It is thought that the community of Edenthorpe possibly had its origins with the invasions of the Saxons, Vikings and Danes. It is believed that the first settlement may have been called STIRESTORP derived from the words "STYR" (an outlying farmstead) and "TORP" or "THORPE" meaning settlement.
Little is known of the subsequent development but references are found in the Doomsday Book. It stated that the settlement had two sockmen and a bordar - small holders with a plough. Socmen were freemen who rented land for farming.
Reference was also made to the size of the local woodland - indicated as being two furlongs long by half a furlong wide (furlong - 220 yards). Fulk of Lisars had one caracute of Sveinn's land in Stirestorp - about 120 acres. Gerard de Styrop or Tristrop gave a turbary to the monks of Roche Abbey - the right to dig peat.
Whilst little historical fact can be obtained about the further expansion of the settlement it appears that one Sir Robert Swyft was appointed Lord of the Manor and built the Manor House, located in what is now Cedric Road, in 1606. The Swyft family held Streethorpe as a part of the Manor of Coningsburgh.
Sir Robert interestingly was a Bow bearer of the Chace of Hatfield - an area set aside for deer hunting. He planted many yew trees to provide the raw materials for the bows and some still grow inside the grounds of Edenthorpe Hall which currently is the home of the Edenthorpe Hall Primary School.
It appears that the Swyft family died out around 1635 when the property was sold to one Daniel Baker, a London merchant.
The lands were again sold in 1769 to one George Cooke of Wheatley and at this time totalled around 2000 acres, stretching into nearby Armthorpe.
Edenthorpe Hall, a three storey country house was built by Mr Cooke who added the name of Yarborough to the family name - becoming Cooke-Yarborough of Campsmount.
Mr Cooke died in 1818 with the family maintaining interest in the which by 1837 had been reduced to 334 acres. Through the marriage of a Cooke daughter the resident family became known as Parker and according to the Kelly's Directory of 1868 Henry Yarborough Parker sold Streethorpe in 1872 to the Rt. Hon. William George, Baron Auckland, in total 518 acres in the Parishes of Armthorpe and Kirk Sandall.
In 1875 the estates were transferred by Baron Auckland to Edith and Sir William Eden and became known as the Edenthorpe estate.
In 1903 the estate was broken up with 1171 acres being sold to Earl Fitzwilliam whilst Frederick Bacon Frank of Campsall Hall bought Grange and Home Farms.
In 1908 Earl Fitzwilliam was still in residence at the Edenthorpe Hall but his son moved away before World War I began. During the Great War the Hall was occupied by the military with Major Stephen Smith of the Yorkshire Dragoons in command.
Between 1918-20 the Hall was occupied briefly by Lord and Lady Moncrieff but was offered for sale in 1920 in the Doncaster Gazette. It was described as a beautiful mansion, in total extending to 47 acres.
Unfortunately a manor fire occurred in the 18th century central block on Easter Monday 1922 causing over £2000 of damage. The damaged block was eventually pulled down and the wings of the building subsequently used for various uses including a Working Mens Club. This eventually closed in 1954 and the building became a Junior School in 1957 and still remains in this capacity.
HISTORICAL BUILDINGS: Apart from the remaining sections of Edenthorpe Hall
Edenthorpe has one very important old building.
THE MANOR HOUSE: Situated in Cedric Road. It was built by Robert Swyft in 1606. It has been restored and is now a private dwelling as is the 'OLD COACH HOUSE' situated immediately across the road from the Manor House. This was said to have a very long oak beam and a tunnel in the basement leading to the HALL.
At the time the estate comprised "Streethorpe Hall, pleasure grounds, farm buildings, cottages, woods, pastures, arable lands and plantation.
The cost of purchasing the estate was £50,000.
In 1878-79 considerable repairs and extensions were undertaken costing over £16000.
