GREAT LANGTON
Langeton (xi–xiii cent.).
This parish is composed of the townships of Great
and Little Langton. Its total area is 1,890 acres, of
which more than half is permanent grass. (fn. 1) The
subsoil is Red Sandstone, with recent Alluvium by
the Swale; the soil varies from clay to gravel and
sandy loam. The chief crops raised are wheat, oats
and beans. The parish lies low, the height being
generally about 100 ft. to 125 ft. above the ordnance
datum, and the banks of the Swale, which forms the
greater part of the western boundary, and its tributary the Stell are liable to floods. The small village
of Great Langton lies between the Swale and the
Stell at the meeting-place of lanes from the adjoining
villages of Kiplin, Danby Wiske and Yafforth.
Another lane runs south from Great Langton parallel
with the Swale, through Langton Wood to Little
Langton Grange, passing on its way Langton Hall
(formerly the seat of Lord Teignmouth and now of
Major William Henry Fife, J.P.), a red brick house
which stands in a park of 125 acres.
The church lies among the fields to the south of
the village, but at some distance both from it and from
the hall. The mission chapel of the Good Shepherd
was licensed to serve Great Langton in 1877.
There is a Wesleyan chapel at Great Langton and
a National school.
A mill was standing here in 1652. (fn. 2) A field called
Graystaynflath is mentioned in the 13th century, (fn. 3)
Slaytergarthe in 1586 (fn. 4) and Sweeteenesike in 1620. (fn. 5)
The capital messuage and dovecote of Great Langton
belonged in the 16th century to the Danbys (fn. 6) of
Thorpe Perrow (q.v.) in the parish of Well.
Manors
GREAT LANGTON and Little
Langton in this parish were both among
the lands of Count Alan in 1086 (fn. 7) and
became members of the honour of Richmond. (fn. 8) Great
Langton consisted of 9 carucates, of which in the
time of the Confessor Torphin held 3½ carucates and
Finegal 2 carucates. Each had a hall and Torphin
had sac and soc; Tor held the remaining land and
had sac and soc, but not a hall. (fn. 9) In 1086 Bodin
and Hervey held this land of the count. (fn. 10) Probably
Bodin had the land of Torphin, Hervey the land
of Finegal, and Enisan, who is not mentioned,
the land of Tor. The mesne lordship of Bodin's
part descended here, as elsewhere, from him to the
Fitz Hughs, (fn. 11) who were still mesne lords in the 16th
century. (fn. 12) The mesne lordship of another part
descended as it would if it had been in the possession
of Enisan (fn. 13) to the lords of Constable Burton, of
whom it was held in 1286–7, (fn. 14) and afterwards passed
with that manor to the Scropes of Masham. (fn. 15) The
rest was held directly of the lords of Richmond in
1286–7.
Philip de Burgh married Ismania daughter of Roald
the Constable (fn. 16) and perhaps had Great Langton as
her marriage portion, as their son and heir Thomas
was in possession of the advowson. (fn. 17) In 1286–7
2 carucates in Great Langton belonged to Thomas
de Burgh of Hackforth (q.v.), who did not, however,
hold them in demesne. These lands appear to have
been settled, like Hackforth, on his sister Elizabeth,
who married Sir Alexander Montfort, (fn. 18) and the
Montforts of Hackforth held Great Langton (fn. 19) until
Thomas Montfort left daughters and co-heirs Eleanor,
who died unmarried, Margaret, who married Nicholas
Girlington, and Anne, who married (1) James
Metcalfe, (2) Robert Conyers, (3) John Carre. (fn. 20)
Probably this land, which is not called a manor
until 1820, descended like the advowson among the
co-heirs and with Hackforth passed by marriage to
the Duke of Leeds. By 1820 it had come into the
hands of John Delavel Carpenter, Earl of Tyrconnel. (fn. 21)
The trustees of the late Admiral the Hon. Walter
Cecil Carpenter are the lords of the manor.
The Abbot of Jervaulx was said to hold 7 carucates
of land in Great Langton of George Lord Fitz Hugh
in the 15th century, (fn. 22) and in 1545 the lands of the
abbey here were leased to John Sigiswyke. (fn. 23)
Stapleton. Argent a lion sable.
LITTLE LANGTON was in 1086 composed of
7½ carucates of land. Here before the Conquest
Odil, Alchetel, Gernan and Sprot had lands and
three 'manors'; in 1086 it was soke of Fleetham
and held by Count Alan. (fn. 24) In 1317 and 1322 the
'heirs' of Brian Fitz Alan were mesne lords, (fn. 25) these
being two daughters married respectively to Gilbert
Stapleton and John Grey of Rotherfield, and the
mesne lordship descended with the manor of Bedale (fn. 26)
(q.v.). In 1286–7 the only name returned in connexion with Little Langton is that of Avis Marmion,
and she then held 4 carucates
of the Earl of Richmond. (fn. 27)
In 1292 her son John Marmion (fn. 28) obtained a grant of
free warren here (fn. 29) and in
1316 was returned as sole
lord. (fn. 30) The Marmions seem,
however, to have held only
half the manor (fn. 31) and after
1382–3 (fn. 32) their descendants,
the Greys of Rotherfield and
the Fitz Hughs, had only a
mesne lordship here. (fn. 33)
This manor, like that of
Kirkby Fleetham, came into the possession of the
Stapletons, and in 1317 Nicholas de Stapleton held
lands here. (fn. 34) Sir Miles Stapleton died seised of the
manor in 1372, and on the death of his childless son
Thomas in 1373 these lands, which had not been
included in the settlement of 1338, (fn. 35) passed to the
cognate line of Stapleton of Wighill. Sir Miles
Stapleton died seised in February 1399–1400 (fn. 36) and
was succeeded by his son Sir John, on whose death
these lands passed to his son
and heir William Stapleton;
his son Sir Brian was followed
by a son Christopher, (fn. 37) who
by his first marriage with Alice
daughter of William Aske had
a son and successor Robert, (fn. 38)
who in 1585 conveyed this
manor to Ralph Gray. (fn. 39) Ralph
was knighted in 1603 and died
in 1623, when he was succeeded by his son William, in
February 1623–4 created Lord
Gray of Warke; but the remainder of the manor of Little
Langton had been settled in 1619 on Robert, son of
Ralph, in tail-male. (fn. 40) In 1651 the estate of Robert
Gray of Little Langton was seized by the Commonwealth Government for delinquency and he petitioned
to know the reason. (fn. 41) In 1704 (fn. 42) Ralph last Lord
Gray of Warke was dealing with the manor. The
line of the barons of Warke now became extinct, and
their estates passed to the descendants of Edward
brother of the above Sir Ralph, the Grays of Howick. (fn. 43)
The Grays of Howick conveyed the manor to the
Grays of Billingbear, and by a deed of 1735–6
Henry Gray of Billingbear
seems to have conveyed it to
Leonard Smelt. (fn. 44) In 1784
Leonard Smelt, the 'Mr.
Smelt' so frequently mentioned
in Madame D'Arblay's Diary
and Letters, (fn. 45) conveyed it to
Nathaniel Cholmley (fn. 46) of
Howsham. Nathaniel Cholmley married Jessie daughter of
Leonard, and devised to her
the manor of Langton, which
she sold to a member of the
family of Bethell. (fn. 47)
Gray of Warke. Gules a lion in an engrailed border argent.
Fife. Or a lion gules with drops or between three thistles with their stalks and leaves in their proper colours.
The present lord of the
manor is Major William
Henry Fife, J.P.
Church
The church of ST. WILFRID consists
of a chancel 31 ft. 9 in. by 16 ft. with a
small north vestry, nave 42 ft. 3 in. by
15 ft. 6 in. and a south porch (these measurements
are internal).
The nave was built about 1140, the entrance
doorways in the north and south walls being the
only remaining details of that date; the former has
since been blocked up and the rest of the details
have been modernized. The chancel appears to be
a rebuilding of the 13th century with alterations
in the 14th. The building has been restored in
modern times; a central tower of 'deal boards
painted black' mentioned by Whitaker in 1823 (fn. 48)
has been removed in favour of a modern stone bellcote at the west end. Since the erection of the
church the ground level, which was presumably
even with or below that of the nave floor, has
risen some 2 ft. The chancel floor has been raised
15 in. above its original level.
The east window is of 14th-century date and has
three trefoiled lights under a pointed head containing
net tracery; the jambs are of three wave-moulded
orders. There is no window in the north wall of
the chancel, the only piercing being a modern
doorway into the vestry. East of it is an arched
recess containing the recumbent effigy of a priest in
a cope (fn. 49) holding a chalice. The arch is a pointed
segmental one of a wave-moulded order; the whole
is probably of early 15th-century date.
The south-east window consists of three lancets
and may be of 13th-century date. To the southwest is an old low-side window with a square head.
Between them is a 14th-century priest's doorway of
two wave-moulded orders.
The chancel arch is pointed; the plain abaci are
modern. The roof of the chancel has a modern
plaster ceiling with arched wood trusses. All the
windows of the nave are modern; there are two in
the south wall and one in the north, each squareheaded and of two trefoiled lights. The window
in the west wall is traceried and also of two lights.
The south doorway dates from about 1140 and has
jambs of two square orders with detached shafts in
the angles, having scalloped capitals; the arch is a
plain round one of two square orders; the wide and
shallow label is chamfered on both edges. The
porch is modern and has a pointed entrance arch
and a small west light. The north doorway, now
blocked, is apparently contemporary with the other;
it is of a single small chamfered order, and has a
round head and chamfered and grooved abaci and
chamfered label.
The knee-stones of the west gable are curiously
carved, the north with the half-figure of a man
holding two round balls, possibly meant for human
heads; on the other are two beasts or crouching
human figures face to face.
The bellcote above this gable is modern and
contains one bell cast by Samuel Smith of York
about 1680–1700.
The font has an old round bowl, but it has been
recut; the stem and base are modern, as is the rest
of the furniture.
Besides the tomb already described in the chancel
there are at the west end two gravestones, probably
contemporary with it or perhaps a little earlier,
carved with floreated crosses; besides the cross one
has a sword and the other a chalice and book.
The plate includes a cup with a cover and paten,
both dated 1818 and inscribed 'D. D. Franciscus
Drake, S.T.P. Rector.'
The registers begin in 1695.
Advowson
Late in the 12th century (fn. 50)
Ismania daughter of Roald the Constable of Richmond Castle and
Thomas de Burgh her son and heir granted the
church of St. Wilfrid (fn. 51) of Langton to St. Agatha's
Abbey. Alan son of Roald and Roald his son confirmed this grant and quitclaimed their right in the
church. (fn. 52) In 1253 William de Carleton and Isabel
his wife quitclaimed the right of Isabel. (fn. 53) The local
family of Langton, however, asserted their title to
the advowson and succeeded in recovering it. In
1255–6 Henry le Porter and Adam de Collingham,
the guardians of Robert son of Eudo (fn. 54) de Langton,
claimed it successfully against the abbey, and the
jury in the case decided that Peter son of Eudo de
Langton made the last presentation. Thomas de
Burgh, chief lord, made the next presentation, whether
as patron or not they did not know; but in 1242
the Archdeacon of Richmond appointed the last
rector who was presented by no patron. (fn. 55) Later
Robert son of Eudo de Langton and Walter de
Collingham resigned all their right in the church
'into the hand of our lord Thomas de Burgh.' (fn. 56)
Perhaps they found it useless to attempt to enforce
their claim against the abbot, aided as he was by
Thomas son of Roald de Richmond, the mesne lord.
Thomas de Burgh had more success and it was said
to be in his possession in 1282. (fn. 57) The abbey made
another attempt to seize it, for in 1291–2 Hugh son
of Robert de Langton and Robert son of Adam de
Collingham claimed the presentation against the
abbot and Thomas son of Roald de Richmond (fn. 58) ;
but after 1300, when the abbot sought the advowson against Thomas de Burgh, (fn. 59) presentations were
always made by the descendants of the latter. (fn. 60)
Half the advowson passed like Hackforth Manor with
Margery Montfort to Nicholas Girlington (fn. 61) and
afterwards to the D'Arcys of Knaith (Lords Conyers
after 1644 and subsequently Earls of Holderness) (fn. 62) ;
and on the death of Robert fourth Earl of Holderness
passed with his only daughter and heiress Amelia to
Francis Godolphin Osborne fifth Duke of Leeds, (fn. 63)
who (as Marquess of Carmarthen) held it in 1819. (fn. 64)
Simon Conyers of Danby on Ure died seised of the
second moiety in 1576. His daughter and heiress
Mary was wife of Henry Scrope of Spennithorne, (fn. 65)
and the advowson of this moiety descended in the
family of the Scropes of Spennithorne (q.v.) until
1698, when the last mention of it is found. (fn. 66)
In 1874 the Hon. Arthur Duncombe by virtue of
powers given him by an indenture of 1844, with the
consent of Francis John Savile Foljambe, the tenant
for life, granted the advowson to certain trustees, and
in 1874 it was exchanged by its owner or owners
with the Dean and Chapter of York, who are now
the patrons. (fn. 67)
The living is a rectory.
The Marmions and Greys of Rotherfield had a
chantry at Little Langton in the 14th century, (fn. 68) but
no further mention has been found of it.
Charities
The annual sum of 20s. under the
name of Jenkins's dole is paid out of
the Marske Estate by Mr. J. T.
D'Arcy Hutton of Walburn Hall, Richmond, and
is distributed in money to the poor of the townships
of Great and Little Langton.
The school is endowed with a sum of £666 13s. 4d.
consols held by the official trustees, arising from a gift
of Mrs. Julia Redfearn by deed dated 5 January 1849.
In 1843 the Rev. Francis Drake by will left a
legacy for the poor, now represented by £89 11s. 8d.
consols with the official trustees; the dividends,
amounting to £2 4s. 9d., are distributed annually
among poor women in February and August.