Carlo Harrison, Written by my Auntie Mabel, (Deceased) Undated (3)

The public roads in Yorkshire consisted of narrow lanes called pack-horse roads.
They were paved with little stones named causey stones and had a path for pedestrians.
There was one leading through Park Gate to Hawksworth, another went from Yeadon Gill to Guiseley and another in Bloomingdale.
One pack-horse route led over Yeadon Banks to West Carlton, then by Maudes house to Carlton Lane to Otley Chevin.
From Yeadon Gill you could go to Rawdon and down by New York to Calverley.

The first law for making turnpikes was passed in 1662, but it was long afterwards before it was carried out in the West Riding.
Tollgates were made and the tolls imposed created dissent among travelers.
People were determined to destroy the toll bars and the houses of the tax collectors.

In Bradford and Leeds the rioters were hauled before the magistrates.
Large mobs assaulted the soldiers (Dragoons) and tore up pavements; about 27 men were wounded and 10 killed.

Soon people found the turnpike roads a benefit and in time pack horses gave way to carriers wagons and stagecoaches.
The first stagecoach in Yorkshire was from York to London and took 4 days to get there.
In 1776 a new post coach did the journey in 39 hours.

It was many years before Yeadon had its own stagecoach service.
People of this century stayed at home and lived a life concerned wholly with making a living.

From 1679 William Rhodes was Constable of Yeadon, a Constable was appointed every year in Yeadon and a list of these names was kept for 90 years in succession.
I think that a Constable in those days was similar to a Mayor today, he looked after the affairs of the village.

The people of Yeadon were averse to the law of paying tithes, but, by law the custom was one part to the Mother Church, one part to the Clergy and one part to the poor.
Tithes were of corn, hay, wool, potatoes and other produce.
As Yeadon had no Church, the Rector of Guiseley took all the great tithes and the Rector from Yeadon the small tithes.
The amount a person paid was decided on a days work.
A Samuel Walker was reckoned two days for wheat, none for barley, one for oats.
He paid 10/6d.
In 1722 the tithe was paid direct to the Rector and was £36.19.6d, in 1723 it was £43.16.1d
Prices rose fast in those days too. There was an open field system of agriculture in Upper Yeadon and it was divided into Northfield, Southfield, Leyfield, Westfield and the Ings.

At the Woolpack Hotel in 1837 the freeholders of Yeadon met the Rev. Wm. Clark of Guiseley and it was decided to change to a direct rent charge.

Mr. Joseph Bartle was appointed Valuer and he awarded £111 per year on all land liable to Tithes.
Every field and garden was valued as to its rent and not fairly when the different pieces of ground were compared.