The Cloughs have lived in the neighbourhood of Sutton for a long time. There have been a family of Cloughs in Keighley Parish for several hundred years, it is probable that the Sutton family were a branch of them.

William Clough of Oakworth Hall, in the parish of Keighley, yeoman, sold May 22nd 1713, to Robert Crabtree of Riddlesden, miller, Oakworth Hall and eight closes of land then in the occupation of the said Wm. Clough. Over a door at Oakworth Hall is W C 1702. There were Johannes de Cloghe, Nicholaus del Clogh, and Elena de Cloughe, living at Keighley A. D. 1379. Then there were no Cloughs living at Sutton.

The first of the family of whom we have authentic record is John Clough, yeoman, of Sutton Brow. The farm where he lived and which he owned is now sometimes called Knowl Top it is situated on Sutton Brow, on the opposite side of the road to Long House, just within the district of Ayden. It is now the property of Mr John Brigg, of Kildwick Hall. Some years ago ot was the property of the Laycocks of Keighley who inherited it from the Briggs.

Immediately previous to A. D. 1630, the farm was in the occupation of one William Harper, and in that year of John Clough the younger. The above John Clough of Ayden married A.D. 1630, Ellen, daughter of William Pighills of the Lawnde in Stairs, parish of Howarth. He had issue, John, born 1633, yeoman of Ayden 1661, and living at Wrigglesworth A. D. 1668 ; William, born 1637, living at Woodside, Kildwick, 1674 and 1690, but afterwards of Carleton Biggin where he probably died 1699, leaving issue besides others Timothy of Carleton ; Robert and Michael. The aforesaid Robert Clough was born 1641 and died 1720. He married 1672, Elizabeth Netherwood who died 1726. He along with his brother William bought the Valley and Knowltop (now generally called Knowlcote), February 11th, 1674 of John Brigg of Oxenhope, parish of Howarth, and Grace Brigg, his mother, widow of John Brigg of Oxenhope.

John Brigg was the son and the heir apparent of John Brigg of Oxenhope, who was the son and heir of Richard Brigg of Valley. A Richard Brigg, pyper, of Valley, bought it from Alverey Copley, of Batley, Esq 7 April 1627, he sold the Valley farm to Richard Brigg of Oxenhope, 2 June 1634 for £38 10 s. Richard Brigg of Sutton bought 13 April 1640 for £28 10s of Peter Barrett of Bent, and Stephen Barrett, his younger brother, a messuage called Knoll Top ect. ( Knowl Cote) then in occupation of Stephen Barrett. This Robert Clough along with his brother William were the owners of Sutton Brow Farm near Long House, Valley, and Knoll Top. These they divided September 25 th 1677, William obtaining Valley and Knowle Toppe and Robert the other farm.

Robert left two sons William and Robert. Robert born 1678, bought September 28 th 1704 for £60 from his cousin Timothy Clough of Bigin Carleton, Valley and Knoll Toppe. He married Susan who survived him, she died 1741. He died A. D. 1740 and left Valley and Knoll Toppe(Knowl Cote) to his nephew Robert. Will dated 24 February 1739.

William, elder brother of the preceding, was born A. D. 1676 and married A. D. 1703 Martha Lister. He lived at Cononley, and sold his farm on Sutton Brow for £272 2s to David Brigg of Calversyke Hill, and Judith Brigg of Laycock, widow, trusees of Thomas Brigg of Guard House, yeoman. He left several sons William, John, Joshua and Robert. Robert born 1716 died March 29 1801, inherited Valley and Knowltop from his uncle. He married firstly Ann Cragg of Steeton, widow, 1739 and secondly about 1777, Alice who died October 23 rd 1822, aged 75. The issue by his first wife were Robert, born at Steeton 1740, William, born at Sutton 1747 probably died young, Joshua born 1749 and died December 3 rd 1835 aged 86, and John ; by his second wife he had a son William. of Knol Top or Knowl Cote, who died May 11 th 1868 aged 85, he married Hannah Cryer and left William of Market Street, Keighley, and others who are now owners of Knowl Cote.

Robert Clough, of Sutton, yeoman, and Ann his wife sold 27 Feb 1741 to Thomas Garforth of Steeton, a cottage and garden at Steeton for £13 14s, and two closes at Sutton called Jackey and Snegill containing 6 day's work. Robert born 1740 and died 11 Aug 1821 had, along with his brother, Joshua, the Valley farm given to them by their father, 1776. He sold his half share to Joshua 1822, he lived at Long House and left issue.

Joshua, of the Valley, married Margaret Stirk, who died March 5 1814 aged 53, and left two sons, John Clough of Crosshills, died March 8 1859 aged 71, and Robert, of the Valley who died 19 Sep 1854 aged 62. The present house at the Valley was built in 1820-2. For a considerable time previous to that there had been only a laithe, the old house having disappeared. ( in 1776 there was no house ). The present Mr John Edward Clough, of the Valley, is the only son of Robert Clough.

John Clough of the Bent, which he purchased December 22, 1798, the Rev. Stephen Barrett, M. A, Rector of Hothfield, Kent, being then the owner, married Jane Leach of Silsden Moor, who died April 5 1828 aged 75.

The family of Barrett were located at the Bent for a long time, there was a William Barrett who lived there 1599. Peter Barrett, of the Bent was buried at Kildwick 1653.

On a stone inserted in the house wall at the Bent is : William and Ann Barrett 1658 WAB :: The name of Barrett occures often from the beginning of the parish registers. The last of the Barretts of the Bent was the Rev. Stephen Barrett. From the 'Gentleman's Magazine' Dec 1801, is extracted the following;

" He was born at the Bent, in the parish of Kildwick, and received his education at the Grammer School, Skipton, thence he went to University College, Oxford, where he took the degree of MA and received Holy Orders. In 1773 he was appointed rectory of Hothfield by the Earl of Thanet. He married AD 1749, Mary, the daughter of Edward Jacob Esq, of Canterbury, and had an only daughter and heiress, Mary who married April 14 1789, Edward Jeremiah Curteis, Esq, of Windmill Hill and the Knells, Sussex, MP for the county of Sussex 1820 - 30. The grandmother of Rev. Stephen Barrett was the sister of Doctor Sharp, Archbishop of York, and the surname of his mother was Clough. . . . . . . . . .

Bent, his family residence, and the land adjacent was the property of the Barretts for more than 400 years, before the general adoption of surnames in England(In 1379, there were Johannes Baret, Johannes Baret, junior, and Willelmus de Bent living at Sutton). . . . . . . . . . . .

John Clough, of the Bent, was born 1752 and died Jan 18 1833, aged 80, leaving Robert, of Grove Mill, grandfather of the present Messrs. Robert, William and John Clough, of Grove Mill, he married Ann Howett, and died Mar 9 1867, aged 83; John Clough of Steeton;and Alice, who married John Speak, of Royd House, and who died Aug 31 1831. John Clough, of Steeton, died AD 1872, leaving William Clough, of Whitley House; Thomas, of the Shroggs; John, of th Hobhill; Robert, of Clifton, near Bristol; and Mrs Simeon Townend, of Springfield, Gt Horton. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Henry Stirk, of Cringles, bought the Cragg in the township of Sutton, consisting of 2 messuages and about 40 acres, of James Coates of Hayhills, in the lordship of Silsden, and of Samuel Coates his heir-apparent AD 1730.

The Cragg was bought by John Dranesfield of Sutton, from Edward Copley, Esq, of Batley, 22 Mar 1612, for £41 2s 8d. He also made a purchase of William Copley of Batley, 1620. John Horrocks married Mary Dransfield, 1683. Dranesfield Horrocks of Sutton, sold the Cragg for £ 505, to William Eastburn of Silsden Moor, 15 Mar 1707. Henry Stirk lived afterwards at the Cragg, where he died AD 1744, leaving his property at Steeton and Sutton(the Hobhill and the Cragg)to his nephew, Henry Stirk, son of Francis and Jane Stirk; and the residue of all his estate, real and personal, to his brother Francis of Silsden Moor, who was born 1664, married 1691, Jane Wilson, and died 1757 aged 93.

Henry Stirk, the nephew, lived after him at the Cragg, he was born 1692, married AD 1720, Ann Coates, and died1749, leaving the Cragg to his elder son Francis, and to this younger son Henry he left the Hobhill, some property at Draughton, and the goodwill of two farms, Moorgate on Silsden Moor, and a farm at Bradley Moorside.

Part of the Cragg, at Sutton, now belongs to William Stirk of Glusburn, grandson of the above Francis Stirk. Francis Stirk was born on Silsden Moor May 20 1728, and married AD 1752, Margaret Hargreaves. It is probable that the Stirks did not live much at Hobhill, they generally either lived at the Cragg or Silsden Moor.

In the years 1728 and 1753, William Anderton was fined 3s 4d for to pull a wall down at the Court Baron of Thomas Garforth AD 1728, for encroachment on lord's waste on highway leading from Steeton to Kildwick. The next owner, Henry Stirk, lived on Silsden Moor, he was born 1734, married Sarah Rishworth of Addingham Moorside, died 1798, leaving 3 daughters, Ann born at Sutton, Oct 18 1763, who married Thomas Pearson, and inherited the Hobhill;Sarah born at Steeton 1765, who married Thomas Heyworth, and got the farms on Silsden Moor and Bradley;Elizabeth born at Silsden Moor, 1774 and married John Cockshott of Addingham, and afterwards of Shipley, she inherited the property at Draughton which had been purchased 12 Sep 1726, of William Bramley of Snow-Hill Top, by Henry Stirk. . . . . .