Parishes: East Harlsey

EAST HARLSEY

Herleseia (xi cent.); Herleshey (xiii cent.); Eastherlesey (xvi cent.).

East Harlsey is a detached part of the wapentake of Birdforth, lying between West Harlsey, in Allertonshire, and Ingleby Arncliffe in Langbaurgh West.

Of the 3,060 acres which make up the area of the parish about 1,450 are under cultivation. (fn. 1) Nearly an equal area is devoted to pasture. The population is agricultural. Wheat, oats, barley and beans are grown, the soil being clay on a subsoil of Keuper Marls.

The parish is bounded on the east by the River Wiske, once called the Foulbroke, (fn. 2) a name which it still deserves.

One main road runs through the parish connecting West Rounton on the north with Ellerbeck on the south. The village of East Harlsey is situated midway between the two on a lane branching off to the east, and stands on a slight eminence of about 370 ft. As the ground slopes downward from the village to the western boundary it commands a fine view over the valley of Deepdale. The village is decidedly picturesque, owing to the variety of houses, some brick, some stone and some rough-cast, and the trim gardens in front of them. There is a single village street with the more important buildings, school, vicarage and Methodist chapel, all on the south side. Opposite the vicarage is a house with pilasters, classical cornice and moulded doorway, on the lintel of which is carved the date 1671. The houses in the village vary much in date from some plain early-looking buildings on the south side to several 17th-century houses with considerable external decorations and a variety of later types. Further back from the street, and also on the south side of it among a group of trees, elm, chestnut and sycamore, are Harlsey Hall and the church of St. Oswald. Morton Grange, belonging to Rievaulx Abbey, was just south of the church. (fn. 3)

North of the village, between the road and the river, are four farms called Siddle Farm, Siddle Grange, High and Low Siddle, representing the old estate of 'Sythell,' and a little south of Siddle Low Moor Lane branches westward from the high road and runs through Deepdale to the moated manorfarm of East Sawcock. The ruins of the priory of Mount Grace lie about 2 miles south-east of the village and are reached by a lane branching eastward from the high road. They lie at the foot of a steep slope with the monks' fish-ponds in front and woods behind.

Mount Grace Charterhouse, (fn. 4) the most complete survival of the Carthusian order in this country, stands on an artificially levelled site on the west side of a high and well-wooded range of hills running north and south. The buildings are disposed round two irregular four-sided courts on different levels and form together an elongated pentagon. They consist of an outer court surrounded by buildings on the north, west and south sides, the great cloister to the north of it surrounded by nineteen monks' cells and gardens, the conventual church standing between the two courts and a second group of six cells and gardens, impinging on the area of the outer court. Three periods are distinguishable in the remains, of which the great cloister, the church and the western range of the outer court date from the foundation of the house circa 1400. About twenty years later the church was extended to the east, the central tower built and two chapels added, the second group of cells being erected at the same time and various minor alterations made. The most important subsequent addition was the building of a large chapel south of the presbytery of the church. The buildings were apparently suffered to fall gradually into decay after the Dissolution until 1654, when Thomas Lascelles transformed a portion of the western range of the outer court into a dwelling-house.

The outer court is entered by a gate-house near the middle of the western range, consisting of an outer porch with a four-centred arch, the mouldings of which die into the jambs, and an inner gate-hall which was entered by a second arch fitted with doors. Both portions were roofed with a stone vault, having transverse, diagonal and wall ribs, of which only the springers remain. A vice in the north-east angle led to the floor above, which is now destroyed. Extending southward from the gate is the ruined shell of a two-storied building, divided by buttresses into five bays on the outer face and four bays on the inner. The latter is much ruined, but each bay retains remains of a doorway, that in the third bay being still perfect, with a four-centred head. The windows, five in number, are of one and two lights and the ground floor was evidently cut up into at least four apartments. The story over was occupied as a corn store, as there are two doorways in the outer walls only approachable by ladders. The west wall was pierced by square-headed windows of two lights. The south side of the outer court was originally inclosed only by a wall, but against this, on the outer side, was subsequently constructed a range of stables, barns and outbuildings two stories high and now much ruined. The westernmost is the latest in date, and the central portion, used as a stable, retains its gable end almost to the full height. The boundary wall of the eastern side of this court forms a retaining wall to the higher ground without it. Returning to the west side, immediately to the north of the gatehouse, a two-storied building, probably the guesthouse, extended northward for about 125 ft. and was divided by buttresses on the west face into six bays, beyond which another structure formed a seventh bay. This was the building a portion of which was transformed by Thomas Lascelles into a dwellinghouse, his only actual additions to the structure being a wing projecting to the east in the second and third bays from the gate-house and a small porch opposite it on the outer face. The mediaeval features of the building are much obscured, but traces of a window extending through both stories are visible on each side of the fourth bay. All the buttresses are of 15th-century date, together with most of the squareheaded windows in the fifth, sixth and seventh bays, none of which were included in Lascelles's building. The 17th-century house presents a handsome front to the west, having two ranges of large three-light transomed windows to the first and second floors respectively and an embattled parapet. Three stone gables pierced with windows gave light to a long gallery in the roof, but the southernmost of these, together with the adjoining parapet, has been removed. The gables are finished with stone balls to the apex and base stones and the large windows have moulded labels. From the centre of the front projects a stone porch with a flat pointed doorway and a room over, lighted by a window similar to the others on this side and finished with an embattled parapet with balls at the angles. The ground floor is divided up into three apartments, the hall being in the centre. It has a large fireplace in the south wall with a door beside it leading into the parlour or great chamber, which also has a large fireplace. To the north of the hall was the kitchen, and the great fireplace here has a curious joggled arch. The projecting wing to the cast contains the staircase, but the whole of the east front has been largely masked and concealed by the modern additions of Sir Lowthian Bell. The two bays to the north, left roofless by the Lascelles, have now been inclosed and added to the house. Forming the northern end of the western range was a block extending east and west and divided into two rooms, now much ruined. The larger and western of these was probably the brew-house, as against the north wall was subsequently added a large circular vat buttressed on the west. In the south-west angle of the same room is a rectangular structure, entered by two four-centred arches on the north and divided internally by a similar cross arch. The western division has a pointed recess on the west, lighted by two square-headed windows one above the other. The whole is covered by a pyramidal roof of stone, finished with an embattled chimney and was probably a kiln for drying the malt. The eastern apartment in this block has a semicircular oven projecting from the north wall and appears to have been the bake-house. The frater, which stood to the north-east between the outer court and the cloister, has been destroyed with the exception of the north and part of the west walls. Its arrangements have been furthermore much obscured by later alterations undertaken with a view to reducing its area. In the north wall to the cloister is a 'turn' and further west a door to a cellar. Adjoining the frater at the south-west angle remains of a later building have been found, probably serving as the kitchen, and a pentice communicated between the bake-house and frater. Adjoining the east side of the latter building and of similar width was the prior's cell (38½ ft. by 26 ft.). On the cloister side are a doorway and 'turn' and a fireplace. To the west of the door is the moulded base of a semioctagonal oriel window lighting the chamber above, but the upper part of this wall together with the whole of that on the south has been destroyed.

The conventual church consists of a nave with two chapels of similar form projecting to the north and south, a central tower and a quire and presbytery with a chapel projecting to the south of it. The original building was an aisleless parallelogram four bays long (88 ft. by 26 ft. average) subsequently lengthened one bay east and having a total internal length of 118 ft. Of the eastern arm of the church the western half of the north wall remains standing almost to its full height and contains two squareheaded three-light windows at the clearstory level with remains of a third adjoining. Below these are plain marks of the canopies of the monks' stalls. The remainder of the quire and presbytery walls are destroyed to the ground level, but the lowest course of the altar and remains of the 'gradus chori' are yet apparent. Immediately west of the latter two doors led on the north into the chapter-house and on the south into a narrow chapel, projecting two bays to the south, and having diagonal buttresses at the angles. Against its eastern wall were placed two altars and between them is the base of an altar tomb. The central tower was an addition to the original design. It rests on two strong parallel walls 6½ ft. apart, built across the church and pierced by tall pointed arches. Other arches, the mouldings of which intersect those of the former, support the north and south walls of the tower, which is internally only 9¼ ft. by 6½ ft. In the south-east angle of the space beneath is a vice leading to a chamber in the tower with openings into the quire and nave and small windows with trefoiled heads in the north and south walls. The belfry stage above is lighted by a pointed cinquefoiled window in each face, originally transomed. The tower is finished with an embattled parapet with pinnacles at the angles rising from diagonal buttresses with niches at the level of the belfry floor. The weathering of the roofs remains on both the east and west faces of the tower, and below it on the east are traces of the wagon roof of the quire, while on the west are the holes of the roodloft, below which were two altars flanking the tower arch. The nave walls, except for a portion on the south side, remain standing. At the west end is a wide doorway, formerly furnished with double doors, and above it is a five-light window-opening with a segmental-pointed head which has lost all its tracery. To the north of the door a square window was subsequently walled up. The south nave wall was pierced by a window in each bay, but the eastern of these had the sill cut down and the tracery removed to form an entrance into a chapel (19½ ft. by 15½ ft.). This latter has diagonal buttresses and a large window of five lights in the south wall. To the south of the chapel altar is a mutilated drain and to the north a small doorway to a destroyed vestry standing east of it. A corresponding chapel (19 ft. by 10 ft.) having a window apparently of seven lights in the north wall was added on the north side of the nave, into which it opened by a wide arch yet standing. In this chapel is a plain tomb slab of grey marble. The church was entered from the great cloister by a door in the north wall under the tower, approached by a pentice with a small chamber to the west and a second chamber of timber above containing a chapel.

The building on the north side of the nave, between it and the great cloister, underwent considerable alteration after the construction of the north chapel and was then transformed into two cells. The westernmost of these retains its northern gable with a doorway and 'turn' below and two windows in its south and east walls opening into the church. The second cell to the east of it was a narrow apartment (16 ft. by 5 ft.) with a lighting area on the south. The chapter-house lay between the presbytery and the great cloister and was a rectangular apartment (29 ft. by 24¾ ft.), entered from a pentice on the west. This side has, however, been completely destroyed and the chapter-house itself is devoid of ornament. Adjoining it on the east were the garden and cell of the sacrist, with which it communicated by a small door. The cell retains little besides a perfect fireplace in the east wall and remains of the door with a 'turn' in its west jamb. The great cloister is an irregular square about 231 ft. long on the south, east and north sides and 272 ft. on the west. The wall inclosing it is more or less complete except on the east, where modern work has taken its place. The roof of the cloister alleys was probably originally a pentice, but on the east and half the north sides a massive buttressed arcade wall has been uncovered. From fragments discovered it appears that each bay contained three sets of three cinquefoiled lights under segmental arches. A slighter arcade wall was also found on the south.

Opening from the great cloister are the monks' cells, of which there are five on the west, north and east sides. They are all of the same size, 27 ft. square externally, and formed complete two-storied buildings. The entrance was by a wide four-centred door from the cloister, and near it about 3 ft. from the ground was a square serving hatch, having a right-angled 'turn' in the thickness of the wall through which food was passed without the server being visible to the inmate. The ground floor was divided by wooden partitions into a lobby on the cloister side, a living room provided with a fireplace and two smaller apartments used respectively as a bedroom and study. The upper story has in every case been almost entirely destroyed, but apparently consisted of one room only used as a work-room, with a window on the garden side. The cell roofs ran parallel to the cloister, being terminated by gables, one surmounted by a chimney and the other by an ornamental cross. The chimney shafts were octagonal with either an embattled or pierced conical top. Each cell, with one exception, is set in the angle of a small garden, with which it communicated by two doors opening into pentices, the rear one leading to a garderobe projecting from the outer wall. The living room and bed room in the cells were lighted by plain two-light transomed windows looking on to the garden and the study by single-light windows. At Mount Grace the cells on the north side are the most complete, and one of these has been restored, refloored and reroofed by the late Sir Lowthian Bell, and gives an excellent idea of the appearance that all formerly presented. The labels of a number of the cell doors terminate in carved shields, the first at the south end of the west side bearing the arms of Archbishop Scrope—a bend and a label of three points within a border sown with mitres. The arms on the fourth cell are those of Gascoigne—on a pale a pike's head couped—which are repeated on the small shields of the fifth cell. The eighth cell being the centre one on the north side stands free of the garden walls at each side but is otherwise similar. Except for the side towards the cloister, the cells on the west are almost completely destroyed. To the south of the southernmost cell on this side and encroaching on the area of the garden are two cellars, one approached by a door from the frater, the other, a later erection, by a door in the cloister wall. The apartments over these were connected with the cell and the centre one was lighted by a large window of three cinquefoiled lights in the east wall. The lavatory remains near the centre of the south wall of the cloister and has a rectangular projecting basin, moulded on the front and set in a chamfered recess with a four-centred head.

Owing to a large increase in the endowments of the house in 1412 a second cloister was built to the south of the church on ground forming part of the outer court. It included six new cells and was approached by a passage from the south-east angle of the great cloister between the sacrist's and the first cell on the east side. The cells here vary much in size and were probably built separately. They are all ruined to the ground level. There is a small stone reservoir to the north-east of the great cloister and a conduit head known as St. John's Well— a circular tank with a pyramidal stone roof a short distance to the south-east of the priory buildings. It fed an octagonal conduit in the centre of the great cloister, of which traces were found, and from which lead pipes carried a supply to the cells and other buildings.

About half a mile to the east of the monastery on the top of a steep bank are the ruins of the house and 'chapel on the mount' assigned to the last prior at the Suppression and now commonly known as the Lady Chapel. The chapel (30½ ft. by 14½ ft.) is standing at the west end to nearly half its height. It is supported at this side by diagonal buttresses and has a double plinth. The south door has a moulded four-centred head and in the west wall was a large window. The east end abuts against a modern cottage. The chapel once stood free and there are traces of a porch to the doorway in the north wall. The house was a later addition, having an open court to the north of the chapel with two apartments to the north and east of it respectively. The larger eastern room (28 ft. by 14½ ft.) has a fireplace at the north end and traces of two windows in the east wall. The lesser room has also traces of a fireplace and a rebated opening or hatch into the larger apartment. The court was inclosed by a wall on the west having a small doorway. The domestic buildings are now entirely ruined.

For long after the Dissolution Mount Grace was a place of pilgrimage, and both inside and outside the Lady Chapel and inside the west wall of the south transept are scratched the marks of pilgrims, usually with calvary crosses. Amongst others are 'O.C. 1649' and 'IHS merce hav on me | Son of Mary hear | To thy cross i flee.' (fn. 5)

Manors

In 1086 EAST HARLSEY was in the hands of the king (fn. 6); 6 carucates here were afterwards granted to Robert Brus, (fn. 7) and the manor was held of the Brus fee, passing at the division of 1272 (fn. 8) to Laderina wife of John de Bellewe (Bella Aqua) (fn. 9) and her heirs. (fn. 10)

The tenants in demesne in the 12th and 13th centuries were the family of Lascelles. Robert Lascelles granted land in this parish to Rievaulx Abbey in or about 1158. (fn. 11) He had a son Geoffrey, who confirmed grants of his father (fn. 12) and of his tenant Joscelin de Harlsey to that abbey. (fn. 13) He seems to have been succeeded by Robert, who was living in 1234. (fn. 14) Another Robert held a fee of John de Bellewe in 1281. (fn. 15) He was succeeded by Edmund, who in 1284–5 held land in Harlsey, Bordelby, Siddle and Sawcock, 7 carucates of which were held in service. (fn. 16)

In 1301 the manor of Bordelby (q.v.) was settled by Edmund de Lascelles on Robert de Furneaux, one of the lords of Lotherton, and his wife Maud with remainder to her heirs. (fn. 17) East Harlsey was clearly the subject of a similar settlement, for Robert and Maud held the whole estate of the Lascelles for half a fee in 1301. (fn. 18) Maud, who must have been a Lascelles, apparently married as her second husband Geoffrey de Hotham. He was lord of the manor in 1316, (fn. 19) and Maud de Hotham paid subsidy in 1327. (fn. 20) Her heir was Richard de Furneaux son of Robert, (fn. 21) and Richard was succeeded by his son and heir Robert, (fn. 22) who was in possession in 1348. (fn. 23)

If Harlsey followed the descent of Bordelby (q.v.) it must have passed next to the Bentley family and from them to the Inglebys of Ripley, who held in 1428 the land which had belonged to Robert Furneaux. (fn. 24) William Ingleby, the tenant in that year, died ten years later, leaving a son John (fn. 25) his heir. John lived till 1456, when his son and heir William was only a year old. (fn. 26) The latter settled the manor of East Harlsey on his son John with Eleanor his wife in 1482. John died in possession twenty years later, (fn. 27) and Eleanor held the manor till her death in 1517. (fn. 28) William son of John was his heir (fn. 29) and died in 1528, when he was succeeded by his son, another William. (fn. 30) In 1564 William Ingleby and Anne his wife sold the manor to Leonard Dacre, (fn. 31) who as leader in the rebellion of the north (fn. 32) forfeited his estates in 1570.

The manor of East Harlsey was granted in 1610 to Edward Bates (fn. 33) and was sold almost immediately to Thomas Grange. (fn. 34) He died seised in 1614, and was succeeded by his son Thomas, (fn. 35) who had a son William. (fn. 36) William was succeeded by Gregory Grange, who petitioned in 1651 against the sequestration of his land here. (fn. 37) In 1652 Captain Lascelles, who was in the Parliamentary service, compounded for the East Harlsey estate, which he had just purchased from Gregory Grange, 'not knowing but that he or Grange might compound for it.' (fn. 38)

In 1654 Gregory Grange and Thomas Lascelles sold the manor to Richard Trotter, (fn. 39) whose family seems to have held it for several generations. (fn. 40) It finally descended to Isabella Trotter, who married Sir Alexander Bannerman, bart., of Elsick, Aberdeenshire. (fn. 41) He died in 1747 and was succeeded by his son Sir Alexander, who was in possession of the manor in 1767. (fn. 42) His heir was Sir Edward Trotter Bannerman, who was succeeded by a distant cousin Alexander Burnett (previously Bannerman), who resumed his name of Bannerman on succeeding in 1796 to the baronetcy. (fn. 43) It must have been this Alexander Burnett who held East Harlsey in 1789, (fn. 44) though nothing has been found to show how he became possessed of it before inheriting the family estates. The manor is next mentioned in the possession of William Burnett in 1806. (fn. 45)

Between that year and 1825 it passed to the Maynard family. Anthony Lax Maynard 'of Harlsey Hall' died in 1825 and was succeeded by his nephew John Maynard of Harlsey Hall, who was in possession as late as 1849. (fn. 46)

In 1872 Mr. John Beaumont was lord of the manor. He was succeeded by his daughter Mrs. Grove-Grady, from whom the estate was purchased in 1897 by Mr. Thomas Standbridge. His widow Mrs. Standbridge was lady of the manor from 1901 to 1907, when she sold it to Mr. Joseph Constantine. (fn. 47)

Three generations of a family bearing the name of the place held land in Harlsey in the 13th century. Joscelin de Harlsey, a contemporary of Geoffrey Lascelles, (fn. 48) was succeeded by William, who had a son Ralph. (fn. 49) The families of Hernville, (fn. 50) Upsall, (fn. 51) and Middleton (fn. 52) also held here under the Lascelles.

A considerable amount of land was held in East Harlsey by the abbey of Rievaulx, (fn. 53) to which the family of Lascelles made numerous small grants during the 12th and 13th centuries. (fn. 54) The abbot had free warren here by grant of Henry III. (fn. 55)

The abbot's lands in East Harlsey seem to have followed the descent of his largest estate (fn. 56) here, MORTON GRANGE (Mortona, xi cent.), which formed with East Harlsey part of the Brus fee at the end of the 11th century. (fn. 57) It was granted by Robert Lascelles to the Abbot of Rievaulx in about 1158. (fn. 58)

In 1506 the grange was leased to the Prior of Mount Grace for ninety-seven years at a yearly rent of £13 6s. 8d. (fn. 59) The prior and convent, being 'determined and concluded to meddle with little husbandry,' assigned their lease in 1534–5 to Robert Wilson, then farmer of Morton Grange and a servant of the prior. (fn. 60)

The grange was granted by Henry VIII in 1540 to Sir James Strangways of West Harlsey. (fn. 61) In the same year he had licence to alienate Morton Grange with other estates to William Lord Dacre and Greystock and his sons. (fn. 62) This he did by an unratified fine in 1541. (fn. 63) On the division of the Strangways estates (fn. 64) Morton Grange was allotted to Dame Elizabeth Strangways, widow of Sir James, for her life, while the reversion was granted to Robert Roos of Ingmanthorpe. (fn. 65)

Elizabeth and her second husband Francis Nevill leased the grange for Elizabeth's lifetime to Leonard Dacre, (fn. 66) on whose attainder in 1570 it was taken into the hands of the Crown. At about the same time Robert Roos conveyed his reversion to William Tancred, (fn. 67) whose heir Thomas sold it with the reversion of Potto (fn. 68) to the Earl of Rutland. (fn. 69) The grange appears among the earl's estates in 1587, (fn. 70) and also among the possessions of Elizabeth Lady Roos his daughter. (fn. 71) But apparently they never came into actual possession, as the grange in 1641 was still in the hands of the king. (fn. 72) The subsequent descent is confused by the various claims of the Roos family to the estate. It is now the property of the lord of the manor of East Harlsey.

The manor of MOUNT GRACE was called BORDELBY (Bordelbia, xi cent.; Borthelby, xiv cent.) till 1398, when the Priory of Mount Grace was founded and gave its name to the estate. During the greater part of its existence as the manor of Bordelby it followed the descent of East Harlsey (q.v.), with which it was associated in the Domesday Survey. (fn. 73) It passed from the Lascelles (fn. 74) to the Furneaux, who were in possession till 1348 at least. (fn. 75) Cecily widow of Richard Furneaux claimed dower here in 1332, (fn. 76) and in 1347 Nicholas Furneaux brought an assize of novel disseisin for land in Bordelby and Lotherton against Robert son of Richard Furneaux. (fn. 77)

In 1366 John Bentley, who at that date held lands in Lotherton also, (fn. 78) appointed Thomas Sawcock and others his attorneys to deliver seisin of the manor of Bordelby to Richard de Ravenser and others who were evidently trustees. (fn. 79)

In 1373 Thomas de Ingleby and Katherine his wife made an agreement concerning the manor with Ralph de Ripplingham and his wife Alice. (fn. 80) By this agreement the Ingleby family obtained Bordelby, and they were associated with the foundation of the priory of Mount Grace thirty years later. The actual founder was Thomas Earl of Kent and Duke of Surrey, who had licence in 1398 to alienate his manor of Bordelby to found a house of the Carthusian order. (fn. 81) But the prayers of the monks were asked for the souls of Thomas de Ingleby and Katherine, and for their successors (fn. 82) John de Ingleby and Ellen. (fn. 83) Moreover, John de Ingleby is frequently described as the founder of Mount Grace, (fn. 84) and his descendants held the advowson of the priory. (fn. 85) Probably the Duke of Surrey bought the manor from the Ingleby family for the express purpose of founding the priory. (fn. 86)

The duke took part in a conspiracy against Henry IV and was put to death by the people of Cirencester shortly after the foundation of Mount Grace, (fn. 87) and the prior and convent were disturbed by numerous claims upon the manor of Bordelby. In 1440 they obtained a confirmation of the original grant. (fn. 88)

The site of the priory and the manor of Mount Grace were leased in 1540 to John Cheyne of Drayton, Bucks., for twenty-one years. (fn. 89) The reversion and the yearly rent were granted in the same year to Sir James Strangways of West Harlsey. (fn. 90) He conveyed it with many other manors to William Lord Dacre in the next year. (fn. 91) By the royal award of 1544 (fn. 92) Mount Grace was assigned to Dame Elizabeth Strangways for life, and after her death to Robert Roos. (fn. 93)

In the same year Robert Roos sold his right in the manor to Ralph Rokeby for 700 marks. (fn. 94) Ralph Rokeby died seised of Mount Grace, which was inherited by his son William (fn. 95) in 1556. In 1653 it was in the possession of Grace, the granddaughter of William Rokeby. (fn. 96) She had married Conyers Darcy, son and heir of Lord Darcy, and the manor had been settled on her and her husband in 1616. (fn. 97) In 1653 they sold it to Thomas Lascelles, (fn. 98) who had bought East Harlsey from Gregory Grange in 1652. He was a Parliamentarian, and was arrested in 1665 on suspicion of 'turbulent and seditious practices against his Majesty's Government.' (fn. 99) He was succeeded by his son and grandson both called Thomas. (fn. 100) Robert, grandson of the younger Thomas, (fn. 101) was in possession in 1744, when he sold the manor to Timothy Mauleverer of Ingleby Arncliffe (fn. 102) (q.v.), with which it henceforth descended. The Mauleverer estate was purchased in 1900 from Mr. W. Brown by Sir I. Lowthian Bell, bart., (fn. 103) whose son Sir Hugh Bell, bart., is the present lord of the manor.

Free warren was granted to Geoffrey de Hotham in 1310, (fn. 104) and was afterwards enjoyed by the Prior of Mount Grace. (fn. 105)

The estate of SIDDLE (Syvehill, xii cent.; Sidill, Sifthil, xiii cent.) seems to have belonged to the manor of Bordelby (q.v.). Robert Lascelles of Bordelby, who lived in the 12th century, granted his mill there to the abbey of Rievaulx. (fn. 106) This mill was still in existence in 1605, (fn. 107) but it has now disappeared.

The history of SAWCOCK (Salcok to xv cent.), as far as it is continuous, is connected with that of a family of the same name. A William Salcock or Sawcock had a domestic chapel here in about 1250. (fn. 108) William son of Warner Sawcock, who lived towards the end of the 13th century, granted to Guisborough 3 oxgangs and a house with tofts here, (fn. 109) a grant confirmed by his descendant William son of Walter. (fn. 110)

In 1284–5 Thomas Sawcock was a tenant of Edmund Lascelles in East Harlsey, (fn. 111) and appears to have held this manor. Another Thomas Sawcock held it of the heirs of Bellewe in 1348. (fn. 112) At the beginning of the next century Thomas Sawcock granted it to William and Robert Lambton, who settled it on him in tail, with remainder to his uncle John Sawcock, and a further remainder to William Lambton. (fn. 113) John Sawcock appears in possession of the manor in 1428, (fn. 114) but in 1430 he demised it to Thomas Lambton for a rent of 8 marks. (fn. 115)

In 1497 Thomas Lambton conveyed the manor to certain trustees to his own use for life, then to his wife Agnes and his right heirs. (fn. 116) There is no further mention of Sawcock as a manor. Its present owner is the Rev. Barnabas Binks, rector of Welbury. (fn. 117)

Church

The church of ST. OSWALD consists of a chancel measuring internally 23 ft. 6 in. by 15 ft., organ chamber, north vestry, nave 35 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft., north aisle 28 ft. by 9 ft. 6 in., south porch and west bellturret.

With the exception of some old walling and one window in the south wall of the chancel the building is modern. The east window is of three trefoiled lights, and in the south wall is a square-headed trefoiled light of the 15th century; near this are an old piscina and a modern two-light window. The modern chancel arch is pointed. The north arcade of the nave is in three bays, and in the opposite wall are two three-light trefoiled windows and a south doorway. The roofs of chancel and nave are low pitched and panelled.

The font is modern.

In the chancel is the effigy of a knight in mail and surcoat; he has prick spurs but no gambeson and his hood is folded back, his bare head showing a profusion of curly hair; his hands are folded, and on his arm is a shield bearing a label of five points. In the north aisle is a slab incised with two floreated stepped crosses; one has a shield bearing three cocks, doubtless for William Sawcock (see below), and a sword crossed behind it; the other cross has a book on one side and a pair of shears on the other. Hidden behind the organ is a slab with the matrices of two figures with their shields below.

In the north aisle is a late 12th-century slab incised with a cross and bearing an inscription of which only 'Hic jacet Joha . . . .' can now be deciphered.

There are two modern bells.

The plate includes a fine cup, silver gilt, the bowl repoussé and bearing the London mark of 1616, while the plain stem, which replaces the original stem, bears the York letter for 1706, a cup of c. 1710 stamped BU in three places, but containing no date mark, a foot paten of 1708 and a large pewter almsdish.

The registers begin in 1693.

Advowson

In the 12th century the church of East Harlsey was claimed by the Prior of Guisborough as a chapelry of Ingleby Arncliffe. (fn. 118) In 1196 the chaplain of East Harlsey, who is described as ministering in the chapel as rector, openly repudiated the authority of Guisborough, (fn. 119) and the pope issued a commission of inquiry. The result was to establish the claims of the prior, to whom the chaplain of East Harlsey was ordered to pay a pension. In 1234 Robert Lascelles quitclaimed to the prior all his right in the advowson. (fn. 120) In 1308 the Archbishop of York satisfied himself of the prior's title to Ingleby Arncliffe, East Harlsey and other churches (which are here all referred to as 'ecclesiae parochiales') where 'perpetual vicars were not appointed.' (fn. 121)

In 1509 the chapel and lands appertaining were let to the Prior and convent of Mount Grace for fifty years. The lessees were to find a chaplain to perform divine service, and when the lease expired were to let to the Prior and convent of Guisborough a grange for the tithes. (fn. 122) Before the lease had expired, however, both houses had surrendered.

In 1569 the chapel was let to Nicholas Wayneman. (fn. 123) It had been granted to Henry Ughtred in 1555, when it was in the tenure of Robert Wilson, (fn. 124) perhaps a member of the same family as Robert Wilson, farmer of Morton Grange in 1534–5. (fn. 125) In 1608 the chapel was granted in fee to Francis Phelips and Richard Moor. (fn. 126)

In the middle of the 17th century the rectory and tithes of East Harlsey were in the possession of the lord of the manor. (fn. 127) The advowson appears in an agreement concerning the manor in 1767, (fn. 128) and from that date is associated with the manor. (fn. 129) It appears, however, that a Mr. Lawson, who had no connexion with the manor, was patron in 1786, (fn. 130) and that the presentation was in the hands of Sir John Lawson, bart. (of Brough) in 1808. (fn. 131) It is probable that the Lawson family leased the advowson from the lords of the manor, in whose possession it still remains.

William Sawcock had licence in the middle of the 13th century from the Prior and convent of Guisborough to found a chantry in his chapel of Sawcock. (fn. 132) This chapel, which was to be dependent on the chapel of East Harlsey, has now entirely disappeared.

Charities

Margaret Lawson by her will (date unknown) charged an estate at West Sawcock with a yearly sum of £5, of which £3 should be paid to the schoolmaster and £2 distributed in bread. By an order of the Charity Commissioners dated 22 November 1904 a scheme was established appointing trustees, and determining that three-fifth parts of the net yearly income should constitute the educational foundation and two-fifth parts the eleemosynary charity, the latter to be applied by the trustees in the supply of food or other articles in kind for the poor or in such way as they consider most advantageous to the recipients. The distribution is made in bread.

Jane Garthwaite, by her will dated in 1742, gave the yearly interest of £40, 20s. thereof to be paid to the curate for preaching a sermon on 2 May yearly in memory of her late husband, and the remainder to be laid out in bread for the poor. By an order of the Charity Commissioners of 22 September 1891 the land upon which the annuity of £2 was charged was sold and the proceeds invested in £108 18s. consols with the official trustees. The sum of £1 is paid to the incumbent for the sermon. In 1905 there were forty recipients of bread after the sermon, and money was given to ten widows.