John Tennant , of Bordley, Yorkshire. According to an Indenture in the possession of the Tennant family (1999), Chapel House was in the family in 1584. It is noted: From the name of Chapel-house, "it seems probable," says Dr. Whitaker, "that the Monks either had a small Cell or a Grange, with a chapel annexed, in a picturesque and interesting situation, where an excellent house was built by the late John Tennant, Esq., whose ancestor Jeffry Tennant, of Bordley, purchased the estate of the Gresham family, the grantees of Fountains, in the 14th of Elizabeth." A Topographical Dictionary of Yorkshire - For the year 1822, by Thomas Langdale KILNSEY, in the township of Conistone-with-Kilnsey, and parish of Burnsall, east-division of Staincliffe, liberty of Cliffords-Fee; 3 miles from Kettlewell, 12 from Skipton and Settle. --Pop. included in Conistone. This place is remarkable for a lofty range of limestone rock; the highest point of that denominated "Kilnsey Crag," will be about 165 feet, and its length 270 yards, or, more. The whole of this astonishing mass of limestone stretches nearly half a mile along the valley, and, as a feature in landscape, has greatly the advantage of Gordale Scar. To this village, the Abbots of Fountains drove their immense flocks of sheep from the surrounding hills, for their annual sheep-shearing. Here, too, they also kept Courts for all their Manors in Craven, excepting Litton and Long Strother, which last were holden at Litton. The walls of their Court-house were remaining at Kilnsey, 41 Elizabeth. --Hist. Craven. Two ancient Arches, rather pointed, adjoining to a house called "The Hall" (dated W.W. 1644) behind the Inn at Kilnsey, still point to some of those remains. The keystone of the larger arch has the remains of a dog or sheep upon it. From the name of Chapel-house, "it seems probable," says Dr. Whitaker, "that the Monks either had a small Cell or a Grange, with a chapel annexed, in a picturesque and interesting situation, where an excellent house was built by the late John Tennant, Esq., whose ancestor Jeffry Tennant, of Bordley, purchased the estate of the Gresham family, the grantees of Fountains, in the 14th of Elizabeth." ------ Walbran in a footnote to the Survey of the Manerium de Litton, states that m,embers of the family of John Tennant, a Tenant at will of the Manor of Litton in Craven in, and prior to, 1539, were engaged in the serrvice of Fountains in the time of Edward IV (1461-1584). -------- Dr Whitaker in his Histiry of Craven p. 452 says that Jeffrey Tennant of Bordley purchased the state of Chapel House from the Gresham family, the grantees of Fountains Abbey in 14 Eliz. (1572) where his descendant John Tennant Esq. shortly before his death in 1790, had built an excellent house. -------
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