History marked by new plaque

Barnburgh and Harlington History Group asked for the plaque at Barnburgh Hall to mark the family home of the Cresacre family and Sir Thomas More’s descendants.

The plaque was revealed on June 6 at the entrance of Barnburgh Hall Gardens which now stand in the grounds of the hall which was demolished in the 1960s.

History group founder member Peter Dawson spent 15 months carrying out research on the hall.

The Creasacre and More families lived at Barnburgh Hall for more than 600 years.

It is believed that the first building on the site was made of wood but later erections would have been of stone.

The Cresacres came over to England with William the Conqueror and were given lands at Barnburgh.

Sir Thomas More’s son John came to live at the hall after his father was beheaded by Henry VIII for refusing to agree to his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. The More family lived at the Hall until 1838 and it was sold in 1859.