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Notes for Henry Batte

[Brøderbund WFT Vol. 6, Ed. 1, Tree #0214, Date of Import: May 7, 2003]

Henry Batte came from Haley Hill, Halifax, where he owned a lot of land. In 1542, he moved to the Oakwell district and leased Birstall rectory lands, corn tithes and the rectory house where he is said to have lived for many years. In 1565 and 1568 he bought, from their rich and old established hereditary owners, the manors of Gomersal, Heckmondwike, Oakwell Hall and manor (the three were sometimes regarded as one manor), together with that of Heaton in Bradforddale (some seven miles away). Henry was described as a local man who came of humbler origins, but had the energy (somtimes backed by lack of scruple) to establish his family as landed gentry. The Battes were seated at Oakwell for a century and a half.
Henry acted as agent for other people's manorial and other businesses. In some of these transactions he was suspected of a lot of double dealing, and it seems certain that he stole the bell of Birstall church, appropriated money that was to be used for building a school there and with his son John, pulled down a cottage that belonged to someone else and used the stone for building elsewhere. The people for whom he acted as business agent thought well of his abilities but did not consider him a social equal. Nevertheless his acquisition of the land and the lordship of the manor was the basis on which his descendants rose further in the world. He seems to have moved into Oakwell Hall in 1566, though at the time of his death, six years later, he was living at Haigh Hall, another house he owned a few miles to the east.
Shortly before his death, Henry married, for the second time, Anne Popley. She was the widow of a former business partner of his, Robert Popley. At the time of his death she was expecting a child and in his will , he stated that his son John was to bring up and educate the unborn child of his wife. Henry Batte, Jr. was raised by John and in 1581, John executed an indenture conveying to Henry Batte, Jr the manors of Oakwell, Gomersall, and Heaton. But as it turned out, John outlived Henry by four years so the estate was inherited by John's son, Robert.
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