ELLERBURN
Elreburne, Elrebrune (xi cent.); Alrebrune (xii
cent.); Ellerton (1252, 1316).
The parish contains the township of Wilton.
Ellerburn itself has only one farm-house and a few
cottages; it formed from the 14th century to the
17th century a joint township with Farmanby, which
by Local Government Order coming into operation in
1866 was amalgamated with that of Thornton Dale
(q.v.). The area of Wilton is 1,785 acres, of which
942 are arable land, 779 permanent grass and 15
woodland. (fn. 1) An award was obtained for the inclosure
of 700 acres in Wilton in 1773 (fn. 2) and an Inclosure
Act for Ellerburn in 1795–6. (fn. 3) The subsoil is Kimmeridge Clay, the soil clay and limestone. There are
several quarries and gravel-pits, some now disused.
The chief crops raised are wheat, barley and oats.
The parish gradually rises from 70 ft. above the
ordnance datum by the River Derwent, its southern
boundary, to 550 ft. in the north.
The church stands in a deep wooded valley on the
west bank of the Thornton Beck, and near it are a
few cottages and the old vicarage. The present
vicarage is a modern building at Thornton Dale.
Near the church is the old fulling-mill, mentioned
in 1650, (fn. 4) and perhaps on the site of the mill in
existence in 1227 (fn. 5) ; it lies by Ellerburn Beck where
it runs into Thornton Beck. Five hemp yards in this
district, one belonging to Ellerburn vicarage, are also
mentioned in 1650. (fn. 6) A little higher up Thornton
Beck are Paper Mill Farm, Musdale House, a fishpond and Ellers Wood. Ellerburn Wood, stretching
south to Thornton Dale village, is perhaps the wood
called Skewthwaite, appurtenant to the manor in
1436 and 1650. (fn. 7)
Wilton, at a height of 200 ft., lies on the Scarborough and Pickering road, about 3 miles from
Pickering. It is a small hamlet of comparatively
modern cottages with the church standing at the
southern end. Immediately east of it is the site of
Wilton Hall, with remains of a roughly rectangular
moat; it was a house here that John de Heslerton
had licence to crenellate in 1335. (fn. 8) It is mentioned
by Leland (fn. 9) as 'a manor place with a tower longging
to Chomeley,' and Dodsworth (1619–31) calls it
Wilton Castle. (fn. 10)
The nearest railway station is that of Ebberston,
1½ miles to the south-east, on the North Eastern
railway. A public elementary school was erected by
Lord Hotham in 1836. (fn. 11)
Manors
Before the Conquest Gospatric held
a 'manor' and 3 oxgangs (fn. 12) at ELLERBURN, and it was probably from him (fn. 13)
that the Hastings subsequently derived their title, (fn. 14)
they being in possession of Farmanby, (fn. 15) in which
Ellerburn lay, in 1272.
In 1086 1 carucate in Ellerburn was soke of the
king's manor of Pickering, (fn. 16) and was still a member
of the honour of Pickering in 1619–21. (fn. 17)
A mesne lordship (fn. 18) was held by the hospital of
St. Leonard, York, (fn. 19) to which Norman Bushell and
Osbert his brother had granted 6 oxgangs of land in
Ellerburn and 4 in Farmanby, a grant confirmed by
Henry III. (fn. 20)
Alan de Kingthorpe died in or before 1275 seised
of the above 6 oxgangs, 20 tofts, a water-mill and the
capital messuage. (fn. 21) His granddaughter Parnel (fn. 22) sold
the manor for £100 to William de Yeland in 1300. (fn. 23)
Ellerburn and Farmanby were coupled together in
1316 (fn. 24) as one vill in the possession of the heirs
of Nicholas de Hastings of Allerston (fn. 25) ; this family
retained it until 1504, (fn. 26) when Sir Edward Hastings
founded a chantry in the chapel of St. George's,
Windsor, and gave his lands in Ellerburn as part
of the endowment. (fn. 27) Ellerburn and Farmanby,
belonging to the Dean of Windsor, formed one manor
in 1619–21, (fn. 28) and when the Parliamentary Commissioners conveyed Farmanby to merchants of Hull
in 1650 Ellerburn was said to be a township or
hamlet in the manor of Farmanby. (fn. 29) The two
estates united now form the manor of Ellerburn.
They were in the possession of the Rev. John
R. Hill in 1859 and have followed the descent of his
manor of Thornton Dale, (fn. 30) being now in the possession of Captain Richard Hill of Thornton Dale.
Dean and Chapter of Windsor. Argent a cross gules.
Hill of Thornton Dale. Sable a cheveron engrailed ermine between three leopards' heads argent.
Like Ellerburn, WILTON (Wiltune, xi cent.;
Wilitun, xiii cent.) was soke of Pickering in 1086. (fn. 31)
Until the 14th century the Bigods held a mesne
lordship, (fn. 32) Wilton being said to be a member of their
manor of Settrington (fn. 33) ; in the 14th century it was
adjudged to be a member of the honour of Pickering. (fn. 34)
Roger de Clere was tenant of Wilton as of Sinnington
in the reign of Henry II, (fn. 35) and his descendants (fn. 36) had
a mesne lordship here throughout the 13th century. (fn. 37)
Roger enfeoffed John Maunsell, provost of Beverley, (fn. 38)
who died without issue in about 1264–5. (fn. 39) Roger
Bigod claimed the fee as escheat on the ground that
John was a bastard, but it was also claimed by Richard
and Alice de Bruys, who granted it to William their
son. (fn. 40) William was returned as tenant of 7 carucates
here in 1284–5, (fn. 41) but in the summer of 1285 the case
came into the courts and was decided in favour of
Earl Roger. (fn. 42) In 1293 Alice endeavoured to recover
the manor on the pretext that the first jury had sworn
falsely, but the former judgement was upheld. (fn. 43) Roger
Bigod in 1302 alienated Wilton (fn. 44) to John Lovell, (fn. 45)
who afterwards conveyed it to John de Heslerton
(knighted in 1331), (fn. 46) Margery his wife and their
heirs. (fn. 47) John settled the manor on his son Walter,
also a knight, who married Eustacia, a congenital
idiot, daughter and heir of Peter de Percy, and died
in 1349, leaving a son and heir Walter, a minor. (fn. 48)
Until the point as to the overlordship was settled
Edward III gave the custody to Walter's uncle
Thomas, eldest son of John de Heslerton. (fn. 49) Alice
widow of Thomas had dower from the manor three
years later, (fn. 50) and Walter, nephew of Thomas, died
seised in 1367, when his heir was his uncle Sir
Simon de Heslerton, kt. (fn. 51) Simon and Katharine his
wife in 1375 settled the manor on themselves in tailmale with successive remainders to Sir John de
Hotham of Scarborough, kt., and John de Driffield of
Lund in tail-male. (fn. 52) They evidently left no male
issue, and the distinguished Yorkshire family of
Hotham have held the manor of Wilton until the
present day. Sir John Hotham, kt., grandson of the
above John, (fn. 53) died seised in 1419, leaving a son and
heir John, aged eight, (fn. 54) who was Sheriff of Yorkshire
in 1456 and died in 1460. (fn. 55) His son John came of
age in or about 1480, (fn. 56) was sheriff in 1499, fought
at Flodden, (fn. 57) and died in 1524. His son and heir
Francis, (fn. 58) then aged four, was knighted in 1544, (fn. 59)
died in 1547, and left a son John, who was sheriff in
1584. (fn. 60) John Hotham died in 1609 and was succeeded
by his son John, (fn. 61) created a baronet in January
1621–2, (fn. 62) several times member of Parliament for
Beverley, and sheriff of the county in 1634. (fn. 63) He
at first took the part of the Parliament in the Civil
War, holding Hull, of which he was governor, against
the king; but in 1644 he had changed to the losing
side, and 'for betraying his trust to the Parliament'
was beheaded on 2 January 1644–5, his son Colonel
John Hotham having suffered the same fate on the
preceding day. (fn. 64) Colonel John's son John succeeded
his grandfather, (fn. 65) was member for Beverley in six
Parliaments and died in 1689. (fn. 66) His son Sir John
Hotham of South Dalton died childless in 1691 and
was succeeded by his cousin Charles son of Charles
Hotham, rector of Wigan (co. Lanc.). (fn. 67) Sir Charles
was member for Scarborough in five, and for Beverley
in seven, Parliaments and died in January 1722–3. (fn. 68)
His son Charles, groom of the bedchamber to
George II and member for Beverley in three Parliaments, died in January 1737–8, (fn. 69) and left an only
son Charles, who died childless in 1767, having
been groom of the bedchamber to George III. He
was succeeded by his uncle Beaumont Hotham,
the seventh baronet, who died in 1771, (fn. 70) leaving a
son and heir Charles, who assumed the name of
Thompson on succeeding to the estates of that
family. (fn. 71) He died without male issue in 1794, and
his brother and heir the Right Rev. Sir John Hotham,
Bishop of Clogher, was in 1795 succeeded by a son
Charles, who died without issue in 1811. Another
brother, William, who had distinguished himself and
won the rank of admiral in the French war, was
created Lord Hotham of South Dalton in 1797,
and became eleventh baronet in 1811; he died unmarried in 1813 and was succeeded by Beaumont
his brother. (fn. 72) Beaumont died in 1814 and was
succeeded by Beaumont Lord Hotham, son of his
son Beaumont; he served in the Peninsular War,
was at the battle of Waterloo, and died unmarried
in 1870, (fn. 73) when his nephew Charles, son of RearAdmiral George Frederick Hotham, succeeded. He
also died unmarried in 1872, when his brother
John became fifth baron. (fn. 74) He had served in the Baltic
and Crimean war and died unmarried in 1907, when
his cousin Frederick William Lord Hotham, the
present owner, succeeded him. (fn. 75)
Heslerton. Gules six lions argent having golden crowns.
Hotham. Barry of ten pieces argent and azure a quarter or charged with a Cornish chough.
The Earl of Norfolk was summoned in 1278–81
to show his title to amendment of the assize of ale in
Settrington, Wilton and elsewhere, but though he
gave his title in the other places he did not say why
he claimed, or if he claimed, in Wilton. (fn. 76)
Churches
The church of ST. HILDA is a
small building consisting of chancel
19 ft. by 12 ft. 8 in., with north
vestry, nave 30 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft. 3 in., with western
bellcote and south porch. The measurements are all
internal.
The fabric of the church is apparently of early
Norman date, but the unusual height of the nave
walls may be indicative of a pre-Conquest origin.
Little alteration appears to have been made to the
building till the 15th century except the insertion of
a 13th-century lancet in the south chancel wall and
the reconstruction of the chancel arch. At the later
date, however, buttresses were added where necessary,
a chapel was built out south of the nave, and several
windows inserted. Early in the 19th century the
existing bellcote was erected and the south porch,
north vestry and organ chamber are recent additions.
The chancel has a three-light 15th-century east
window, and in the north wall is an ancient door
leading to the modern vestry. The first window in
the south wall is a 13th-century lancet cutting into
an early Norman blocked window, of which the arch
can be traced rather further to the west. At the
west end of the same wall is a two-light squareheaded 15th-century window, and east of it is a
blocked priest's door with a segmental external head.
In the south wall is a rough square-headed piscina
and an aumbry. The chancel arch is of 13th-century
date, but the responds are early Norman or perhaps
pre-Conquest. They are square on plan and have
each an attached shaft on the western angle with rude
cushion capitals and bases. The former are ornamented with the volute or spiral pattern found also
at St. Mary, Whitby, and on the font at Sneaton,
and possibly inspired by St. Hilda's serpents. The
imposts have rough carving of the same period, now
much defaced. The chancel roof is mainly modern,
but some of the old timbers remain.
The nave has a modern three-light window in the
north wall and the blocked north door has the
appearance of very early work. At the east end of
the south wall are traces of an arch of 14th or 15thcentury date, opening into a chapel which has now
entirely gone. Immediately above this arch are
remains of the head of the original Norman window.
The south porch is a modern gabled stone structure,
and high up in the south wall two plain squareheaded two-light windows, also of modern date, have
been inserted. The ugly square stone bellcote at the
west end containing one bell rests on two buttresses
against the wall and was built in the early 19th
century. The nave roof is entirely modern. The
walls are built of fairly large rubble, wide jointed
and roughly coursed.
The font is a rough circular bowl, probably of
the 12th century, on a modern base. Of the woodwork the Jacobean pulpit is octagonal with a sounding board having an inlaid soffit, and the nave
pews are Jacobean and similar to those at Sinnington
but much repaired. Built into the walls of the
church are several fragments of pre-Conquest sculpture,
including a mutilated cross head with knotwork,
another plain and also mutilated, and two 'hog-backs,'
all in the porch; a little stone with two human
demi-figures, a cross head and part of a shaft with a
bound serpent in the south nave wall, and other
fragments.
The plate consists of a cup (Newcastle, 1755)
inscribed 'Ellerburne 1756,' a paten presented in
1888 and a pewter flagon and plate.
The registers are as follows: (i) baptisms and
burials 1691 to 1770, marriages to 1754 only; (ii)
marriages 1754 to 1813; (iii) baptisms and burials
1771 to 1812.
The church (dedication unknown) at WILTON
was completely rebuilt in 1911, the south arcade
being ancient work re-used. The old church was a
barn-like structure consisting of a chancel about 16 ft.
3 in. long and nave 42 ft. 8 in. by 17 ft. The
destruction of this building revealed the existence of
a 13th-century arcade in the south nave wall, and
excavation on the north side showed that an aisle
had formerly existed there also, giving a total width
to the nave of 32 ft. 8 in. The chancel was quite a
featureless building, apparently of late date, with
square-headed 17th or 18th-century windows and
roofed with slate.
The nave appeared equally uninteresting, having a
three-light square-headed 17th-century window in
the south wall with a small single-light opening
further west and a flat-pointed south door probably
of the 17th century. In a recess in the wall hung
two bells. The nave roof was tiled. The arcade
discovered in the south wall was four bays long with
two circular and one octagonal pier and a half-round
eastern respond. The piers had moulded bell
capitals and bases of the 13th century. No trace was
discovered of the arcade on the north side, which was
probably destroyed in mediaeval times.
The plate consists of a mid-17th-century cup with
the mark of John Thompson of York, 1635, modern
paten and a pewter flagon and two plates of the same
material.
Advowson
Ellerburn and Wilton form one
benefice, the advowson of which has
descended with that of Pickering
(q.v.) and is now in the gift of the Archbishop of
York. When the vicarage of Pickering (q.v.) was
ordained in 1252 it was enacted that in the dependent chapels of Ellerburn and Wilton there should
be one vicar who should find the necessary ministers
for each chapel. (fn. 77) Complaint was made in 1596 that
the vicar had not preached the four sermons he was
supposed to administer yearly to his flock, that he
was not resident, offered no hospitality and gave no
alms to the poor. (fn. 78)
Charities
In 1895 Robert Champley, by his
will proved at York 15 June, left
£100 to be invested and the income
to be applied by the minister and churchwardens in
the distribution of money or coal. The legacy is represented by £92 14s. consols with the official trustees. In 1906 the dividends, amounting to £2 6s. 4d.,
were distributed on St. Thomas's Day among twenty
poor people.
Township of Wilton.—A sum of £23 under the
title of Poor's Money, the amount of some small
benefactions for the poor of this township, was in
1843 distributed among the poor.