Throapham
The meaning of the name Throapham comes from Ham for hamlet which is obvious. I have not yet found any clean meanings of Throap, though I incline to a mis-spelling of Thorpe. Throapham was part of the manor of Laughton in 1086 when the Domesday Book was published. The parish of Throapham covered Letwell and Gildingwells and the settlement was then large enough to qualify for its own parish and church.
Throapham's 1840 tithe award indicates that the largest landholder in the parish was Henry Gally Knight. Other landowners were Rev. JC Lawe and Anthony St Leger. In 1861 Throapham had a population of 75 who lived in the small settlement centered around Throapham Manor. By the 1960s the manor and its outbuildings were in a ruinous condition and were demolished, though I understand that the Manor Orchard is protected.
Throapham St John
The church at Throapham, dedicated to John is of ancient origin. It occupies the site of at least one Celtic well where worshippers gathered to thank the gods for the water supply. There is evidence of Romano-British activity on the site. Many of the church walls are of Anglo-Saxon origin though restored and rebuilt. One source says that there are early Norman remains whilst another dates the building from the early 13th Century. The font and the tower are from the 15th Century. The font is notable for the unusual sculpture of the three continents known at the time and of the Magi. There are other interesting memorials. The church was substantially restored in 1906. The importance of St John's declined after the church at Letwell was rebuilt and Throapham was absorbed into Laughton parish.
The church hosts a yearly flower festival and open weekends during the year. It has a friends group FOTC who can arrange guided tours by contacting 44 (0)1909 732485 (2009).
Address:- St Johns Road, Throapham, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S25 1YL. Website for Friends www.throaphamchurch.org.uk.