Free learning resources from arts, cultural and heritage organisations.

Teachers' Notes

Resource created by Kirklees Museums and Galleries

This resource explores how Kirklees changed during the Tudor period, focusing on the impact of the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the rise of local gentry families, and everyday life for rich and poor. It highlights key local places and families, such as Kirklees Priory, the Ramsdens, the Kayes, and the Batts, and shows how national events like the Reformation reshaped religion, power, and society at a local level. The resource shows how changes in faith, land ownership, industry, and education transformed communities in Kirklees and shaped the area’s future development.

Curriculum links: KS2 History: “a study of an aspect or theme in British history that extends pupils’ chronological knowledge beyond 1066”, “a local history study”. KS3 History: “the development of Church, state and society in Britain 1509–1745”. 

Context: 

The de Laci family owned the manor of Huddersfield until 1322, when it became property of the Crown. By 1599, Huddersfield was still a small Pennine village. Although it had its own parish, the main market, corn mill, fulling mill, and road network were centred in nearby Almondbury. 

In 1599, William Ramsden purchased the Manor of Huddersfield from Queen Elizabeth I for £956 0s 9d, equivalent to around £164,000 today. The Ramsden family’s connection to the area began earlier, in 1531, when William Ramsden married Joanna Wade of Longley. Through this marriage, the family acquired significant wealth and moved into Longley Hall in 1577. 

Over the next 400 years, the Ramsden family shaped Huddersfield’s development. From the mid-16th century, they expanded their landholdings and influence through property acquired from monasteries dissolved under Henry VIII. Other powerful families also played important roles. The Kaye family lived at Woodsome Hall, while Oakwell Hall was built in 1583 by the Batt family, who had made their fortune through business interests in Halifax. 

Life in Tudor Britain was often harsh. Average life expectancy was around 35 years, and most people lived in the countryside, relying on farming. In the Pennines, poor-quality land made it difficult to grow enough food, so many families supplemented their income by producing cloth. A plentiful supply of wool and fast-flowing streams of soft water supported this early textile industry, which was often based in people’s homes or small upland mills. 

Learning objectives: 

  • Describe how the Dissolution of the Monasteries changed religious life in England 
  • Use historical sources and local case studies to explore how national events affected people in Tudor West Yorkshire 
  • Compare the lives of rich and poor people during Tudor times 

Discussion and Activity Ideas: 

  • Literacy: Describe what daily life might have been like in Tudor Kirklees.
  • Reading: As a class, read Diver’s Daughter by Patrice Lawrence.
  • Disciplinary Skills: Study historical maps to identify land use in Kirklees during the 17th century, then compare with a modern map.
  • Art: Create a model of Oakwell Hall, focusing on features that show wealth and status.

Heritage is…

  • Citizenship: Tudor society depended on both wealthy landowners and poorer workers. How did different social groups rely on each other to keep communities functioning?
  • Religion and Ethics: The Dissolution of the Monasteries changed how communities were supported. Did these changes help or harm people living in Kirklees?
  • Health: Life expectancy was low in Tudor times. What factors affected people’s health, and how does this compare with life today?

Glossary: 

  • Catholic – Relating to the Roman Catholic Church, led by the Pope, which was the main form of Christianity in England before the Reformation.
  • Cistercian – A strict branch of the Benedictine monastic order, known for simple living, prayer, and manual labour.
  • Dissolution – The closing of monasteries and religious houses by order of Henry VIII between 1536 and 1541.
  • Gentry – Wealthy landowners below the nobility who gained influence in Tudor England.
  • Merchant – A person involved in trade, often dealing in goods such as cloth.
  • Monastic – Relating to monasteries where monks or nuns lived under religious vows.
  • Patronage – The power to appoint people to positions, often used by the gentry to increase influence.
  • Priory – A religious house governed by a prior or prioress.
  • Protestant – Relating to Christian groups that broke away from the Catholic Church during the Reformation.
  • Reformation – The 16th-century movement that led to England’s break from the Roman Catholic Church.