CUNDALL-WITH-LECKBY
This parish (Condel, xi cent.; Cundale, xiii cent.;
Coundale, xvi cent.), with its township of Nortonle-Clay, lies in the south-east corner of the wapentake
of Hallikeld, where the River Swale cuts it off from
Birdforth Wapentake. The township of Fawdington,
which also belongs to the ecclesiastical parish of
Cundall, lies across the river, and is included in
Birdforth.
The parish covers about 3,700 acres, of which
1,576 are pasture land (fn. 1) and 1,699½ acres are in
cultivation.
The subsoil is for the most part alluvium, though
there is some Keuper Marl. The chief crops are
turnips, barley and wheat.
There are a few small woods, Fogfield Wood, The
Carr and the Rookery, but these amount altogether to
only 104 acres of woodland. There is no very considerable elevation in the parish. The highest points are
Old Wives' Hill, just outside the village, and Fir Tree
Hill farther north, each of which is 125 ft. above
ordnance datum. In 1341 Alexander de Leeds granted
to Marmaduke Darell half an acre of his demesne in
a place called Staynhill on which to build a windmill. (fn. 2) This must be the Windmill Hill north-west
of Old Wives' Hill. The windmill, however, is not
mentioned in any records of the place. A water-mill
in Cundall appears in the 16th and 17th centuries as
an appurtenance of the manor. (fn. 3)
The village lies near the banks of the Swale. It
consists of a group of houses built where three roads
meet. The village street runs north-east from this
point to the Poor Houses, from which a lane runs
north-west to the church of St. Mary and All Saints.
This is a modern building erected in 1852 on the site
of the old church at a little distance from the rest of
the village. West of it stands the vicarage, with
which it is connected by the path running round Old
Wives' Hill.
One of the three roads which meet at Cundall runs
north-west past the church and the few scattered
farms of Leckby to the village of Asenby, another
leads south-east to Thornton Bridge, and, crossing the
River Swale by the bridge from which the village
takes its name, turns north to Fawdington.
Here the Abbot of Byland had a grange. In 1235
Robert Deyvill granted him licence to establish a
fishery in the river between the mill of Fawdington
and the 'water called Lowysbek,' (fn. 4) which must mean
the tiny stream flowing into the Swale to the north
of Fawdington; he also received licence to establish a
fish pool opposite 'Cambesheved.'
The third road runs in a south-westerly direction,
crossing Cundall Beck, a tributary of the Swale, at Bat
Bridge, and finally becoming the village street of
Norton-le-Clay. In the 16th century the inhabitants
of Norton were prevented from attending the parish
church by 'the greate abundance of waters oft tymes
in the year.' (fn. 5) At the present day there is a chapel of
ease dedicated in honour of St. John dating from
1840. A Wesleyan chapel was built in 1863 at the
entrance to the village.
An inclosure award for the township of Norton-leClay was made in 1791. (fn. 6)
Manors
CUNDALL at the time of the Domesday Survey was among the lands of
Robert Count of Mortain. (fn. 7) With its
berewicks of Norton and Leckby it formed an important 'manor' of 21 carucates, which had been
held by Wallef. In 1086 Alured was tenant, and
the land was described as waste. Land in Leckby and
Brampton Hall (Branstone), Fawdington (Goindel),
North Stainley (Staneleia), East Tanfield (Danefelt),
and 'Caldwelle' in Marton-on-the-Moor, (fn. 8) was soke
of the manor.
Cundall, with other lands of the Count of Mortain, (fn. 9)
was granted to Niel de Albini, and the overlordship
followed the descent of his manor of Thirsk (fn. 10) (q.v.).
From an early period Cundall was closely associated (fn. 11)
with Thornton Bridge. (fn. 12) The family of Deyvill
were tenants in demesne, and were followed by
the Nevills of Thornton Bridge. Cundall was
held by this family till 1522, when Ralph Nevill
of Thornton Bridge died, leaving three daughters
and co-heirs—Katherine wife of Walter Strickland,
Joan wife of John Constable, and Clara, who afterwards married Thomas Nevill of Holt in Leicestershire. (fn. 13) The three parts of this manor were held
separately for two generations, (fn. 14) but all appear to
have come finally into the possession of the Constables. (fn. 15) The manor was
settled on John Constable and
his wife Katherine and their
heirs (fn. 16) in 1561. Henry son
of John (fn. 17) sold it in 1597 to
Robert Walter or Walters, (fn. 18)
whose family continued to
hold it for some generations.
Robert seems to have been
succeeded by William Walters, (fn. 19) who with his son and
heir Christopher (fn. 20) was party
to a fine concerning the
manor in 1619. (fn. 21) Robert
Walters son of Christopher (fn. 22) succeeded him, and was
in possession in 1647. (fn. 23) He had two sons, Robert
and Christopher, of whom Robert was the elder. (fn. 24)
Robert was in possession in 1674 (fn. 25) and died in
1694. (fn. 26) He had sons William and Richard (fn. 27) and a
daughter Anne, who was his ultimate heir. (fn. 28) In
1712, however, the manor was quitclaimed by
Richard Walters to his uncle Christopher, (fn. 29) who had
taken by royal licence the name of Stockdale. (fn. 30)
Thomas Stockdale was in possession in 1717, (fn. 31) but
the manor soon afterwards passed from this family to
the Cholmleys. Hugh Cholmley held it in 1743, (fn. 32)
and in 1750 it was in the hands of Nathaniel
Cholmley, (fn. 33) whose heirs continued to present to the
living during the early part of the 19th century. (fn. 34)
In 1820, however, a family called Prest was in possession of the manor, (fn. 35) and not long afterwards it
appears to have passed into the hands of William
Heathcote, (fn. 36) who still held it in 1879. On the
death of William Heathcote without heirs in 1884 (fn. 36a)
it passed to the Crown. From the Crown it was
purchased in 1889 by Sir Christopher afterwards
Lord Furness, who transferred it to his son Mr.
Marmaduke Furness in 1904. (fn. 37) The latter has now
succeeded as Lord Furness.
Constable. Barry or and azure.
Among the liberties of the manor was a free fishery
in the waters of the Swale, a privilege which dates
from the 13th century, when Robert Deyvill quitclaimed the right of fishing 'half the water of the
Swayle' to the Abbot of Byland. (fn. 38) It is mentioned
among the appurtenances of the manor in the 16th
and in the 19th century. (fn. 39)
The Prior of Newburgh held land in Cundall. (fn. 40)
LECKBY (Letteby, xiv cent.; Lexby, xvii cent.)
was associated closely with Cundall in the Domesday
Survey, (fn. 41) and had the same overlords throughout its
history. It was also held with Cundall by the Deyvills from the 13th century. (fn. 42) In 1320 John Deyvill
granted to his daughter Margaret the vill of Leckby,
with remainder to Alexander de Leeds, Elizabeth his
wife (fn. 43) and Alexander's heirs. He granted the park
belonging to the manor to Alexander and Elizabeth,
who two years later refeoffed him of it. (fn. 44) This park
is not again mentioned.
Margaret Deyvill had three daughters—Edelina,
Eleanor and Agnes. Their respective husbands
were Thomas del Schires, Richard de Exelby and
John de Sharow. (fn. 45) In 1354 Thomas del Schires
and Edelina confirmed their lands and tenements
in Leckby to Ralph de Nevill. (fn. 46) The other co-heirs
disputed the possession of this third part with
Alexander de Nevill son of Ralph in 1392, (fn. 47) and he
was ordered to restore it. The 'vill and lordship'
of Leckby was settled on John Sharow and his heirs
in 1416–17, (fn. 48) but issue in this family must ultimately
have failed, for in 1424 Alexander Nevill was in
possession. (fn. 49)
Leckby then followed the descent of Cundall (q.v.)
till 1522, when it was inherited by the three daughters
of Ralph Nevill. (fn. 50) The shares were held separately
for a considerable time. In 1579 John Constable
held 'the manor of Leckby,' (fn. 51) and the appearance of
Christopher Stockdale in an agreement concerning a
third part of it in 1699 (fn. 52) suggests that this part
followed the descent of Cundall. The Stricklands
held their third part as late as 1649. (fn. 53)
Long, baronet. Sable powdered with crosslets and a lion argent.
The share of the youngest daughter Clara passed
first to her son Francis Nevill, (fn. 54) and then to his sister
Mary, who married Thomas
Smith of Cressing, co. Essex. (fn. 55)
William, one of the sons of
Mary and Thomas Smith,
died seised of this share in
1631, his heir being his
brother Thomas, who had
several sons, and was then a
man of seventy. (fn. 56) This family,
which assumed the name of
Nevill, (fn. 57) remained in possession
till 1672, when Sir Thomas
Nevill sold the estate, with
Kirkby Hill (q.v.) and other
manors, to Sir Robert Long, bart., (fn. 58) whose family
held it at least till 1775. (fn. 59)
The present lord of the manor is Mr. Basil Hollond
Woodd.
Like Cundall, NORTON-LE-CLAY (Nortune in
Luto, xiv cent.; Norton in the Dyrt, xv cent.;
Norton in the Clay, xvi cent.) was in 1086 among
the possessions of the Count of Mortain. (fn. 60) At a very
early date (fn. 61) it was given to the abbey of St. Alban,
which in 1369 was said to
have held it from time immemorial. (fn. 62) In 1369 a dispute
arose on an attempt of the
agents of the Duke of Lancaster to exact suit of court
for this manor at the 'Frendles
wapentake,' (fn. 63) but the right of
the abbot to hold the manor
free of all services was fully
established. (fn. 64)
St. Alban's Abbey. Azure a saltire or.
During the 13th and 14th
centuries the abbot had a subtenant in Norton-le-Clay.
John de Cleasby was returned as lord in 1316. (fn. 65) In
1355 Hugh de Sadelyngstones, Hugh de Tesdale
and John Lyberd granted their right in two-thirds
of the manor to the abbey with the reversion of the
remaining part, which was held at the time by John
de Clotherum and Tesancia his wife as her dower. (fn. 66)
Subsequently John de Clotherum appears to have
given up his right also. (fn. 67) The tenants held the
manor by fealty, rent and the service of receiving
the said Abbot and the Prior of Tynemouth and his
successors, monks and attendants in coming and returning from the abbey of St. Alban to the priory
of Tynemouth, or from the priory to the abbey, and
of finding them food and drink and other necessaries
at the manor of Norton. (fn. 68)
After the Dissolution the manor remained for some
time in the Crown. In 1599 Elizabeth granted it
to Henry Best and Robert Holland. (fn. 69) They must
have alienated it soon afterwards to William Robinson
of Newby, who died seised of Norton-le-Clay in
1616. (fn. 70) The manor followed the descent of Newby
(q.v.) till the middle of the 19th century. Soon after
1859 it came by purchase into the possession of the
Rawson family of Nidd Hall, Ripley. (fn. 71) At the death
of Miss Rawson, who was lady of the manor till 1891,
the estate passed to her niece, wife of Viscount
Mountgarret. (fn. 72) The present viscount is lord of the
manor.
At FAWDINGTON (Faldington, xiv–xv cent.;
Fawdington, xvi cent.), which appears never to have
been a manor, Roger de Mowbray, the founder of
Byland Abbey, gave 2 carucates of land to the abbot. (fn. 73)
More was added by William de Maundeville and
Henry de la Rivere. (fn. 74) In 1286 and subsequently the
abbot was holding the whole vill of the Mowbray
family. (fn. 75) He had the privilege in this grange and
that of Balschagh of exemption from finding meat
for man and horse (putura) for the forester. (fn. 76)
Byland Abbey. Gules a lion argent with a crozier or bend sinisterwise athwart him.
After the Dissolution the estate was granted to
William Romesdon and
Edward Hoppey. (fn. 77) In 1545
the grantees had licence to
alienate the messuage and
lands in Fawdington to Sir
Nicholas Fairfax. (fn. 78) He was
succeeded by his son Sir
William Fairfax, (fn. 79) who in
1587 conveyed three messuages
and lands in Fawdington and
Brafferton to Edward Bell,
Henry Bell and John Kaye. (fn. 80)
Edward Bell of Fawdington
died in 1597 and was succeeded by his son Guy. (fn. 81) The
family was associated with
Fawdington as late as 1732, (fn. 82) but the later history of
the estate has not been traced. It is now owned by
Mr. John Durham and Sir Edward Coates, bart.,
M.P.
Churches
The church of ST. MARY AND
ALL SAINTS consists of chancel
measuring internally 21 ft. 6 in. by
14 ft., nave 41 ft. 6 in. by 20 ft., a south porch and a
small west tower. The building dates from 1852,
when it was re-erected in place of what Whitaker in
1823 describes as a mean and diminutive building
with a single aisle and a modern brick tower. (fn. 83)
The present building is of stone, and the design is
based on the style of the 14th century. The chancel
has a three-light east window, two to the south and
one to the north, all of two lights with traceried
heads. The nave has three north and two south
windows of two lights with traceried heads. The
doorway is in the south wall. The tower is of three
stages and has an embattled parapet. All the furniture is modern. The oldest gravestone in the church
is one to Mary Molton dated 1695.
In the churchyard stands the shaft of an early
Saxon cross carved on all four sides with knotwork and
interlacing patterns; a corner has been rebated where
it formerly served as a door lintel.
Of the three bells in the tower two are by C. &
G. Mears, 1854. The tenor is an old bell; the
only letters around the band are I S (or S I) repeated
four times and below them is a shield with a staff
forked at the bottom (like an inverted Y) and trefoiled
at the top between a crowned R on the dexter and
a crown and banner and apparently a bell on the
sinister; a ring surrounds the staff at the junction of
the fork.
The plate consists of a silver cup with cover and
paten and a pewter flagon and two patens. The cup,
of 1636, also bears the initials W. P. and C. R. and
date 1663, as well as the maker's mark T. H. for
Thomas Harrington of York. The silver paten is
modern. The pewter flagon and one paten are dated
1707; the second paten bears no date.
The registers begin in 1582.
The chapel of ease of ST. JOHN, Norton-le-Clay,
built in 1840, as of brick, and consists of chancel,
nave, vestry, west porch and belfry with one bell.
Advowson
The church of Cundall was among
the gifts made by Roger de Mowbray
to the Priory of Newburgh at its
foundation. (fn. 84) The grant was confirmed in 1389 (fn. 85)
and 1478. (fn. 86) At some time the church must have
been appropriated to the priory, but no vicarage was
ordained; the living is a perpetual curacy now styled
a vicarage.
After the Dissolution the rectory and advowson
first appear among the possessions of Sir John Constable, (fn. 87) lord of the manor in 1561. They were sold
to the family of Walters shortly after the sale of the
manor, (fn. 88) and remained in their hands till the end of
the 17th century. Robert Walters, who died in
1694, is described as the 'impropriator of the Rectory
of Cundall.' (fn. 89) The rectory appears to have followed
the descent of the manor (fn. 90) till about 1844, when the
Archbishop of York was patron. The Bishop of Ripon
was patron in 1847 and 1849. (fn. 91) The living was still
in his gift in 1879, but before 1889 the advowson
had passed to the Crown. It was purchased in that
year by Christopher first Lord Furness, and is now in
the possession of his son and heir.
In 1536 there was a chapel at Norton-le-Clay
rendered necessary by the distance of the village from
the parish church and the difficulties of the road. (fn. 92) A
chantry dedicated to St. Alban had been established
there by the inhabitants 'for their ease.' (fn. 93)
Charities
There were in the possession of
the parish certain lands in the open
fields at Minship in Aldborough,
which under an inclosure award of 1835 were
exchanged for 6 a. 1 r., and appropriated to the
use of the poor, subject to the annual payment of
£2 10s. for educational purposes, created by the Rev.
— Linton.
Roger Leadley, by will 1682, charged land at
Norton-le-Clay, worth £3 a year, of which £1 was
to be appropriated in shoes and clothes for the poor
children of the township of Cundall and £2 for the
poor children of Norton-le-Clay. The annuity is
received from Mr. R. C. Vyner of Newby Hall,
Ripon.
An annual payment of 5s. a year, charged on lands
at Dishforth in respect of Mary Moulton's charity, is
received from Mr. Walker of Maunby Hall, Thirsk,
and given to poor widows.
Mrs. Clare Smithson, who died in 1805, by her
will left £20 a year for providing bread every Sunday
for the poor attending service in the church and 5s.
each on Christmas Day and an allowance for coals.
By a decree of the Court of Chancery in 1812 a sum
of stock, now £657 16s. 7d. consols with the official
trustees, was appropriated in satisfaction of the annuity.
The several charters are administered by the same
body of trustees in accordance with the respective
trusts. The Minship lands above referred to are let
at £17 18s. a year, out of which £2 10s. a year was
determined by an order of the Charity Commissioners
of 5 August 1904 to be an educational endowment,
and is paid to the managers of the National school,
founded by deed in 1872.
In 1905 £5 4s. was distributed in bread in church,
coal to the value of £8 14s. was distributed, and
£2 2s. in money to twelve persons.