New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-19


Tho early history of Halifax sensational enough
for the most sangune appeltes In the present par
ish is Elland. place noted for one OF the most
bloodthrsty exhibitions OF passion and revenge
recorded and the scene Of n famous Ballad OF Sir
John Ellaud." The account Of this tragedy Is pub
lished in an old history of Halifax written over
century ago. 1t may be found in the appendix,
and Is thus announced:
REVENGE on REVENGE;
Historical Narrative Of the Trasical
Practices OF sir john
EILAND OF EIIANp
Committed upon the Persons of Sir
RoD-ri Beaumont aud MS
Alliance IN the reign
of Edward ILL.,, King OF England
The story of this feud is briefly this man
nausd Exley killed a relative OF Eani. who was
High Sheriff OF Yorkshire. To appease the right
cons wrath of Eland. Exley gave him piece of
land But Sir John VAS not satisfied and Lungered
for his ife Wherefore Exlev fled to his relative and
oneof Sir Johns neghbOrs Sir Robert Beaumont, OF
Crosand Hall. Then Sir John called together the
"men of Eland and set of for blood. IL was
more convenient for Sir John to begin with some
friend of the Beaumonts so lie dropped IN. on his
road to CrOsand Hall, on the Quarmbys OF Quarmby
Hall and on the l.oclv Gods of Lockwood Hall and
finding the owners in. h. cut of their heads. and
hurried on to the Besumonts'. drawbridge and Il
|
High Sheriff aud the men OF Elland but after a
abort resistance they entered Sir Roberts bed
chamber and in fifteen minutes aftcrward SIT
Roberts head lay IN one part and his body IN an
other Of the dining room floor. sir John and MS
followers then took refreshments, ordering the best
yletuals and wine in the late Sir Roberts house aud
generously invited the late knights two sons to join
In the carousa The younger dld. but the elder,
Adam declined to take part IN the festivities hav-
ing lost his appetite. Sir John was astonlshed at
this and remarked: SEQ how heinously that lad
doth take his fathers death and looks with irov
ing countenance as if he we're resolved &c take re-
! venge'
Then we are told that the young Qusrmbys, and
! the young Lockwood and the young Besumonis
went into training practising in all those eats OF
arms anu SIX then in vogue. After fifteen years had
elapsed they Que day Law in wait for the fiery nigh
| Sheriff IA he came from holding court, and not
| knowing them. Sir John couricodsly " doied his
! bonnet" whereupon the Beaumont party fell upon
! him and cut his head OF Determining to extirpate
the name OF Elard. they next waited on Sir John B
! son and rs he was coming from church with ms
! family, the BeaumOnts tho LockwOOds and too
| Ouarmbys sent All arrow through his head aud
through the heart OF his little son. aud there tho
male line of the GLANDS OF Elland persisted.
| Ouarmby and Lock wood were altcrward slam, but
feud illustrates the charae ter Of the old people Of
Halifax. and no wonder that from such beginnings
the man folk became strong III arms, not to say
| cruel in their treatment of criminals and oven OF
one another
| From Mayor Whitley also obtained the history
! of the old Gibbet law The leading woollcn men
of the town having loaned the King some money
| which the monarch was unable to return obtained
from him the night to deal with their cwn thieves
The result was that a felOE taken WITH stolen
goods on his person amounting to l3I2d., he was on
| conviction executed. Market days were set aside
for these popular treats. The instrument by which
these unhappy wretches were dispatched still eX-
isis at Halifax and there remains on Glbbet Hill
| "A SQUARE platform OF stone raised about four feet
above the level of the ground, and thirteen feet
broad ascenued by flight of stone steps, on which
were formerly placed two upright pieces Gf timber
fifteen feet hI gh joined by cross beam at the top
| within these was a square block of wood with an
! axe at the Il wnr eud, the wood being worked with
n rope and pulley, the axo descending with great
force upon the victims throat The city has fenced
| of what now remains OF this survival of the
earlier customs of Halifax. and the superintendent
of the water works. Mr.. Lambert takes great pleas
| ure in showing the old stone platform, now moss
grown with age, to curious visitors to his WORKS on
| G,hbet Hill The very earliest history of Halifax
| connects
| said: "The industry of the inhabitants is also
very surprising, who, possessing a soil which can
scarcely maintain them at ALL have carried on such
| a woollen manufacture fret established about
seventy years ago. to raise themselves great Tor
tunes and bear the prize from all their neigh 0ors
! Thus wrote Camden in the sixteenth century. Inc
woollen trade was first brought to Halifax iIom
| Rpon about the time OF Henry VI. and in 1908 no
| less than thirty-four fulling mills were IN this
parish.
| To-day Halifax has about 75.500 inhabitants
| and IN 1913 became Ia municipal borough; before
that 1T was under the jurisdiction OF the Duke OF
| Leeds. 1t glcries In a worshipul Mayor and a hne
Town Hall, which latter for size and beauty far ex-
| ceeds that OF Huddersield. 1t can boast also of
| the taliest police force in the Kingdom. The
thirsty arc quenched at 255 pablo houses and beer
shops one to POS OF the population. 1t has. am
| sorry to say, local debt of nearly $6.000000.
/ Halifax is to Bradford what Huddersield is to
Leeds. sort of subdivision of the same trade. so
that at the present trade lis not brisk. But aside
from the worsted proper, Halifax can boast of
| other important manufactures. 1t has one OF tn"