THORMANBY
Tormozbi (xi cent.); Thormotby, Thormetby
(xii-xv cent.); Thormondby, Thormorbie (xvi cent.).
Thormanby is a small parish 4 miles to the north
of Easingwold. The surface is level, varying in height
only from 103 ft. to 175 ft. above the ordnance
datum. In the south is low-lying carr land. Sun
Beck, Birdforth Beck and Ings Beck drain the land
and separate Thormanby from Sessay, Birdforth and
Carlton Husthwaite respectively.
The parish contains 1,002 acres, of which 454 are
arable land and 383 grass. (fn. 1) The village consists of
a few scattered houses and cottages cresting a rise on
the main north road. The church stands in a bylane a short distance to the east. The rectory is
slightly south-west from the church, and near it is a
small Wesleyan chapel built in 1875. The Hall is
the property of Lord Downe and the residence of
Mrs. Knowlson. West of the village on Birdforth
Beck is Thormanby Mill. According to tradition
there was once a castle here. (fn. 2) It is also said that in
the rebellion of the Earl of Northumberland in
1569 the royal forces encamped on Thormanby Carr
on their way to Maiden Bower near Topcliffe. (fn. 3)
An Act for inclosing the common fields in Thormanby Carr was passed in 1781–2. (fn. 4) Thomas
Whytehead, missionary and poet, fourth son of
Henry Robert Whytehead, curate of Thormanby,
was born here in 1815. (fn. 5)
The soil is light and sandy; much of the land is
alluvial, but part lies upon middle and lower lias.
Wheat, barley, potatoes, turnips and oats are the
chief crops. The Thirsk and Malton branch of the
North Eastern railway passes through the parish, but
there is no station here.
Manor
In the time of Edward the Confessor
1½ carucates of land in Thormanby were
soke of Easingwold. After the Conquest
this land was held with Easingwold by the Crown, (fn. 6)
and afterwards formed part of the manor of Raskelf
(q.v.). With Raskelf it was in the fee of Aschetil
de Bulmer, and 2 carucates were held by his successors the Nevills, lords of Raskelf and of Sheriff
Hutton (fn. 7) (q.v.). Thormanby seems to have been
part of the settlement made on Joan Countess of
Westmorland. (fn. 8) She died in 1440, (fn. 9) leaving a younger
son William Nevill, who was created Earl of Kent
by Edward IV after the battle of Towton. (fn. 10) His
daughter and co-heir Elizabeth married Sir Richard
Strangwayes, and left an only daughter and heir Joan,
who married Sir Ranulf Pigot of Clotherholme. (fn. 11)
He died in 1503 seised of the manor of Thormanby,
which he held in chief as of the manor of Raskelf;
his heirs were Margaret, Joan and Elizabeth, the
three daughters of his brother Thomas Pigot. (fn. 12) One of
Sir Ranulf's executors was his uncle by marriage, Sir
John Norton of Norton Conyers, and the Norton
family appear, perhaps under settlement, to have
obtained this manor. (fn. 13) Edmund Norton, greatgreat-grandson of Sir John, (fn. 14) in 1561 granted the
advowson of Thormanby Church to William Cayley, (fn. 15)
and in 1585 Henry Norton and Joan his wife
alienated the manor of Thormanby to Thomas
Basforth, (fn. 16) who already held a capital messuage there. (fn. 17)
He died in 1586, his co-heirs being his two sisters,
Elizabeth wife of George Frere and Joan wife of
William Tankard. (fn. 18) In 1588 the sisters held the
manor of Thormanby, their tenant for certain
lands and messuages being George Staveley, (fn. 19) son of
William Staveley. (fn. 20) He died in March 1587–8,
leaving a son Richard. (fn. 21) Elizabeth Frere died soon
afterwards, and in 1590–1 and 1597 respectively
William Tankard and Joan his wife and Henry Frere
son of Elizabeth disposed of their moieties of the
manor of Thormanby to Richard Staveley. (fn. 22) Richard
died in 1619 seised of the manor and a capital messuage called Thormanby Hall; he was succeeded by
his son William, (fn. 23) then aged twenty-six. In 1623
and 1625 William and Thomas Staveley made conveyances of portions of their Thormanby property. (fn. 24)
William was alive in 1645, when complaint was made
against him by the poor of Thormanby in respect of
£5 payable to them for Carlton Close, part of his inheritance. (fn. 25) The will of William Staveley of Thormanby was proved in 1657, the administrator being
his nephew and next-of-kin, Richard Staveley. (fn. 26)
Thormanby Church from the South-east
The manor was afterwards in the hands of Sarah
Tolson and Elizabeth Vincent, and at Lady Day
1721 became a possession of the Dawnay family. (fn. 27)
It has since followed the descent of the manor of
Sessay, and is now the property of Viscount Downe.
A capital messuage in Thormanby appears to have
passed to the Crown with Raskelf (q.v.), which was
leased by Henry VIII in 1544 to Thomas Basforth, (fn. 28)
for in 1545 he held a capital messuage in Thormanby
as of the manor of Raskelf. (fn. 29) Thomas was succeeded
apparently by his brother (fn. 30) Ralph Basforth, who was
in possession in 1553, (fn. 31) and is mentioned in 1556 as
a free tenant of the manor of Raskelf. (fn. 32) Ralph's
will was proved 26 April 1559, and he was buried in
that year at Thormanby. (fn. 33) He left a son Thomas, (fn. 34)
who in 1585 acquired the manor of Thormanby. (fn. 35)
He died in 1586 seised of 'a capital messuage called
Thormanby Hall,' (fn. 36) which afterwards followed the
descent of the manor.
In the 16th and 17th centuries frequent mention
is made of a water-mill, an appurtenance of this
manor. (fn. 37)
Church
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN is a small building consisting
of a chancel 20¼ ft. by 14 ft. with north
vestry, nave 26¼ ft. by 17¾ ft., a west tower and a
south porch. The measurements are all internal.
The nave and the side walls of the chancel are
substantially of 12th-century date, and the former was
apparently at first aisleless. A north aisle was added
about 1200, and during the succeeding century the
east end of the chancel was rebuilt. In the 15th
century a priest's door was inserted in the south
chancel wall and other small alterations made. At
some period subsequent to the Reformation the north
aisle was taken down and the arcade built up; the
south porch was probably added in the 18th century.
The existing brick tower was built in 1822, and later
alterations include the erection of the north vestry
and the chancel arch.
The chancel has a restored two-light east window.
In the south wall are a square-headed two-light
window, a priest's door and a low-side window, all
now blocked. The door is of the 15th century, but
the external head and jambs are restored. The
chancel arch is modern, but the roof in two bays is
largely ancient. It has curved ribs to the principals
and old purlins, but the boarding is modern.
The nave has two arches formerly opening into an
aisle, built up in the north wall. They are pointed
and rest on a cylindrical pier with bell capital and
square abacus of about 1190–1200. In the south
wall are a plain two-light window of recent date and a
square-headed south door.
The roof has old tie-beams
and principal rafters and is in
three bays. The south wall
with the side walls of the
chancel has a 12th-century
chamfered plinth, which remains also immediately to the
east of the north aisle respond.
The 13th-century east wall
has a deeper plinth. The red
brick tower, built in 1822, is
two stages high with pinnacles
at the angles. The bells are
inaccessible except by ladder.
The south porch has small
loops on either side and an oak
lintel to the outer doorway.
The font has an octagonal
bowl moulded round the upper
edge and chamfered back below. It probably dates from
the 14th century. The pulpit
and reading desk are made up
of late 17th-century panelling, probably old pews. Set
in the north wall is a slab with an incised floreated
calvary cross and beside it a sword. On a second
slab forming the threshold of the porch is a chalice.
The plate consists of a small 17th-century cup
with an engraved ornament round the bowl inscribed
'Given in exchange 31,' a cover paten which does
not fit the cup, a paten (London, 1782), the gift of
the Rev. William Whytehead, 1807, a glass cruet with
silver mounts (London, 1884), given in 1886 by Emily
Higginson, and a very large pewter flagon with the
cover lost (late 17th century) inscribed 'I H S Thormanby Robt. Nicholson fecit.'
The registers previous to 1812 are as follows: (i)
mixed entries 1658 to 1710; (ii) mixed entries 1711
to 1783; (iii) marriages 1754 to 1812; (iv) baptisms and burials 1784 to 1812.
Thormanby Church: The Nave looking East
Advowson
Bertram de Bulmer (temp. Stephen)
founded the priory of Marton for
Augustinian canons and nuns. (fn. 38) He
probably gave to it the church of Thormanby, for on
the removal of the nuns to Moxby the church was
given to that priory. (fn. 39) In 1234 the patronage was
in dispute between Emma de Humez, Bertram's
daughter, and the Prioress of Moxby; it was agreed
that the prioress should present two clerks in succession, the first of whom was instituted in that year. (fn. 40)
In 1275 Robert de Nevill, great-grandson of Emma
de Humez, (fn. 41) presented to the church, (fn. 42) and in 1281
the Prioress of Moxby presented. (fn. 43) Eight years later
Ranulph de Nevill claimed against the prioress the right
of presentation to this church. 'He subsequently
came and granted that the prioress might present this
time, but saving his right if he should wish to take
future proceedings.' (fn. 44) In 1302 the prioress in her
turn claimed the advowson against Ranulph, who
admitted the claim. 'The sheriff said that the
prioress presented the last parson, and that she had
purchased the advowson to hold to herself and her
successors thirty years before.' (fn. 45) In 1346 the priory
obtained a papal mandate for the appropriation of the
church, a vicar's portion being reserved. (fn. 46) Perhaps
owing to the divided patronage the appropriation
was not completed. (fn. 47) The advowson is not mentioned among the spiritualities of the priory at the
Dissolution, but a pension of 13s. 4d. was paid at
that date from the rectory to the priory. (fn. 48) After the
Dissolution the advowson remained in moieties, one
of which has followed throughout the descent of the
manor (q.v.). The moiety late of Marton Priory
also apparently passed to the holders of the manor, (fn. 49)
but has a separate history, for in 1561 it was granted
by Edmund Norton to William Cayley, (fn. 50) who in
January 1578–9 conveyed it to feoffees to the use of
his son Edward Cayley. (fn. 51) In 1615 Edward Cayley
and Richard Staveley made a joint presentation to
the church, (fn. 52) and on his death in 1619 Richard
Staveley was seised of half the advowson. (fn. 53) The
living has since been in the alternate gift of the
Cayley and Dawnay families.
Charities
In 1586 Thomas Basforth, by will,
devised a close called Carlton Close
in Birdforth to the Mayor and citizens
of York, subject to the annual payment of £5 to be
applied in buying wool to be worked into cloth for
sale, the proceeds to be distributed to the poor of
Thormanby. The payment is made by Lord Downe
of Wykeham Abbey.
In 1695 Guy Lancaster, by will, charged a house, garth
and close in the parish and a close called Toft Ing in
Easingwold with the sum of 10s. a year, to be distributed
among the poor on Easter Tuesday. The annual payment is received from Mr. George Dodsworth of Leeds.
A donor unknown charged a field at Carlton with
18s. a year for the poor, which is received from Mr.
Thomas Rose of Thirkleby.
In 1904 the income of the charities, amounting
together to £6 8s., was distributed in money among
eight of the poorest people.
This parish is also entitled to benefit from the
charity of John Foster (see under Easingwold).