b'In 1642, the English Civil war tore families apartmanor until his death in 1701. His widow Susannah with loyalty to either king or parliament. Richardhanded her ownership over to Johns brother Samuel Darley of Bishop Wiltons father was Sir RichardDarley of York, who was described as a merchant Darley of Buttercrambe, a key figure in Cromwellsin London on the Darley memorial in the church. parliament. The Darley family were strict Puritans andSusannah probably carried on living in the manor parliamentarians, involved in the patronage of Calvinistwhilst Samuel was in London until his death in 1706 ministers, Puritan trading and colonisation schemes inwhen he was buried in London. Upon his death, the new world 8 . This was in conflict with the HildyardSamuel Darleys young son Richard became lord family who were all on the side of the king.Richardsof the manor and lived in the manor house after he brother Henry Darley was imprisoned in Scarboroughmarried Elizabeth Pickering in London in 1727.He castle by the king in 1644. seems to have been a well educated and colourful character. In 1733 he appears in the quarter sessions at Beverley 10 to answer a complaint of Margaret, wife of Rev. Thomas Remington of Garraby concerning some threatening words. which he used to her. There exist many letters written by Richard Darley in the Brynmor Jones Library in Hull, one of which mentions his imperfect Gout 11 and others which show a caring and considerate attitude towards his tenants and servants. It appears they only had one daughter, Catherine, who had married Major James Coates of the 66th Regiment of Foot, stationed in Jamaica at the time of Richard Darleys will 12of 1769. Unfortunately Catherine was already dead by then, with the only descendant left of this Darley line being her son, James Richard Coates. In Buttercrambe, a love of horse racing wasRichard Darley had decided to sell his estate; he blossoming. Thomas Darley in 1702 was servingmust have realised with the death of his daughter that as Her Majestys Consul to the Levant (Syria) duringhe had no descendant left who was willing to carry on the reign ofQueen Anne; he bought an Arabianas lord. Some of the Norton family of Knaresborough horse from Sheikh Mirza for his father, Richard(descendants of Sir William Hildyards daughter Darley of Buttercrambe. It foaled in Syria, in theAnne, and part owners of the manor), were buried year 1700. Standing at 15 hands when describedat St. Ediths, but little evidence exists of them living by Darley in 1703, it was tall for an Arabian horse ofin the parish 13 ; they also sold their share along with the time. The horse whose original name was Rasthe rest of the Darley manor in 1768. The buyer was el Fedowi, translated as The Headstrong One,Matthew Smith of Reighton who did not live in the became immortalised as the Darley Arabian. Inmanor house. It seems an arrangement was made Thomas Darleys own words, he was immediatelywith Matthew Smith for Richard and his new wife, Ann striking owing to his handsome appearance andInman of Warter, to be able to live as tenants in the exceedingly elegant carriage. Although he nevermanor house until he slept with his fathers. Richard raced, he covered mares at Aldby Park from 1705died around 1782, and left Ann alone in the house until 1719, and lived until the advanced age of 30.until she died in 1784. Anns death marked the end of His genes added speed to those of stronger Englishan era. No longer did the lords of the manor live in the horses of the time. Through his offspring, includingvillage manor house. Matthew Smith sold his estate to his great grandson the famous and never-beatenChristopher Sykes of Sledmere in 1786 for 22,100. 14Eclipse, he has had the greater influence of the threeThe Sykes family were to be the lords of the manor foundation stallions of the Thoroughbred breed. Hisfrom their seat in Sledmere for the next 150 years, bloodline is said to be present in 80 or 90% of todaysfollowed by the Woods of Hickleton and Garrowby to racehorses. 9 the present day.Richard Darley died in Feb 1680/81 at the age ofIn Part 2, I shall continue with the history of the 80. His son John Darley took over as lord, living in themanor house itself. 8The Yorkshire Gentry by J. T. Cliffe p.2699From The Darley Arabian by Peter Darley on the GENUKI website.10QSF/101/C/4Beverley Quarter Sessions. East Riding Archives.11DDSY/4/57Brynmor Jones Library, Hull12Borthwick Institute, York13The Hearth Tax of 1672 does not have a Norton living in the village.14DDSY/4/115Brynmor Jones Library, HullBULLETIN 6 87'