Hazelwood Castle stands in a park between Leeds and Tadcaster. For eight centuries it was home of the Vavasours.
The Battle of Towton took place near here - the last of a series of battles of the War of the Roses which took place on Palm Sunday 1461. The Lancastrians lost the battle with heavy casualties and as a result, Edward IV was crowned king of England.
Hazelwood Castle, has now been converted into a hotel
Source:Visitation of Yorkshire, Sir.William Dugdale, A.D. 1665 and 1666
Ralph Vavasour was born about 1540 at Woodhall, Yorkshire. He was the son of Sir William Vavasour and Elizabeth Calverley. He married twice:
1. to Elizabeth Peck he had 2 children - Frances(b.1563) and William of Hazelwood(b.1569)
2. Ursula Fairfax
William Vavasour of Hazelwood was born about 1569 at Woodhall, Yorkshire; he married Anne daughter of Sir Thomas Manners
Francis Percy, of Scotton in com.died in 1634 -a branch of Percy of Stubbs Walden - married Frances(b.1563), daughter of Raufe Vavasour, a younger brother to John Vavasour of Haslewood.
The Hon. Sir Edward Vavasour was born 6 May, 1786, the second son of Charles Philip 16th Lord Stourton and the Hon. Mary Langdale, second daughter and co-heir of Marmaduke 5th and last Lord Langdale. In 1826 on inheriting the estates of his kinsman Sir Thomas Vavasour of Hazlewood, the 7th and last Baronet of the family, he took, by royal sign manual, dated 27th February, the name of Vavasour only, and the arms of Vavasour quarterly; and the Baronetcy was renewed by him by patent dated 14 February, 1828.
Sir Edward married on 5th August, 1813, Maria Bridget, only daughter of James Lane Fox and Marcia Pitt, youngest daughter of George First Lord Rivers, of Bramham Park, Yorkshire. Sir Edward and Maria had five sons and three daughters:
He was Deputy Lieutenant of Yorkshire, a Knight of St. John of Jerusalem and uncle to Lord Stourton.
Sir Edward died on 15 March, 1840, near Dijon on his road to Rome, aged 60.
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