Park Hill, Firbeck in 1900
The following newspaper extract from the Leeds Mercury details Park Hill as it was in 1900.
Park Hill, on the south-west side of the village, is a stone mansion, standing in a park of about 500 acres, noted at one time for its beautiful pleasure-grounds. Originally, however, it was known as Gowk Hill: gowk, in this case, being a vulgar name for cuckoo, though it more usually signifies an awkward fellow.
Nonus Parker changed the name of the estate to Park Hill in 1635. In 1745 it was bought by Major General Thomas Fowke, Governor of Gibraltar.
Colonel Anthony St. Leger, nephew to the first Lord Doneraile, made his appearance here in 1765. He it was who founded the St. Leger race at Doncaster, as popular a race in the north country as the Derby is in the south. There is no annual event in Yorkshire so typical of the county and so well worth attending by those who wish to see Yorkshiremen en masse as the St. Leger, in early September. A sweepstakes was originated in 1776 by the then Colonel St. Leger, of Firbeck, and won by the Marquis of Rockingham's Allabalcula. In the following year the Doncaster grand-stand was built. In 1778 the race, the conditions of which were identical with those governing the aforesaid sweepstakes, first received the name of St. Leger, the proposal to so designate it emanating from the Marquis of Rockingham, whose horse, Sampson, was the first successful competitor for these stakes.
Firbeck does not look as though it could ever indulge in mundane excitements, but it must be subject to flutters during Doncaster race week; for to the Leger race public curiosity and anxiety, not only throughout England, but in almost every colony and European Country, have been, year by year, unremittingly directed.
Every sporting man and Turfite has heard of the Park Hill Stakes, which emanate, of course, from St. Leger, of Parkhill, Firbeck - a man who must have been the means of bringing more money into Doncaster in the month of September than any other individual living or dead.
The famous family has entertained at Firbeck sporting royalty and nobility from the days of the Georges downwards. General John Hayes St. Leger, of Park Hill, was well known in his time as a friend of the Prince of Wales.
The present owner is Colonel John St Leger. D.L., J.P. From time to time the house has been leased - once to Holland Watson, a genealogist and antiquary of some renown: and at present the proprietress of a girl's school holds a lease on Park Hill for 5 or 6 years.
See also Memories of Firbeck
Read about Firbeck in 1900
Anthony St Leger (1731 - 1786)
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