The History of finningley
Taken from Edward Miller's - History and Antiquities of Doncaster, 1804
Finningley village is situated in Nottinghamshire, to which a considerable estate is annexed, the property of the Harvey family of Bedfordshire. The land is rather low but fertile, producing large crops, particularly of wheat and rapes. The Manor House is, at present, occupied by Thomas Cooke, Esq. a con of George Cooke-Yarborough, of Streetthorpe, Esq. (Editor's Note - Streetthorpe was the former name for Edenthorpe. The name was changed by the then owner of Steetthorpe, Baron Eden)
In the neighbourhood particularly, and indeed, in most parts of what are called the Levels in Hatfield Chase, vast quantities of trees are dug out of the boggy earth, they are cut into pales of a black colour and sold at Doncaster and other places to make fences for gardens etc., for which purpose, from their durability, they are of excellent use.
Mr Thoresby is of the opinion, "that these trees were natives of the place and cut down by the Romans; because the Britons, when defeated in battle, retired into such morasses and woods, and were secure, but continually making sallies out and retreats in again. By these sallies the Romans were so tormented that public orders were issued out for the destroying of all their woods. And it is observable, that the Emperor Severus, who died at York, is said, in a few years, to have lost 50,000 men in this work which was performed partly by fire and partly by axes cutting down such as remained. The burnt wood and fir cones, taken out of the mosses, have upon them evident marks of the tools, where they were hewed down, these, by there falling, occasioned the mosses by the stagnating of the waters and perpetual deterrations."
Francis, the father of Sir Martin Frobisher, resided at this place. The mother of Sir Martin, was daughter to Mr. Rogers of Everton. His grandfather William married Margaret, daughter of Matthew Boynton, of Barmston, Esq. His great grandfather, Francis, was recorder of Doncaster, married Christian, daughter of Sir Bryan Hastings, Knight, and purchased lands at Doncaster.
On 17th June 1881, the Doncaster Chronicle Newspaper described the Finningley estate as the most compact and important landed investment of freehold tenure , consisting of about 2418 acres. On 21st August 1903. following the death of George Spofforth Lister Esq. J.P. the late owner, the Doncaster Gazette Newspaper noted, 'the residence contains, on the ground floor, entrance hallway, bay-windowed dining room, drawing room with small recess leading into a small conservatory, morning room, billiard room, study, housekeeper's room, butler's pantry, butler's bedroom, servants' hall, kitchen and scullery, store rooms, with dairy and boot house outside, etc. There are twenty bed and dressing rooms, stabling for fourteen horses, coach house and well appointed out-offices.
Later, the Finningley estate was owned by the Parker-Rhodes family until the death of John Parker-Rhodes in 1943. His obituary in the Doncaster Chronicle, 7th January, 1943, said, 'He died at Honeywick Hill, Castle Carey, Somerset last Friday. He was the only surviving son of the late Frederick Parker-Rhodes, at one time senior partner in the firm of Parker-Rhodes Cockburn and Co. Solicitors of Rotherham, who lived for some years at Finningley Park. Mr Parker-Rhodes who was educated at Uppingham and Pembroke College, Cambridge, was a keen sportsman and a fellow of the Royal Zoological Society.
In March 1943, the Finningley Park Estate, comprising over 1505 acres, was sold for £45,000. Starting at £15,000 and rising in bids of £1000 and later £500, the estate was sold by auction as one lot, at the Woolpack Hotel in Doncaster to W. Elmhirst of Rotherham who was buying on behalf of a client. The 1505 acres included three farms, Finningley Park Hall and other lots. 600 acres of the estate, sold in the previous July had realised £30,000. Pevsner, 1959 wrote, 'The Georgian House of three bays and two and a half storeys now overlooks a desert of sand and gravel digging'. In subsequent years, Finningley Hall was demolished.
In the image gallery below, the site of the hall is marked with a red circle in the centre of the satellite view.
THE RECTORY
The Rectory, or Vicarage is of Georgian origin. In 1877, the Rev. G. Harvey Woodhouse noted that in 1842, the eastern portion of the Rectory began to give way. He also added: 'For its restoration my own plans were simple, but I was urged forward by the expectation that a member of the Harvey family was to be my successor, and a far larger house was eventually built that was desirable.'
During July, 1986, Eric Braim wrote in the Doncaster Civic Trust Newsletter No. 49: 'Our front cover is of the building which was until recently the Rectory, Finningley but which ceased to be the Rectory when a new one was built. This attractive Georgian building which has a large Victorian extension has recently been listed as Grade II.'
