MELSONBY
Malsenebi (xi cent.); Melsonebi, Melshamby,
Melsandeby (xii–xvi cent.); Melstanby, 1317;
Melhamby, 1463; Melsanby alias Melsonby (xvii
and xviii cent.).
Melsonby is composed of the village of Melsonby
and part of the township of East Layton. Its area
is 2,742 acres, of which 963 acres are arable,
1,490 acres permanent grass and 15 acres woods and
plantations. (fn. 1) The subsoil is Yoredale Rocks, the
soil principally limestone, which was formerly quarried.
The chief crops raised are wheat, barley, oats and
turnips. 600 acres of common land were inclosed in
1815. (fn. 2)
The village lies clustered round the crossing of the
four roads running south to Watling Street, north to
Lucy Cross, east to Barton and west to the Staindrop
road. It consists mainly of two parallel streets
separated by a water-course and bordered with stone
houses with red pantile roofs. The church stands in
a prominent position at the east end of the village,
the 18th-century rectory being opposite it on the
south side. South of the rectory are vestiges (fn. 3) of
what may have been the turriolum granted by John
de Carleberg to William de Marske and confirmed to
him by John Abbot of Easby. (fn. 4) The only remains
visible consist of a wall of doubtful origin with a
shorter section joining it at right angles. In the field
are numerous lines and mounds suggestive of other
buildings.
There is a mixed elementary school erected in
1857 and a second enlarged in 1899. South of the
Wesleyan chapel, erected in 1866, Scots Dike reappears. A mile south of the village the highest point
of Gatherley Moor is reached, whence a wide view
is obtained over the Gilling valley to the main line
of hills and moors trending to the north-west.
Gatherley Moor is partly in this parish and partly in
those of Gilling and Middleton Tyas and is crossed
from Melsonby to Watling Street by Jagger Lane.
Now cultivated land, the moor was formerly famous
in connexion with horse-breeding, and with regard to
this it is noticeable that to the west of the moor in
this parish was Didderston Grange, (fn. 5) formerly belonging to the abbey of Jervaulx. At the time of the
suppression of the monasteries Sir Arthur Darcy wrote
to Cromwell:—
The kynges hyenes is att greatt charge with hys stoodes of
mares att Thornbery and other placys, whyche arr fyne
growndes; and I thynke that att Gervayes and in the
grangyes incydent, with the hellp of ther grett large commones,
the kynges hyenes by good oversseers schold have ther the
most best pasture thatt scholld be in Yngland, hard and sownd
off kynd; for surly the breed of Gervayes for horses was the
tryed breed in the northe, the stallones and marees well
soortyd; I thynke in no reallme scholld be fownd the lykes
of them, for ther is large and hye growndes for the somer, and
in wynter wooddes and low growndes to serve them. (fn. 6)
'In no part of England, perhaps,' says Canon
Raine, (fn. 7) 'was horse-racing carried on with more spirit
than in Richmondshire during the present and succeeding [15th and 16th] centuries. Gatherley
Moor, the most celebrated course in the north of
England, was in the very heart of the district; and
almost the highest ambition of the North-country
gentleman was to bear away the bell on that famous
field.'
An exciting scene, of which Henry Earl of Northumberland wrote the following account to his brotherin-law, the Earl of Rutland, took place at the
Gatherley Races in 1554:—
This vijth of May, mye aunceent enymies, and they which
sought my bloyd to please the Duke of Northumberland, now
again hadd practysed to have trappe me on thorse rynninge day
at Gaterley-more, as ytt is thought by my frendes. And the
presumpsyon declareth no les, the Rokesbyes, the Bowssies, the
Wycliffies, assemblyd themselffes with their adherentes to the
nombre of three hundreth and above, so weapenydd and
furnysshyd as affore they have not been accustomydd. My
brother Christopher Nevill commynge to the said mowre to se
a horse of his owne roun, was so bragged by the said Christopher
Rokesbye that my brother beinge of whote nature myght not
suffer. So that they went togeather and their my brother was
sore hurte, and nere slayne and one other with hyme. And
thother partye escapyd not free. For on thother partye was
one slayne. And for that the sessions of enquyerye nor the
Crowners quest haithe not geven their verdytt, I know not as
yett howe my brother shalbe dangeryd by the lawes, trustinge if
he may not have indefferent justicie not gretlye to be troblyd.
. . . Were ytt not for the dangers of the lawes, I wolde sone
recompense their doinges. (fn. 8)
George III is said to have exclaimed on his deathbed, 'Oh for a gasp of Gatherley air!' the moor
being on his usual route to or from Scotland. (fn. 9)
In 1306 a wood at Riscogh is mentioned. (fn. 10) To
the north of the parish there are now a few houses
called Low Langdale, a farm called High Langdale
and a wood called Langdale Rush that may commemorate Riscogh. The names Nuthan, Suinestie,
Hangabrec occur in the 12th century. (fn. 11)
Fitz Alan of Bedale. Barry or and gules of eight pieces.
Manors
MELSONBY belonged to Torphin
before the Conquest and was afterwards
part of the honour of Richmond. (fn. 12) In
1086 it was held under Count Alan by Bodin, (fn. 13)
from whom the mesne lordship passed to the Fitz Alans (fn. 14) ;
it was still held of their
descendants in 1430, (fn. 15) and
probably continued to be so
held. (fn. 16) The lord of the adjoining manor of Middleton
Tyas, Henry de Middleton,
seems to have claimed the
mesne lordship in 1268, for
he had then established himself custodian of the manor
and of the under-tenant, a
minor. (fn. 17) Brian son of Alan,
however, came with many
others to Melsonby, seized the ward and carried
away goods and chattels of Henry de Middleton to
the value of £20. He and his band were sued by
Henry, (fn. 18) but no more is heard of the Middletons in
Melsonby. It is an interesting fact that the Fitz Alans
inhabited the manor-house of Melsonby during the
13th and part of the 14th century. Perhaps it was
on the occasion of the instalment here of Brian son
of Alan that in 1205 he deprived his under-tenant
Richard de Lyng of 12 carucates of land in Melsonby.
Richard immediately obtained reinstatement from the
Crown, (fn. 19) but three years later he came to an arrangement with Brian by which they divided the 12 carucates, with the demesnes, services and mills appurtenant, Brian keeping the capital messuage and the
advowson of the church and Richard holding his
share of Brian. (fn. 20)
Alan de Lyng made a grant in Melsonby to
Marrick Priory in the 12th century, (fn. 21) and, as one of
several under-tenants of the Fitz Alans, the family of
Lyng (Lines) continued to hold lands, though no
longer the manor, in Melsonby for over a hundred
years. (fn. 22) They are last heard of there in 1316,
when Roger de Lyng, at this time lord also
of one of the manors of Patrick Brompton (q.v.),
held tenements. (fn. 23) Meanwhile St. Agatha's Abbey,
which held the neighbouring manor of Barton,
seems to have acquired the Lyngs' fee in Melsonby,
for Abbot William granted to Adam de Narford
and his heirs all land with the capital messuage in
the vill of Melsonby which John son of Robert
formerly held of the abbey, and which escheated by
reason of the felony committed by John. (fn. 24) The
abbey of St. Agatha is not again mentioned in
connexion with the Narfords' lands in Melsonby.
Adam de Narford was the ward captured by Brian
son of Alan in 1268. He was succeeded by his son
Hugh, and he by his son Adam, (fn. 25) who was lord in
1281. (fn. 26) The last-named Adam constantly attacked
the rights of his under-tenants, (fn. 27) and forced the parson
to prove at law his right to housebote and haybote. (fn. 28)
In 1306–7 he granted the
manor to John son of Nicholas
de Stapleton, (fn. 29) who received
a grant of free warren in
Melsonby in 1308 to himself
and his heirs, (fn. 30) and was lord
in 1316. (fn. 31) John de Stapleton
was lord in 1327–8 (fn. 32) and
Nicholas in 1332–3. (fn. 33) This
Nicholas was head of the
family. (fn. 34) He and his heirs
obtained a fresh grant of free
warren here in 1335. (fn. 35) From
this time Melsonby descended
with Stapleton (fn. 36) (q.v.) until
Thomas Metham died seised in 1498–9, leaving a
son and heir Thomas, (fn. 37) after which it seems to have
come into the hands of another branch of the family.
Narford. Gules a lion ermine.
Stapleton. Argent a lion sable.
Metham. Quarterly azure and argent with a fleur de lis or in the quarter.
In 1547 Edmund Metham settled half his manor
of Melsonby on William Metham and Ann his wife, (fn. 38)
who in 1559 conveyed it to Ralph Gower. (fn. 39) Roger
Gower, Edward Gower, Robert Philipson and Anne
his wife, and Christopher Philipson in 1623 settled
Melsonby by fine on Solomon Wyvill and his heirs
and on John Robinson. (fn. 40) This must have been the
instrument by which Melsonby passed to Christopher
Philipson, who was lord in the following year. (fn. 41)
Christopher took the Royalist side in the Civil War,
but he pleaded in 1646 that, though he was major
of a foot regiment raised against Parliament, he had
never marched out of his own parts, but had submitted at the first settlement of the militia and had
taken the National Covenant in 1644. (fn. 42) He was
discovered later to be secretly aiding the royal party,
but he compounded and in 1652 his estate was
discharged. (fn. 43) Robert Philipson, who succeeded
Christopher, sold the manor in 1666 to Humphrey
Wharton. (fn. 44) The manor still belonged to the Whartons
of Skelton Castle (fn. 45) (the lords of Gilling) in 1796.
but by 1857 had come into the hands of Messrs.
Swan, Clough & Co., bankers, 45 Coney Street,
York.
In 1208 Emma, Tece and Albert, daughters of
Garard, possibly tenants of Brian son of Alan, granted
2 carucates in Melsonby to the Abbot of Jervaulx, (fn. 46)
and in 1286–7 the abbot held 3 carucates of Brian
Fitz Alan. (fn. 47) At the time of its dissolution the abbey
had a yearly rent of 73s. 4d. from Melsonby. (fn. 48) In
1660–1 these lands were granted to William Stanley (fn. 49)
and others, but they have not been further traced.
Melsonby gave its name to a local family represented in the 12th century by Thomas de Melsonby.
In 1202 Thomas de Middleton gave half a carucate
here to Roger de Melsonby, (fn. 50) son of Thomas, (fn. 51) and a
'vice-archdeacon' of Richmond. (fn. 52) Julia daughter
of Roger exchanged tenements in Melsonby with
Jervaulx Abbey in 1246 (fn. 53) ; Simon son of this
Roger (fn. 54) was a tenant of Adam de Narford in 1281. (fn. 55)
In 1282–3 and 1285–6 (fn. 56) Adam claimed 2 carucates
against him in Melsonby, and was successful in recovering land measuring 60 ft. by 30 ft. (fn. 57) Simon held
1½ carucates of the Abbot of Jervaulx in 1286–7. (fn. 58)
He was summoned by Adam de Narford to do homage
and suit of court in 1288–9, but satisfied the jury
that Roger his father received a quitclaim from Adam's
father Hugh, by which he and his heirs were to pay
1 lb. of cummin for all services. (fn. 59) Simon must have
died before the end of the century, for in 1295–7
Geoffrey his son and heir was a minor in the custody of
the lord of Richmond. (fn. 60) In 1309 John de Stapleton,
lord of the manor, complained that Simon son of
Simon hunted in his free warren of Melsonby
and carried away hares, conies and partridges. (fn. 61)
Simon's son Robert was kinsman of John (fn. 62) son of
Geoffrey de Melsonby, (fn. 63) lord of Kneeton. Robert
probably died without issue, for in 1366 Joan wife
of William de Langley and Agnes daughter of
Simon de Melsonby conveyed tenements in Melsonby
to Robert Layton. (fn. 64) In 1381 William de Morton
and Katharine his wife and the heirs of Katharine
granted the reversion of tenements in Middleton
Tyas and Melsonby and half the manor of Kneeton
which Maud de Melsonby held for life to Sir Robert
de Layton, kt. (fn. 65) In the 16th century the Laytons of
Sexhow and West Layton were said to hold a manor
here, and Francis Layton in 1592 granted tenements
in Melsonby to Leonard Smithson. (fn. 66)
A Maud de Melsonby was prioress of Marrick
in 1376. (fn. 67)
Plan of Melsonby Church
There was a court at Melsonby in the 13th century held by the Narfords. (fn. 68) The mill is first
mentioned in 1559, (fn. 69) when it belonged to the lord of
the manor, as it did in 1725. (fn. 70)
DIDDERSTON (Dirdreston, xi cent.; Dydereston,
xiv cent.; Dodderston, xv–xviii cent.; Diddersowe,
xvi cent.; Dodderstone alias Dethersley, (fn. 71) xvii cent.).
Didderston was a berewick of Melsonby in 1086, (fn. 72)
and subsequently under the same overlordship. (fn. 73) The
mesne lordship descended from Bodin, (fn. 74) partly to the
Fitz Alans, partly to the Fitz Hughs. (fn. 75) Under these
mesne lords it was acquired by Jervaulx Abbey.
Henry III in 1227–8 granted and confirmed 1½
carucates in Didderston to Jervaulx, and various other
grants in Melsonby were made. (fn. 76) The abbey held
3 carucates in 1286–7 (fn. 77) and at the time of its dissolution. (fn. 78) Didderston was granted in 1544 to Matthew
Earl of Lennox and Margaret his wife and their
heirs, (fn. 79) and so returned to the Crown on the accession
of James I. Jervaulx Abbey and its late possessions
were then granted to Edward Lord Kinloss and
Bruce of Kinloss, (fn. 80) whose descendants were still
enfeoffed of Didderston Grange in 1699. (fn. 81) The
estate of the Abbots of Jervaulx in Melsonby is now
represented by two farms, High Grange and Low
Grange, belonging to the Marquess of Zetland. (fn. 82)
Church
The church of ST. JAMES THE
GREAT now consists of a chancel 39 ft.
by 18 ft. 6 in. with a modern north vestry,
a nave 52 ft. by 18 ft. 6 in. with two aisles about
6 ft. wide, south porch and west tower 18 ft. square.
The south door, the circular columns and responds of
the south arcade and one circular column of the north
arcade date from the end of the 12th century.
The chancel arch is of two pointed chamfered
orders, with a double-chamfered label, and rests on
chamfered jambs with keel shafts, having bell capitals
and moulded bases, all of the early 13th century. In
the north wall of the chancel are a lancet window
reset below its original position, and looking into
the vestry, a modern door and three lancets with
shouldered rear arches. There are two aumbries
rebated for doors and having parts of the old hinges
still remaining. The east wall has three tall modern
lancets, that in the centre being larger than the
others, and to the south of these is an old image
bracket. The south wall contains an aumbry, a 13thcentury piscina with broken bowl, three lancet windows, the westernmost of which is modern, and a
lancet-headed doorway with a small modern low-side
window to the west of it. A double-chamfered
string runs round the whole chancel under the
windows.
The south arcade in the nave is of four bays of
two chamfered orders with a double chamfered label,
and rests on two cylindrical shafts and one octagonal
shaft and on semicircular responds. The capitals of
the eastern respond and the circular piers have moulded
octagonal abaci on circular carved bells, but all the
bases are modern. The western respond has a modern
capital; the base is the only original one of this range
remaining, and is of an early type, with circular
mouldings on an octagonal base. The north arcade
is similar, but rests on responds with keel shafts, two
octagonal piers and one circular, the hood being supported on corbel heads. The westernmost column
has a capital similar to those opposite, with the carving
in the bell chiselled off. Over each arcade is a clearstory with small lancet windows above the crown of
each arch. The north aisle has a restored west lancet
window and three modern double lancets on the north
side. The south aisle contains a restored lancet window
in the east and another in the west wall, while in the
south are two modern double lancets and one single
one and the entrance doorway. In the wall between
the first two windows is a 14th-century canopied tomb
recess, with a cinquefoiled arch, each foliation having
secondary trefoil cusping, the whole under a crocketed
gabled head with finial and flanking pinnacles. The
tower walls are nearly 5 ft. thick, and the east arch
has three chamfered orders and a chamfered hood
with keeled responds to the inner order and chamfered
to the outer, similar to those in the chancel arch.
The lowest stage was originally vaulted, and the wall
ribs still remain with their corbel heads. The vice to
the upper stories is entered by a door in the southwest angle. In the west end is a lancet window
piercing the central buttress.
The appearance of the exterior of the church was
greatly improved in 1850 by a restoration in which
a vestry was taken away from the east end of the
south aisle, new windows were put in the east end
and in the aisles to replace some poor work of the
18th century, and the chancel walls reduced to their
original height. The south wall of the chancel has
a modern parapet on 13th-century corbels in its
eastern half and a modern flat buttress in the centre
on an old foundation. The windows have chamfered
labels with small stops. The modern east windows
are flanked at the angles by a clasping buttress on the
south and a modern one set diagonally on the north
side. The north wall of the chancel has a modern
buttress, probably a rebuilding of one of much less
projection, as on the south side, and a modern parapet
on old corbels similar to that on the south. All the
windows and probably the wall of the north aisle
are new, but the clasping buttress at the west angle
appears to be original, as are the windows in the
clearstory, which are chamfered lancets with stopped
labels.
The tower is in three stages with a modern embattled parapet and a plinth. At the angles are
clasping buttresses, and there is a flat buttress in two
tiers in the centre of the north, west and south sides
pierced by lancet windows through both stages on the
west, but in the upper stage only on the north and
south. The top story is lighted on all four sides by
windows of two lights surmounted by a label and
much restored.
In the west wall of the south aisle are the jambs
of a door, probably used in the 18th century to enter
a gallery over the west end of the nave, and the
present lancet is a restoration of one previously there.
The south porch is modern, but the interior
doorway is of the latter half of the 12th century,
and has two orders, each moulded with a keeled
roll between two hollows resting on shafts with
foliated capitals and divided by a moulded string in
the centre. The windows of the aisle are all
modern. The nave wall is surmounted on both
north and south by a modern parapet on early masked
corbels. One corbel on the south has a square-topped
helm with eyeslits and breathing holes. The preReformation altar slab with five consecration crosses
was discovered under the floor some years ago, and is
now placed in a wooden frame and used once more.
There is an interesting monument under the tower,
a recumbent 13th-century effigy of a knight with mail
coif, hauberk, surcoat to the knees and long tunic
below the hauberk. The figure is broken off at the
knees; the hands were originally clasped over the
breast, but the left forearm and part of the shield
carried by it, with the arms a lion and a bend over all,
are gone. Another mutilated monument in the same
place is carved with a beautiful floreated cross, in the
centre of which is a head; the stem, also floreated,
rests on some animal, possibly a dog. In the south
aisle is the shaft of a cross carved with a winged
centaur with birds' claws holding a serpent; below
are lizard-like beasts with interlaced tails, which two
long-eared beasts below are biting. The angles are
splayed off, and have running scrolls or knots; one
side is cut plain, the other carved with busts of men.
Another in the north aisle is simpler, with good
interlaced patterns of knots and spirals. (fn. 82a)
There are four bells: no. 1 is dated 1875, 'Cast
by John Warner & Sons, London'; no. 2 is undated,
and bears the inscription 'Ita campana constat Beati
Johannes'; no. 3, 'Funera deploro, Populum voco
1718'; and no. 4, by Warner of London, has '1875
Te Deum laudamus.'
The plate consists of a large paten presented in
1769 (date letter 1768), a large flagon, 1769, a modern
cup, almsdish and spoon.
The registers begin in 1658.
Advowson
There were a church and priest at
Melsonby in 1086. (fn. 83) Brian son of
Scolland, lord of Bedale (q.v.), is said
to have confirmed the church to the monks of Castle
Acre, (fn. 84) but in 1208 it was held by Brian's successor,
Brian Fitz Alan, whose descendants, the lords of
Bedale (q.v.), continued to present, with some interruptions, until 1570–1. (fn. 85) Occasionally rival claimants
sprang up. (fn. 86) In 1416 Alexander Metham is said to
have died seised, (fn. 87) and in 1427 Thomas his son and
heir claimed the advowson at law against Brian
Stapleton, heir of half the Fitz Alan estates. (fn. 88) Of
this suit, however, nothing further is heard. In
1570–1 Simon Digby and Richard Stapleton held
the advowson as successors of the Fitz Alans. In this
year Simon Digby was attainted of treason and the
advowson became vested in the Crown. It was
granted by the queen 23 February 1570–1 to Ambrose
Earl of Warwick, his heirs and assigns, (fn. 89) and by the
Earl of Warwick conveyed in 1572 to William
Knipe, (fn. 90) whose heir or assignee Samuel Knipe presented in 1608. (fn. 91) This Samuel Knipe in 1609–10
by agreement granted a moiety to Sir Richard
Theakston of Bedale, (fn. 92) whose son and heir William
in 1630 and finally in 1632 granted it to George
Clay. (fn. 93) George Clay conveyed the same to Ellen
Rymer, who granted it to Christopher and John
Smythson, trustees for Nathaniel Hawksworth, vicar of
Middleton Tyas, father of Nathaniel Hawksworth,
whom they presented in 1632. After some controversy
about the rights of this presentation, in 1635–6
William son and heir of Isaac Knipe, who was son
and heir of William Knipe, and Samuel, another son of
William Knipe the purchaser from the Earl of Warwick,
granted the whole advowson to Henry Peirson, trustee
for Nathaniel Hawksworth. George and Leonard
Smythson, heirs of the assignees of Theakston's
moiety, and E. Wyvill, the assignee of Knipe's moiety
(or perhaps Pierson's heir), passed the whole advowson
by joint deed in 1671 to Elizabeth Spooner, spinster,
grandchild of Nathaniel Hawksworth. (fn. 94) In 1671 the
Stapletons made their last assertion of a right to the
moiety by conveying it to William Brent and
Christopher Adams. (fn. 95) In 1692–3 Elizabeth Spooner
conveyed the advowson to six trustees for University
College, Oxford, (fn. 96) which has ever since been patron.
The living is a rectory.
R., who was Abbot of St. Agatha's Abbey in
1230, (fn. 97) and that convent bound themselves to maintain one chaplain and one clerk for ever to celebrate
divine service in the chapel of the Holy Trinity in
the churchyard of Melsonby for the souls of Masters
Alan and Henry de Melsonby, their ancestors and
successors. (fn. 98) This chapel adjoined the parish church,
and was still served by a chantry priest in 1546. (fn. 99)
John Jackson, preacher at Melsonby, wrote a letter
against 'papish recusants' in 1597. 'There are,'
he wrote, '20,000 obstinate recusants in the archdeaconry of Richmond who with cursed Esau expect
their desired day.' (fn. 100)
Charities
The School.—In 1757 William
Cockin conveyed about 12 acres
called the Wood Hills in the township to trustees, the rents and profits thereof to be
applied, subject to payment of £1 for the poor, in the
instruction of six poor children of the township. In
1816 on the inclosure of Gatherley Moor 3 a. 1 r. 20 p.
were allotted in respect of the charity estate, which
now consists of 16 a., producing about £30 a year.
The Poor's Money and Apprenticing Fund, including the charity of Rev. Thomas Kay, consists of
£63 15s. 1d. consols held by the official trustees,
producing an annual dividend of £1 11s. 10d., of
which one-sixth is applicable in apprenticing, the
remainder in gifts to the poor.
In 1850 Octavius Leefe by will left £50,
income for the benefit of the poor. The legacy
was invested in £53 14s. 10d. consols with the
official trustees.
Thomas Martin, by will proved in 1896, bequeathed
£400, the income to be applied in aid of the Wesleyan day school. The principal was laid out in a
mortgage at 3½ per cent. per annum.