Aston - Aston Common
The village of Aston in the south of the Borough of Rotherham is Saxon in origin. Certainly before the Norman conquest in 1066, the manor of Aston belonged to the Saxon Leofsige. The name Aston comes from Estone meaning east farmstead. I have also found another authority that contends that the village was named for Athelstan, King of the West Saxons in the 10th Century. Yet another opinion reckons that the name derives from English esc meaning "ash tree" together with tun meaning "farm, village, estate" as the name was recorded as Essetone in 1039.
Aston
At the time of the Domesday Book (1086) Aston was held by Richard, as a tenant of Roger of Mortain (William I's half brother) but William de Warenne also owned property there. Aston Church was in existence before 1086 and the whole parish contained no more than about 60 people. Valued together with Aughton the villages were worth only eighteen shillings.
The basis of life in Aston continued along its usual quiet pace tied the fields; the sowing and the harvest. By the reign of Henry II the manor of Aston was owned by the Furnival family and let to Osbert de Arcubus or de Arches. He was succeeded by his daughter Emma and son-in-law William de Cantilupe who claimed the rights to have free warren, infangthief and gallows at Aston. Emma died without heirs and during the reign of Edward II the manor of Aston was settled on Thomas de Aunby, a descendent of one of the three sisters of Osbert. In 1332 De Aunby sold it to William Melton who was Archbishop of York 1317-40 and it was inherited by his nephew in 1340.
The Poll Tax returns of 1379 lists Aston and Aughton together. It lists 179 taxpayers most of whom paid the standard 4d tax. Others are:–
John de WorTel.ey, beast merchant, who paid 2s
Ralph de Aghton, beast merchant, who was assessed at 1s
By the late 14th Century it looks as if Aston was part of a populous parish with prosperous rural trades.
The manor of Aston remained in the hands of the Melton family until 1545 when it was inherited by the son-in-law of the last Melton, George Darcy. In 1556 by John and George Darcy, sons of George, Lord Darcy murdered Lewis and Edward West, sons of William West, who was Lord of the Manor of Aughton. However they escaped punishment as Lewis West's widow accepted compensation (Saxon laws were still being followed). In 1682 Conyers, Lord Darcy was created Earl of Holderness. Aston Hall was destroyed by fire and in the 1770s the fourth Earl employed the York architect John Carr to build a new hall. He never lived there and the house and estate were sold in 1773 to Harry Verelst who had been Governor of Bengal. The Verelst remained at Aston until the hall and estate were sold in 1928.
Aston is the parish church for both Aston and Aughton. The earliest surviving portion of the church is the nave of c1100. The chancel dates from the early 14th century and other additions were made in the 15th century. By 1743 there was a school where 10 poor children were taught. It was replaced in 1866 by a Church School at the top of Lodge Lane, halfway between Aston and Swallownest. The commons were enclosed in 1768.
Although coal had been mined from in small quantities in the 18th Century the exploitation of the coal seams changed the area with pits, railways, spoil heaps and housing. There was a rapid rise in population following the sinking of collieries in the area early in the 20th Century. Nowadays the village covers a wide area with the usual housing estates, parks etc.
Even today a good number of old farm buildings still survive along the main road There are some distinguished and beautiful houses in Aston including 'High Trees', on the corner of Church Lane, is a grand old house commonly referred to as 'The White House' by villagers. It has been the subject of many ghost stories among village children for decades. Legend has it that the ghost of the White Lady roams the property each night, lamenting her violent and untimely death at the hands of the cruel husband who threw her down the stairs. There is supposed to be an the indelible blood stain at the bottom of the stairs. The house on Worksop Road at the bend opposite the church, now named The Grange, is the former Red Bull public house and is particularly beautiful. Today, Aston is primarily a residential village rather than an industrial one. Historically, though, the increase in population in the early 20th century came about as a direct result of the arrival of several coal mines in the area.
Aston Hall
A hall had existed on the site since the Middle Ages but was destroyed by fire in the 18th Century. To replace it Aston Hall was built about 1772 for the Earl of Holderness, by the architect John Carr. The Earl never lived there and the house and estate were sold shortly afterwards to Harry Verelst who had been Governor of Bengal (a nice lucrative appointment in those days if you lived long enough to enjoy it). Verelst returned to England with a large fortune. He married Ann Wordsworth, daughter and co-heiress of Josiah Wordsworth of Wadworth, a prosperous London merchant; a girl who doubtless had a bob or two of her own. Their descendants married into many of the local families.
The Verelst family remained at Aston Hall until the estate was sold in 1928. The Hall was then bought by Sheffield steel magnate Ronald Matthews. In the 1940s West Riding County Council purchased the hall for use as a mental home, changing the name to Aughton Court. Following the closure of Aughton Court in 1984, Aston Hall was converted into a luxury hotel
All Saints, Church Lane, Aston
Aston is the parish church for both Aston and Aughton. The earliest surviving portion of the church is the nave of c1100. The chancel dates from the early 14th century and other additions were made in the 15th century.
Aston All Saints is built in Rotherham Red sandstone and some of the 12th Century stonework remains. Either side of the porch are effigies of King Edward III and Queen Phillipa which date the porch to no later than 1369. The church has been extended a number of times but it is thought that the altar is Saxon.
The church is not generally open but there is keyholder access contact 44 (0)114 287 2272 (2005).
Aston Common
Originally a common was a piece of land held in common by the villagers usually for grazing their animals. The commons in Aston were enclosed in 1768. However the map shows a bit called Aston Common still.