BARNINGHAM
Bernincheham (xi cent.); Berningham (xi–xv
cent.); Beringham (xii cent.).
This parish is composed of the townships of
Barningham, Hope and Scargill. Scargill in 1331–3
was referred to as 'cum Rotherforde' (fn. 1) (Rudderford,
Roderforth), a place now only commemorated by
Rutherford Bridge on the Greta (fn. 2) and Rutherford
Farm in Scargill. (fn. 3)
The area of the parish is 11,270 acres of land,
and 23 acres are covered by water. The subsoil is
Yoredale Rocks, the soil sandy. 851 acres are under
the plough, and crops of a general kind are raised;
pasture, however, predominates, 6,094 acres being
laid down to permanent grass. (fn. 4) The Cow Close
was inclosed under an Act of 1802–3. (fn. 5) Old lead
shafts exist at Spanham on Scargill Low Moor, but
no minerals are now worked.
The ancient forests in the parishes of Arkengarthdale and Kirkby Ravensworth to the south formerly
stretched over nearly all this region, including Hope
and Scargill, which formed part of the chase of the
Earl of Richmond. (fn. 6) Scargill in 1286–7 was described as 'in the forest,' (fn. 7) and there is a record of
the appointment of a forester for Hope in 1401. (fn. 8)
There are still 368 acres of woodland in the parish.
Barningham village lies to the north-east of the
parish, the houses being built chiefly along the side
of a wide street that runs east and west. The roadway runs on the north side, and the rest of the street
is occupied by a large green, in the centre of
which is a drinking fountain raised in 1866. The
street climbs a hill, from the top of which fine
views are obtained of the valleys of the Tees
and the Greta, the moors to the south and the
Durham hills to the north. Tor had a hall at
Barningham before the Norman Conquest, (fn. 9) and the
capital messuage of the later lords is mentioned in the
early 13th century (fn. 10) and again in 1392. (fn. 11) In 1668
William Tunstall bequeathed the manor-house to his
wife for life, (fn. 12) and it has since been used as a dowerhouse. The first mention found of the present
extensive park is in 1522. (fn. 13) Francis Tunstall, who
was lord of the manor in the latter part of the 16th
and early part of the 17th century, added 60 acres
of the common belonging to the manor to the west
end of Barningham 'West Park,' and these 60 acres
were inclosed during the lives of his son and grandson. (fn. 14)
There was a mill in Barningham at the close of the
13th century. (fn. 15) In the south-east corner of the
churchyard is the ancient base of a cross.
An annual fair for the sale of horses, cattle, sheep
and geese was established about fifty years ago.
In 1722 the house of Thomas Eates in Barningham
was ordered to be registered for meetings of the
'people called Quakers.' (fn. 16) Barningham has a Wesleyan chapel, and there is a public elementary school,
erected in 1875. There are also parochial schools at
Scargill.
Narrow and somewhat precipitous lanes lead from
Barningham north, east and west to Watling Street,
the western lane passing through Scargill and
Gilmonby before it joins the Roman road at Bowes.
Scargill is now a small hamlet on the hillside
overlooking the wooded banks of the Greta, here
a tempestuous stream. A rough field-road leads
west from the village of Barningham to Scargill
Castle, 2 miles distant. This was the seat of
the Scargills, who probably entertained Edward II
here when he was at Scargill in 1323. (fn. 17) The
remains, now used by the neighbouring farmhouse as barn and yard, consist of a gate-house,
the entrance archway facing to the west, with jambs
for a central doorway, and opening to a courtyard now mostly ruined. There are moulded beams
of late 15th-century character in the ceiling of
the gateway passage; on the north side of this a
square-headed doorway opens to a circular stair, which
is complete for about 20 ft., the upper part having
been altered in modern times. The room on the
first floor has a fireplace in its south wall, the
chimney from which, with its embattled cresting,
remains standing; the room is lighted by small
square-headed windows of the simplest character.
The eastern arch of the gateway is now walled up,
and the court, now a mere strawyard, is entered
through a gap on the north side. The range of
buildings on the north is completely ruined, while
those on the south and east are practically without
any details of interest. There are large fireplaces in
the south and east walls of the east range and a
blocked doorway in the north wall of the south
range. This wall seems to have continued westward
beyond the lines of the courtyard, flanking the
entrance gateway. A little east of the castle and to
the south of the road are some remains of a supposed
chapel, part of the east wall being yet to be seen.
South of Scargill the moors rise to a height of over
1,600 ft., Black Hill being the highest point, and
merge in the mountainous wastes of Stainmore,
Arkengarthdale and New Forest. On Hope Moor,
over 1,000 ft. above sea level, are the little hamlets of
East and West Hope, connected by moorland roads
with Barningham, Scargill and other distant villages.
The names of Farewell Farm, Greenhill Farm
and Gutters Farm, in Scargill, occur in 1717. (fn. 18)
Manors
BARNINGHAM in 1086 was in
Count Alan's fee, (fn. 19) and still continued to
be held of the Earls of Richmond in the
16th century. (fn. 20)
Of its 6 carucates 2 belonged before the Conquest to Tor and were in 1086 held by Enisan
under the count; the other 4 were soke of Count
Alan's manor of Gilling. The whole 6 carucates appear, however, to have been united in the
hands of Hervey son of Morin, and this fee was
granted by Count Stephen to Roald his constable,
son of Harscodus. (fn. 21) The mesne lordship followed
the descent of Constable Burton (fn. 22) (q.v.) to the
Scropes of Bolton. (fn. 23) Of the other 4 carucates, soke
of Gilling in 1086, Roger de Mowbray (fn. 24) was mesne
lord in the 12th century. (fn. 25) There is no record of
the enfeoffment of the Mowbrays, but perhaps the
manor was seized by Nigel de Albini, who was 'a
very powerful man and one in great favour with
King Henry,' and spoiled even monasteries of their
lands (fn. 26) unmolested.
Guisborough Priory. Argent a lion gules with a bend azure athwart him.
Under the Mowbrays the family of Bardolf held
the church and lands of Barningham in the 12th
century. Roger de Mowbray, referred to above, confirmed to Guisborough Priory the grant of Walter
Bardolf of all his possessions
in Barningham and Newsham;
and this grant was further
confirmed by Walter's nephew,
Hugh son of Ralph Bardolf,
in a charter witnessed by his
brother Ralph, in which he
warranted the homage due to
Nigel de Mowbray so that
the prior should be quit. (fn. 27)
Hugh Bardolf claimed the
advowson of the church in
1213, but the family is not
again mentioned in connexion
with Barningham; and from
this time until its dissolution Guisborough Priory
was returned as mesne owner of 4 carucates, or onethird of a knight's fee, here. (fn. 28)
Barningham. Party sable and argent.
In or before 1213 the family of Barningham
held the advowson of the church, (fn. 29) and evidently
already possessed the manor.
In 1282 the fee was divided
equally between two families
bearing the name of Barningham. (fn. 30) One of these appears
to have descended from the
Richard probably son of
Stephen de Barningham who
was living in 1213. Richard
had two sons, of whom
Stephen was the elder, and
he by his wife Juliana had at
least three sons. (fn. 31) The eldest
of these was William de Barningham, who married Felise heiress of Robert de Barforth (fn. 32) and was tenant of 2 carucates in 1286–7 (fn. 33) ;
he in 1289 granted all his lands and the reversion of
the lands of Michael his brother and his mother's
dower to his younger brother Richard, (fn. 34) who obtained
grants and quit-claims from his mother and his brother
Thomas. (fn. 35) A William de Barningham was joint
lord in 1286–7, and may have been identical with
the William Airmyn whose name occurs (fn. 36) frequently
in local transactions. John son of William Airmyn
was holding land here in 129–and in 1316 Richard
son of John was joint lord of the vill with Richard
son of Stephen, (fn. 37) who as Sir Richard de Barningham, kt., received a grant of lands in Barningham in 1321. (fn. 38) In 1332 he settled land in
Barningham, Dalton Norris, Mortham and Newsham
on himself for life with remainder to Geoffrey le
Scrope. (fn. 39) As in 1349–50 Roger de Welles and Joan
his wife and the heirs of Joan granted Richard de
Barningham's lands in Sedbury (fn. 40) to Sir William le
Scrope and Katharine his wife, it seems as if Richard
had left heiresses, one Joan and the other possibly
married to a Scrope of Masham. (fn. 41) The Barninghams continued to live in Barningham until the 16th
century, when, in 1564, Richard Barningham granted
lands to Francis Tunstall, (fn. 42) afterwards lord of the
manor. Meanwhile the Scropes held the manor.
In 1405–6 Stephen le Scrope of Masham died
seised, (fn. 43) and from this time the descent followed that
of the manor of Masham (q.v.) until 1565, when
Henry le Scrope of Bolton conveyed it to Francis
Tunstall, (fn. 44) owner of the manor of Scargill. The
Tunstalls of Scargill (fn. 45) held Barningham until the
late 17th or early 18th century, when Whitaker (fn. 46) says
that Dorothy Milbank (fn. 47) bought it from Francis
Tunstall and devised it to her nephew Acclom
Milbank. It is certain that it descended to Francis
Tunstall and passed in his lifetime to Acclom
Milbank, (fn. 48) from whom it has descended to its
present owner, Sir Powlett Charles John Milbank,
bart. (fn. 49)
HOPE (Hep, xiii cent.; Hopes, called Est Hop,
West Hop, xv cent.; Barningham cum duobus le
hoopes, xvi cent.), like the manors of Arkengarthdale
and New Forest to the south, was situated in the
forest, and, forming part of the chase of the Earls of
Richmond, (fn. 50) afterwards followed the descent of the
manor of Arkengarthdale (fn. 51) (q.v.), of which it is now
a member.
SCARGILL (Scracreghil, xi cent.; Scakregill,
xii cent.; Schargil, Scargel, xiii cent.; Scarthgill,
Skarghill, xiv cent.; Scergill, &c., xv cent.; Skargill,
xvi, xvii cent.).—The soke of Scargill belonged in
1086 to Count Alan's manor of Gilling, (fn. 52) and afterwards became a member of the honour of Richmond. (fn. 53)
Scargill. Ermine a saltire gules.
Tunstall. Sable three combs argent.
Count Stephen, who died in 1137, granted all he
held in Scargill to St. Peter's, York, (fn. 54) but the family
of Scargill was either already enfeoffed of the manor
or very shortly had a grant from this hospital.
Between 1171 and 1174 Warin de Scargill was one
of the surveyors of the works of Bowes Castle, (fn. 55) and
in 1174–5 his son Miles (fn. 56) paid 5 marks fine for his
land in the honour of Earl Conan. (fn. 57) Miles married
Julia, heir of Robert son of William, and thus acquired
half a knight's fee in Fulbeck. (fn. 58) In 1250–2 William
son of Alan de Scargill called Hervey de Scargill to
warrant him lands in Stanwick. (fn. 59) William son of
Warin de Scargill is mentioned in 1271, (fn. 60) and Sir
William de Scargill was returned in 1282 as holding
a quarter of a fee, (fn. 61) and in 1302–3 as holding onethird of a fee, (fn. 62) in Scargill. By 1313–14 Warin son of
William had succeeded his father. (fn. 63) This Warin
married the heiress Clara de Stapleton, and so acquired
the manor of Saddleworth in the West Riding. (fn. 64) In
1316 he was returned as lord of Scargill and Saddleworth. (fn. 64a) He continued in the service of the Crown
during all the troubles occasioned by Bruce and
Lancaster in 1322, (fn. 65) and probably entertained King
Edward at Scargill in 1323. (fn. 66) He was appointed
commissioner of array in the wapentakes of Osgoldcross and Staincross in the West Riding, and on
9 May 1324 was returned with his son William de
Scargill by the sheriff as summoned to attend a
great council at Westminster. (fn. 67) Warin was succeeded by his son William by 1327. (fn. 68) William's
son Warin had succeeded him by 1333, (fn. 69) and he
was followed by his son William, lord in 1347–9 (fn. 70)
and in 1367. (fn. 71) William left a son and heir John,
whose son William had succeeded him by 1424–5. (fn. 72)
William was returned in 1428 as holding the quarter
of a fee in Scargill that William his 'father' (evidently
a mistake for grandfather) formerly (that is, in 1347–9)
held. (fn. 73) William Scargill 'the elder' was lord in
1448, (fn. 74) and in 1471 William Scargill, sen., and
Elizabeth his wife made a settlement of the manors
as those which they had from William Scargill,
deceased. (fn. 75) Sir William Scargill, kt., died in 1481,
leaving a son and heir Sir William Scargill, kt., (fn. 76)
who died in 1497 seised of Thorpe Stapleton and
Scargill, and was succeeded by his grandson Sir William
Scargill, kt., son of his son William. (fn. 77) Sir William died
in 1519, leaving a son and heir Robert, (fn. 78) commander
of a contingent at Flodden. (fn. 79) Robert died seised in
1530–1, leaving two daughters and heirs, Mary wife
of Marmaduke Tunstall and Margaret wife of John
Gascoigne. (fn. 80) In 1558 Francis Tunstall, son and
heir of Mary and Marmaduke, paid his mother £400
for the manors of Scargill and Saddleworth, (fn. 81) though
at her death in 1578–9 Mary was said to have held
these manors, and to have left a son and heir Francis. (fn. 82)
Francis died in 1586, leaving a son and heir Francis, (fn. 83)
who in 1617 received a grant of free warren to himself, his heirs and assigns in the manors of Scargill,
Barningham, with the park of Barningham, and
Hutton Longvilliers. (fn. 84) His great-grandson Marmaduke made Wycliffe his chief seat. Scargill has since
followed the descent of Wycliffe (q.v.), and is in the
possession of Major Walter George Raleigh ChichesterConstable.
Church
The church of ST. MICHAEL AND
ALL ANGELS stands on the hill-side to
the south of the village, and consists of a
chancel 31 ft. by 18 ft. 10 in. with north and south
vestries, a nave with aisles 46 ft. by 32 ft., and a west
tower 9 ft. square, through which is the chief entrance.
The building is entirely modern, the chancel and nave
having been originally of equal width, but spaces for
vestries have been recently taken from the chancel on
either side, and aisles formed in the nave by building
north and south arcades; the window tracery, which
was of the poorest character, has also been replaced
by something more attractive.
The former east window of three lights with
mullions running straight up to the arch has been
replaced by a five-light window, and the chancel is now
divided from the nave by a well-designed modern oak
screen with a cross, set up in memory of Sir Frederick
Milbank. The nave is divided into three bays, with
as many three-light windows on each side, and the roof,
which extends without a break over the chancel, is of
low pitch and ceiled to the rafters. The font is of
marble and quite modern, the only ancient fitting in
the church being the scalloped capital of a 12thcentury pillar piscina, set in the chancel. The tower
is in three stages, with embattled parapet and angle
buttresses. In the chancel hangs a fine brass chandelier
of twelve lights, the gift of Mark Milbank in 1738.
There are two bells, one of 1690, the other
uninscribed, but probably of the same date.
The plate includes a cup inscribed 'Barningham
1671,' with maker's mark for John Plummer of
York. The cover is of the same date. There are
also a cup of 1792, a paten with the mark of Isaac
Cookson of Newcastle and date-letter for 1730, and
a flagon of 1820.
The registers begin in 1581. (fn. 85)
Advowson
In 1213 Hugh Bardolf claimed
the advowson of Barningham Church
against the Prior of Malton, who
put in the defence that Walter, 'ancestor' of Hugh,
presented the last parson, but eight years afterwards
granted the advowson to the priory. (fn. 86) Hugh in 1214
quitclaimed the advowson to the canons of Malton, (fn. 87)
who, after a series of apparently collusive actions,
quitclaimed it to Guisborough Priory. (fn. 88) It was held
by Guisborough Priory until the dissolution of the
monasteries. (fn. 89) In 1290 the canons sought the king's
licence to appropriate this church, alleging the
poverty caused by a fire, (fn. 90) but the result of the request
is not recorded. From the time of the Dissolution
the Crown kept the advowson in its own hands (fn. 91)
until 1874, when it was exchanged among other
livings with the Bishops of Ripon, (fn. 92) who are now
patrons. The living is a rectory.
In 1328–9 Richard de Barningham, with royal
licence, granted tenements to Jervaulx Abbey to find a
chaplain to celebrate divine service daily at the altar
of St. Mary in the church of St. Michael of Barningham. (fn. 93) This chantry is not, however, again mentioned.
Charities
The land known as the School
and Poor's Estate consists of
6 a. 2 r. 16 p., let at £15 a year,
and two and four-tenths stints on Barningham Moor,
comprised in a deed dated 13 May 1684 and an
inclosure award of 1807, and £300 consols.
By a scheme of the Charity Commissioners of
24 August 1906 the income was directed to be
applied as to the rent of 1 a. 24 p., known as the
Cow Close Allotment, and as to one-half of the net
yearly income of the residue of the endowment for
educational purposes, and the remaining half for the
general benefit of the poor in such way as the trustees
should consider most conducive to the formation of
provident habits.
This parish is entitled to participate in the Bowes
Cross Charity, founded in 1878 by Abraham Hilton.
See parish of Bowes.