CARLTON
Karleton in Clyveland (xiv cent.).
The small parish of Carlton lies between the
townships of Busby on the east and Faceby on the
west, and is closely associated with them in its
history. The total area is only 1,359 acres. Of
these 558 are under cultivation, (fn. 1) and wheat, beans,
and oats are grown. At the present day the industry
of the parish is purely agricultural. A local historian
records that in 1808 a few persons were employed
in the manufacture of linen. (fn. 2)
The parish lies on the northern slopes of the
Cleveland hills, and Carlton Bank in the southern
part of it is a steep descent from a high projecting
rock. Here there are old alum works, disused before
the beginning of the 19th century. (fn. 3) Alum House
Lane leads down from the top of the hill, which is
known as Carlton Moor, to the village. The houses
are built irregularly along a single street, which has
a north-westerly direction. It slopes gradually to
the north, and a small mountain stream flows through
it to join the Leven.
At the south end of the street is Darnton Hill,
on which the village bull-ring is still to be seen.
Opposite is the vicarage; it is not, however, at the
present day the residence of the vicar, who lives
in the manor-house, higher up the street on the west
side. (fn. 4) This house was formerly the home of the
Prissick family, and was described in 1808 as a
'neat and desirable country residence for a genteel
family.' (fn. 5)
The church adjoins the manor-house on the north.
On the opposite side of the village street is a Wesleyan
Methodist chapel.
Carlton House, in the west of the parish, is the
residence of Mr. John William Stephenson. Mr.
William Scarth, who resides at the Grove, is one
of the principal landowners. His family has been
represented here at least since the reign of Charles I,
when a John Scarth paid subsidy in Carlton. (fn. 6)
Manor
Eight carucates in CARLTON were
in the soke of the 'manor' of Seamer in
1086, and were in the hands of the
Count of Mortain. (fn. 7) They subsequently became part
of the fee which the Meynell family held of the
Archbishop of Canterbury. (fn. 8)
A certain amount of land here seems to have been
held by the Meynells in demesne. (fn. 9) This, which was
known as their manor of Carlton, followed the
descent of Whorlton Manor (q.v.), to which it was
appurtenant.
From an early date land was held in Carlton
under the Meynells by a family named Bret. Geoffrey
Bret granted 3 oxgangs here to the Abbot of Rievaulx,
probably at the beginning of the 13th century. (fn. 10)
His son Simon (fn. 11) made a similar grant, which was
confirmed by Henry III in 1252. (fn. 12) The 3 oxgangs
lay between the land of Robert Bret and the land
which had belonged to William Ingram, and the
appurtenant tofts and crofts were on the north side
of the road leading from Carlton to Faceby. (fn. 13) The
Robert Bret here mentioned is perhaps identical with
the Robert son of Robert Bret who granted to the
monks of Byland his right to common of pasture
on the moor between Whorlton and Snilesworth. (fn. 14)
There is nothing to show which was the more
important branch of the family.
In 1285 it was recorded that Nicholas de Meynell
ought to render 2s. to the king's bailiff for the land
of Simon Bret of Carlton, but had not done so for
twelve years. (fn. 15) Fourteen years later Robert Bret was
holding 1 carucate of Nicholas de Meynell for the
twelfth part of a knight's fee. (fn. 16) At the same time
Robert Gower (fn. 17) was holding 2 carucates, (fn. 18) which
had been held by his ancestors since before 1252 (fn. 19)
and may have been acquired from the Brets by
purchase.
The Bret family remained at Carlton for another
generation. Robert Bret paid subsidy for his land
here in 1301–2 (fn. 20) and an Adam Bort (probably a
variation of the same name) in 1327. (fn. 21) The line
apparently ended in co-heirs, for in 1341 John
Wirfauk and Margery his wife, with Thomas Wirfauk
and Joan his wife, quitclaimed to Nicholas Gower
6 tofts, 6 crofts and 8 oxgangs in Carlton in Cleveland, with 2 tofts, 2 crofts and 2 oxgangs which
Cecily Bret held in dower of the inheritance of
Margery and Joan. (fn. 22) Nicholas Gower was a member
of the same family as the Robert Gower who held
2 carucates in Carlton in 1299–1300. (fn. 23) In or about
1349 he enfeoffed John son of John Gower, his
brother, William Gower of Ingleby and others of
land in Carlton and elsewhere. (fn. 24) He obtained a
grant of free warren in Skutterskelfe, Sexhow,
Carlton, Thoralby and Brawith in 1356. (fn. 25)
Carlton was released in 1364 with Faceby (q.v.)
by Richard Gower of Marton to Gilbert de Wauton,
Christiana his wife and Elizabeth her sister, (fn. 26) and
followed the descent of that manor till it came into
the hands of Henry Jenkins in 1596. (fn. 27) He was
in possession of Carlton for some years. (fn. 28) In 1608,
however, he conveyed to William Marwood various
messuages and lands there, (fn. 29) a conveyance which was
probably accompanied by a grant of the manor.
Henry Marwood, brother and heir of William, (fn. 30) with
George Marwood his son quitclaimed the estate to
Thomas Lord Bruce in 1623. (fn. 31) The manor remained in the Bruce family till 1695–6, when Robert
Bruce and James Bruce conveyed it to Christopher
Prissick. (fn. 32)
The Prissicks were lords of Carlton for several
generations, but there is very little evidence as to
their pedigree. Codrington John Prissick, who was
in possession in 1738, (fn. 33) was the successor of Christopher. He conveyed the manor to George Prissick
and Thomas Allaby in 1743. (fn. 34) Edmund Prissick,
son and heir of George, died here in 1766. (fn. 35) The
line ended in an heiress, who carried the manor to
John Healey late in the 18th century. (fn. 36)
The 'heirs of Mr. Prissick' were still patrons of
the church, and probably lords of the manor, in
1808, (fn. 37) but before 1829 it seems that both had
been purchased by Joseph Reeve, who was patron in
that year. (fn. 38) Charles Reeve was lord of the manor in
1846, and Mrs. Reeve, widow of his son Joshua, (fn. 39)
is the lady of the manor at the present day.
Besides the grant of 3 oxgangs of land in Carlton
from Geoffrey Bret the abbey of Rievaulx had from
the same donor all his land in 'Lange flat.' (fn. 40) They
also had half a carucate from John de Langbaurgh (fn. 41)
and a toft and croft from John de Seamer. (fn. 42) At the
Dissolution the abbey had one tenement and 3 oxgangs
in the tenure of Robert Gowland and another tenement with 4 oxgangs in the tenure of John Baxter. (fn. 43)
In the spring of 1280–1 Robert de Skutterskelfe
obtained 150 acres in Carlton from Nicholas de
Meynell. (fn. 44) He was probably a member of the same
family as Roger de Skutterskelfe, who is said to
have sold 2 oxgangs in Carlton to the monks of
Fountains. (fn. 45)
Church
The church of ST. BOTOLPH stands
on high ground on the west side of the
village and is a modern structure consisting of chancel, clearstoried nave with north and
south aisles, south porch and west tower. The
building, which was erected in 1896–7, (fn. 46) is an excellent example of modern Gothic work with chancel
and nave under one continuous red-tiled roof, the
tower, which is of massive design with embattled
parapet and pointed roof, being partially engaged.
The roofs are eaved, those over the aisles being
covered with stone slates.
There is a stone singing gallery below the tower
from which the bells are rung, and the whole of the
interior is faced with ashlar. The only relic of
antiquity inside the church is a 17th-century oak
chest, but in the churchyard on the south side is the
base with part of the shaft of a cross.
Graves, writing about 1808, describes the old
church, which stood on the same site, as 'a small
modern-built structure,' (fn. 47) and Ord forty years later
calls it a 'singular and extraordinary' building, 'the
steeple like a Norman tower, the nave and chancel
little better than a shepherd's hut.' (fn. 48) An illustration
of the building previous to 1879 (fn. 49) shows the church
to have been a plain rectangular structure with south
porch and bell-turret over the west gable, the roof
covered with red pantiles and the windows plain
barred wooden sashes. In 1878–9 this building was
renovated and north and south transepts added, but it
was destroyed by fire in October 1881. From that
date till 1896 the building lay in ruins, though
occasional services were held within the walls.
The new church has a ring of eight bells cast in
1908. (fn. 50)
The plate consists of a chalice, paten and flagon of
1878, Sheffield make, of mediaeval design. There are
also a pewter flagon and two pewter plates. An old
chalice, said to have been dated 1617, was sold when
the new plate was presented. (fn. 51)
The registers begin in 1700.
Advowson
Very little information is forthcoming with regard to the church
of Carlton in Cleveland. It is first
mentioned in 1483, when Christopher Conyers,
rector of Rudby, made a legacy of 13s. 4d. to the
'Chapel of Carlton.' (fn. 52) It is natural to suppose that
Carlton was a chapel in the parish of Rudby. There
is no evidence to support the statement that it was
appropriated before the Dissolution to Whitby Abbey. (fn. 53)
Probably the original patron was the rector of Rudby,
and the right of presentation subsequently belonged
to the possessor of the tithes. In 1611 the tithes of
Carlton were excepted from those 'rights and members
of the rectory and church of Rudby' which were in
the hands of John Ingleby. (fn. 54) The Carlton tithes had
come some years before, with the advowson, into the
possession of Henry Jenkins, (fn. 55) and have followed the
descent of the manor ever since. (fn. 56) The living is a
vicarage, formerly a perpetual curacy.
Charities
The table of benefactions mentions
that Christopher Prissick gave £2 10s.
a year for the poor to issue out of an
estate in Carlton and Faceby, now in the possession
of different owners. In 1906 the distribution was
made at Christmas in sums of 4s. 6d. and 9s. to seven
recipients.
In 1818 Medd Scarth, by will proved in London,
bequeathed £1,000 to be invested and the income
applied in equal portions for the benefit of the poor
of the several townships of Carlton, Moorsholm,
Stanghow and Skelton. The trust fund is represented
by £1,065 1s. 9d. consols with the official trustees.
The dividends on £266 5s. 6d. ('one-fourth of the
stock'), amounting to £6 15s., were in 1906 divided
among seven recipients in sums of 10s. and £1 5s. 6d.
The Wesleyan chapel, founded by deed 1815, is
regulated by a scheme of the Charity Commissioners,
1897.