History Of Holdsworth House

The site, on which the house now stands, was first mentioned in documents as far back as 1272 when the De Aldworth family paid six old pence for 2½ acres of land in the hamlet. The name Aldworth refers to old estate or farm. The hamlet was originally called Haldworth - a Saxon name. The letter S wasn’t added until the 16th century.
A timber house was erected and in 1432, a lease was granted for ‘Huldisworth Inge’ to a William Greenwood
Plans were made for a stone house to replace the timber one. When Greenwood took on the lease he was ordered to pay rent of 1d to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, a Catholic military charity that cared for the sick, poor and injured. A Maltese cross was included in the house design on the east gable to signify being ‘under the cross’ and its membership of the Order
The Whitley family and the Brigg family were connected by marriage and in 1633 Holdsworth House came into the possession of Abraham Brigg who rebuilt it. The initials AB and date 1633 are carved into the headstone of the porch. Abraham Brigg lived here for over 20 years but is said to have wasted his estate and given way to drink. In 1657 Brigg sold to Henry Wadsworth of Peacock House in Warley and went to keep an alehouse in the town.
We think that Henry Wadsworth bought Holdsworth House for his youngest son John Wadsworth to eventually inherit. John was one of three sons and was born in 1635. He lived here with his wife Deborah. Henry Wadsworth and his elder son Abraham bought up lots more land and houses, including Jumples Mill, Gridlestone Bank, Lane Farm and Fold Farm/Mixenden Hall at Illingworth. As wealthy landowners the Wadsworths were an important Warley family. John Wadsworth was thought to be a Quaker as there’s evidence he obtained a license for Quaker Meetings to be held at Holdsworth House. As a result they were considered to be dissidents of the church
John and Deborah Wadsworth made considerable changes to Holdsworth House. They built the barn (today its The Stuart Room) their date stone bearing the inscription I.W.D. 1680 is in the barn wall. (The barn was however rebuilt in 1892 by a Richard Woodhead). John and Deborah had a daughter Elizabeth (year of birth unknown) and one son Henry Wadsworth (born 1697) as well as three infant daughter deaths. Deborah died 1 July 1697 - the year of Henry’s birth.
In that same year John went on to marry widow Hannah Hollings - daughter of James Chadwick of Warley who lived at a prestigious address - the Hill. They had a daughter Susannah who died unmarried. John Wadsworth died May 10, 1715 when he was 60 and Hannah died in 1731, she left Holdsworth House to her stepson Henry Wadsworth who was now 18. Henry’s sister, Elizabeth, went on to marry into the clergy in Illingworth
Henry Wadsworth kept Holdsworth House for 50 years and may have been responsible for its interior woodwork and paneling as was popular in the Georgian times. By 1720 he'd married a woman named Mary and had a son John Wadsworth and daughter Esther. Esther married into the clergy at Thornton but returned to Holdsworth House in 1799 when her husband Reverend Joseph Thwaites died
Samuel died of consumption in 1774 at Holdsworth House, aged just 18. Rev John Wadsworth died in 1782, aged 62. As the eldest, it was son Henry Wadsworth who inherited Holdsworth House
Elizabeth lived at Holdsworth House for 33 years
Elizabeth died in 1837 aged 77 having never married and childless. Her resting place is at Calverley Church. At the time of her death, she owned considerable property in the area. She left Holdsworth House to a young boy (and possibly distant relation) Matthew Ayrton, in the trust of his parents David Ayrton and Hannah Burleigh. Her will required Matthew to change his name to Matthew Henry Wadsworth when he came of age and for Holdsworth House to be kept in the family through inheritance.
Matthew Henry Wadsworth (formerly Matthew Aryton) lived his life at Holdsworth House and married Sarah Firth (pictured). Matthew died 19 October 1860
It pass to his eldest son John Henry Wadsworth
In 1877 the house’s inventory was amassed and subsequently the house was divided and let to tenants, the West side by Mr. Sam Brenard and the eastern side by Mr. E H Moore - a well known local musician. Holdsworth House was sold in 1895 to Richard Ayrton Woodhead (John Henry Wadsworth’s cousin) and let to tenants
In 1962, local couple Rita and Freddie Pearson two young children, Gail and Kim, bought Holdsworth House. On 11th April 1963, Rita and Freddie opened the manor as a private members’ club called The Cavalier Country Club
Rita Pearson died in 1981 and Freddie in 1989. The Cavalier Country Club reverted back to its former name Holdsworth House in the 1980s
Today the Grade II* Listed building remains under the watchful eye of the third generation of Pearsons.