DOWNHOLME
Dune (xi cent.); Dunhum (xii cent.); Dunum,
Dunnom, Dounum, Donum (xiii-xiv cent.); Dowenome, Dounholme (xv cent.).
The parish is composed of the townships of Downholme, Ellerton Abbey, Stainton and Walburn, and
is roughly divided by the Gill Beck into two portions
lying east and west of the stream. Its area is 6,696
acres, of which 31 are covered by water. (fn. 1) There
are only 167 acres of arable land; 178 acres are
woods and plantations, 2,347 permanent grass and
the rest moorland. (fn. 2) The subsoil consists of Yoredale
Rocks, Mountain and Lower Limestone, Shale and
Millstone Grit; the soil is clay. There are stone
quarries, some disused, and coal (fn. 3) and lead have been
worked. In 1396 Thomas de Percy had licence
to cause his field of Walburn to be dug for lead, and
to sell and dispose of any found, (fn. 4) and in an inventory of the goods of Leonard Loftus of Downholme,
who seems to have been a lead merchant, in 1560,
there are items of lead to the value of £98 15s. (fn. 5)
The lead was settled with the manor of Downholme
in 1591, (fn. 6) the lead and coal mines in 1803. (fn. 7)
The parish lies high, the land being 500 ft. above
the ordnance datum by the River Swale and 1,300 ft.
at Whit Fell in the south. The tale is still told in
these parts of the marvellous escape of Robert Willance,
whose horse in 1606, after three great bounds down
the hill, leaped with its owner on its back over
Whitcliffe Scar. (fn. 8)
The population is 203. (fn. 9)
The River Swale is crossed by Downholme Bridge,
near Downholme Park. From the main road in the
Swale valley a branch striking south rises steadily for
three-quarters of a mile until the village is reached.
Half-way the church lies among trees to the west of
the road. Higher up, and still to the west of the road,
the vicarage is placed nearer to the village, which is
grouped irregularly on the hill-side. Between the
vicarage and the village and behind the village inn
are the ruins of Downholme Hall. The remains
still existing may be the cellars or storehouses. (fn. 10)
There is a room measuring 20 ft. by 16 ft. 6 in.
with rubble vaulting, and at the eastern end a small
trefoil-headed light. North of this are the remains
of two other rooms, which show traces of vaulting.
These probably formed a half-sunk basement to the
house, for the walls extend above the vaulted roof,
and there are traces of other walls and buildings in
the surrounding field. The capital messuage of
Downholme Hall was leased by the Scropes during
the 16th century. (fn. 11) There was a small wood in
1086, (fn. 12) and in 1377 Richard le Scrope had licence
to inclose and impark his woods here. (fn. 13) Higher up,
still on the south bank of the River Swale, which
forms the northern and north-western boundary of
the parish, is Ellerton, now called Ellerton Abbey,
although the only religious house here was a priory
of Cistercian nuns. (fn. 14)
Downholme: Remains of Ellerton Priory Church
All that remains of the priory church is the west
tower and the lower parts of the inclosing walls of
the body of the building, which appears to have been
rectangular in plan. Of the remains of these walls,
now standing only a few feet above the ground on
which they were built, and being below the level of
the window, nothing is left to show the age of the
original structure, but the grave slabs and loose fragments of 13th-century masonry now lying about the
site point to the existence of a building at that date,
while the present tower dates from the 15th century,
and has been restored in an indifferent manner in the
early years of the Gothic revival.
The tower is of three stories, and measures internally about 9 ft. square. It stands on a plinth, and is
crowned by an embattled parapet, having at its western
angles diagonal buttresses in five stages, stopping at
the level of the bell-chamber windows. At the southeast corner is a small stair turret lighted by three slits
on the west and one on the south. Externally the
tower is in one stage, having no stringcourses to mark the internal divisions.
The tower arch is semicircular, and
was of one square order with jambs of
the same section. Though the jambs
are of ashlar masonry, the arch for the
most part is made up of rough stones,
only the two lowest voussoirs on the
south and one on the north being of
dressed stone.
The west window is square-headed
and of two cinquefoiled lights with
sunk spandrels under a moulded label;
the mullion is gone. In the walling
above the window is a rough twocentred segmental relieving arch, immediately over which is a single-light
square-headed window under a moulded
label lighting the ringing chamber.
The jambs and head are hollow-chamfered, and in the chamfer of the latter
are carved three square-shaped flowers.
The bell chamber is lighted by twolight windows, one in each wall. The
lights are trefoiled, and have the central
mullion carried right up to form sunk
spandrels in a square head, while across
the centres of the windows are transoms. The north window is original,
but the western one appears to be a
bad modern copy; the former has lost
the whole of its mullion, and the upper
part of the mullion to the west window
has also gone. The head of the east
window is modern, and the south jamb
and transom are also new.
At the eastern angles of the body of the building
are the remains of diagonal buttresses standing above
the ruined walls; the buttress at the west end of the
north wall is modern. In the west end of the south
wall half the segmental arch to the entrance doorway
is still standing. There are a few pieces of worked
masonry preserved in the tower, including a double
base to two small shafts, apparently of 13th-century
date. In the nave are several gravestones covered with
an ornamental cross in the usual manner. Three of
these have foliated heads and are of 14th-century date,
but the fourth is less ornate and is of the preceding
century. There are pieces of another 14th-century
grave slab, carved with a foliated cross on calvary
steps, and a sword. At the east end of the church
is a huge stone, measuring 6 ft. 11 in. by 3 ft. 2 in.
by 12 in. thick. This has been thought to have been
used as an altar slab, though no crosses have been cut
on the now exposed surface.
Walburn Hall, Downholme: The Kitchen Wing
A water-mill belonged to the priory at the time of
its dissolution, and there was then a close of arable
land called the Park. (fn. 15) Within sight of this religious
house was the priory of nuns of Marrick (q.v.) on
the northern bank of the Swale. Between Ellerton
Abbey and Downholme to the south lies Stainton
and still further south, on the Hawes and Richmond
road, is Walburn, with a bridge over the beck that runs
north-west to the Swale. The present Walburn Hall
is an Elizabethan building restored by the late owner,
Mr. Timothy Hutton of Marske, (fn. 16) and standing on
the site of a much older house of which there are
a few remains at the north-east corner. It is built
on two sides of a walled and embattled courtyard,
round which runs a stone platform for the purpose of
defence, and it is said to have been garrisoned for
King Charles during the Civil War. (fn. 17) On entering
the courtyard through a doorway having a chamfered
segmental head and a label, the main entrance to the
house, which is now used as a farm, is through a projecting porch having a two-light mullioned window
with a label on the first floor and a small pointed
window above; this, in turn, is surmounted by a
moulded water table, shouldered at the eaves and the
whole is crowned by a gable. Inside this porch is a
small hall containing the staircase leading up to the
principal rooms, which were on the first floor, while
to the right and left are other apartments, the former
in each story containing a projecting mullioned
window and the latter communicating with the other
wing, where were the kitchen and offices. This
kitchen wing seems to be part of an older house
and contains windows which might belong to the
15th century and a ruined kitchen or brew-house at
the rear with a very massive open chimney still
standing. This is approached by an open passage
with a doorway similar to that into the court, above
which are the corbels of an oriel window. The east
windows of the 16th-century wing have all been
rebuilt, but in the south gable is a square bay window
of five mullioned lights with one in each return.
The window is carried the whole height, and transomed on the first floor. It is surmounted by a
pediment, and the gable above, which terminates in a
pinnacle, is similar to that of the porch. The ruined
portions at the north-west of the court comprise a very
high doorway of two hollow-chamfered orders; the
rear arch is segmental, but probably the external arch
was four-centred. It is difficult to say whether this
doorway led into a chapel or into the screens of a
lofty hall; to the right of it is a two-light squareheaded window with a label, and there are others
which might be of the same date at the rear of the
offices. Mos. of the chimneys to the house are
modern, but the octagonal shaft at the apex of the
back gable of the kitchen wing is probably contemporary with this portion of the house. On the
embattled wall in front of the house is a beautiful
Early English capital, ornamented with the nail-head,
which must have once belonged to a clustered shaft;
this has probably been brought from some neighbouring abbey—perhaps Easby. A water-mill belonged
to the manor in 1618. (fn. 18)
Various religious houses besides its priory held
lands in the parish. The Prioress of Marrick was
granted half a carucate of land by Elias son of
Gilbert de Downholme, (fn. 19) was assessed at 4s. 1¼d. for
the subsidy in 1301–2, (fn. 20) and received £2 2s. 8d. rent
from Downholme at the Dissolution, paying 9d.
annually to Lord Scrope for 'the vill.' (fn. 21) These
lands were leased to John Uvedale with the site of
Marrick Priory in 1543. (fn. 22) Easby Abbey, enfeoffed
in the 12th century, (fn. 23) had at the time of its surrender
2s. rent in Downholme. (fn. 24) The lands of Jervaulx
Abbey in Walburn (fn. 25) were granted by Charles II to
William Stanley and others. (fn. 26) Coverham Abbey held
the advowson and other tenements, and the Knights
of the Temple had a small property. (fn. 27)
The public elementary school at Downholme is
endowed. (fn. 28)
Staynscoch and Dunecrofte are 12th-century names
in Downholme (fn. 29) ; Estbowland and Blewhill 16thcentury names in Ellerton. (fn. 30)
Edward Ellerton, D.D. (1770–1851), founder of
many scholarships and prizes, was son of Richard
Ellerton of Downholme, (fn. 31) and Francis Nicholson,
governor in the American colonies (died 1722), was
born in the parish. (fn. 32)
Manors
DOWNHOLME and ELLERTON,
the only places in the parish mentioned
in the Domesday Survey, belonged in
1086 to the fee of Count Alan, (fn. 33) and, together with
Stainton and Walburn, were afterwards held of the
castle of Richmond. (fn. 34)
Gospatric, who held 3 carucates of land in Downholme as a 'manor' before the Conquest, was undertenant in 1086, (fn. 35) but subsequently lost his lands. (fn. 36)
He seems to have been followed by Thomas de
Richeburg, who probably enfeoffed the Leyburns. (fn. 37)
Michael son of Robert de Leyburn (fn. 38) was lord in
1184–5. (fn. 39) His son Richard succeeded (fn. 40) and was
followed by a son Wymar. (fn. 41) The Leyburns (fn. 42) were
tenants of 1 carucate of land
in Walburn in 1286–7 (fn. 43) and
possibly of Downholme, which
is not then mentioned. They
had made, however, several
grants to the families of Downholme and Herkay, (fn. 44) and seem
to have alienated the manor.
The Leyburns, Downholmes
and Herkays (perhaps undertenants of the Downholmes)
made various small grants in
Downholme to the abbey of
St. Agatha at Easby, (fn. 45) and in
an exchange the abbey granted to Hasculph de
Cleasby all the lands they held in Downholme. (fn. 46)
Hasculph also received a grant in exchange from
Adam de Aske of all his lands here, for which he
was to pay ½ lb. pepper yearly to the chief lord of
the fee. (fn. 47) In 1288–9 Hasculph de Cleasby (fn. 48) granted
the manor (that is, probably, the remainder) to
William de Cleasby in fee, (fn. 49) and in 1292 obtained a
grant of free warren in his demesne lands here to
himself and his heirs. (fn. 50) John son of William de
Cleasby was lord in 1308, (fn. 51) and appears to have
already settled the remainder on Henry le Scrope of
Bolton by February 1313–14, when he and Henry
le Scrope and the heirs of Henry received a grant of
free warren in their demesne lands in Downholme
and Walburn. (fn. 52) In 1314 he conveyed the manor
to Henry. (fn. 53) From this time the manor descends
with Castle Bolton (fn. 54) (q.v.).
Leyburn. Azure six lions argent.
ELLERTON (Elreton, xi cent.) and Stainton seem
at first to have formed only one manor, Stainton
being probably included in Ellerton in 1086, Ellerton
in Stainton in 1286–7; the two places were coupled
as 'Ellerton-cum-Stainton' in 1316. (fn. 55)
Before the Conquest Ellerton, where there were
2 carucates of land at geld, was held by Gamel as a
'manor.' By 1086 it had passed to Count Alan, who
held it in demesne, (fn. 56) and was subsequently in the possession of Ellerton Priory. Owing to the robbery of
its charters by the Scots the early history of the priory
is obscure. Breithiva daughter of Norman de Ellerton
and Adam her nephew (nepos) granted to St. Mary of
Ellerton and the prioress there all their land in Ellerton
'beyond Whitbec to the east and beyond Ruedic to
the west.' (fn. 57) The priory was, however, probably
founded by the family of Egglescliffe (called also 'de
Barden,' a place adjoining Ellerton), (fn. 58) who may thus
have been early lords of part of Ellerton. (fn. 59) Peter de
Rand, whose family were under-tenants of the Egglescliffes in Barden, also held land in Ellerton. (fn. 60) The
priory held a manorial court here in 1268, (fn. 61) and was
joint tenant of Ellerton and Stainton in 1316. (fn. 62) At
the Dissolution Anthony Brackenbury of Selaby,
Durham, held lands in Ellerton of the priory, paying
13d. rent and 3 lb. of wax annually, (fn. 63) the priory seemingly having alienated their manorial rights to him.
The Brackenburys were connected with the heirs of
the Hartforths, joint tenants with the priory in 1316,
but it seems probable that the Hartforths had the
manorial rights of Stainton only. (fn. 64) If the Brackenburys
derived their title from the Hartforths it was probably
owing to the fact that when on Sir William Tempest's
death Stainton passed with his daughter Isabel to the
Nortons his heir male was his brother Robert. (fn. 65)
Robert married the heiress of Holmside, Durham, and
left a son Roland, who was succeeded by his son
Robert and grandson Roland. (fn. 66)
Erle. Gules three scallops and a border engrailed argent.
Drax. Checky or and azure a chief gules with a plume of three ostrich feathers or therein.
Cuthbert son of Anthony Brackenbury, the tenant
under the priory, married Anne daughter and co-heir
of Roland, (fn. 67) and died in his father's lifetime, leaving
five daughters, Margaret wife of John Brackenbury,
Agnes wife of Gilbert Marshall, Anne, who married
as her second husband Robert Tunstall of Stockton,
Dorothy wife of Christopher Ayscough, and Grace,
who married Thomas Tunstall of Middridge (Mydry)
Grange. (fn. 68) The subsequent quitclaim from these
daughters does not, however, prove that the manor
had descended to them, but may have been due to
the fact that their father was not included in the
entail. The manor was in 1540 settled on Anthony
Brackenbury (their grandfather, probably grantee of
the priory) for life, with successive remainders to
his sons William, Henry, Richard and others in tailmale. (fn. 69) His son William died seised in 1564, when
his brother Henry was his heir, (fn. 70) and in 1568–9
Thomas Tunstall and Grace, Christopher Ayscough
and Dorothy, and Robert Tunstall and Anne; in
1569–70 John Brackenbury and Margaret; and in
1574–5 Gilbert Marshall and Agnes quitclaimed the
manor to Henry Brackenbury. (fn. 71) Richard Franklin
or Frankland died seised in 1587, having entailed the
manor, and left a son and heir Henry (fn. 72) knighted in
1607. (fn. 73) Henry died in 1622, leaving a son and heir
Anthony, (fn. 74) who joined with his step-brother Henry (fn. 75)
in 1654 in conveying the manor to William and
James Drax, (fn. 76) sons of the Rev. William Drax, vicar of
Stoneleigh, Warwick. (fn. 77) James Drax was knighted by
Oliver Cromwell in 1658, (fn. 78) his son and heir James (of
Hackney) (fn. 79) by Charles II in 1660. (fn. 80) The younger
James was in 1663 succeeded by his brother Henry
Drax of Boston, Lincs., who died childless, when the
estates descended to Thomas Shaterden, son of his sister
Elizabeth. (fn. 81) Thomas Shaterden (of Ellerton Abbey)
changed his name to Drax and had a son and heir
Henry, (fn. 82) to whom John Colleton and Elizabeth his
wife, probably lessees, (fn. 83) quitclaimed the manor and
site of the priory in 1720. (fn. 84) Henry married Elizabeth
Ernle, heiress of the Erles of Charborough Park,
Dorset, and died in 1755, leaving a son Thomas ErleDrax, who died childless in 1790, and a son Edward,
who then succeeded his brother. (fn. 85) Edward's only
daughter Sarah Frances married Richard Grosvenor,
nephew of Richard first Earl Grosvenor, and died in
1822. (fn. 86) Her only son, Richard Edward Erle-Drax of
Ellerton Abbey, died unmarried in 1828, and her
daughter Jane Frances (fn. 87) married John Samuel Wanley
Sawbridge, who assumed the surname and arms of
Erle-Drax. (fn. 88) They again left daughters, of whom the
younger, Sarah Frances Elizabeth, married Col.
Francis Augustus Plunkett Burton and had a daughter
Ernle Elizabeth Louisa Maria Grosvenor, the present
owner, who married in 1877 John William Lord
Dunsany, (fn. 89) now deceased.
The house, site and demesnes of Ellerton Priory
were in 1568 granted in fee by Queen Elizabeth to
Percival Bowes and John Moyser, (fn. 90) but eighteen
years later were in the hands of the lord of the
manor, (fn. 91) with which they subsequently descended.
Wischard de Charron, lord of Dalton Travers, was
mesne tenant of STAINTON (fn. 92) (Staunton, 1316,
1559) under the Earl of Richmond in 1286–7, (fn. 93) and
from him the mesne tenancy descended to the
Harbottles, (fn. 94) of whom the manor was held at the
close of the 15th century. (fn. 95)
Robert de Hartforth, kin to the Hartforth of Gilling parish, was under-tenant in 1286–7, (fn. 96) and this
family was in 1316 joint tenant with Ellerton Priory
of 'Ellerton-cum-Stainton.' (fn. 97) Like Hartforth (q.v.)
Stainton then descended to the Tempests, (fn. 98) and subsequently, by the marriage of Isabel Tempest, to the
Nortons of Norton Conyers. (fn. 99) In 1534–5 John
Norton conveyed the manor to his kinsman (fn. 100)
Simon Conyers (fn. 101) of Danby-on-Ure in the parish of
Thornton Steward (q.v.), and it has since followed
the descent of Danby. (fn. 102)
WALBURN (Walebrun, xiii cent.; Walbroune,
Walbrun, xiv-xvii cent.; Walbourn, Walborn,
Waborne, Wawborne, xv-xviii cent.) from 1286
onwards was held of the manor of Thornton Steward,
whose lords were mesne tenants under the honour of
Richmond. (fn. 103)
Walburn seems to have been separated from Downholme, but probably its early descent is the same.
The Leyburns held one of its 5 carucates of land
in 1286–7, the rest being in the tenancy of various
small holders. (fn. 104) John de Cleasby and Henry le Scrope
obtained a grant of free warren here in 1314, (fn. 105) John
de Cleasby was lord in 1316, (fn. 106) and Walburn may
have been the 'manor of Stainton' held by the Scropes
in 1459. (fn. 107) Humphrey Sigiswick died seised of the
manor and 5 carucates of land of Walburn in 1501. (fn. 108)
His family is said to have acquired their lands here from
the Bellerbys (fn. 109) : Margaret daughter and heir of Henry
Bellerby married Peter Greathead, and their daughter
and heir Agnes married a
Sigiswick. (fn. 110) Humphrey left a
son and heir Richard, (fn. 111) who
died seised in January 1555–6,
when his heir was his grandson Richard Lascelles, son of
his daughter Anne, who had
married Christopher son of
Sir Roger Lascelles of Breckenbrough. (fn. 112) The manor then
descended with that of Breckenbrough (fn. 113) until 1618, (fn. 114)
when it was conveyed in fee
to Roger Beckwith (fn. 115) of Aldbrough, with which Walburn
then descended (fn. 116) until 1755, (fn. 117)
when both manors were conveyed to John Hutton of
Marske (fn. 118) (q.v.), from whom Walburn has descended
to Mr. John Timothy D'Arcy Hutton of Marske.
Hutton of Marske. Gules a fesse argent between three cushions argent having fringes and tassels or with three fleurs de lis gules on the fesse.
Church
The little church of ST. MICHAEL
consists of a chancel about 23 ft. by 13 ft.,
a north chapel (or extension of the aisle)
about 22 ft. by 11 ft., nave 29 ft. by 15 ft., north
aisle 11 ft. wide and a south porch. These measurements are all internal.
The church dates from about 1180, and must at
that time have consisted of a simple chancel and nave
of the same length as now; the north aisle was added
soon afterwards, about 1200, while the chancel appears
to have been rebuilt about 1330 and the aisle continued
into the chapel about a hundred years later. The
church has undergone restoration in 1811, 1886 and
1894.
The east window of the chancel is of 14th-century
date and consists of three trefoiled ogee lights with
reticulated tracery above within a two-centred doublechamfered arch with a label. The two south
windows are modern, and are of two trefoiled lights
with a quatrefoil over within a two-centred head.
Between them is a small modern priest's doorway.
An old piscina with a hooded two-centred arch over
it is set to the south-east. The arch on the north
side opening into the chapel has plain jambs with small
chamfered edges, the chamfer having broach stops at
the base. The abaci are plain, being square above
and chamfered below. The arch, which is twocentred, is of a single chamfered order.
The chancel arch is of two chamfered orders in
jambs and arch. The capitals have their abaci
moulded with the nail-head ornament, and evidently
date from about 1220. The abacus on the north side
has been mutilated for the screen, but it returns
round on the west face, and in order to avoid running
into the respond of the arcade it is turned down as a
volute and finished with a three-leaved flower.
The north arcade of the nave is of three bays with
half-round responds and circular piers. The capitals
of the piers have plain square abaci, hollowed below
on to a small round neck mould; the capitals of the
responds have abaci very slightly more elaborate.
The bases of all have a three-quarter round section;
the base of the second pier is partly octagonal. The
nave is lighted on the south side by two windows,
one at the ordinary height, the other higher up near
the eaves. The former has two lights in a round
head and is of 18th-century or later date. The other
is a plain rectangular light.
The south doorway dates from about 1180 It
has attached three-quarter shafts in its jambs. On
the faces of the shafts faint traces of cheveron enrichment still remain; the base, which is moulded
with two rounds, has spiral ornament carved on it.
The capitals are scalloped, the abaci being modern.
The arch is semicircular and is richly ornamented with
the cheveron; the label is square above and chamfered below. The west window is modern except
for a few old stones. It has a single trefoiled ogee
light with tracery over in a pointed arch.
The east window of the north chapel is of three
lights with plain four-centred heads, and sunk
spandrels under a flat lintel. The window appears to
be late 15th-century work. The window to the north
is a large single light with a square head, which
appears to have been originally traceried and to have
formed the head of a two-light window. The only
window in the north wall of the nave aisle is of two
trefoiled lights with a trefoil over in the head, which
is inclosed by a two-centred arch with a label; it
appears to be of 13th-century date. The west
window is a modern copy of it. The blocked north
doorway has a single chamfered two-centred arch with
plain chamfered abaci and label. The roofs are
modern, the nave and aisles being plastered. The
south porch, which appears to be 18th-century work,
has an outer doorway with a key-stoned round arch.
The bell-turret over the west gable is modern. A
straight joint in the west wall shows the return of the
older nave, and the original steep gable, above which
the wall has been raised in modern times, can be
distinctly traced. On the north side to the east of the
middle buttress quoin stones in the wall show where
the aisle originally terminated.
The font (fn. 119) is octagonal and has a cable mould
round the top of the bowl, below which are shields;
the stem is panelled.
In the porch is an old gravestone with a stepped
cross with a flowered head, all in incised lines, and
with a pair of shears by its side.
There are two inaccessible bells, the smaller of
pre-Reformation date with an inscription in Gothic
capitals, the larger uninscribed, but the parish
accounts show that it was cast in 1823.
There is a late 17th-century cup with illegible
date letter, York mark, and maker's mark R. W. (?)
for Robert Williamson (?). The paten is modern.
The registers begin in 1736.
Advowson
Gilbert de Downholme quitclaimed to Thomas de Richeburg his
lord all right in the advowson. (fn. 120) It
then apparently passed with the manor to Michael de
Leyburn, who granted the church to Coverham
Abbey in the late 12th or early 13th century. (fn. 121) The
abbey held the church appropriated, the appropriation
being confirmed in 1301, until the Dissolution. (fn. 122)
The advowson seems still to have been in the hands
of the Crown in 1633, when the rectory (not including
the advowson) was granted to William Scriven and
Philip Eden, their heirs and assigns. (fn. 123) The advowson
was in the possession of Sir Roger Beckwith in
1682–3, (fn. 124) and both rectory and advowson have since
descended with the manor of Walburn. (fn. 125)
A vicarage is mentioned at the time of the Dissolution, (fn. 126) but Whitaker wrote in 1823 (fn. 127) that the
church was not held by institution, and whether it
was a sequestered vicarage or a perpetual curacy he
did not know. Robert Wray, vicar during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth, petitioned against the lessee,
Francis Lascelles of Walburn, with regard to glebe
tithes, and on this occasion Lascelles stated that
Wray was not a vicar, but a stipendiary priest, and
that the Abbots of Coverham, and the Crown since,
had always found a clerk or chaplain to celebrate
service in the church and paid him £6 6s. 8d. salary.
Wray, however, claimed to have been presented as
vicar. (fn. 128)
Charities
By deed dated 26 September 1814,
under the hands and seals of the
Rev. Edward Ellerton, Richard Ellerton and Christopher Ellerton, it was declared that in
order to manifest their gratitude to God and their
regard to their native place they had given £150, the
interest thereof to be annually applied in the instruction in reading and writing and in the Christian
religion according to the Church of England of
children of poor parents belonging to Downholme
and in relief of aged poor. The trust fund is represented by £168 consols, producing £4 4s. a year, of
which £2 is distributed among the poor and the
remainder applied for educational purposes. In 1826
Dr. Ellerton gave £513 6s. 10d. consols, the income
of which, amounting to £12 16s. 8d., is applicable
for educational purposes.
The school at Downholme is entitled in the discretion
of the trustees to share in the benefits of Matton Hutton's charity and also in the apprenticing branch of that
charity. (See General Charities under Richmond.)
Township of Stainton.—There was an ancient
annual payment of 10s. charged on a farm called
Haggs in the parish of Reeth, to which the poor of
Stainton are entitled.