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Laughton-en-le-Morthen
including Laughton Common
Laughton-en-le-Morthen is a delightful village with many period houses dating back in part to the 1400s in Church Lane. Around the area are many small farmsteads typical of the farming
community hundreds of years ago. There are two alehouses.
One of the earliest mentions of Laughton is in the will of a Saxon called Wolfric in about 870 A.D. The name Laughton is possibly therefore derived from the Saxon for Law Town as
evidence suggests that it was a centre of Saxon jurisdiction. It is pronounced Law-ton, though I've hears strangers say Lafton and Lowton. John Speed's map of the West Riding published
in 1610 delightfully calls it Leighton in the Mornyng. I've found another meaning in another book as Leac-tun, a herb or vegetable garden.
Laughton Castle
There was a Great Hall and an earth and timber motte and bailey fort on the top of castle hill next to the church in Saxon times. This dates from about 600AD and belonged to Edwin King of Northumbria. Edwin's wife, a princess of Kent brought Christianity to the area. It is little more than a ditch and bank and you can easily miss it - I did.
Laughton in the Domesday Book
In the Domesday Book Laughton was reported to have 33 villeins, 6 smallholders and 15 plough teams, along with its church, castle and hall. There was a priest and a church, four acres of meadow and pasture woods of seven acres. (At the time Rotherham had 8 villeins and 3 borderes having two ploughs and a half and one mill of ten shillings - a much smaller and less important place than Laughton - look at it now). This indicates that Laughton was an very important place more than a thousand years ago. In 1080 Laughton was amongst lands given to Roger de Busli of Tickhill.
The Barons' War
The village and the church was laid waste in 1322 during the barons' war against against King Edward II. It wasn't rebuilt until 1377. After that the village never regained its former prominence and has been a quiet backwater compared with other villages in the area.
Laughton Churches
The parish church of All Saints', Laughton-en-le-Morthern is the third built upon the site. It was erected in the 14th Century and the architect was William of Wykeham. Some pieces of the older churches remain within the fabric of the present building. There is a Saxon doorway and some bits of the Early Norman building. All Saints is the mother church for the area. Parish registers go back to 1547 - some of the earliest in England.
There is a second church in Laughton-en-le-Morthen, St John's Church, which is now owned by the redundant churches society. It is not generally open to the public.
Laughton Common
Laughton Common village has no ancient history but it likely it have been the common land for the villagers of Laughton. There is a Monks Bridge over one of the many streams (Eel Mires Dike by the look of it) in the area. The monks around here were very busy builders in the Middle Ages so this may indicate that they built a bridge possibly a toll bridge for pack horses way back then. They may well have also drained and diked the local swamp. If you know let me know.
More Pages about Laughton-en-le-Morthen
Laughton-en-le-Morthen Photographs.Laughton-en-le-Morthen Stories.