Hidden History: The Starmire Farmstead that Conquered the Aristocracy

Over 230 years ago, a patch of land - then known as Starmire - was the launchpad for one of the most meteoric social climbs in Cumbrian history. This is the story of how a family of local "statesmen" (yeoman farmers) transformed a humble hamlet into a global fortune that reached the heights of the British aristocracy. 

Starmire and the Statesmen

In the mid-18th century, Starmire (historically spelled Starnmire) was a small settlement or substantial farmstead located near Ingwell. It was the ancestral seat of the Benn family.

At this time, the Benns were quintessential Cumbrian yeomen - independent, hard-working, and increasingly ambitious.

The family's local influence began to solidify in 1748, when Anthony Benn of Starmire purchased the Manor of Hensingham.

This move transitioned the family from mere farmers to "Landed Gentry." While Anthony focused on local prestige - his descendants eventually funded the rebuilding of Hensingham Church - another branch of the family was looking far beyond the Cumbrian coast.

The "Nabob" of Moor Row

The most pivotal figure in the family’s history was John Benn (born 1759), the son of William Benn of Moor Row.

Like many ambitious younger sons of the era, John saw the East India Company (EIC) as a vehicle for rapid wealth.

Traveling to India as a "writer" (clerk), John Benn eventually secured a plum post in Benares (modern-day Varanasi).

There, he found himself at the heart of a massive commercial machine. Through a combination of official duties and "private trade" - the highly lucrative trading of opium, indigo, and diamonds - John amassed a staggering personal fortune.

By the time he returned to England in 1787, he possessed roughly £80,000. To put that in perspective, a comfortable middle-class income at the time was around £200 a year. In today's money, it would equate to over £250,000,000.

John Benn had become a "Nabob" - the contemporary term for men who returned from India with pockets full of gold and a desire for social status.

A Strategic Marriage

John’s ascent was completed through his marriage to Margaret Fowke. Margaret was the niece of John Walsh, a legendary figure who had served as the private secretary to Clive of India.

When Walsh died in 1795, he left a colossal inheritance to Margaret’s children on one condition: the family must adopt the surname Walsh.

By Royal Licence, the Benns of Moor Row became the Benn Walshes. This union of two "Indian" fortunes catapulted the family into the highest echelons of British society.

John Benn Walsh was created a Baronet in 1804, and his son was eventually raised to the peerage as Lord Ormathwaite.

John Benn (1759–1840)
  • Born in 1759, the year his father William Benn of Moor Row was buried.
  • Later became Sir John Benn, a well-known figure nationally (banker, MP, and eventually Lord Mayor of London).

Old Norse

The name Starmire (or Starnmire) is a classic example of Northern English toponymy, derived from a blend of Old Norse and Middle English roots.

In the context of West Cumbrian dialect and geography, the name describes the physical nature of the land as it appeared to early settlers. Here is the breakdown of its components:
  • Star (or Starn): This is derived from the Old Norse word störr, which refers to Sedge - a type of coarse, stiff grass or rush that typically grows in wet, marshy ground. In Cumbrian dialect, "Star-grass" was a common term for the vegetation found on boggy moorlands.
  • Mire: This comes from the Old Norse mýrr, meaning a bog, swamp, or marshy area. It describes land that is permanently saturated and difficult to traverse or farm without drainage.
  • Literal Meaning: The marshy place where sedge grass grows.
The name tells us a great deal about what the area between Moor Row and Bigrigg looked like before the industrial revolution and modern agricultural drainage:
  • Pre-Industrial Landscape: Before the iron ore boom of the 19th century, this area was likely a low-lying, poorly drained section of the moor.
  • The "Moor" in Moor Row: The fact that Starmire sat immediately adjacent to Moor Row reinforces this; both names point to a landscape of wild, uncultivated, and wet upland.
Usage in Cumbria "Mire" is a very common element in Cumbrian place names. Because West Cumbria has high rainfall and heavy clay soils in places, these "mires" were significant landmarks for travellers.

For the Benn family, the name Starmire would have originally signified a farmstead built on the edge of this rough, rushy ground.

From Farmstead to Science Park

While the Benn Walsh family eventually moved their primary interests to Berkshire and Ireland, their Cumbrian roots left a lasting mark on the landscape:
  • Ingwell Hall: The original site of Starmire was eventually absorbed into the Ingwell estate. The grand mansion of Ingwell Hall (which later served as a school) was built on the very land where the Benns once farmed.
  • Hensingham: The Benn name remains synonymous with the development of Hensingham, particularly through their patronage of the local church and the manor.
  • Westlakes Science Park: In a twist of historical irony, the land once used by the Benns to build a global fortune through 18th-century trade is now a hub for 21st-century global technology. 
The story of Starmire is a reminder that the quiet corners of West Cumbria were once deeply connected to the furthest reaches of the British Empire. From the muddy fields of a Moor Row farmstead to the diamond markets of Benares, the Benn family’s journey is a fascinating chapter in the history of the "Cumbrian Nabobs". 

Visualisation Of Starmire, Moor Row - Illustration
Visualisation Of Starmire Illustration
Location: Moor Row CA24, UK

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