The farmhouse, pictured here, is early eigthteenth century. We do not know who built Scarrowmanwick, but the first Robley to farm there was Thomas (c. April 25th 1706), son of John Robley and Ann Dixon. He was born at Woodhouse, Wreay and married Margaret Hewetson on 19th February 1734 at Hesket-in-the-Forest. The young couple moved to Scarrowmanwick, and began a long Robley association with that farm.

Thomas died in 1765 leaving Scarrowmanwick to his son William. William (c. 30th June, 1742 at Kirkoswald) married Joanna Slack (sometimes called Hannah) at Croglin Parish Church on December 9th, 1965. Their first child, Margaret, was christened on 21st May, 1767 at Croglin, after which William and his family returned to farm at Woodhouse, Wreay.

Further research may reveal what happened at Scarrowmanwick, in the years between William's departure and the arrival of his son Thomas. Thomas (c. 26 April, 1769 at St. Mary's, Carlisle), married Elizabeth Dixon at Hesket-in-the-Forest on 20th November, 1796.

(Thomas Robley of Woodhouse in the Parish of St. Mary, Carlisle aged 26 years and Elizabeth Dixon of Wreay Hall in the Parish of Hesket aged 21 years).

Thomas, who was my great-great grandfather, lived to the age of 80. His will, proved in 1849, left everything to his wife during her lifetime. When Elizabeth died, in 1864, Scarrowmanwick passed in equal shares to Joseph (c. 28 November, 1801 at Castle Sowerby), and Isaac (c. 31st March, 1811 at Croglin). Isaac never married. Great grandfather, Joseph, a champion wrestler, and the introducer of the "swinging hype", looked after the alehouse side of the business. His name appears in the Register of Licenses Granted in the Division of Leath Ward, 26th August 1873, as the proprietor of the Ship Inn.

Joseph had married Jane Craggs on 14th February, 1856, and when he died on 8th June 1874 the administration of his estate passed to his widow. Isaac had already retired to the village of Croglin, leaving Thomas as husbandman in charge of the farming. The 1881 census records 9 people living at Scarrowmanwick: Thomas, the head, 4 of his 5 brothers, Joseph, Isaac, William and John, his mother Jane, sister-in-law Mary Ann (wife of Joseph, and my grandmother), nephew John and niece Jane. When Isaac died in 1893 he left his share of Scarrowmanwick to Thomas. Thomas, and his mother Jane, went bankrupt in the 1890s, shortly after the death of Isaac. Robin Bell attributed the bankruptcy partly to the building of the new byre, which cost around 750 pounds. This was a lot of money in those days.

It was not the end of the Robley connection with Scarrowmanwick. My father, William Isaac Robley, who lived at Midtown, Cumwhitton, bought back the farm which had long been associated with the Robleys, and where his father Joseph had been born, married, and seen the birth of his first children.Scarrowmanwick was left to me, in his will, and sold again in the late 1960s. It was bought by Robert Bell, who now farms it in conjunction with his son Robin, and Robin's wife Frances.