William Coates, a flax dresser, later farmer was born in Ingerthorpe, Markington (near Ripon) in 1786; he married Isabel Swiers in Ripon Cathedral and having had six children at Bishop Monkton, moved before 1851 to Peep o’Day Husthwaite to farm 228 acres. The younger sons William and Thomas born 1816 and 1817 farmed at Peep o’Day and remained unmarried with Thomas taking over the farm after his father had died.
The third son John born 1823 was involved in many local activities. A hunt known as the Easingwold Staghounds existed around 1864-73, the master was John Coates of Peep o’Day and the hounds were kept at Woolpots. John Coates later moved to farm at Angram Hall and when there in 1874, married Harriet Elizabeth Allison at Husthwaite, (one of the daughters of local farmer James Allison, tenant at Baldrence Farm). John and Harriet had five children born at Angram Hall.
Whilst seeking information about the family, newspaper cuttings emerged about the presence of the Prince of Wales [Albert Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria born 1841] at a shooting party at Angram Hall in 1877, when John Coates farmed there – extracts from South Durham & Cleveland Mercury, Yorkshire Gazette and York Herald 22 September 1877 are shown here …
The Prince of Wales in Yorkshire H.R.H. the Prince of Wales arrived at Newburgh Park, near York, on Monday, on a visit of a few days with Sir George Wombwell, Bart. He left town by the ordinary Great Northern train at noon, and on arriving at York at 4.55 the Royal saloon was added to a North-Eastern special which left the ancient city at 5.15, and reached Coxwold – a village historic as the residence of Lawrence Sterne, and in which he wrote his famous works – at 5.45. After alighting, His Royal Highness, who was accompanied by Sir George Wombwell, was introduced to the Rev. G. Scott, the vicar of Coxwold. The platform and the approach to the station were crowded with spectators, who, on catching a glimpse of His Royal Highness, cheered lustily the whole of the way up the winding path on to the brow of the bridge, where a carriage and pair were in readiness to convey the Prince to Newburgh. The Prince looked extremely well, and many times acknowledged the hearty reception which he received by raising his hat. On the arrival of the Royal train in the station the Royal standard was immediately hoisted, and it is many years since such a state of excitement was experienced in the village. The bells of the parish church rang out merry peals.
The Prince of Wales at Newburgh Park. On Thursday the Prince, accompanied by Sir George Wombwell and party, resumed partridge shooting ….. the party then shot over land farmed by Mr. J. Coates of Angram, and about two o’clock they lunched at Angram Hall. In about an hour shooting was resumed, when the party went through Angram Wood, and the land surrounding the wood was shot over with success. The sportsmen gradually worked their way towards Coxwold, crossing the railway near the station, some excellent sport was obtained in some turnip and bean fields to the south of the village, and in the immediate neighbourhood of Newburgh Hall….the Prince seemed thoroughly to enjoy the sport, and was in the best of spirits. The decorations at Angram Hall where the Prince had party had lunched, consisted of a display of flags on the outside of the building, which is an old edifice situated in the midst of good grazing and shooting, being the residence of Mr. John Coates, the worthy secretary of the Easingwold Agricultural Society.
By 1891 he had nine labourers to help farm the 630 acres and then moved to Old Hall, Manor Farm, Easingwold where by 1901 aged 78 he lived with his wife aged 51, and children Thomas and Ellen. In 1939, Ellen was living there with her unmarried siblings, older sister Isabel and William the farmer. Apart from many references to his role with the Easingwold Agricultural Society, he and his father William were also well known for breeding Shorthorns as shown in extracts from the Yorkshire Gazette 29 August 1891…
The Angram Hall Shorthorns …the property of Mr John Coates, were dispersed on Thursday. Before the sale a luncheon was provided in a marquee on the ground, to which a goodly number of gentlemen sat down. The Earl of Feversham occupied the chair …. having proposed the usual royal toasts, gave “the health of Mr Coates” and remarked that he was one of those gentlemen who had with courage and perseverance survived the ten years depression which had prevailed in the agricultural industry .… he regarded him as an admirable representative of the agricultural interest of the country …. wishing him health, long life, and prosperity in his new residence near Easingwold .… Mr Coates responded and remarked that much of his success was due to the admirable strains of blood which he had introduced into his herd, and which were the property of Lord Feversham …. The catalogue contained 48 heifers and cows, 4 calves and 10 bulls ….
The Angram Hall herd of shorthorns, belonging to Mr John Coates, is of long standing. For eighty years Mr Coates and his father have owned and bred high class shorthorns…details of prices fetched, names of beasts and pedigree…Mr Coates’s neighbour the late Mr Lumley Hodgson was nearly as keen about a shorthorn as he was about a horse!
Isabella, one of William’s daughters was housekeeper at Peep o’Day and remained unmarried but had an illegitimate daughter Ellen Frances Coates who in 1882 married John Harrison of Flower o’May, (born at Acaster Hill, the widowed son of Thomas Harrison, yeoman). By 1891, Isabella was also living with them and their daughter at Flower o’May. At that time there were many marriages between local farming families. Isabella’s sister Ellen married farmer William Wood, son of John Wood of Thornton Hill. 1861, they farmed 92 acres at Grantley Easingwold and had three sons and a daughter. However, Jane the youngest daughter of William Coates born 1829 married William Smith a paper maker of Bishop Monkton so remained in the area where she was born.
Angela Ovenston 2019