THORNTON STEWARD
Tornertune, Tornenton (xi cent.); Thorneton,
Thorneton Dapifer (xii cent.); Thornton, Thorneton
Stiward (xiii cent.); Thornton Styward (xiv cent.);
Thornton Stuerd (xvi cent.); Thornton Stuart,
Stuard, or Steward (xviii cent.).
This parish on the north bank of the Ure covers
an area of nearly 2,399 acres, of which the surface is
clay and loam on a subsoil of Millstone Grit. The
greater part of the land is laid down to grass, only 609¼
acres being arable, and 201½ woods and plantations. (fn. 1)
From the Ure, where it is about 300 ft. above the sea
level, the land rises to heights varying from 400 ft. to
500 ft. in the north and centre of the parish.
Ulshaw (Ulveshowe, Ulsey, Ousey, Howsey), which
lies on the west of the parish, was included in East
Witton parish in 1717. (fn. 2) Ulshaw Bridge over the Ure
was important from its situation on the road from York
to Kendal; it was built of timber (fn. 3) and was unfinished
in 1424, when Ralph Nevill, first Earl of Westmorland
and lord of Middleham, left £20 towards its completion. (fn. 4) It was in serious disrepair in 1605 (fn. 5) ; and
eighteen years later £350 was granted to rebuild it of
stone. (fn. 6) Possibly the work was not carried out, for in
1673 £800 was levied upon the whole riding for its repair. (fn. 7) Near the bridge are the old water-mill and the
Roman Catholic chapel of St. Simon and St. Jude, the
burial-place of the Scropes of Danby (fn. 8) ; it dates from
1788, though still unfinished in 1823. Danby Hall,
the seat of Mr. Henry Scrope, has been for over
three centuries the residence of this last branch of the
house of Scrope, (fn. 9) and is doubtless the messuage held
by Anne Mountford and her husband John Carr at
the close of the 15th century. (fn. 10) It stands in a park
north-east of Ulshaw and is built on a gentle elevation
with a grass terrace in the front sloping down to the
river. A store of weapons found in a secret chamber
here in 1855 is supposed to have been concealed in
1745, when the Scropes were believed to favour the
Young Pretender. (fn. 11) As 'a reputed Papist' in 1689
Simon Scrope of Danby had been allowed for the
defence of his house one gun described as 'parcel of
the arms found in his custody.' (fn. 12) The house is
E-shaped in plan with its principal front looking east.
At the north-west corner is a small embattled tower,
which is probably the oldest part of the house. This
was doubtless a peel tower built for the purpose of
defence, and may be assumed to date from the 14th
century. A few other parts of the house, especially
in the north wing, seem to be of the same date, but
were considerably altered when the house was
enlarged in the Elizabethan period. The back of
the house retains much Elizabethan work, and there
are two gabled roofs, which seem to have extended to
the front of the house. The straight joint of an old
window on the east face supports the tradition that
the house had three floors at that time, although the
appearance of this and other blocked or reduced
windows is somewhat confusing.
Half a mile east of the hall in a field called
Chapel Garth are the foundations of an ancient
chapel. The little village of Thornton Steward
lies high up on the hill-side overlooking Wensleydale, near a branch road running east from the
highway to Hutton Hang. The village street runs
east and west, the houses on the north side being
built on a grassy bank above the road. At its west
end is the manor-house, probably on the site of
the older dwelling occupied two centuries ago by the
Roman Catholic family of Allen. There was a capital
messuage here in the 18th century. (fn. 13) The church
stands on lower ground a quarter of a mile to the
south-west. In the wooded and hilly country to the
north High and Low Hull recall the Hull close and
Hull pasture of 1717. (fn. 14) West Marriforth plantation
and farm to the south-east were once probably part
of the grange of the Abbot of Jervaulx, (fn. 15) who also
owned land here at 'Henephan.' (fn. 16)
Manors
THORNTON STEWARD was held
in 1086 as before the Conquest by
Gospatric, Count Alan being his lord
in 1086 (fn. 17) ; the overlordship followed the descent of
the honour of Richmond. (fn. 18) In 1368 this manor was
held by military service, suit at the court of Richmond
every three weeks and money payment for castle
ward. (fn. 19)
Bassingburn. Gyronny argent and gules.
Gospatric was perhaps followed in his sub-tenancy
by Wymar, steward (fn. 20) of the lords of Richmond. He
had two sons, Warin (Warner) the Steward and
Roger. Roger probably died before 1157–8, when
Ralph his son rendered account to the king with
Warin, (fn. 21) who would seem to have lived until about
1173, for in the following year Ralph paid £6 13s. 4d.
pro conventione Warneri Avunculi sui. (fn. 22) Wymar, eldest
son of Ralph, (fn. 23) was holding two and a half knights'
fees of the honour in 1210 (fn. 24) ; he must have died
without issue, for his heir was his brother Roger. (fn. 25)
He was succeeded by his son Wymar, (fn. 26) who was
living in 1240, when Beatrice his daughter married
Thomas son of Hugh. (fn. 27) Wymar probably married
Joan, a widow in 1249 (fn. 28) ; her son, then a minor,
seems to have been that Matthew de Thornton who was
lord of the manor in 1256. (fn. 29)
He was living at Easter 1259, (fn. 30)
but must have died shortly
after this, for by 1260–1 he
had been succeeded by his
daughter and heir Mary, then
a minor in the custody of
Peter de Savoy. (fn. 31) She married
the younger Humphrey de
Bassingburn, (fn. 32) and together
they made an agreement with
John de Thornton and his
wife Maud and Matthew's
widow Sybil touching lands here in 1279. (fn. 33) The
return of 1286–7 accounts for the dower of Sybil
only, (fn. 34) but Humphrey and Mary seem to have remained in possession of the manor (fn. 35) until Humphrey's death (fn. 36) in or before 1298. (fn. 37) In 1303 Mary
was tenant (fn. 38) ; she afterwards married John de Lisle, (fn. 39)
who was living here in 1309 (fn. 40) and returned as lord
in 1316. (fn. 41) Her son and heir, the third Humphrey
de Bassingburn, (fn. 42) who was serving in the king's
army before 1306, (fn. 43) conveyed the manor of Thornton Steward in trust to William de Ayermin, Bishop
of Norwich, lord in 1327 (fn. 44) ; he with other trustees
demised Thornton Steward to Humphrey's son Giles
and his wife Alice, (fn. 45) and Alice held it as a widow in
1343. (fn. 46) The reversion was then settled by Humphrey on Margaret, Giles's daughter and her husband
Walter son of Robert Colvill, with contingent remainder to Robert and his heirs. (fn. 47) In 1367 Alice,
then widow of a third husband (fn. 48) John Fauconberg
of Bilton, (fn. 49) recovered seisin of this manor against
Isabel widow of Humphrey Sturdy. (fn. 50) She died in
the following year, her heir being Robert, orphan
son of Walter Colvill and Margaret, a child of
three, (fn. 51) who did not survive his grandmother two
years. (fn. 52) At his death Thornton Steward passed under
the settlement of 1343 (fn. 53) to the heirs of Robert
Colvill alias Bytham—Ralph Basset of Sapcote,
grandson of Elizabeth, sister of Robert's father
Edmund, and John Gernoun, son of Alice, another
sister of Edmund (fn. 54) —between whom the Bassingburn
inheritance was then divided. (fn. 55) It is probable that
the whole of the manor was ultimately assigned to
Ralph Basset, who in 1371 sold it to Sir Richard le
Scrope of Bolton. (fn. 56) In the three following years
Richard de Bassingburn, John Holt and Richard de
Leicester quitclaimed to Richard le Scrope all their
rights here, (fn. 57) and Thornton Steward has followed
the descent of Castle Bolton (q.v.) since that date, (fn. 58)
Lord Bolton being now lord of the manor.
Free warren here was granted to Matthew de
Thornton in 1256. (fn. 59) John Lisle's mill, burnt down
in 1309, (fn. 60) does not seem to have been rebuilt by
1368, when a common bakehouse and fishery in the
Ure are the chief appurtenances mentioned. (fn. 61)
A 'manor' and 4 carucates in DANBY ON URE
(Danebi, xi cent.; Daneby super Yore, xiii cent.;
Little Danby, xiv cent.; Danby, Danby upon Yore,
xv cent.), held by Gamel under the Confessor, were
among the lands of Count Alan in 1086, and were
parcel of the honour of Richmond. (fn. 62)
The sons of Gamel were the sub-tenants in 1086, (fn. 63)
and the division of the vill into thirds, which prevailed in 1286–7, (fn. 64) may date from their tenancy. On
this assumption the third of the youngest son can be
identified with the one messuage, 1 carucate, which
Alexander son of Richard de Belhouse settled in 1260
on Wischard de Charron with service from a tenement formerly held by Alan de Kilham. (fn. 65) The other
shares came to the family of Kilham, Edmund de
Kilham holding a knight's fee in Danby and, presumably, elsewhere in 1280, (fn. 66) whilst in 1286–7 onethird of the vill was held by Richard son of
Wischard de Charron, Edmund being in possession
of the rest. (fn. 67) The landholders of 1316 were the
heirs of Peter de Kilham and John Wichard. (fn. 68) The
tenure of the Kilham family continued until 1428,
John de Barden and John de Kilham then holding
severally a third of the knight's fee once of Edmund
de Kilham, (fn. 69) and six years later John Kilham and his
wife Joan settled the manor of Danby on Ure on
themselves with remainder to Agnes wife of Thomas
son of Thomas Mountford and her heirs. (fn. 70) Thomas
and Agnes were probably the parents or grandparents
of Anne daughter and heir of Thomas Mountford of
Hackforth, who married Robert Conyers (fn. 71) and held
Danby with John Carr, apparently her third husband, (fn. 72)
in 1499. (fn. 73) By Robert Conyers Anne had a son
Simon, (fn. 74) to whom the manor ultimately descended. (fn. 75)
In 1567 Simon settled his inheritance on himself with
remainder to his only daughter and heir Margaret,
then wife of Henry Scrope of Spennithorne, who
was in possession of Danby at her death in 1609,
when Francis Scrope, her son and heir, was sixty
years of age. (fn. 76) Francis, lord in 1613 and 1616, (fn. 77)
seems in the latter year to have transferred a third of
the manor to Ralph Wythes, who, or his assignees,
held this in 1617. (fn. 78) Francis died without issue, and
Danby descended to the sons
of his younger brother Christopher Scrope of Spennithorne. (fn. 79) Simon, the fifth son,
who held with his younger
brothers Christopher and
Thomas in 1663, (fn. 80) and was
living in 1689 and 1690, (fn. 81)
was succeeded in 1691 by his
eldest son and heir, another
Simon Scrope of Danby. (fn. 82) A
settlement of Danby and his
other manors, made by Simon
in 1699, (fn. 83) before his marriage
with Frances Sheldon, (fn. 84) does not seem to have afforded
sufficient protection against the burdens then laid on
the estates of Roman Catholics, and in 1714 his lands
were vested in trustees, who paid annuities from their
issues to himself and his wife. (fn. 85) From this second
Simon Scrope Danby descended to his son of the same
name, lord in 1735 (fn. 86) and in 1749, when, on his
marriage with Ann Clementina Meynell, he settled
the manor on trustees for his own use, charging it
with an annuity in lieu of dower. (fn. 87) Simon Thomas
Scrope their son succeeded his father in 1788, (fn. 88) and
in the following year married (fn. 89) Catherine, eldest
daughter of Edward Meynell of Yarm; their son,
the second Simon Thomas Scrope, inherited Danby
in 1838. (fn. 90) His son and heir of the same name was
succeeded in 1872 by his son, the fourth Simon
Thomas Scrope. (fn. 91) At his death in 1896 Danby
passed to his eldest son Simon Conyers Scrope, (fn. 92) who
was succeeded in 1909 by Henry Aloysius Scrope,
the present lord of the manor. (fn. 93)
Scrope of Danby. Azure a bend or.
A water corn-mill called Danby Mill was parcel
of the manor in 1789 and 1821. (fn. 94)
Various small gifts made in the 13th century (fn. 95)
seem to have been the nucleus of the later holding
of Jervaulx Abbey in Thornton Steward. In 1289
the abbot recovered seisin of common of pasture here
from Sybil widow of Matthew de Thornton and
others, (fn. 96) and the abbey paid 8s. subsidy here in
1301–2. (fn. 97) The homage and services of the Abbot of
Jervaulx were sold with the manor in 1371, (fn. 98) and in
1428 tithes from property once part of the two
knights' fees here of Mary de Bassingburn were paid
by the head of this house. (fn. 99) The Jervaulx holding,
valued in 1535 at 73s. 4d., (fn. 100) was included in a grant
made by James I to Edward Lord Bruce of Kinloss, (fn. 101)
and remained in the possession of his heirs until
1746. (fn. 102) In 1286–7 I carucate in Danby belonged to
the liberty of St. Mary of York. (fn. 103)
Church
The church of ST. OSWALD apparently still retains the walling of an early
Norman church, the plan being very
little altered. It consists of chancel and nave, with
the later additions of a north vestry and a porch at the
west end.
The east window is modern, of two lights, and on
the south side of the chancel are two similar windows,
under one of which is a modern priest's doorway, and
on the same side are a rude piscina and a low-side
window of the 14th century, originally pointed but
now cut square. On the north side is a pointed
segmental 14th-century moulded recessed tomb, with
a hood having carved heads at the apex and stops; to
the west of it is a modern vestry doorway.
The chancel arch is debased 18th-century work.
On the north side of the church are two modern
lancet windows, one round-headed, the other pointed.
On the south side is a 14th-century window of two
trefoiled lights and a quatrefoil under a pointed head,
and to the west of it is a modern lancet window.
The round-headed south doorway of the west porch
is of the 12th century; it is square-edged and has a
plain tympanum resting on rude cushion capitals and
columns; the arch itself is ornamented with the
cheveron.
The old walling of the church is rough, widejointed irregular rubble; the north side of the chancel
is plastered over. In the north wall of the nave are
traces of what appear to be Norman windows, and
under one of the windows are the jambs of an early
doorway. There are no monuments of importance,
but in the recessed chancel tomb is the head of a
wheel cross, almost complete and having a head carved
on it; on the south side of the church are also two
stone coffins.
The font is octagonal, resting on eight capitals
ranged round a central pillar. These capitals are
foliated and date from the 13th century; their shafts
have been cut away, and they now rest directly on
their bases.
There are two bells in a bellcote at the west end,
one being of the 18th century and the other inscribed
'Repent, cry aloud, 1684.'
The plate consists of a chalice with the old York
mark of 1636, and a modern chalice, foot paten and
flagon.
The registers begin in 1563.
Advowson
There was a church in Thornton
Steward in 1086. (fn. 104) This with half
a carucate of land here was included
with the chapel of St. Martin, Richmond, in the gift
said to have been made in 1100 by Wymar the
Steward to the abbey of St. Mary. (fn. 105) At the beginning
of the 13th century Wymar son of Roger gave lands
to his chapel of Thornton Steward, but traces of the
rights of St. Mary's survive in the promise given in
1249 by Joan de Thornton to the abbot to lay no
claim to the advowson of Thornton Steward and to
influence her son to surrender his rights in the same, (fn. 106)
in an undated agreement by the rector Bartholomew,
to pay 2s. a year to the abbot, (fn. 107) and in the payment
made up to 1535 by the Abbot of Jervaulx to the
Prior of St. Martin for rent in this parish and East
Witton. (fn. 108) It would seem, however, that the church
was early transferred to the archdeaconry of Richmond, (fn. 109) to which it had been appropriated before
1291. (fn. 110) The vicarage may have been then ordained;
it is said to have been augmented in 1377. (fn. 111) In
1541 Henry VIII assigned this church and other
possessions of the archdeaconry to the newly-constituted see of Chester. (fn. 112) The patronage of the
vicarage remained with the bishopric till 1859, (fn. 113)
when it was transferred to the Bishop of Ripon,
who now presents. (fn. 114)
Charities
The Poor's Money, consisting of
£10, of which £5 was bequeathed
by George Foss previous to 1729,
and £5 by a donor unknown, was formerly in the
hands of the overseers, in respect of which 10s. was
distributed to the poor at Christmas. The principal
sum has been lost sight of.