This is the latest of a series of articles written by popular historian Arthur Tomlin more than 25 years ago. Mr Tomlin sadly died a couple of years ago. He was extremely well-known in the area as an artist and historian
THE pleasant village of Sibson is situated on an upward slope on the north side of a tributary of the river Sence.
At the time of the Domesday survey in 1086, the village was known as Sibetesdone but was changed in 1229 to Sibbeston, and renamed as this until 1649, when it became known as Sibson.
The parish, which includes Wellsborough and Upton, comprises 3,820 acres, where the soil is mainly of a clay texture.
Early records indicate that Earl Aubrey held most of the land in Sibson until 1086 when he forfeited all rights to his land in Britain and returned to Normandy.
During the reign of Henry I, the Manor of Sibson was held by John Le Potere and in 1371, Henry De Ferrers held land there.
There were originally two water mills in the parish at Sibson, Mill Farm and Temple Mill Farm. There are records of the mills which date back to 1279.
Mill Farm drew its water from the river Sence and had an under-shot type wheel which was 15 foot in diameter and drove two pairs of grinding stones.
The mill operated until 1940 but has since been restored as a private residence.
Temple Mill was one of the smallest in the county. It was purchased by the Crown Lands’ Commissioners before the Second World War and was then dismantled.
The population of the village remained quite stable until 1349, when it became severely affected by the Black Death.
The first enclosure took place at Sibson between 1639 and 1674, although Wellsborough and Upton were partially enclosed between 1513 and 1529. They were all totally enclosed in 1804.
Sibson’s Cock Inn is regarded as one of the loveliest inns in the country. It is believed that an ale house has existed on this site for the past 700 years.
The inn was originally owned by the church and as one would expect it only had a six-day licence, and was a free house.
It was the haunt of the notorious highway man Dick Turpin, who lived with his parents in a little cottage at the side of the old Roman road known at the Ten Lane. His horse Black Bess was kept in a clearing at Lindley Wood.
Dick was baptised at Hempsted in Essex in 1705, and started life as a butcher and eventually married Mary Millington. With extravagant tastes, he soon came into financial difficulties and reverted to stealing cattle to stock his butchers shop.
He joined a ruthless gang of house-breakers who were all hanged but Turpin who escaped the net became a highwayman.
He adopted his mother’s maiden name of Palmer when he became under suspicion for horse stealing and moved across to Beverly in Berkshire.