Being local to the area in West Yorkshire described in the article, I’d just like to correct the impression given in the article that Gildersome is a quaint ye olde english ‘hamlet... dominated by farmland’. It’s a suburb in the centre of a densely populated urban conurbation right next to one of the busiest motorways in Britain.
Interesting because I got the impression that someone on the Brown side didn't want to part with it because it might be valuable.
Having handed it down several generations, just a deed. Until the story of it became lost and it was accidentally donated with the book.
And then returned to its rightful family.
My imagination concocts all kinds of scenarios where the Appleyards were forced to leave england destitute because they could never prove ownership of the land.
Or perhaps the Browns just thought it was interesting and didn't know its significance.
The article never mentions which family the land was deeded to though.
