Historically within the West Riding of Yorkshire, the village was once owned by Edmund Hastings of Plumtree, Nottinghamshire, who had inherited it from his wife Copley's Sprotborough family.
In 1637, Edmund Hastings Esq., a descendant, had extensive property dealings with John Levett, a York barrister, who had married Hastings's wife's Copley family niece.
The first Act of Parliament was presented in 1698 by the MP for Thirsk, Sir Godfrey Copley of Sprotborough, representing the interests of Rotherham.
Sir | Sir Walter Scott | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Arthur Godfrey | Sir Robert Peel | Godfrey Kneller | Sir Arthur Harris, 1st Baronet | Charles Godfrey Leland | Sir Raylton Dixon | Sir Harold Hillier Gardens | Sir Fitzroy Maclean, 1st Baronet | John Singleton Copley | Sir Francis Baring, 1st Baronet | Godfrey of Bouillon | Sir William Temple, 1st Baronet | Sir Richard Fanshawe, 1st Baronet | Godfrey | Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet | Sir Robert Eden, 1st Baronet, of Maryland | Sir Orlando Bridgeman, 1st Baronet, of Great Lever | Sir Nigel | Sir John D'Oyly, 1st Baronet, of Kandy | Sir James Fergusson, 6th Baronet | Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baronet | Sir Henry Rawlinson | Sir Frederick Pollock, 3rd Baronet | Sir Douglas Quintet | Sir Charles Trevelyan, 1st Baronet | John Godfrey | To Sir, with Love |