PROBATE VALUATIONS IN HALE
The History of Hale
The first reference to Hale was in the 1086 Domesday Book, but the early history of Hale is not well-recorded. Human occupation of the area is believed to trace back to the time of the Saxons, in the 7th century; due to the small amount of records to survive to this day, this is only speculation.
It’s thought that the name of the village is derived from the word ‘halh’, which in Old English, means a shelter or a nook. The reasoning behind the name could be in reference to the large number of natural features in Hale that may have been used for shelter.
In accordance to the Domesday Book, the manor in Hale was owned by Ælfward, a Saxon thegn. The lands owned by Ælfward would later pass to Hamon de Massey under Norman control. Massey also received ownership of Bowdon and Dunham at the time.
Until the death of the last member of the Massey family in the middle of the 14th century, they retained ownership of Hale. Hale was then split between three owners, including the Booths of Dunham, who would later be bestowed the title of Earl of Stamford.
From a primarily agricultural land, Hale would grow into affluence in the Middle Ages, with the establishment of a tithe barn which generated more money than any Bowden township parish. The location of the tithe barn in Hale Barns, led to Hale Barns being separated from Hale. This was referenced for the first time in 1616, where Hale Barns was noted to be a separate village.
The village of Hale was changed again in 1862, when a railway station was opened in Hale; 40 years later this would be renamed Hale station. This sparked the main shift from Hale being primarily agricultural based to becoming