West Markham

WEST MARKHAM, Or, LITTLE MARCHAM.

Was of the fee of Roger de Busli; one manor in it before the conquest Eduin had which paid to the publick taxation or geld as nine bovats. (fn. 1) The land four car. There Goysfrid the man or tenant of Roger had one car. and nine vill. and five bord. having three car. There was a church, and one mill 16s. This in king Edward the Confessours time was 3l. when the great survey was made in king William's 4l. value. In West Mercham, before the conquest, Godric had a manor which paid but for four bov. to the tax, though the land was returned two carucats. There Roger de Busli had afterwards two car. four vill. two bord. having two car. and sixteen acres of meadow, pasture wood five qu. long, three qu. broad. The value of this continued 40s. Aron held it. Here were other parcels Soc to this, one which had six bov. to the geld. The land three car. Soc in Tuxfarne. There six sochm. five vill. had four car. and an half. There were sixteen acres of meadow. Another paid for one bov. to the geld Soc in Grave, and one bov ad geld. Soc in Farne, and one bov. ad geld. Soc in Drayton. The land half a car. There three sochm. had two car.

(fn. 2) There was a composition made between the church of West Marcham, and the chapel of Tuxford at Lanum, before the lord Richard (perhaps it should have been Roger) arch-bishop of York, in the year of our lord 1179, 5 Calend. Decemb. (26 H. 2.) that the said church of West Marcham should have in Tuxford of seventy three bovats, each one thrave of corn, and the chapel of Tuxford the rest of the tythe corn; and the said church was to have the small tythes of those living on that land, viz. calves and soals, lambs, and goats, and pigs, and eggs at Easter; and the men thrice in the year were to go with their offerings to West Marcham, viz. on All Saints day; and that of the Purification of St. Mary; and at Easter; and to be confessed there in Lent, and receive communion there at Easter; and the bodies of the husbands and wifes to be buried there; and the said church was to have two parts of the tythe corn growing on the demesne of Tuxford, and likewise of all the essarts that then were or should be, and the chapel of Tuxford was to have the remaining third part, and all the small tythes, and confession, and communion, and offerings, and the bodies of all dwelling on the demesne, and in the town (except the husbands and wives on the said seventy three bovats;) & all the tythe of flax, milk, wooll, hens, geese, apples, gardens, and all churchings, and weddings of the whole town of Tuxford the said chapel was to have; and that this agreement might be firm, Robert de St. John, (then it seems husband of Oliva lady of Tuxford) patron of that ground, made his affidavit in the hand of the lord arch-bishop of Yorke; and so did Henry the priest of Marcham, and William the parson of Tuxford, and Jacob instead of his master Walter de Constanciis, chaplain of Tykhill, and Richard, parson of Walesby: The arch-bishops seal was put to it, and so was Robert de St. John's, and the said Jacob's. This was certified by Thomas de Maryng abbat of Barlings, and that covent to be in their registry, 4 Jun. 1307.

It seems probable that the successours of that Aron, mentioned in Doomsday book, took their name from this place, howbeit the first I can certainly six on was sir Richard de Marcham, or William, who married Cecilia, the sister of Robert lord Lexington, as bofore is in several places noted, by whom he had Richard and Robert, but what sons else I have not yet discovered. (fn. 3) Robert de Marcham was a great man, & had an esquire named Robert de Fowich, 2 E. 1. he confirmed his uncle the said Robert de Lexington's gift of lands in Scardcliff, Rothorne, and Sterthorp, to the priory of Newstede; he held when he died about 17 E. 1. (fn. 4) a capital mess. in West Marcham, and sevenscore acres of arable land in demesne, and twenty of mea dow, and a water mill, paying the prior of Monkebreton 8d. per annum, and the nuns of Wallendewelles 6d. &c. This manor was divided amongst his daughters and heirs, as in Tuxford may be discovered, with which it continued in the several branches as they were sub-divided.

Agnes de Sancta Cruce had a free-holder William de Marcham, who held of her two bovats of land and an half, 29 E. 1. (fn. 5) when she left her share to her daughters, as in Tuxford is described. From this William de Marcham, possibly a younger brother or cousin of Robert, might descend the ancestors of sir John Markham the judge, who had a monument in Markham church, with this inscription: (fn. 6) Orate pro anima Johannis Markham, Justiciarii, qui obiit in festo S. Silvesti, Anno Dom. 1409.

His fathers name was Robert, and his grandfathers John, both lawyers; John married the daughter of Nicolas Bothomfell, and Robert, of sir John Caunton. The judges posterity may be noted in Maplebeck and Cotteham. (fn. 7)

(fn. 8) John Stanhope, knight, 9 H. 6. in a recovery claimed against William Lassells, esquire, the manor of Little Markham, with the appurtenances. This surely is miswritten, John for Richard, or knight for esquire.

(fn. 9) John Stanhope (son of Richard, son of sir Richard) married Elizabeth, the daughter of sir Thomas Talbot, and by her had several sons, one son named Henry, the husband of Joane, the daughter of Henry Rochford, esquire, who brought him a son named Edmund Stanhope, who by Alice his wife had a daughter, Margaret, the wife of Thomas Skeffington, esquire, she died the first day of January, 31 H. 8. seized of the third part of the manor of Little Markham, and of lands in Darlington, and Kyton; her husband had them by the courtesie or law of England, till July 29, 35 H. 8. that he died, leaving William Skevington son and heir of the said Margaret to succeed. who wes above one and twenty years of age at the death of his mother.

(fn. 10) Thomas Rayner of East Drayton, and Emme his wife, 7 H. 6. by fine passed to John, son of Henry de Drayton, and to Alice his wife, one mess. twenty six acres of land, four of meadow, with the appurtenances in Little Markham, quit from the heirs of Emme.

(fn. 11) The owners of West Markham cum Milneton, in 1612, are said to be Rutland Molyneux, Mr. — Leake, Francis Chapman, cler. Robt. Belyalde, Richard Salmon, Thomas Pettinger, William Haslaby, William Owldham, Richard Whitlam, senior & junior, Thomas Heslaby, Lawrence Spyby, William Turtale, Anthony Cawthorne, Thomas Butler, Henry Wright of Egmanton, the master and fellows of St. John's, the master and fellows of Trinity colledges in Cambridge.

(fn. 12) The vicarage of West Markham was 8l. when the abbat of Westminster was patron; 'Tis now 7l. 12s. 1d. value in the kings books, and the earl of Clare patron. (fn. 13)

[Throsby] West Markam,

Here the duke of Newcastle is the principal land owner. Open fields. This place is small, so likewise is the church, which has a small tower with one bell. It is dedicated to All Saints.

Patron of West Markam, Vic. cum Bevercotes, is the duke of Newcastle. Abb. Westminster propr. Incumbent, Rev. Benjamin Cromwell Brown. King's book, 7l. 12s. 1d. Yearly tenths 15s. 2d. ½. Archiepisc. pro Syn. 4s. Archidiac. pro Prox. 6s. 8d. Val. per ann. in mans. & ter. gleb. 2l. 4s. 4d. dec. garb. fœn. lan. agn &c.