saundersons of the area (Bradfield, Ecclesfield, Sheffield, Penistone, Hope & Edale et al.) will appreciate the complexities of trying to deduce individual lines within what may well be one family, or at worst a small handful of families, even though the name is not uncommon. In 1700 the name Stannington was not quite on the radar for parish records of the Sandersons - although it would be in the following twenty years. The Worrall area is well attested for family members in the 1600s and as such would be a better fit. You are quite correct to point out possible alternatives, however, as the findings above are very helpful but not conclusive towards one solution.

[Richard Axe]

Have received a helpful reply on this from the archivist at Bradfield. To paraphrase, he states that Gate does refer to the area around Burnt Hill Lane but that In older times the area right down towards the village of Oughtibridge was referred to as Gate, so the exact location in the 1690s might have covered a wider base than is now the case.