A MYSTERY buyer has bought

historic Hawksworth Hall at a cost rumoured to be more than £1 million and saved it from redevelopment, we can reveal.

As previously reported, the last owners, the charity Scope, had put the hall at Hawksworth village near Guiseley up for sale and villagers had feared that the house, used as a

children's home for cerebral palsy

sufferers until two years ago, would be redeveloped.

A spokeswoman for Scope this week was unwilling to name the new owner but said that contracts

had been exchanged and that the sale was due to be completed on November 17.

"To the best of our knowledge, the new owner intends that the hall will be used as their own private residence," she added.

The Wharfedale Observer understands that the sale means the

much-publicised bid to restore the hall to its former glories by American millionaire Jay Hawkesworth Elias Jnr, an ancestor of the original owners, has failed.

Mr Elias, who had hoped to preserve the hall for villagers but had been hampered by serious illness, was unavailable for comment at his Ohio ranch.

But villagers who had backed Mr Elias' bid were still celebrating this week.

One of the campaigners, Hawksworth farmer Ralph Kay, said that all residents wanted was for the hall to remain in residential use, and that the 700 people from across Aireborough who signed their

petition would be very happy.

"The campaign group is delighted that the hall will be a private

residence again and I'd like to thank everyone who had signed the petition and the support of our MP

Paul Truswell and Tory shadow

environment minister Peter Hainsworth."

A developer was also interested in buying the grade two listed hall and turning it into three houses and five more in the grounds.

Those plans were due to be discussed at public inquiry later this month.

AN American tracing his family

history has asked Wharfedale Observer readers for help.

David Smyth of New Jersey said an ancestor of his called Ralph Smyth (whose father was William Smyth of Rosedale Abbey), came over from Ireland to marry Elizabeth Hawksworth in the early 1600s.

Anyone who has any information about the Smyths, Elizabeth Hawksworth or the history of the hall can contact Mr Smyth at 8 Beechwood Avenue, Metuchen, NJ 08840, USA or email him at Currell@aol.com.