Editing Cannon Hall (section)

==History==
Although there was a house on the site when the [[Domesday Book|Domesday Survey]] of 1086 was conducted, Cannon Hall picked up its current name from the 13th-century inhabitant Gilbert Canun. By the late 14th century Cannon Hall was in the ownership of the Bosville family of [[Ardsley, South Yorkshire|Ardsley]], now a suburb in south-east of [[Barnsley]].  It was during this period that the most violent event in Cannon Hall's history took place.  The Bosvilles had let the Hall out to a family (whose name has been lost), the daughter of whom was romantically involved with a man named Lockwood.  Lockwood had been involved in the murder of Sir John Elland, the [[High Sheriff of Yorkshire]].  The tenant, afraid of the position in which he could find himself accommodating a fugitive, sent word to Bosville.  Bosville's men arrived at Cannon Hall, where the fugitive was slain in a cruel and violent manner.

Cannon Hall's history settled down after this notably unpleasant episode.  In 1660 the estate was purchased by John Spencer, a Welsh hay-rake maker.  The Spencer family had arrived in Yorkshire from [[Montgomeryshire]] in the Welsh borders, a safer place than Wales for those with Royalist sympathies such as those of the Spencers (John Spencer even managed to get a pardon from [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] himself when John was held in York prison on manslaughter charges).  The Spencer family became active in the local iron and coal industry - notably under John Spencer (died 1729) who took advantage of the death of his partners to establish control.<ref>Awty, B. (23 September 2004). Spencer family (per. c. 1647–1765), ironmasters. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Retrieved 28 December 2017, see [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-47557 link]</ref> The family built a huge empire and funded the rebuilding of Cannon Hall.

The core of the present Cannon Hall was built at the opening of the 18th century for [[John Spencer Stanhope]], possibly by John Etty of York, more surely with interior joinery by William Thornton, another well-known local craftsman. It was enlarged with the addition of wings in 1764–67 by the premier mid-Georgian architect working in Yorkshire, [[John Carr (architect)|John Carr]]. Subsequently, the wings were heightened, giving the rather high-blocked mass seen today.  The last member of the family, Elizabeth, sold the house to Barnsley Council in 1951.

Cannon Hall Museum opened to the public in 1957.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cannon-hall.com/history|title=Cannon Hall history|date=|publisher=Cannon-Hall.com|last1=|first1=|accessdate=15 March 2017}}</ref>