The Land ancestors were in Wakefield from the 1730s to the 1790s. Charles Land and his wife, Elizabeth Dunford, moved to Leeds, between 1789 and 1797. Their grandson, John Land, moved from Leeds back to Wakefield, where he lived from at least 1848 to 1853. He was listed at Westgate Common, Alverthorpe with Thornes, at the birth of his daughter, Elizabeth Ann in 1849. In the 1851 census he was listed at 106 Clayton Hill, in the Township of Alverthorpe Cum Thornes. I cannot find Clayton Hill on a current map of Wakefield. This area is an extension of Westgate.

Wakefield is a town, a township, a parish, and a district in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The town is on the river Calder, nine miles south/ south/east of Leeds. The parish contained the townships of Horbury, Stanley-with-Wrenthorpe, and Alverthorpe-with Thornes.

Wakefield is dated to Roman times and it was listed in the Doomsday Book.

The woolen trade was active by the time of Henry VIII (1485-1509).

The priciple church, All Saints, was erected in the time of Henry III (1216-1272). However, with repeated repairs and alterations, little of the original 13th century church remains.

With my designations.

The Lands lived in Westgate.

The corn exchange was on upper Westgate

The Market Cross was built in 1707. It was pulled down sometime after 1866.

Originally held on the streets of Wakefield it was moved to George Street in 1765. In the 1800s it was the biggest cattle market in Northern England. In 1868 the market for cattle was held on Wednesdays and there were livestock fairs July 4 and November 11 for cattle horses and sheep.

The St Mary the Virgin Chantry Chapel was built in the 14th century. Chantries, built by bequests, were established as places where priests prayed for the soul of the deceased. The chapel underwent major renovations in 1848.

Not posted

Posted 1952

The horse drawn wagon is approaching the town center and the church from the north.

Part of the Riding Shopping Center and parking garage now stand on this spot.

The present church was consecrated in 1329. The tower was build in the 15th century.

Bread Street , 1853.

Bread Street was originally called Bread Booths. The only bakehouse in Wakefield was set up on Bread Street in 1306. Everyone who sold bread had to bake it in the oven in the Bread Street bakehouse.

1853 engraving by A.B.Higham

Posted 1906

Not posted

Posted 1903

Despite the modern look of the font, the guide book says it was installed in 1660.

On a wall of the tower buttress is this chain attached with a bolt. There used to be an iron collar (called a "joug") attached to it. Scolds, gossips, or others sentenced to church discipline in medievel times were subject to having the collar put around their neck.

Six Chimneys was built in 1566 and collapsed in 1941 due to neglect and alterations in its internal structure.

Posted 1907

Printed on the front:

"Built about 1520 as a Noblemans Country residence or Hunting Seat. It originally stood in extensive private grounds and had six gables (instead of the three now showing) each with a stone chimney in centre- hence the name Six Chimneys. Two gables were demolished to make room for adjoining Hotel & the other gable stood at Legh Street end of buliding"

This enterior was not what was seen by Charles Land and Elizabeth Dunford when their son, James, was baptized in this church in 1789. The church was rebuilt in the 1840s on the same site as the old church established in the early 1780s.

Looking towards the church of All Saints.

Not posted

Westgate Common lies between Alverthorpe and Thornes on the north side of the road to Dewsbury just outside the town proper.

The map shows the locations of Westgate Common and Clayton Hills, two "addresses" connected with John Land, when he lived in Wakefield in the mid 1800s.

All of the area north of the road to Dewsbury is new. As a matter of fact, there was a lot of construction of new developments going on when we visited in June 2002.

A little further northwest just before getting to Alverthorpe is an area called, Flanshaw, where there was this group of "older" houses.

Date unknown

Date unknown

William Law and his family lived in West Ardsley from at least 1838 to 1840. Emma Law was born in West Ardsley in 1838 and Littice Law was born in West Ardsley in 1840.