CHAPTER VI.
THE TOWNSHIP OF CAWTHORNE.
The present Township of Cawthorne, which is given in the Ordnance Survey as containing 3,707-2-26 acres, is just the same in area as the township of the Domesday Book of eight hundred years ago, being "the Manor of Cawthorne."
Its comparative rateable value in early times may be seen from a Subsidy Roll of Edward III. (1350), in which the Township of Cawthorne is assessed at xlvii s., while Thurlstone stands as the highest rated township of the Wapentake: Thurlstone, lvi s.; Worsborough, l s.; Barnsley, xxxi s.; Darton, xxx s., Silkstone, xxvi s., Dodworth, xx s.; Barugh, xvii s.; High Hoyland, xvi s. At the close of the last century the relative proportions of the County Rate in the some townships were as follows: Cawthorne, Barnsley, Worsborough, Thurlstone, 1s.; Darton, Dodworth, Silkstone, Barugh, 6d.; High Hoyland, 4d.
In the historical Poll Tax of Richard II. (1379), the "gross injustice of which exaction, making the poorest man contribute as much as the wealthiest, set England on fire from sea to sea," and gathered the men of Kent round Wat Tyler, we see that the township of Cawthorne produced xxvi s. x d., at 4d. for every person, male and female, above fifteen years of age. Barnsley produced £1 13s. 8d.; Penistone, 5s. 2d.; Silkstone, 12s. 4d.; Dodworth, 18s. 4d. Darton, 9s. 4d.; Denby, 11s. 8d.; High Hoyland, 3s. 6d.; Kexborough, 6s. 2d.: West Bretton, 5s. 10d.; Clayton, 3s. 8d.; Cumberworth, 5s. 6d.; Monk Bretton, 14s. 2d. Being a tax levied on all equally, it gives the relative population of these several townships.
The full list of those who were thus taxed at Cawthorne is as follows:
Villata de Colthorne.
Johannes filius Roberti Constabularius juratus & Idonia uxor ejus iiijd.; Robertus de Barnebe et Alicia uxor ejus, Barker, vjd.; Willelmus del Herst iiijd.; Magota Ffoy 4d.; Johanna Platesmyth, 4d.;
