CATWICK
The parish lies 18 km. NNE. of Hull and
10 km. WSW. of Hornsea, with the small village
of Catwick close to the northern boundary. (fn. 24)
The name Catwick is Anglian and probably
means 'the dairy farm of Catta and his people'. (fn. 25)
In 1851 the ancient parish contained 1,570 a.
(635 ha.); (fn. 26) its boundary has since remained
unchanged.
The number of poll-tax payers at Catwick in
1377 is not known but in 1672 the parish had
24 houses assessed for hearth tax and 9 discharged. (fn. 27) There were 18 families in 1743 and
15 in 1764. (fn. 28) From 132 in 1801 the population
rose sharply in the 1810s to 190 in 1821 and
grew again in mid century to 248 in 1861 and
273 in 1871. From the 1880s it fell to 195 in
1901 and thereafter fluctuated around 200,
before falling again to 173 in 1961. There were
197 inhabitants by 1981 but only 171 were
recorded in 1991, when 174 were usually
resident. (fn. 29)
The parish is on boulder clay, sand, and
gravel, and much of the land exceeds 7 m. above
sea level, rising to 15 m. at the eastern boundary. (fn. 30) Sand and gravel deposits in the north and
west form some of the higher land, including
Gildholm hill, Catwick hill, and Westlands hill;
much of the gravel north-east of the village has
been extracted. (fn. 31) Lower, mostly alluvial, land
borders the main drains, which flow west into
the Holderness drain. The northern boundary
is formed by a stream comprising Catfoss drain,
Stream dike, and New drain, and another drain,
also called Stream dike and then Bowlams dike,
runs through the southern half of the parish.
The former existence of meres in Catwick is evident from the names Bramer, Star mere, and
Great mere, all recorded in 1685. (fn. 32) The open
fields and common meadows lay east, south, and
west of the village, with the common pastures
in the north-west and south-east corners of the
parish; the commonable lands were inclosed in
1732.
The principal road is that crossing the parish
from Beverley and Leven in the west to Hornsea
in the east. The western stretch was improved
in the 1930s and the eastern part c. 1980. (fn. 33) From
the Leven-Hornsea road minor roads run south
to Long Riston, south-east to Rise, north-west
to Brandesburton, and north to Catfoss, in
Sigglesthorne. The Long Riston road was
diverted in 1811. (fn. 34) At the east end of the village
the road from Rise formerly crossed the main
road and continued north-eastwards to join the
Brandesburton road; as a public road that course
was discontinued in 1878, but it continued to be
used as a field track. (fn. 35)
Catwick
village is built along both sides
of the principal road, called Main Street, in a
southern back lane, and in Little Catwick, lying
further south beside the Long Riston road. Most
of the buildings are of brick and were built in
the 19th and 20th centuries. Older buildings
include Catwick House, in Main Street, which
dates from the late 18th century and retains a
contemporary stable block. Willow Croft Farm,
in Little Catwick, was put up in 1792, and its
outbuildings include a wheelhouse. (fn. 36) Houses
stood on the sites of both Manor Farm, on the
Long Riston road, and Old Hall at Little
Catwick by 1772. (fn. 37) The church and former
rectory house stand in the back lane, where
Wesleyan and Primitive Methodist chapels were
added in the mid 19th century. (fn. 38) Modern
in-filling has included the building in the mid
20th century of half a dozen council houses in
Main Street and that part of the back lane called
Rowpit Lane. Sewage pumping stations in
Rowpit Lane and beside the Brandesburton road
were also built and operated by the district
council. (fn. 39) An alehouse was licensed at Catwick
in the later 18th century, (fn. 40) but there is no later
record of a public house there. A recreation hut,
opened c. 1920, was replaced by a village hall
built on the same site in 1987. (fn. 41) The village formerly included a holy well, named Lady well, in
the grounds of Manor Farm. A moated site,
north of Catwick House, may have been the site
of a medieval manor house. (fn. 42)
Outlying buildings
include three farmhouses built on land inclosed in 1732: Catwick
Mill Farm had been put up by 1772, and Cobble
Hall and Catwick Grange date from between
1772 and 1829. (fn. 43)
MANORS AND OTHER ESTATES
In 1066
two manors of CATWICK, comprising 5
carucates, were held by Sven and Murdoch.
Four of the carucates, belonging before or
after 1066 to Ealdwif, passed to William Malet,
who was deprived c. 1070. By 1086 all 5
carucates were held by Drew de Bevrère and
were later part of the Aumale fee. The manors of
Catwick were occupied in 1086 by two of Drew's
knights. (fn. 44)
Catwick parish c. 1850
One of Drew's knights was probably the
Ralph who in 1086 held Carlton manor, in
Aldbrough, which had also been Sven's, and he
or another, as Ralph of Catwick, gave a moiety
of Catwick church to Pontefract priory before
1127. Like Carlton, Catwick descended in the
Whittick family and then passed apparently to
the Meltons and Darcys. (fn. 45) Simon Whittick held
3 carucates of the Aumale fee at Catwick in the
mid 13th century, and in the 1280s his successor
William Whittick had 3½ carucates in demesne. (fn. 46) Walter Whittick was named as a lord
of Catwick in 1316. (fn. 47) John Melton (d. 1458) held
the manor. (fn. 48) John Darcy, Lord Darcy, was dealing with the manor in the 16th century, and,
after his death in 1602, his successor, also John
Darcy, Lord Darcy, sold it, then comprising
only 6 bovates, to Robert Escrick the elder (d.
1621) and the younger. (fn. 49) Robert Escrick the
elder enlarged the estate by purchase in 1608
and 1617. The younger Robert (d. 1643) was
succeeded by his sons Robert (d. by 1690) and
Ralph (d. 1728). (fn. 50) Ralph's heirs sold the manor
in 1729 to Hugh Bethell, who already had an
estate in the parish, bought in 1654 by his greatuncle Sir Hugh Bethell. Bethell (d. 1752) (fn. 51) was
awarded 289 a. at the inclosure of Catwick in
1732 and bought 83 a. more in 1746. (fn. 52) The estate
later descended, like Rise, in the Bethells to
William Bethell, who had 422 a. in the parish in
1910. (fn. 53) After his death in 1926, Manor farm,
comprising 237 a., was sold to James Mewburn
in 1929; most of the remaining land was sold in
several lots in 1943, and only 14.6 ha. (36 a.) in
the parish remained with the Bethells in 1990. (fn. 54)
From Mewburn (d. 1935) Manor farm passed
to his widow and son Robert, who divided and
sold the estate in 1948 and 1953, c. 230 a. going
to Arthur and Kenneth Newton. (fn. 55) The Newtons
already owned c. 180 a. in the parish and were
still the owners of Manor farm in 1992. (fn. 56) Manor
Farm House, formerly Manor House, was evidently rebuilt in the 19th century. (fn. 57)
Drew de Bevrère's second knight in 1086 was
evidently succeeded by the Fauconbergs. W. de
Fauconberg, who held 2 carucates in Catwick in
the mid 13th century, (fn. 58) was probably Walter de
Fauconberg, later Lord Fauconberg, tenant of
the estate at Catwick in the 1280s. (fn. 59) It later
descended, as an appurtenance of their manor
of Rise, in the Fauconbergs, Lords Fauconberg,
before passing to the Nevilles. (fn. 60)
The Fauconbergs' estate was held by their
free tenants, (fn. 61) who were apparently cadet members of the Fauconberg family. In 1316 Henry
de Fauconberg and Walter son of John de
Fauconberg were named as lords of Catwick, (fn. 62)
and John de Fauconberg (d. 1366) was succeeded by his son (Sir) Walter in 1 carucate
there, held of Isabel, dowager Lady Fauconberg,
under Rise manor. As a manor of Catwick, the
estate evidently later descended like Bilton
manor, in Swine. (fn. 63) It thus passed in shares from
Sir Walter Fauconberg to his heirs, the Butlers
and Plessingtons, and from them to the Holmes,
Francises, Staveleys, and Flowers. (fn. 64) A manor of
Catwick being dealt with by Alexander Balam
in 1527 was part of the same estate. (fn. 65) Part of
the manor had been bought by (Sir) William
Knowles by the 1540s, when his manor of
Catwick was recorded, and that estate descended
to his daughter, Mary Stanhope (d. 1567), and
son-in-law, John Stanhope (fl. 1582). Knowles's
grandson William Alford probably inherited the
manor soon after. (fn. 66)
One of the half shares in the Fauconbergs'
manor evidently passed to the Hildyard family.
The Hildyards held 130 a. in the parish under
Burstwick, the chief manor of the Aumale fee,
by the 15th century, (fn. 67) and it was presumably an
enlarged estate, then described as including a
moiety of the manor, which Christopher Hildyard sold in 1571-2 to Robert Shippabotham.
Shippabotham (d. 1579) was succeeded by four
sisters. (fn. 68)
Nunkeeling priory received an estate in the
12th and 13th centuries from Eustace de
Fauconberg, Simon Whittick, Peter of Bilton,
and others. It comprised c. 1 carucate and was
valued at £2 14s. in 1535. (fn. 69) After the Dissolution
the land was granted in 1541 to Sir Richard
Gresham (d. 1549) and later descended, with
Nunkeeling manor, to William Thornton and
William Hudson, who were jointly awarded
107 a. at inclosure in 1732. (fn. 70) Hudson (d. 1734)
was succeeded in his half share by his son
Joseph. Joseph's nephew John Hudson bought
the other moiety from William Thornton in
1761 and conveyed it to Joseph. (fn. 71) In 1764 Joseph
sold the reunited estate to William Wells, and it
had passed by 1787 to Well's devisees Richard
Hood and his brother William (d. 1852). (fn. 72) The
estate was sold in 1853 to William Norman and
in 1862, after Norman's death, to William
Wright (d. 1884). (fn. 73) Comprising c. 110 a., and
later identified as Lane End farm, it was sold in
1918 by Wright's trustees to Edmund Broumpton (d. 1938) and vested in 1939 in Broumpton's
sister Margaret (d. 1943). (fn. 74) The farm was
bought in 1944 by Alfred Smith and in 1953 by
James Calvert, who enlarged it in 1965. (fn. 75)
Calvert's daughter Heather and her husband
Arthur Clubley succeeded to three quarters of
the estate and in 1989 sold most of it in several lots. (fn. 76)
Peter de Fauconberg gave Meaux abbey a rent
in Catwick in the late 12th century. (fn. 77)
The largest modern estate was that of Philip
Wilkinson, who was awarded 359 a. at inclosure
in 1732. (fn. 78) From Wilkinson (d. by 1762) the estate
descended to his daughter Jane (d. by 1770) and
then in turn to Philip's grandsons John Wilkinson and Henry Wilkinson (d. 1788). (fn. 79) Henry's
children sold c. 220 a. of the estate in 1792 to
Marmaduke Constable of Wassand, in Sigglesthorne, who made further purchases c. 1800. (fn. 80)
The estate descended, with Wassand, in the
Constables and Strickland-Constables to
Frederick Charles Strickland-Constable, who
had c. 370 a. in the parish in 1910. (fn. 81) In 1990 Lady
(Ernestine) Strickland-Constable owned 320 a.
in the parish and 132 a. more were held by the
Strickland-Constable trustees. (fn. 82)
In 1086 the archbishop of York had 1 carucate
in Catwick; the holding may already have been
assigned to his church of St. John at Beverley,
and it later belonged to the provost of Beverley
minster. A knight occupied the estate in 1086,
and c. 1370 it was held of the provost by Sir
Amand of Routh. (fn. 83)
ECONOMIC HISTORY
Agriculture
before 1800. In 1086 there was land for 5
ploughteams on Drew de Bevrère's estate at
Catwick and 3 teams were then worked, one of
them by 2 villeins and 2 bordars; the estate also
included 40 a. of meadow. One plough was
worked on the archbishop's estate, which also
supported 3 villeins and 4 bordars. (fn. 84)
East and West fields were named in 1654 (fn. 85) but
their relationship to the four open fields, or parts
of open fields, recorded later is uncertain. In
1716 the tillage east and north-east of the village
lay in North and Mill fields, all or most of the
former West field was contained 'in the field to
Leven', and there was a South field. (fn. 86) Those
areas were differently described at inclosure in
1732. Mill field was then known as Clay field,
North field as Mill Gravels, West field as Gravel
field, and South field as Far Bowlams; (fn. 87) land
called 'Bowlands' had earlier been recorded in
South field. (fn. 88)
The open fields included common meadowland, South field containing a furlong of eight
'gadds' called Paddock in 1716. (fn. 89) Hundow, lying
between the village and Stream dike, and the
unlocated Mill Holme, recorded in 1685, may
also have been meadows. (fn. 90) Grazing was probably also provided in the open fields; in Gravel
field land called Mask, probably for marsh, may
have been permanent pasture. (fn. 91) The main common pastures lay, however, in the north-west
and south-east corners of the parish. Mill pasture was recorded from 1654, and Hurds, later
Holds, pasture from 1685. (fn. 92)
The commonable lands of Catwick were
inclosed by award of 1732 under an Act of 1731.
Allotments totalled 1,417 a. They included
290 a. in Clay field, 286 a. in Gravel field, 278 a.
in Far Bowlams, 245 a. in Holds pasture, 129 a.
in Mill pasture, 98 a. in Mill Gravels, 22 a. in
Westlands, adjoining Mill Gravels, and 20 a. in
Hundow. Philip Wilkinson received 359 a. and
Hugh Bethell, lord of the manor, 289 a. There
were also three allotments of 100-199 a., three
of 50-99 a., four of 10-49 a., and four of less
than 10 a. (fn. 93)
Later agriculture
In 1905 there were
1,078 a. of arable land and 426 a. of grassland.
The proportion of arable to grass was much the
same in the 1930s, when the grassland lay mostly
around the village. (fn. 94) The 14 a. of woodland
recorded in 1905 lay in a fox cover and small
plantations. (fn. 95) For Catwick civil parish 709 ha.
(1,752 a.) were returned as arable land and 45 ha.
(111 a.) as grassland in 1987. (fn. 96)
In the 19th and earlier 20th century there were
usually a dozen farmers in the parish, of whom
3 in 1851 and 5 in the 1920s and 1930s had 150 a.
or more. Two market gardeners were also
recorded in 1892. (fn. 97) In 1987 eight holdings were
returned for Catwick civil parish, one of 200-
299 ha. (494-739 a.), two of 100-199 ha. (247-
492 a.), one of 50-99 ha. (124-245 a.), and four
of less than 50 ha.; there were then over 250,000
fowls and more than 6,000 pigs in the parish. (fn. 98)
Mills
There was a mill at Catwick in
1086. (fn. 99) Early mills presumably stood in or near
Mill Gravels and Mill pasture. A windmill was
recorded on the Hildyard estate in the late 16th
century, and the same or another mill stood in
Mill Gravels by 1772. (fn. 1) Shortly before 1910 the
mill fell into disrepair and it was demolished in
1911. The miller replaced the windmill with a
steam engine at his house and continued to grind
corn until c. 1925. (fn. 2)
Industry and trade
By 1852 bricks and
tiles were being made at a yard owned by the
Bethells in Little Catwick; it was closed c. 1915. (fn. 3)
Sand and gravel was dug before the 1850s from
small pits in the north-east of the parish, one of
which was used as a landfill site from c. 1975
to 1993. (fn. 4) Larger-scale extraction, extending into
Brandesburton parish, was begun c. 1930, and
in 1992 a site near Catwick Grange was being
worked by Sandsfield Gravel Co. (fn. 5) From c. 1970
motor engineering and haulage firms operated
in Catwick, and a Sunday market was begun east
of the village in 1989. (fn. 6)
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Surviving parish
records include churchwardens' accounts for
1722-1807 (fn. 7) and overseers' accounts for 1773-
1838. The parish maintained poorhouses at
Catwick in the late 18th and early 19th century. (fn. 8)
Regular poor-relief was given to two people in
1802-3 and to about ten in 1812-15; one person
in the earlier year and up to five a year in
1812-15 were aided occasionally. (fn. 9) The parish
joined Skirlaugh poor-law union in 1837. (fn. 10) It
remained in Skirlaugh rural district until 1935
and then in Holderness rural district until
1974, when it became part of the Holderness
district of Humberside. (fn. 11) In 1996 Catwick
parish became part of a new East Riding unitary area. (fn. 12)
CHURCH
A church recorded at Catwick in
1086 belonged in moieties to Drew de Bevrère's
undertenants and their successors. (fn. 13) Pontefract
priory was given one of the moieties by Ralph
of Catwick before 1127 and the other by Peter de
Fauconberg by 1160. (fn. 14) The priory successfully
defended its right of patronage against Everard
of Catwick in 1224 (fn. 15) but, as a dependency of the
alien priory of La Charité-sur-Loire (Nièvre),
temporarily lost the advowson to the Crown
during the wars with France in the 14th century. (fn. 16) The Crown was patron from the
Dissolution until 1901, when the advowson
passed by exchange to Henry Strickland-Constable. (fn. 17) Catwick rectory was united with Long
Riston vicarage in 1922 and with Leven rectory
instead in 1956; the Strickland-Constables presented alternately from 1922. (fn. 18) Leven with
Catwick was united with Brandesburton in
1997. (fn. 19)
The rectory was worth £7 in 1291 and £14
4s. 10d. gross in 1535; on each occasion a pension
of £2 was owed to Pontefract priory. (fn. 20) The
improved annual value was £53 0s. 2d. net in
1650. (fn. 21) The net annual income averaged £149 in
1829-31 and was £170 in 1883. (fn. 22) Tithes, worth
more than £11 in 1535 and £50 gross in 1650,
were mostly commuted at inclosure in 1732 for
a rent charge of £90. The remaining tithes, from
Catwick mill, were dealt with in 1843, when the
rector was awarded 15s. a year for them. (fn. 23) The
5 bovates which Pontefract priory held in
Catwick in the mid 12th century may have been
glebe. In 1535 the glebe was valued at £2 and
in 1650, when it was said to include 4 bovates,
at more than £7. In 1732 at inclosure 61 a. were
awarded for the commonable glebe. (fn. 24) Some 20 a.
were sold in 1936 and the rest in 1963 and
1964. (fn. 25) The rectory house, recorded in 1650, was
in disrepair in 1768, when the outbuildings were
rebuilt. (fn. 26) The house itself was enlarged c. 1800
and mostly rebuilt in 1862 to designs by George
Wilkinson of Hull. (fn. 27) Its grounds were enlarged
by exchange in 1855. (fn. 28) The rectory house was
sold in 1954, (fn. 29) and the rector later lived at
Leven.
In the mid 16th century the rector also served
Hornsea, and in the 1560s sermons were lacking
at Catwick. (fn. 30) In 1743 and 1764, when the rector
was also curate of North Frodingham, a service
was held weekly and communion was administered four times a year with c. 30 recipients. (fn. 31)
In the mid and late 19th century, when Catwick
was served alone, there were two Sunday services and monthly communion, with usually a
dozen recipients. (fn. 32)
The church of ST. MICHAEL, so called in
1555, (fn. 33) stands on elevated ground. A small stone
figure, of the 11th century or early 12th and perhaps representing St. Michael, is set in the north
wall of the chancel. The medieval church comprised chancel, nave with transeptal chapels and
south porch, and west tower. The chapels were
added in the earlier 14th century and the nave
partly refenestrated in the 15th. (fn. 34) The chancel
was neglected in the 16th and 17th centuries. (fn. 35)
The nave and tower were restored c. 1720, (fn. 36) and
sash windows had been fitted in the chancel by
the 19th century. (fn. 37) Except for the tower, the
church was rebuilt in 1863 to designs of
Mallinson & Healey of Bradford. (fn. 38) The new
church, of boulders with ashlar dressings, incorporates some of the medieval windows. It largely
follows the earlier plan, the probable exception
being the addition of a north vestry to the chancel. The external stonework was cleaned in
1992-3. (fn. 39)
There were two bells in 1552 and later, cast
by Thomas Deacon, probably in Beverley or
Hull in the 14th century. (fn. 40) The plate includes a
cup, possibly of the mid 16th century, and a
paten of 1766. (fn. 41) The registers of baptisms, marriages, and burials date from 1586; baptisms lack
entries for 1670-8 and 1712-21, marriages for
1616-78 and a few years in the 18th century,
and burials for 1662-78. (fn. 42) In 1962 the churchyard was enlarged with glebe land but the extension had yet to be brought into use in 1992. (fn. 43)
Figure 18:
Catwick Church Before Rebuilding In 1863
The parish clerk had beastgates in the common pastures and open fields until their inclosure in 1732, when a yearly rent charge of 18s.
4d. was substituted. (fn. 44)
NONCONFORMITY
An unidentified congregation of protestant dissenters used a house
at Catwick from 1812. (fn. 45) The Wesleyans registered a room there in 1817 and in 1835 built a
chapel, (fn. 46) which was closed in 1986 (fn. 47) and stood
derelict in 1992. The Primitive Methodists
registered a house in 1820 and built a chapel in
1839. (fn. 48) The chapel was closed in the 1930s and
later converted into a private house. (fn. 49)
EDUCATION
A school in the village attended
by c. 15 children in 1743 was not mentioned in
1764, (fn. 50) and in 1818 Catwick children were
taught in an adjoining parish, probably Leven. (fn. 51)
Hannah Smith (d. by 1792) left £20 for education, and the income was evidently being used
in 1833 to support a school attended by half a
dozen boys and girls. (fn. 52) It was presumably the
same school for which a building was put up in
1847, on land given by the Revd. Charles
Constable. (fn. 53) It was run on the National plan and
was supported with 13s. from the charity, by
subscription, and by school pence. (fn. 54) An annual
government grant was first received in 1859. (fn. 55)
The school took infants and on inspection day
in 1871 was attended by 37 children. (fn. 56) The
building was enlarged in 1882 and further
extended in 1911. (fn. 57) Average attendance fell
from 48 in 1906-7 to 33 in 1913-14; numbers
recovered in the 1920s but later fell to 34 in
1937-8. (fn. 58) The school was closed in 1949, the
younger of its 33 pupils being transferred to
Leven school and the elder ones to Hornsea
County School. (fn. 59) The former school building at
Catwick was sold c. 1960 (fn. 60) and later used as a
private house.
CHARITIES FOR THE POOR
James Young
(d. 1768), rector, left £50 for poor widows and
other parishioners. In the early 19th century the
income of £2 10s. was distributed twice a year.
James's wife Mary (d. 1786) left a rent charge
of £2 12s. 6d. from a house in Hornsea for the
poor at Christmas. (fn. 61) In 1902 the joint income of
the Young charities was nearly £4 10s. and was
distributed in doles. (fn. 62)
George Gibson (d. 1774) and an unknown
benefactor left £5 and £20 10s. respectively for
the poor. The town stock thereby created produced an income of £1 5s. 6d. in the early 19th
century, when cash doles were given annually. (fn. 63)
Hannah Smith (d. by 1792) left £20 for education, with the relief of the poor and sick as a
secondary object. (fn. 64) Her charity was later applied
to the elemosynary object. In 1901 the income
was combined with that of the town stock, and
cash doles amounting to £1 6s. were distributed. (fn. 65)
By a Scheme of 1981 the charities were amalgamated as the Catwick Relief in Need charity,
and the rent charge was then redeemed. In 1992
the charity was, however, inactive. (fn. 66)