Hugh de Quarmby

Hugh de Quarmby was Lord of the Manor of Quarmby (Yorkshire) in the parish of Huddersfield, Agbrigg-division of Agbrigg and Morley, liberty of Wakefield; two miles from Huddersfield, 8 from Halifax. Population, including Lindley, 2,040, which being united, form a township.

At the time of the Norman Conquest, the manor of Quarmby was part of the barony of Pontefract, bestowed on Ilbert de Lacy. At the time of the Domesday, the king held 1 carucate of geldable land at "Cornelbi, " and it was recorded that: "In Cornebi, Gamel and Godwin had 2 carucates of land for geld [before the Conquest], and 2 ploughs can be there. Ilbert [de Lacy] has [it now] but it is waste. T. R. E. it was worth £105. Pasturable wood(land] 1 league in length and half [a league] in breadth." The Lacys let the manor to one of their retainers, who took the surname Quarmby.

In 1307 a jury was set up to enquire into terrible deeds happening at the castle and reported that "a certain stranger had been murdered in the dungeons and his body thrown outside, that his body when discovered was a 'complete mass of corruption' as if it had been 'devoured by worms, birds and dogs.'"

In 1311 the manors of Huddersfield and Almondbury became a part of the Duchy of Lancaster, when Alice, the Lacy heir, married Thomas, Earl of Lancaster. In 1399 the duchy of Lancaster passed to the Crown.

The castle was destroyed sometime between 1307 and 1340, as historical records show that the castle was still standing in 1307 but was in ruins in 1340.

In the reign of King Edward III. 1341, Sir John Elland, being High Sheriff of York, a quarrel took place between him and three neighbouring gentlemen: John de Lockwood, Sir Robert Beaumont, and Sir Hugh Quarmby; what occasioned the dispute does not appear, but it arose to such a dreadful height, as to cause the death of all the three, who were murdered in one night, by the Sheriff and his men; a circumstance that strongly marks the ferocious manners of the times. (Watson) The fate of Sir Hugh Quarmby is thus related by a poet of those days:

He raisd the country round about,

His friends and tenants all,

And for his purpose picked out

Stout sturdy men, and tall:

To Quarmby-Hall they came by night,

And there the Lord they slew;

At that time Hugh of Quarmby hight,

Before the country knew."

Arms of Quarmby of Quarmby, co. Yorkshire: Argent two bars Sable and in chief a corbie Sable. 1567 Visitation of Yorkshire. No crest or motto was recorded. No details on the family are given on the 1563, 1584 or 1612 Visitations of Yorkshire. See also The Augustan Society Roll of Arms (sub Justin Durand), 1983. The Aglionbys, apparently a related family, bore similar arms. In the time of Edward II, John Aglomby bore Argent two bars and in chief three martletts Sable. His descendants were at Edmarsh, Warwick about 1619-1785. The Quarmby family had early alliances with Beaumont of Crossland and Copley of Balley.