Editing Skelmanthorpe (section)

==History==
The village was probably founded during the [[Viking]] invasion in the 9th century, as they moved inland from the [[North Sea]].<ref name="lawton">{{cite book | last = Lawton | first = Fred | year = 1895 | title = Historical notes of Skelmanthorpe & district | publisher = Paul Dyson}}</ref> There is no record of the village in the earlier [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times.

The entry for Skelmanthorpe in the ''[[Domesday Book]]'' of 1086 states:<ref name="lawton" />

''Manors & Berewick. In Turulsetone and Berceworde and Scelmertorp, Alric and Aldene had nine carcucates of land to be taxed, and there may be five ploughs there. Ilbert now has it, and it is waste. Value in King Edwards time 4 pounds. Wood pasture one mile long and as much broad.''

The comment "and it is waste." is the result of the [[Harrying of the North]] of 1069. [[William I of England|William the Conqueror]] had difficulties subduing his northern subjects, leading to the order to "spare neither man nor beast, but to kill, burn and destroy" being issued.<ref name="lawton" /> This left Skelmanthorpe and much of [[Yorkshire]] a wasteland for about nine years.

The first recorded owners of the village were Alric and Aldena in the 11th century, mentioned in the [[Domesday Book]] of 1086. Following the Norman invasion of England in 1066 the village was given to [[de Laci|Ilbert de Laci]] by the new king. The [[de Laci]] family owned the village for the next 300 years, until through the marriage of [[de Laci|Alice de Laci]] in the 14th century, the village came into the possession of [[Thomas, 2nd Earl of Lancaster|Thomas, Earl of Lancaster]]. The village remained in this family and after the marriage of [[Blanche of Lancaster]] to [[John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster|John of Gaunt]], the village became the property of their son [[Henry IV of England|Henry]] (King of England).<ref name="lawton" />

During the 1770s, Skelmanthorpe Feast was a riotous affair with [[Bull-baiting|bull]] and [[bear-baiting]] and organised [[dog fighting|dog fights]] on the village green.<ref name="Taylor" >{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=John |year=1882 |title=Reminiscences of Isaac Marsden |url=https://archive.org/details/10142474.emory.edu |publisher=T Woolmer}}</ref> A quote from John Taylor, who compiled a biography of Skelmanthorpe-born preacher Isaac Marsden (1807–1882), records that "Public houses were crowded with drunken revellers, who caroused all day and made night hideous with quarrels and disturbances&nbsp;... Among these scenes of revelry were mountebanks, showmen, fortune telling Gypsies, vagabonds and thieves from every quarter."<ref name="Taylor" />
Skelmanthorpe Feast now happens every year on the field next to The Chartist and across the road from what was the Three Horse Shoes public house and is now shops.

In November 1874 a number of skirmishes were fought between the native villagers and Irish [[navvy|navvies]]. The navvies had been brought in to construct the railway, and fighting broke out between them and the locals on a number of occasions and locals being refused work on the line. A small group of locals threw stones at the navvies, who responded with [[mattock]] shafts and spades. The fighting lasted for most of the day eventually ending in the afternoon. Police were called in from [[Huddersfield]] but arrived after the disturbances had finished.<ref name="wilkinson">{{cite book | last = Wilkinson | first = John | year = 2002 | title = Exploring the Upper Dearne Valley | publisher = Bridge Publications}}</ref>

In 1934 a [[Movie theater|cinema]] was built, it was the sole use of the building for almost 30 years. In 1961 [[wrestling]] was introduced to increase revenue. A reduction in audiences in 1968 resulted in the cinema closing and the building became a bingo hall until 1970 when the building closed. After five years it reopened as the Savoy Squash Club.<ref name="cinema">{{cite web | title=Squash club history | work=Savoy Squash Club – Information | url=http://www.yorkshirenet.co.uk/sportinfo/external/links/link.asp?ID=1925 | accessdate=26 April 2006}}</ref> In June 2010, part of the club was redeveloped as a Youth and Community Centre with a car park, outdoor 5-a-side court, sports hall with a stage, meeting room and cafe.{{cn|date=October 2023}}

===Industry===
Similar to many village in the area, [[agriculture]] was the primary industry of Skelmanthorpe until the 19th century when [[weaving]] took over as the dominant occupation. Many of the older buildings in the village show signs of having been used as weavers cottages in the past.<ref name="wilkinson" /> As late as 1890, there were 200 [[loom|hand looms]] in cottages in Skelmanthorpe.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}

Number 6, Queen Street was preserved by Leslie Robinson a local historian as the Skelmanthorpe Textile Heritage Centre, complete with hand loom and all the associated equipment. Leslie became frail and in 2011, Richard Brooke, Tony Weatherby and David Collins created  the Friends of Skelmanthorpe Textile Heritage Centre to assist with the running of the centre. Following Robinson's death in 2015 The Friends  applied to the Heritage Lottery Fund to purchase the centre from his estate. The centre is now owned by a charitable trust. It opens on the second Sunday of the months between March and December to give free guided tours and loom demonstrations. It also opens for four days in September during the English Heritage Open Days.

=== Survey of English Dialects ===
Skelmanthorpe was a site in the [[Survey of English Dialects]]. The recording taken was notable both because of the rich form of dialect used and because it discussed a local sighting of a ghost.  This stood out in the survey, in which most recordings were of villagers discussing local industries.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sounds.bl.uk/accents-and-dialects/Survey-of-English-dialects/021M-C0908X0048XX-0100V1|title=British Library. Survey of English Dialects: Skelmanthorpe|publisher=}}</ref>

=== Governance ===
Skelmanthorpe became a civil parish in 1876,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10416097|title=Relationships and changes Skelmanthorpe CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=11 August 2023}}</ref> on 1 April 1974 the parish was abolished and merged into Denby Dale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/upper%20agbrigg.html|title=Upper Agbrigg Registration District|publisher=UKBMD|accessdate=11 August 2023}}</ref> In 1951 the parish had a population of 3425.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10416097/cube/TOT_POP|title=Population statistics Skelmanthorpe CP through time|publisher=A Vision of Britain through Time|accessdate=11 August 2023}}</ref>