WHENBY
Quennebi (xi cent.); Qwheneby (xv cent.).
The parish of Whenby covers just over 1,000 acres
of nearly level ground to the south of Dalby and
Skewsby. It is separated from that parish on the
north and east by the little stream which runs from
Brandsby to Terrington. On the west it is bounded
by another stream, which becomes Farlington Beck
when it reaches Farlington, the neighbouring parish
on the south. No stream runs through Whenby
parish, and it is quite without woodland. Nearly
half the total area is devoted to grassland, on which
the pasture is very good. On the 623 acres which
are under cultivation (fn. 1) the chief crops grown are
corn and turnips. The soil is clay and loam on a
subsoil of lower lias, with alluvium near the stream in
the north-east. The general level of the parish is
about 200 ft.
The village street runs north-west and south-east,
nearly parallel to this stream, at a distance of about a
quarter of a mile. It is built along a by-road about
2½ miles north-west of Sheriff Hutton; at the west
end stands the manor-house, now the Manor Farm,
a substantial building of 18th-century date. Near
the manor-house is the village school, and further
down the street St. Martin's Church. The only
other building of interest is the Wesleyan Methodist
chapel. These and a few cottages make up the
existing village.
The village street continued becomes a lane leading
past Pradcar Farm to Well Field Farm and Dikelands, two farms in the south-east corner of the parish.
The only other habitations in the parish are in the
hamlet of Foulrice, half of which is in Whenby, half
in Brandsby parish, which borders it on the west.
Foulrice is reached from the village by a lane leaving
the street at its north end and running west across
Bodner Hill, passing a gravel-pit on the way.
In the 15th century Christopher Barton left to his
son John 'a house called Temple House in Quenby.' (fn. 2)
All trace of it is now lost.
Manor
Eight carucates in WHENBY in 1086
were in the king's hands. (fn. 3) They were
subsequently held of the Crown by the
Mauley family, whose lordship followed the descent
of their manor of Mulgrave in Lythe parish. (fn. 4)
The tenants of the Mauleys were the lords of
Sheriff Hutton; the manor was held in 1282 (fn. 5) of
Robert de Nevill, the first of his name to appear in
connexion with it. Their mesne lordship subsequently
followed the descent of their manor of Sheriff Hutton
(q.v.), and reverted to the Crown (fn. 6) when it was forfeited among the lands of Richard Earl of Warwick
in 1471. (fn. 7) Edward IV granted it to Richard Duke
of Gloucester, afterwards Richard III, and it subsequently remained in the possession of the Crown. (fn. 8)
From a very early date the family of Haget was
holding land in Whenby. The William Haget who
in 1166 held a sixth part of a knight's fee of the
heirs of Bertram de Bulmer (fn. 9) was probably tenant of
Whenby. In 1202 Robert Haget held an oxgang of
land here of Gericus de Gilling, (fn. 10) and twenty-three
years later William Haget accused the Prioress of
Moxby of taking into the 'Court Christian' a plea
touching his lay fee in Whenby. (fn. 11) Half a carucate
of land was held here of Walter Haget in 1235, (fn. 12)
and in 1240 William Haget was party to a fine which
concerned a carucate of land in Whenby. (fn. 13) He or
another William Haget was enfeoffed of 4 oxgangs
here by Richard le Breton and Roger de Eskyres and
their wives in 1271, (fn. 14) and in 1282 Robert Haget was
holding Whenby of Robert de Nevill for half a
knight's fee. (fn. 15)
The manor was settled on Robert and Ellen his
wife by Stephen de Bolingbroke in 1299–1300. (fn. 16)
Robert was still in possession in 1301, (fn. 17) but died
before 1316, when his widow Ellen was holding the
manor (fn. 18) and 5 carucates. It is not clear whether
Ellen Haget had a second husband, or in what way
the next lord of the manor, John Moryn, became
possessed of it. (fn. 19) Ellen was still holding Whenby in
1318, when she complained that William de Hauterive with many others had entered her manor, broken
the doors and chests, and carried away her goods. (fn. 20)
Nine years later this William quitclaimed to John
Moryn all his right in the manor of Whenby, (fn. 21) but
there is nothing to show what this right was or how
he acquired it.
John Moryn entered into possession, (fn. 22) and in 1332
the manor was settled on him, with remainder to
his son John, by John Wykeham and John Snainton. (fn. 23)
The younger John Moryn died without male issue.
He had two daughters, Isabel and Alice, the one
married to John Newland and the other to Thomas
Barton. (fn. 24) Isabel and her husband succeeded first
to the manor of Whenby, (fn. 25) which John Newland
was holding of Ralph de Nevill in 1367, (fn. 26) and of John
de Nevill in 1388. (fn. 27) William son of John Newland
succeeded, and died seised in 1408–9, leaving a sister
and heir Ellen wife of William Halgate. (fn. 28) Ellen
presumably died without heirs, for the manor next
passed to the Barton family, descendants of Alice
Moryn. (fn. 29) Her son and heir (fn. 30) was John Barton, (fn. 31)
who married Christian Aske. He was succeeded by
a son and heir Conan, who died in 1436. (fn. 32) The
will of Conan's son Richard was dated 1455. (fn. 33) In
it he settled the manor of Whenby and his other
lands on his mother for her lifetime, 'for the sustentacion and mareyng of his childre.' (fn. 34) Of these there
were several, the eldest being Christopher, the next
lord of the manor. He left his estates to his son
John Barton in 1479. (fn. 35) John died in possession in
or about 1506, (fn. 36) when he was succeeded by his son
John Barton, jun. This younger John held the manor
till his death in 1553 (fn. 37) ; his heir was his brother
Thomas, who died in 1565. (fn. 38) Four years later
Edward Barton, son and heir of Thomas, took possession of his estates, which had been in the hands of the
queen during his minority. (fn. 39) He was returned in
1588 as one of the gentlemen of Yorkshire who were
able to lend her Majesty £25. (fn. 40) In 1610 he was
succeeded by his son Thomas, (fn. 41) with whom the male
line of Barton ended.
Moryn. Argent a cheveron sable between three fleurs de lis gules.
Barton. Ermine a fesse gules with three rings or thereon.
Thomas Barton and his wife Alice had a daughter
Elizabeth, who was married before 1615 to Sir
Edward Radclyffe, bart., of Derwentwater. (fn. 42) To
this Royalist family the manor of Whenby now descended. It was sequestrated under the Commonwealth for the delinquency of
Sir Edward, and bought from
the treason trustees by Major
John Wildman and Samuel
Foxley. (fn. 43) In 1653, however,
Sir Edward Radclyffe compounded for the manor, (fn. 44) and
at his death in 1663 it came
into the hands of his son and
heir Francis. (fn. 45) This Francis
was created Earl of Derwentwater in 1688. (fn. 46) He was
succeeded by his son Edward
in 1697, (fn. 47) and from Edward
the manor descended to the
unfortunate James, third earl, in 1705. (fn. 48) Ten years
later the earl was marching into Lancashire at the
head of a Jacobite army. (fn. 49) He surrendered, was
attainted and executed, and Whenby was forfeited
along with his other lands. (fn. 50)
Radclyffe, Earl of Derwentwater. Argent a bend engrailed sable.
Garforth. Sable a bend between six goats passant argent.
The manor was put into the hands of the
commissioners for forfeited estates, and was by them
put up to auction. It was
acquired in 1722 by William
Garforth for the sum of
£7,240. (fn. 51) The Garforth
family continued to hold the
manor (fn. 52) till late in the 19th
century, when it followed the
descent of their manor of
Wigganthorpe (fn. 53) into the
hands of the present owner,
the Hon. W. H. WentworthFitzwilliam.
A close called Foggy Close,
late the possession of Moxby
Priory, was leased in 1539–40 to William Harrison
of London. (fn. 54) Other lands were granted to the Archbishop of York. (fn. 55) Peter Mauley confirmed 2 oxgangs
of land in Whenby to the Prior of Marton, (fn. 56) who
had a grant of free warren here in 1333. (fn. 57)
The Templars also held land in Whenby. (fn. 58)
In 1328 a return was made that 'the king had
no right in . . . certain tenements in Whenby
which belonged to the master and brothers of the
Knights Templars in England at the time of their
cessation, whatever any charter of Edward II may
say.' (fn. 59)
Certain tenements here belonged to the chapel
of St. George near York in 1373. (fn. 60)
Church
The church of ST. MARTIN
consists of a chancel 18½ ft. by 14½ ft.,
with north chapel, nave 30 ft. by
14½ ft. with north aisle 13½ ft., south porch, and
western tower 6 ft. by 6¾ ft. It was apparently
entirely reconstructed in the 15th century, and,
though the rubble masonry of the north aisle contrasts with the ashlar facing of the rest of the
building, there is no evidence that it is earlier
in date. Though small in actual dimensions,
the elaborate south porch and the general proportions take from the building any appearance of
insignificance.
The chancel belongs entirely to the 15th century.
It is lit by a three-light traceried east window, and
two windows with depressed segmental heads and
two lights each in the south wall. On the same side
is a plain pointed piscina, and in the east wall to
the north of the altar is an arched recess in the form
of a small doorway. It does not appear on the
outside and its use is quite problematical. There is
no structural chancel arch, the nave roof being continued over the quire. The north chapel is conterminous with the chancel and is separated from it by
a 15th-century arcade of two bays somewhat restored.
The two-light east window is a modern restoration
of 14th-century type, but the two-light window in
the north wall is original 15th-century work.
The nave, of the same date as the chancel, is divided
from the north aisle by an arcade of two bays, the
pier and responds being octagonal with moulded
capitals and bases of circa 1480. The capital of the
western respond is further ornamented with carved
heads. The windows of the nave and aisle are all
of two lights with depressed heads and of the same
date, except the western aisle window, which is a
modern restoration similar to that in the east wall of
the chapel. There is a 15th-century north door in
the aisle wall. The tower arch springs from rudely
sculptured corbels and the west window is of two lights.
Plan of Whenby Church
The western tower is two stages high and finished
with an embattled parapet, the belfry being lighted
by a single-light square-headed window on the north
and similar two-light windows on the other three
sides. The tower contains three bells. The south
porch is unusually elaborate for so small and remote a
church. It projects two bays from the main building, the bays being divided by buttresses and pierced
by small two-light windows. The parapet is embattled, and above the outer doorway is a shield
bearing the sacred monogram. The exterior of the
main building is faced with ashlar and embattled
throughout; the buttresses have three offsets, and
those to the chancel were formerly carried above the
parapet with small pinnacles. The north aisle and
chapel are built of rubble with 15th-century buttresses,
the roof being eaved.
The ancient fittings of the church include a font
with an octagonal moulded 15th-century bowl and
two oak screens across the chancel and aisle. The
chancel screen dates from the 15th century, and has
a plain base with a doorway in the centre, the sides
being divided by moulded mullions into compartments (five on the north and seven on the south)
with traceried heads. The work, however, is poor.
The screen across the aisle is of Jacobean character,
boarded in below the rail, but open above with
turned balusters and a doorway in the centre. The
roofs throughout the church are modern. Under
the tower is an ancient parish chest and in the nave
are a number of massive oak benches probably of
16th-century date. Beneath the chapel altar is a
slab with the casement of a brass inscription.
The church plate is of little interest. It includes
a cup inscribed 'Whenby Church 1825,' a modern
paten and a pewter almsdish inscribed 'C. Warden.'
The ancient registers are bound in two books: (i)
mixed entries 1556 to 1812; (ii) marriages 1757
to 1812.
Advowson
The first recorded presentation to
the church of Whenby was made
by the Prioress and nuns of Moxby
in 1250. (fn. 61) In 1269–70, however, it was discovered
by an inquisition that the lawful patron was William
de Boghale, who accordingly presented on that
occasion. (fn. 62) Whatever right the Prioress and nuns of
Moxby had had in the advowson was established
firmly in 1283, when the church was granted to
them, presumably by William de Boghale, and appropriated to the priory by the Archbishop of York. (fn. 63)
The archbishop ordained a vicarage there, the
collation to which he reserved for himself and his
successors. (fn. 64) The nuns were to have 'in the name
of the parsonage of the chapel of St. Martin at
Quenby, all the tythe corn to the same belonging, in
those lands already reduced, or hereafter to be
reduced to tillage, and also 1 oxgang of land out of
3 oxgangs with which the chapel is endowed, with
the hay to the same oxgang belonging.' The vicar
was to have the rectory-house and the remaining
oxgangs of land, and 'tithes of hay, lambs, wool,
calves, pigs, pigeons, brood geese, hens, foals, bees,
orchards, mills, line and hemp, with all greater and
smaller oblations and mortuaries, with the carucate
pennies and all other profits whatsoever.' He was
also to have 4 marks a year, and to 'bear all ordinary
burdens of the chapel.' (fn. 65)
The archbishops accordingly presented to the
vicarage till the 16th century. (fn. 66) At the Dissolution,
however, the advowson seems to have reverted to the
Crown as part of the possessions of the prioress, for
Elizabeth granted it with lands and tithes in Whenby
which had belonged to Moxby Priory to Edward
Downing and Peter Ashton, and no mention is made
in the grant of the Archbishop of York. (fn. 67)
These grantees must have sold the advowson to the
lords of the manor, for Edward Barton presented in
1602. (fn. 68) Thomas Crofts and John Cook, probably
lessees of the Radclyffes, were patrons in 1639–40
and 1690–2 respectively. (fn. 69) The trustees for the
forfeited estates of the Earl of Derwentwater presented in 1720, (fn. 70) and two years later sold the advowson to William Garforth, (fn. 71) who exercised his
right of presentation in 1724. (fn. 72) He came at the
same time into possession of the manor (q.v.), and
the two followed the same descent into the hands
of their present owner.
Charities
An annual payment of 20s. issuing
out of a small farm in the parish of
Dalby cum Skewsby is received under
the name of Bolton's Gift, and appropriated as to
10s. to the vicar for preaching an annual sermon on
14 January, and as to 10s. for the benefit of the
poor. The payment is made by the Hon. W. H.
Wentworth-Fitzwilliam of Wigganthorpe.