John Clarel

Who is John Clarel?

John Clarel was Lord of the Manor of Penistone in the fourteenth century. In 1392 a record was made stating how John Clarel left a gift of land to the people of Penistone for the building of a school for the use of the people. The school that was built was first registered as Penistone Grammar School 50 years later and recently celebrated its 600th anniversary in 1992.

John Clarel and his family were well known in Penistone and historically were a powerful family. The family name lives on in Penistone in the form of a street name: Clarel Street.