Darton Church

The ecclesiastical Parish of Darton has always been based on the three townships of Darton, Barugh and Kexbrough, mentioned in the Domesday Book (1066) as Dentune, Berg and Chizeburg. "Dentune" probably means "deer park or enclosure", "Berg" means hill, as in modern German, and the "brough" in Kexbrough means a fort.

The original parish extended further to the south and east than at present, almost to Barnsley. Gawber became a separate parish in 1848. Staincross and Mapplewell were separated from Darton in 1930.

The age of Darton Church is not known, but a church was built at Darton in the 1100's. The church we see today is the result of alterations made between 1480 and 1520. Darton Church was founded by a member of the De Laci family, who were the Chief Lords of the Honour of Pontefract. In the early days there was a dispute between the De Laci's and Peter De Birthwaite as to who possessed the advowson of Darton. The patronage of the living passed from the De Lacis to the Earls of Lancaster and then to the crown.

In 1484 King Richard III gave the living of Darton to Monk Bretton Priory in exchange for Holcombe Forest in Westmorland. When King Richard III was defeated by Henry Tudor all his acts were revoked, and David Hunter, the first vicar of Darton, was replaced in 1486 but later re-instated. After the dissolution of Monk Bretton Priory, the advowson passed back to the crown, thence to the Marsh family at the end of the 16th century to their relative George Carr, and after the civil war to the Wentworth family of Woolley. At the end of the 18th century the patronage passed to the Beaumont family of Bretton Hall with whom it remained until 1959 when Viscount Allendale's trustees gave the Right of Patronage to the Bishop of Wakefield. The parish registers date from 1539 and are the oldest in the district.

The above information was extracted from 'A Short History of All Saints Church Darton' in Barnsley Central Library. (This article was published anonymously in the Journal of the Barnsley Family History Society in June 1992).

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