OVER SILTON
Siluetune (xi cent.); Little Silton (xiii cent.).
The parish consists of the two townships of Over
Silton and Kepwick, with a total acreage of 3,863
acres. Over Silton lies amongst the Hambleton Hills,
8 miles from Northallerton station, and is chiefly composed of moorland. The soil is clay and gravel and
the subsoil upper and middle lias.
There are various small plantations in the parish,
covering in all 146 acres; of the rest 471 acres are of
pasture, and 199 acres are devoted to the production
of wheat, oats, barley and beans. (fn. 1)
The manor-house and the village lie in the centre
of the parish. The hall is a modern building in the
Tudor style with an 18th-century wing at the back.
The church of St. Mary lies in a secluded hollow
half a mile south of the village and is approached
only by a footpath. A little to the west are Carlhow
Hill and Gnipe Hill, now more usually called 'the
Knipes,' which runs between the two Siltons. Northwest of the village in the Scarrs is a cavern formerly
known as Hobthrush, and now as Hobby's Hall or
Hobbrush Hole, by tradition the home of a goblin.
About a mile north of Over Silton on the steep side
of Thimbleby Banks is the 'Hanging Stone,' (fn. 2) from
which an extensive and beautiful view is obtained.
A perambulation (fn. 3) of the common lands made in
1627 gives some interesting place-names. The
boundaries were said to run 'by way of the Thrushe
pool, Sherwood Leape, a round hill called the North
end of the Hoppings, a hill near the Beare pool, a rigg
called Wood Howe, a long stone near Motherdale
Head, the nine boundary stones (fn. 4) upon the "granid"
moor, a place called Pottikeld Sike, and so to the
High Street at the going up of Hambleton End, down
a greenway leading to the Low "granyd" Moor, to
Whetstone Well and along the rigg to Knypes Coate.'
Kepwick is south-east of Over Silton, the village
lying on the northern slope of Pen Hill, while north
and east of it rise the Hambleton Hills, which are
crowned with moorland dotted with tumuli and
traversed north and south by the ancient Hambleton
Street. Of the 2,742 acres in the township but
332¼ acres are under cultivation. (fn. 5) On the moors are
many quarries of limestone, ironstone and sandstone,
and a small private tramway was built to connect
Kepwick quarry with the lime kilns near the Thirsk
and Yarm road, some 3½ miles away, but its use was
discontinued in 1893. At the foot of the hills lie
Sorrow Beck and the Bridge Beck, the latter running
west from the Old Gill, perhaps that 'Holsike' at
the head of which lay a meadow near 'Penigbekk'
in 1294. (fn. 6) Bridge Beck takes its name from a bridge
across which leads the road from Kepwick north to
Nether Silton; at a turn in this road are the remains of
an ancient cross. Sorrow and Bridge Becks unite west
of the village and at the south-west corner of the
parish the stream turns Kepwick Mill, successor of the
manorial mill mentioned in 1379. (fn. 7) The manor-house
of that date probably stood in the Hall Field, a grassfield in the village where ridges, in some cases 2 ft.
high, mark its site. (fn. 8) At some later date the Stay
House became the manor-house. This is a 17thcentury stone building with tiled roofs, now largely
modernized. The ancient portion stands north and
south with a wing projecting west from the north end
A one-storied kitchen on the south was pulled down
in 1899; from this was removed the panel of dark
stone now fixed in the wall of the modern south
wing, and bearing a double-headed eagle for Lord
Fauconberg.
Kepwick Hall, Over Silton
Kepwick Hall, a fine mansion built in 1873, the
residence of Mr. C. B. Warner, lies on the southern
side of the road and is surrounded by a fine park,
successor of the 'Perespark' that belonged to Nicholas
Knout in 1379. (fn. 9)
In 1300 the chapel of St. Margaret stood in the
more northerly part of the village, (fn. 10) but this disappeared at the Reformation, and there was no chapel
here until 1894, when Mr. E. H. Warner built
the mission room in memory of his father. The
Wesleyans hold their services in the reading room,
which also was built by Mr. Warner in 1894.
Manors
A 'manor' and 3 carucates of land in
OVER SILTON were held by Archil
before the Conquest and in 1086 were in
the hands of the king. (fn. 11) It appears to have become part
of the fee of Mowbray, (fn. 12) and in the 13th century it
was held as a quarter of a knight's fee. (fn. 13) Under the
Mowbrays a mesne lordship was held in the 13th
century by the lords of Sheriff Hutton (fn. 14) (q.v.), of
whom the whole vill was held by the family of
Malebiche (fn. 15) of Kirkby Knowle.
Land here was held in demesne by Geoffrey de
Upsall (fn. 16) in 1257, when he obtained a grant of free
warren. (fn. 17) This manor followed the descent of that of
Upsall (fn. 18) (q.v.) until 1547, when Robert Roos sold it
to Henry Askwith. He died in 1562, (fn. 19) leaving a son
Christopher, and on his death in 1569 (fn. 20) the manor
passed to his son Richard, who was still holding it in
1588. (fn. 21) In 1601 the manors of Over Silton and
Kepwick were held by John Lepton. (fn. 22) He died in
1625, and his son Thomas, (fn. 23) who succeeded him, sold
both the manors in 1640–1 (fn. 24) to Thomas Lord Fauconberg; they followed the descent of Newburgh in Coxwold (q.v.) until 1866, when Sir George Wombwell
sold Over Silton Manor to Mr. William Bradley Wainman of Carr Head, Yorks., from whom it descended
to his daughter Mrs. Hinde, (fn. 25) the present owner.
At KEPWICK (Capuic, xi cent.; Kypyke, xvi cent.;
Keybock, Quebeck, xviii cent.), as at Over Silton, part
of the land was in the tenure of Archil before the
Conquest, the rest being held by Gillemichael; the
whole was assessed as a 'manor' of 5 carucates and
was held in 1086 by the king. (fn. 26)
Like Silton it formed part of the Mowbray fee, and
mesne lordships were held by the families of Nevill
and Malebiche in the 13th century. (fn. 27) In the reign
of Henry III the tenant in demesne of one knight's
fee here and elsewhere was Robert son of Mendre,
and, later, in 1267–8 it seems to have been held by
Joan de Kepwick. (fn. 28) Kepwick was assessed at a fourth
part of a knight's fee in 1282, (fn. 29) and in 1284–5 the tenant
Nicholas de Punchardon, with Joan his wife, enfeoffed
Roger de Benson of the manor. (fn. 30) By 1316 the tenant
was Ingram Knout, who in 1310 had been granted
free warren in his demesne lands here (fn. 31) ; he was still
living in 1327–8. (fn. 32) An Ingram Knout was tenant in
1367, (fn. 33) and was succeeded by Nicholas Knout; he
was imprisoned for debt in 1378, when his lands here
included a capital messuage and 10 oxgangs in demesne
with 10 oxgangs in villeinage. (fn. 34) Margaret Knout
held half a knight's fee here in 1388, (fn. 35) and was living
in 1395. (fn. 36) This was probably the Margaret who
had three daughters: Isabel, Elizabeth who married
William Lepton, and Agnes wife of William Bransby. (fn. 37)
In 1427 the sons of Elizabeth and Agnes, John
Lepton and Thomas Bransby, were holding the fee
with Robert Buscy and John Greenwood, (fn. 38) who may
have been sons of other daughters.
The moiety known as LEPTON'S HALL continued in the hands of the Leptons. John was
followed by a son Thomas Lepton, (fn. 39) who was living
in 1442 (fn. 40) and had a son John. (fn. 41) In 1522 (fn. 42) this land
was in the hands of Thomas the son of John; he was
succeeded by a son Christopher, who died in January
1586–7, (fn. 43) having in 1567 settled a messuage in Kepwick on his son Roger and Margaret Wycliff his wife. (fn. 44)
Roger died during his father's lifetime, and the manor
passed to John his son, then aged seventeen. (fn. 45) In 1593
John Lepton had livery of his lands (fn. 46) ; he made a
conveyance of them in 1597 (fn. 47)
and died in 1625. (fn. 48) His son
Thomas was much in debt
and sold Kepwick in 1640 (fn. 49)
to Thomas Lord Fauconberg,
in whose family it remained (fn. 50)
till 1808, when it was sold to
Gilbert Crompton. (fn. 51) In 1871
Colonel Crompton sold the
manor to Mr. Edward Warner,
who died in 1894, and was
succeeded by his son Mr.
Edward Handley Warner of
Quorn Hall, Loughborough,
the present lord of the manor. (fn. 52)
Lepton. Barry argent and gules a chief azure with three Katherine wheels or therein.
Thomas Bransby held part
of the fee of Kepwick in 1427 (fn. 53) called BRANSBY'S
HOLD, (fn. 54) and his family continued to possess lands
there. In 1480–3 (fn. 55) William Bransby was a defendant in a Chancery suit. Ralph Bransby of Kepwick,
possibly his son, was living in 1514, (fn. 56) when Henry VIII
pardoned him for some offence, the nature of which,
however, is not recorded. In 1554 (fn. 57) Thomas
Bransby, who married Eustachia Lepton, (fn. 58) sold his
lands in Kepwick to Roger Lepton, receiving from
him an annuity of £8. (fn. 59)
Robert Buscy was holding part of the fee of Kepwick
in 1427. (fn. 60) He was followed by John Buscy, who in
about 1480–3 made a settlement of certain lands,
among which was Kepwick. (fn. 61) The Buscys retained
land here in 1599. (fn. 62) A settlement was made on the
marriage of Christopher Buscy with Mary Lepton
and of Agnes Buscy with Christopher Lepton. (fn. 63) In
1569 (fn. 64) William Buscy sold his lands to Christopher
Askwith of Over Silton.
Land here called a 'manor' was held by Sir Ranulph
Pigot at his death in 1503; it descended to his
niece Margaret Metcalfe and afterwards to her son Sir
Christopher Metcalfe. (fn. 65)
In 1086 Hugh son of Baldric held 1 carucate in
Kepwick as a berewick to Bagby. (fn. 66) It was granted,
however, with Northallerton (q.v.) by William II
to the Bishops of Durham, who retained the overlordship until it fell into abeyance. The tenant
previous to the grant was Kille son of Erchel. (fn. 67) In
the early 13th century this carucate was in the hands
of Jordan Hairun. (fn. 68) The tenant of 1 carucate in
1284–5 was the Prior of Guisborough, (fn. 69) who held
Kepwick for a quarter of a knight's fee, and had considerable possessions in Kepwick. (fn. 70) The prior held
the lordship of 1 carucate of Ralph de Tanton, who
created a rent-charge of 15s. a year in favour of the
priory (fn. 71) ; this his sister and heir Osanna (fn. 72) with her
second husband John de Langbaurgh quitclaimed to
the priory in 1234. (fn. 73) In or about 1300 Eleanor
wife of Gilbert Tinckelere quitclaimed her right (fn. 74) in
a messuage and 1 oxgang to this house. At the Dissolution the priory's lands here (fn. 75) were in the tenure of
Christopher Lepton, (fn. 76) who, it was said, concealed
and unjustly detained them from Queen Elizabeth. (fn. 77)
The Abbot of Rievaulx was granted land in
Cowesby together with 1 carucate in Kepwick by
Robert de Stutevill. (fn. 78) Byland held 4 oxgangs from
Robert de Auford's gift which Roger de Benson
confirmed, with pasture for 200 sheep. (fn. 79) The
Byland possessions, (fn. 80) as well as a messuage held by
Newburgh Priory, were granted in 1544 to Roger
and Robert Taverner. Meadow that had once
belonged to Byland, Guisborough and Rievaulx was in
the possession of Christopher Lepton in 1587. (fn. 81) The
Prior of Malton was enfeoffed by Nicholas de
Punchardon of 6 oxgangs before 1284–5, (fn. 82) and
received a grant of free warren here in 1333. (fn. 83)
These lands were granted to William Danby of
Leake in 1536. (fn. 84)
Robert de Nevill obtained a grant of free warren
before 1275, (fn. 85) and the Prior of Newburgh, who also
had infangentheof, toll, team, soc and sac, received a
similar grant before 1292. (fn. 86)
Church
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN (fn. 87) is a small structure consisting
of a chancel measuring internally 26 ft.
6 in. by 13 ft. 4 in., a modern north vestry, nave
31 ft. 9 in. by 16 ft. 3 in., and a south porch.
The building dates from the 12th century, to
which period the nave belongs, but the only detail
of this date remaining is the fine south doorway.
The chancel appears to have been enlarged in the
14th century, and the porch may be of the same
date. Since then the only structural alterations have
been the insertion of windows at various times, the
modern rebuilding of the chancel arch, and the addition of the vestry. The roof of the nave apparently
dates from the 15th century.
The 14th-century east window of the chancel is
of three trefoiled lights under a two-centred segmental
head containing quatrefoils; the mullions and greater
part of the tracery are modern repairs. The north
wall is unpierced except by a modern pointed doorway into the vestry. In the south wall is a trefoiled
piscina with a projecting three-quarter round basin of
14th-century date. The first south window is of two
ogee-headed trefoiled lights under a square head
without a label. It appears to be a late 14th-century
insertion. The south priest's doorway has a twocentred drop arch. West of it is a small low-side
window of a single trefoiled round-headed light;
the middle foil is very small. The head, although
not modern, appears to be later than the jambs. The
pointed chancel arch is modern.
The only window in the north wall of the nave is
near the east end and is similar to the south-west
window of the chancel. It is probably of 13thcentury date. The south window is a 15th-century
insertion of two trefoiled lights under a square head.
The south doorway is of two orders; the shafts in the
angles of the jambs have much-decayed bases and
rather tall scalloped capitals, over which are beaded
and chamfered abaci. The inner order of the arch,
which is semicircular and all original, has zigzag
ornament formed of several small rolls on its face
and soffit; the outer order has a large edge roll. The
west window is of the 14th century and is of two
trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil over in a pointed
head. Over the west wall is a small gabled open
bellcote. The south porch has a plain pointed arch
of two chamfered orders.
The walling generally is of ashlar. Three buttresses
of three stages strengthen the north wall; there are
two against the west wall and one on the south to
resist the thrust of the chancel arch. The east wall
has diagonal buttresses, both differing, but apparently
original, as they course in with the walling. The
parapet of the nave, from the disposition of the
stones forming the coping, appears to have once been
embattled. The chancel has a gabled eaves roof with
some plain old timbers, through which the stone
slates are visible from the inside. The nave roof is
low pitched and also has old timbers; on the soffits
of the three tie-beams are shields with the arms of
Nevill and Scrope, Archbishops of York, and on the
third are the cross keys of York.
The plain small font is of the 12th century.
Round the upper edge of the bowl, which has chamfered angles and is also chamfered below, are two
flat fillets tooled in herring-bone fashion. The other
furniture is modern. At the west end of the nave
are preserved the traceried heads of two bays and
two half-bays of a fine screen. There is also a
bench end with a poppy head; it is covered with
elaborate tabernacle work over a panel in which is a
shield, barry of six with a baston, with a helm over
and has an advanced diagonal post or standard by its
side which is also pierced and panelled. It is
evidently a pair with one in Leake Church. Another
plainer piece may be a stall division. These clearly
do not belong to the church, and were probably
brought from Rievaulx like those at Leake.
There is one bell of pre-Reformation date inscribed
'Ave Maria Gracia Plena.' It is said to have been
brought from Mount Grace Priory.
The plate includes two silver cups inscribed 'Over
Silton a.d. 1793' with the London marks for 1792,
a silver paten of 1893 and two pewter flagons.
The registers begin in 1678.
The church or mission room at Kepwick is a
modern stone-faced building in the Perpendicular
style, consisting of a nave and chancel under one
roof, four bays long, and a south porch. In the east
and west walls are five-light traceried windows, and
in the west gable is a bellcote containing one bell.
Advowson
The chapel of Silton was dependent on the church of Coxwold,
and in 1199 both were in the
possession of the Prior and convent of Newburgh. (fn. 88)
Roger de Mowbray, in whose fee it was, confirmed
it to them in 1344, (fn. 89) and it remained in their hands
till the Dissolution, when it passed to the Crown.
In 1546 (fn. 90) it was granted to the Master and Fellows
of Trinity College, Cambridge, and has remained in
their hands ever since.
A chapel dedicated to St. Margaret at Kepwick is
mentioned in 1300 (fn. 91) and again in 1575, (fn. 92) when it
was in the tenure of Christopher Lepton. In 1579
it was granted to John Farnham and was waste; no
further mention of it has been found. (fn. 93)