HACKNESS
Hagenesse (xi cent.); Hachanesse (xii cent.);
Hakenes (xiii–xiv cent.); Hakeneys (xiv–xvi cent.);
Hacnes (xvi–xvii cent.); Harkeneys (xvi cent.).
The parish, which is bounded on three sides by
the liberty of Pickering Lythe, comprised in 1831
the townships of Hackness, Broxa and Suffield with
Everley (fn. 1) and the chapelry of Harwood Dale (Haradale, xii–xiii cent.) with Silpho, (fn. 2) now the township
of Silpho. (fn. 3) The united area is 12,064 acres of land
and 40 acres of inland water. The subsoil is Inferior
Oolite, Oxford Clay and Corallian Beds, the soil
gravel, loam and sand. In Hackness and Harwood
Dale there are several limestone and sandstone quarries. The principal crops are barley, oats, seeds,
turnips and wheat. An inclosure award was made
in 1821 for Inn Moor in the townships of Hackness,
Suffield with Everley and Silpho with Broxa, another
in 1861 for High Moors in the township of Harwood
Dale. (fn. 4) The height varies from 150 ft. to 650 ft.
above the ordnance datum.
Hackness is situated at the foot of two wellwooded moorland valleys, Lowdale and Highdale,
and is 3 miles from Scalby station on the Whitby
and Scarborough branch of the North Eastern railway, and 4 miles from Forge Valley station on the
Pickering and Seamer branch of the same. The
River Derwent, the southern boundary of the parish,
flows under Hilla Green Bridge past Hackness village.
From the parsonage the village street goes past the
pinfold and then forks, one branch descending to
Brown Beck and Hackness corn-mill, the other ascending by the 'Johnstone Arms' and Red Hill and
leading, as Storr Lane, to St. Peter's Church. The
public elementary school was built in 1859. On the
west of Storr Lane are Chapman Banks Wood and
Hackness Head Wood; on the east, and adjoining the
church, the fine grounds of Hackness Hall, the seat
of Lord Derwent. The Hall is a good 18th-century
Renaissance building, two stories high, with a central
facade having four tall fluted pilasters of the Greek
Ionic order supporting an entablature and pediment.
The front is ashlar faced and finished with a balustraded parapet. The house was completely gutted by
fire in 1910.
The large fish-pond, the site of the old manorhouse and supposed site of the monastic foundation of St. Peter (fn. 5) are to the south-west of the
grounds. In 1798, when Sir Richard Johnstone
had nearly finished the hall, the old timber manorhouse was doomed to destruction because it impeded
the view. (fn. 6) The architect of the new house was Peter
Atkinson. (fn. 7)
Storr Lane continues north under a stone archway across the road above the church to the sawmill and Upper Pond. Into the Upper Pond flows
Lowdale Beck, which descends south from Whisperdales (Whitspotdale, xii cent.) by Lowdale hamlet.
The woodlands rise steeply on either side. Highdale
Beck descends parallel to Lowdale Beck; on its
western side is the moorland hamlet of Broxa. East
of Lowdale Beck are Binkleys and Silpho (650 ft.)
on Kirk Gate, the lane to Hackness on the south. At
Silpho there is a Primitive Methodist chapel. Further
south is Thirlsey hamlet. The woods south of Hackness Hall extend eastwards through Crossdales to
Pepperley Wood, in which is the pedestal of a stone
cross; above is Stonesty Wood. Suffield Hill ascends
to Suffield (with Northfield adjoining), the border of
the liberty.
Harwood Dale occupies the northern half of the
parish. It is divided from Pickering Lythe on the
east by a boundary marked with many tumuli and
stones, and by Thirley Beck, which passes Thirley
Cotes, by the East Syme and by the pedestal of a stone
cross at Stone Cross Gate (Staincrossegate, xii cent.). (fn. 8)
In the north-west, near the Fylingdales boundary, is
the tract known as Tranmires. Helwath Beck forms
part of the boundary, descends through Castlebeck
Wood, near which is Chapel Farm, the site of Harwood Dale Hall, and passes the modern St. Margaret's
Church, not far from the mill-race. The beck which
joins it south of Harwood Dale Mill and the ancient
chapel of St. Margaret is crossed by Gatela Road and
Bridge, from which a lane leads east to Harwood
Dale endowed school and the hamlet of Keasbeck,
formerly a vaccary of Whitby Abbey. (fn. 9) Near Keasbeck is Cowgate Slack. Hingles, (fn. 10) Tiphurst and
Breckenhurst are small hamlets here, and near them
is Clocks or Pits Wood. There is a Wesleyan chapel
in Keasbeck, built in 1880.
The Prior of Bridlington, tenant of land in Scalby
(q.v.), quitclaimed common in the south of this parish
in 1230, in return for pasture from Hayburn (fn. 11) to
Keasbeck and Helwath for fifty cows and twenty
wild mares. (fn. 12)
Two mills were granted with Hackness to Whitby
Abbey before 1096, (fn. 13) and at the Dissolution the
abbey held two water-mills and a fulling-mill here. (fn. 14)
The house of the gild of St. Hilda, near the manorhouse, is mentioned at the latter date. (fn. 15)
Reinfrid, first Prior of Whitby after the Conquest,
was slain by an accident at Ormesbricge, somewhere
in this neighbourhood, where workmen were making
a bridge across the Derwent, and was carried to
Hackness and buried in the middle of the east wall
of St. Peter's Church, against the altar. (fn. 16)
Robert Perrot, the organist and composer, who
died in 1550, was born at Hackness. (fn. 17)
Manors
In 1086 HACKNESS with Everley
and Suffield formed one manor belonging to William de Percy. Of this land
2 carucates were soke of the king's manor of Falsgrave (q.v.) and the rest land of St. Hilda. (fn. 18)
The Conqueror's grant of 2 carucates of land in
Hackness to Whitby Abbey (fn. 19) must have referred to the
two belonging to Falsgrave. William de Percy, the
founder, and Alan his son before 1096 (fn. 20) granted to
the abbey the vill, two mills, the churches of St. Mary
and St. Peter, Broxa, Everley, Harwood Dale
('Dales'), Gatela (Gaitelei, Gately), Northfield
without Danegeld, Silpho and Suffield and the vaccaries
of Thirley ('Thornleia'), Keasbeck ('Kesebec') and
Billery ('Bilroche'). (fn. 21)
The abbey held these lands until the Dissolution,
having a stud, 'bohous,' and grange here. (fn. 22) In
1563 Queen Elizabeth granted the manor, rectory
and church to Lord Robert Dudley in fee. (fn. 23) In the
following year he received licence to alienate it to
John Constable of Burton Constable. (fn. 24) Walter
Devereux, brother of the Earl of Essex, having
married Margaret daughter and heir of Arthur
Dakins of Hackness, (fn. 25) it was determined to purchase
the manor and impropriate rectory for Walter and
Margaret from Sir Henry Constable, kt., son of
John; this was done in 1589, for £6,000, (fn. 26) but in
1591, before the settlement was concluded, Walter
died childless; Margaret's hand was then sought
by Thomas Sidney and Thomas Posthumus Hoby,
and she was sent by her father to the Earl of Huntingdon before the year was out with letters requesting
him 'to dispose of her in marriage.' The earl disposed of her to Thomas Sidney, paying his debts
and, in February 1591–2, the money advanced by the
trustees who had purchased Hackness. Before the
close of the year Sidney had died without refunding
this money and the earl was writing to Mrs. Sidney
that Sir Thomas Hoby 'will not take her letter as
denial of his suit.' (fn. 27) The suit was successful, and in
1597 Sir Thomas and Dame Margaret erected a
memorial in Hackness Church to Arthur Dakins,
who died in 1592. Margaret's death is also commemorated in the church. Sir Thomas and Margaret
made a settlement in 1632 (fn. 28) ; in 1638, Margaret
having died childless, Sir Thomas settled this
manor, rectory and advowson on the marriage of
his distant connexion John Sydenham of Brimpton,
Somerset, with Anne granddaughter of Thomas Lord
Coventry. (fn. 29) Hoby, who had
established himself at Hackness, (fn. 30) had been a thorn in
the flesh of his neighbours the
Cholmleys of Whitby (q.v.),
and Sir Hugh Cholmley
wrote: 'The Sydenhams, now
possessed of Hackness, may in
some sort thank me for it;
for Sir Thomas Hobby, to
make the Lord Coventry his
friend against me . . . proposed his cousin Sydenham in
marriage to my Lord's grandchild, and so settled Hackness on him, which in right
belonged to Mr. Dakyns, next to Sir Thomas's lady.' (fn. 31)
John Sydenham was created a baronet in 1641 and
died in 1643. His posthumous son Sir John died
in 1696, leaving a son and heir Sir Philip, (fn. 32) whose
extravagances compelled him to sell Brimpton to his
cousin Humphrey (fn. 33) and Hackness to John Vanden
Bempde (fn. 34) of Pall Mall, merchant. Charlotte van
Lore, only daughter of John
Vanden Bempde, married in
1718 as his second wife
William first Marquess of
Annandale, to whom she
brought a large fortune, and
after his death (January
1720–1) married Lieut.-Col.
John Johnstone, killed at Carthagena in 1741. She died
in 1762. (fn. 35) Her son by her
second husband, Richard Vanden Bempde-Johnstone, succeeded to her inheritance in
1792, (fn. 36) assuming, in accordance with his maternal grandfather's will, the surname of
Vanden Bempde instead of
Johnstone, but resuming Johnstone in addition in 1795, when
he was created a baronet. He died in 1807, leaving a
son and heir John, succeeded in 1869 by his son Sir
Harcourt Vanden Bempde-Johnstone. Sir Harcourt
was created in 1881 Lord Derwent of Hackness, (fn. 37) and
is the present owner of the manor and advowson.
Sydenham. Argent three rams sable.
Vanden Bempde-Johnstone, Lord Derwent. Argent a saltire sable and a chief gules charged with three cushions or and in the foot a man's heart gules ensigned with a royal crown or.
Broxa, Everley, Dales, Harwood, Silpho and
Suffield were in the soke of Hackness in 1394–5 (fn. 38)
and are still part of that manor, but have some
history before that date.
Abbot Nicholas (living 1132) (fn. 39) granted 12 oxgangs
of land in BROXA (Brochesei, xi cent.; Brokesay,
Brocesay, xii cent.) to Torphin, retaining the use of
the ploughs and reapers of the 'manor' once a year. (fn. 40)
Abbot Richard (1177–89) (fn. 41) granted the vill to
Torphin son of Torphin, Odo his brother, and their
heirs for a rent and the same services. (fn. 42)
The same abbot granted (or confirmed) EVERLEY
and its appurtenances in fee to William de Everley
for rent, the service of eight men and his share of
the horngarth. (fn. 43) Ralph de Everley was mentioned
in c. 1130–5. (fn. 44) A second William lived before and
in the time of Abbot Roger (1222–44), (fn. 45) and was
apparently succeeded (fn. 46) by William de Everley of
Ugglebarnby, son of William de Everley, who quitclaimed to the abbey, about 1260, all right in this
vill, with the homage and service of John de Gedding(es), son of John de Gedding, and his heirs. (fn. 47)
Plan of Hackness Church
The Geddings had for some time been undertenants of the Everleys. In 1240 Roger de Gedding
granted the 'manor' to Geoffrey de Gedding and
Emma his wife in fee with reversion to himself and
his heirs, (fn. 48) and he subsequently granted the same to
Master Roger de Cantilupe to hold of himself and
his heirs. (fn. 49) John de Gedding in 1260 granted the
manor to the abbey in frankalmoign. (fn. 50)
Churches
The church of ST. MARY THE
VIRGIN consists of a chancel 32 ft.
3 in. by 17 ft., with north chapel and
vestry to the east of it, nave 30 ft. 3 in. by 18 ft. 3 in.
with north and south aisles each about 10 ft. wide,
south porch and west tower about 15 ft. square.
All the measurements are internal.
The earliest remaining portion of the existing
fabric is the chancel arch, which dates from late in the
11th century or earlier, the church at this date no doubt
consisting of an aisleless nave and chancel. During
the first half of the next century the south arcade
was built, followed by the north arcade and tower
towards the close of the second half. Little more
appears to have been done to the church until the
15th century, when the chancel was rebuilt and the
spire added. The north aisle was rebuilt at the same
time, and towards the close of the century the nave
clearstory was added. The vestry was probably built
early in the 17th century and the north chapel
window was inserted at the same time. The church
has been much restored in modern times, the south
aisle being entirely and the north aisle mainly rebuilt.
The south porch is also modern.
The east window of the chancel is of three lights
with a pointed traceried head of the 15th century.
In the north wall is a modern door to the vestry
and a modern arch to the north chapel. In the
south wall there is a two-light square-headed window
of the 15th century in the first bay. In the second
bay is a two-light window with modern tracery
placed high up in the wall, and farther west an
entirely modern window also of two lights. South
of the altar in this wall is a small trefoil-headed
piscina. The chancel arch dates from the 11th
century and might possibly be pre-Conquest. It is
9¾ ft. in span with plain chamfered responds and a
simple semicircular arch. The responds have square
imposts, the south face of the
northern one being enriched
with a panel of interlaced knot
work. The masonry above the
arch is wide-jointed, of fairly
large stones. The chancel is
finished externally with 15thcentury 'crow-stepped' gables
and embattled parapets. The
east end has diagonal buttresses,
and another buttress divides the
two bays of the south wall. All
are carried up above the parapet
and finished with small gables.
The nave has a north arcade
of three bays, with pointed arches
of two chamfered orders, which
bear traces of having been tampered with when the clearstory
was added. The piers are cylindrical with moulded bell capitals
and the responds are square with
a half-round attached shaft having
a voluted capital and square
abacus. The western pier has cable ornament round
the base. The south arcade is of two bays only and
dates from the early 12th century. The arches are
round and of one plain order with a hood moulding
chamfered on the lower edge. The pier is cylindrical
with half columns as responds, all having scalloped
capitals and square abaci. The clearstory, added in
the 15th century, has three square-headed two-light
windows on each side. The tower arch dates from
the close of the 12th century. It is pointed and has
three deeply moulded orders and a hood. The jambs
have each five engaged shafts, the central and larger
one being keeled on the face. They have each a
moulded bell capital and square abacus.
The north chapel has a five-light early 17thcentury window placed just below the roof in the
north wall. The lights are four-centred and uncusped under a square head. The north aisle is
almost entirely modern and is lighted by two two-light
windows in the north wall and a third in the west end.
The south aisle is entirely modern and has single-light
windows at the ends and a two-light window and a
doorway in the south wall. The modern south porch
is plain and gabled and the clearstory is finished
externally with an embattled parapet. The vestry
was possibly added by Sir Thomas Posthumus Hoby
early in the 17th century. The walls are ancient but
much restored, and in the north wall is a three-light
window.
The tower at the west end of the church is three
stages high and dates from about the year 1200. The
ground stage has a modern lancet window in the west
and south walls and stands on a deep plinth. The second
stage is low and marked by string-courses, and the bellchamber has a window in each face consisting of two
lancet lights under a semicircular head with a moulded
external hood. At the south-west angle of the tower
is a massive square projection inclosing the vice and
tabled back at the belfry stage. The north-west angle
has two buttresses, and the tower is finished with an
embattled parapet of the 15th century. The spire of
the same date is octagonal and ashlar faced. It is
similar to that at Brompton near Pickering.
The bells are three in number; the first cast by
Dalton of York in 1792; the second by C. & G.
Mears in 1847; and the third by E. Seller of
York inscribed, 'Cum sono busta mori cum pulpita
vivere disce, 1742.'
The font is modern, but the cover dates from the
early 16th century. It is handsome, though of poor
workmanship, and rises in three diminishing stages.
The form is octagonal with buttressed angles and
pierced traceried panels with crocketed canopies to
the lowest stage. It is finished with a short spire.
On either side of the chancel are seven stalls with
arm-rests of the 15th century, but much repaired.
The misericordes on the north are all plain except
the second, which is carved with grapes and foliage.
On the south the first and fourth bear grotesque
faces, the second a large scallop shell, the third foliage,
the fifth an angel with a shield charged with a
maunch, the sixth foliage and fruit, and the seventh
the Percy badge of a crescent and shackle bolt. In
the vestry is a large painted shield of the arms of
William and Mary, 1699, and a small library mainly
given by Sir Philip Sydenham.
The church contains several interesting monuments. On the north wall of the chancel is a
Jacobean mural monument to Arthur Dakins, who
died in 1592, erected by his daughter. It has a
remarkable display of incorrectly painted heraldry
illustrating the three marriages of the daughter. (fn. 51) The
first shield bears Argent an anchor sable for Dakins;
the second Quarterly of 16, (1) Argent a fesse gules
with three roundels gules in the chief and the difference of a crescent or upon the fesse, for Devereux;
(2) Bourchier; (3) Holand; (4) Bohun; (5) Miles
of Gloucester; (6) Mandeville with ten other quarters
among which Wydvile and Ferrers may be distinguished. The third shield bears Or a pheon and a
molet for difference, for Sidney quartering; (2) Argent
three cheverons gules a label azure, for Barrington;
(3) Quarterly or and gules an escarbuncle sable, for
Mandeville; (4) Barry argent and gules a lion or
crowned, for Brandon. The fourth shield bears the
arms of Hoby of Radnor, Argent a fesse between three
hobbies sable with a crescent or for difference, with
seven quarterings. On an escutcheon of pretence is
Dakins. The fifth shield bears Devereux impaling
Dakins; the sixth Sidney impaling Dakins, and the
seventh Hoby impaling Dakins. On the south wall of
the chancel is a tablet with an ornamental border to
Margaret wife of Sir Thomas Posthumus Hoby, who
died in 1633. It bears the arms, Argent a fesse
between three hobbies sable, for Hoby of Kent impaling Dakins. On the north chancel wall is a white
marble monument by Chantry to Margaret Anne wife
of George Johnstone, 1819.
Preserved at the east end of the south aisle are two
fragments of large Saxon crosses. The larger has
scroll work and an inscription on one face, similar
scroll work and the head of a Christ on another face,
and interlaced knot work on a third. It is 40 in.
high and tapers towards the top. On the smaller
fragment are the lower parts of two griffons in relief
on one face, the remains of an inscription on a second
reading: '+ Sce . . . os A (bb)adissa Oedilbvrga
Orate P(ro Nobis),' and on the third an inscription
partly in 'twig runes.' (fn. 52)
The plate includes an almsdish (London, 1690?),
the rest being modern. There is, however, a fine
set of pewter plate, including a flagon and two plates
bearing the arms of Sir Philip Sydenham and inscribed, 'St. Mary's Church Hackness,' a large early
17th-century flagon inscribed, 'Hacknes Parish' on
the handle, and two flagons belonging to Harwood
Dale and inscribed, 'St. Margret's Chapell, 1633.'
The registers begin in 1567.
The modern church of ST. MARGARET, Harwood Dale, consists of a rectangular body, with a
semicircular apsidal sanctuary and a south porch.
The style is 'Early English' Gothic, and at the west
end is a small stone bellcote, with a spirelet, containing one bell.
The ancient church stands about a mile farther up
the valley and is now almost a ruin. It was built by
Sir Thomas Posthumus Hoby in 1634, and is a plain
but interesting example of the period. The building
is a simple rectangle measuring 45¾ ft. by 15¼ ft.
internally, and is lighted by a three-light squareheaded transomed east window, and by three two-light
windows, also with square heads, in each side wall.
At the east end of the north wall is a blocked door.
Both north and south doors have depressed pointed
heads plainly chamfered. The bellcote on the west
gable is partly destroyed and the south porch is ruined.
It is approached by a flight of stone steps. The roof
of the main building still exists, but is in a precarious
state. The stone altar platform also remains, and
against the east wall is a stone tablet inscribed,
'When Sr Thomas Posthumus Hoby Knight and the
lady Margarett his wife were united together in this
world they both resolved to have a Chappell erected
for devine service for ye good of ye soules & bodys of
ye inhabitantes dwelling wthin Harewooddale & in
very fewe monthes next after his said wives decease
he did erect this Chappell in ye yeare 1634, and as
they had both formerly resolved he hath by conveyance provided that his assigne (unto whom he hath
assured the inheritance of Harewooddale in reversion
after his owne death) and his heires and assignes shall
for ever find one sufficient preacher to preach Gods
word and to Catechyse herin on every Lords day
comonly called Sunday.' The church is faced
externally with rough ashlar.
Advowson
There were three churches (one
possibly that of Whitby [q.v.]) and a
priest at Hackness in 1086, (fn. 53) and
before 1096 the founder of Whitby Abbey endowed
it with the church of St. Mary here and the church
of St. Peter (the monastic foundation) 'where our
monks serve God, die and are buried.' (fn. 54) These two
churches are again mentioned early in the 12th
century. (fn. 55) After the Dissolution the rectory and
advowson descended with the manor, and they are
now the property of Lord Derwent. The living,
which was formerly a perpetual curacy, has been
since 1868 (fn. 56) a vicarage united to the rectory of
Harwood Dale.
The chapel of St. Botulf, which belonged to the
abbey in 1394–5, (fn. 57) was still standing in 1587. (fn. 58)
The rector of Heslarton directed in 1472 that
pilgrims should go after his burial to this shrine for
him. (fn. 59)
The chapel of St. Margaret at Harwood Dale,
founded by Sir Thomas Posthumus Hoby, was endowed in 1636 with the tithes of Harwood Dale,
Harwood, and Hingles for the maintenance of a
curate. (fn. 60) The living is united to that of Hackness.
Charities
John Craven, who was interred in
Hackness Church, 1 June 1692, by
his will left to the poor of Hackness
Constablery 52s. a year for the distribution of 12d.
in white bread every Sunday in the year, to issue
out of his house in Scarborough. The distribution
of bread is duly made.