Joseph Petyt

• General Notes
  • @NI596@
    The east wall of the Church, rebuilt in 1877 to a design by Joseph Petyt of Stank House, Bolton Abbey, the Duke of Devonshire's Land Agent.
    
    Joseph Petyt was born at Beamsley in 1825; he was the son of Christopher Petyt and his wife Elizabeth Moon.
    
    Christopher was a farmer and stonemason who in 1851 was employing 12 men. He must have been responsible for much of the building work in the area. He also specialised in monumental masonry and examples of his work can be seen in Bolton Priory graveyard. Joseph trained as a mason which was a skill he used later in life, he was also a farmer.
    
    In 1853 Joseph married Alice Read (1826-1889) at Bolton Abbey. They had three children,
    
    William who trained as an engineer and emigrated to America in the early 1880s, Thomas who died in 1858 aged three years and Emily.
    
    In 1861 Joseph was described as a Surveyor of Buildings, in 1871 as a farmer of 60 acres and by 1881 he was established at Stank House Farm, Bolton Abbey as a farmer and Agent to the Duke of Devonshire. In his capacity as Agent he would be responsible for the day to day management of the Bolton Abbey estate.
    
    In 1864 Bolton Abbey became a parish in its own right and in 1866 the seventh Duke of Devonshire employed George Street to make some changes to the layout of the church. One of Street's changes that was not accepted at the time was his suggestion that the two windows in the east wall should be removed and replaced with 'a lofty painted reredos'.
    In 1877 it was decided to remove the windows and the wall was taken down and rebuilt. Joseph Petyt designed the new wall and the estate workmen carried out most of the work. A local artist, George Bottomley of Crosshills, painted the wall in 1880.
    
    Joseph Petyt died 15 March 1883 and was buried in the graveyard at Bolton Abbey. His memorial reads…
    In memory of Joseph Petyt born at Beamsley, December 13th 1825, died at Stank House, Bolton Abbey, March 15th 1883. This memorial was erected by 136 of his friends in much of their great regard for his personal worth and public and private services on the Bolton Abbey Estate. Also Alice, wife of Joseph Petyt born at Bolton Abbey, November 12th 1826, died November 22nd 1889. 'Qui S'estime Petyt deviendra grand '
    
    The following appeared in the Craven Herald. THE POET'S CORNER. Lines written on the death of Mr Joseph Petyt of Stank House, Bolton Abbey, Agent to the Duke of Devonshire (who died March 15th, and was interred at Bolton Abbey, March 19th, 1883). The weary eyes are clos'd in death; Thy labour now is o'er; Thy aching limbs are laid at rest, And ne'er shall suffer more. No earthly skill could save thy life, Nor give thee health again; For sudden was the call at last-- All human aid was vain. Thy death is mourn'd by all around, Their loss is great indeed; Thine ear was open to distress-- Thine hand to those in need. The widow and the fatherless In thee have lost a friend; 'Twas thine to stay oppression's hand, And all their rights defend. Truth and justice was thy guide\emdash  No lover thou of strife; For discord had no place in thee; Thine was a peaceful life. Long and faithful thou has serv'd The Duke of Devonshire, To do thy duty to his Grace Was ever thy desire.
    
    Thy active brain will never more Work out another plan, So well adapted in design To meet the wants of man. Oh! Better far than human skill, God's wisdom did devise For thee a house not made with hands\emdash  A mansion in the skies. And though we never more shall hear Thy voice in palm or song, We trust that thou had'st join'd the choir Of the bright angel throng. Whil'st thou art resting in thy grave Beside the Abbey grey, Thy loving deeds will live and bloom, And never fade away. Thomas Whitaker, Addingham, March 19th, 1883.

Click here for details of Joseph's family with Alice Read

¹ 1841 England Census
Sources/Citations 1861 England Census, 1881 England Census

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