NORTH OTTERINGTON
Ostrinctune, Otrinctune (xi cent.); Otherington,
Otrynton (xiii–xv cent.); Little Otterington (xvii
and xviii cent.).
This parish, with its townships of North Otterington, Thornton-le-Beans and Thornton-le-Moor,
covers about 4,000 acres to the south of Northallerton parish. The western boundary is formed by
the River Wiske, and the ground rises slightly from
the banks of the stream towards the north-east of the
parish, where Crosby Cote, the residence of Mr. Albert
de Lande Long, J.P., stands among parks and plantations. It nowhere, however, reaches a point higher
than 275 ft. above the ordnance datum.
There is no village of North Otterington. The
few houses in the township, of which the most important is Otterington House, lie chiefly along the
Boroughbridge Road.
Thornton-le-Beans has a village street running east
and west, at the west end of which is the chapel of
ease. It was rebuilt in the latter half of the 18th
century (fn. 1) on the site of a chapel which existed in 1208, (fn. 2)
and some fragments of the old walls were incorporated.
The village consists of a considerable number of
dilapidated cottages with deep gardens in front. On
the north side is a half-ruined block, with primitive
pedimented window openings, and inscribed above
the door 'Cuthbert Brittain 1774.' The old school
of Thornton-le-Beans, which dated from before 1777,
has now been superseded by a new county council
building. There is a Wesleyan chapel at the east
end of the village.
A footpath leading north from Thornton-le-Beans
to Crosby Cote passes on the southern boundary of
the park the fish-ponds which gave to the village its
ancient name of Thornton in Vivario. Common
here was granted to St. James's Hospital by Nicholas
de la Laund in 1300. (fn. 3)
Thornton-le-Moor, the largest village in the parish,
lies on the road from Otterington station, about a
mile south of Thornton-le-Beans. A lane branches
off from the road at the plantation of Thief Hole,
and runs towards the village. Thief Hole has been
known by this name since before 1657, when the
way over Purgatory by Thief Hole was in want of
repair. (fn. 4) Purgatory is the name given to the southeast corner of the parish east of the road. A messuage
and farm called Purgatory are mentioned among the
property of the see of Durham in 1739, (fn. 5) and there
was a toll-bar here known as Purgatory Bar. Thief
Hole Lane enters Thornton-le-Moor at the east end
of the village street. In a field called Stokeld's Well
is an ancient open bath, and the base of an old
boundary cross is also to be seen near the village.
At the west end of the street is the church,
which in 1868 became the parish church of North
Otterington. According to local tradition the church
was begun in what is known as 'the Church Field,'
but the stones were removed by the Devil to the
present site 2 miles away. There is a Primitive
Methodist chapel here dating from 1856. From the
west end of the street Endican Lane runs north
into the Corpse Road, so connecting Thornton-leMoor with the church of St. Michael. Near the
village, but within the parish of South Otterington, is Otterington station, which serves for all three
villages.
The traditional date for the inclosure of the common fields in this parish is 1652. The name Priest's
Acre is still given to part of the vicar's glebe.
About forty years ago the weaving industry flourished
in Thornton-le-Beans and Thornton-le-Moor. It
has now entirely died out. There are traces of sand
and gravel workings in North Otterington, and the
name Salt Kiln Farm in Thornton-le-Beans suggests
the existence of another industry there. At the
present day the greater part of the population is
engaged in agriculture. The North Eastern railway
and two large breweries in Thornton-le-Moor provide
employment for the rest. 1,395 acres of the parish
are under cultivation. (fn. 6) The soil is light on a subsoil
of Keuper Marl, and the chief crops are wheat,
barley, oats and beans.
Manors
In 1086 (fn. 7) NORTH OTTERINGTON was in the soke of the king's
manor of Northallerton. (fn. 8) The extent
is not given at this date, but in 1284–5 the whole
vill was assessed at 4 carucates. (fn. 9) Colbrand and
Ilving (fn. 10) were holding North Otterington when it
was granted by William Rufus with the rest of the
soke to the Bishop of Durham. (fn. 11)
Certain land held by the bishops in demesne (fn. 12)
remained in their possession till the 19th century,
when they exercised manorial rights. (fn. 13) In 1836 it
was transferred with the other lands of the bishopric
in Allertonshire to the see of Ripon, (fn. 14) the lands of
which were vested in 1857 in the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, (fn. 15) the present owners. Of the tenants of
the rest of the vill in the 13th century the most
important was the family of Otterington, heirs of
Hugh de Otterington. (fn. 16) At the beginning of the
13th century Thomas son of Hugh held here 1 carucate and 2 oxgangs. (fn. 17) Other tenants were John de
Romanby, who held a fourth part of a knight's fee in
Otterington and Romanby, and Guy de Helbeck,
who had a holding of 7 oxgangs. (fn. 18) Thomas son of
Hugh was succeeded by his son Thomas, who was in
possession of lands in North Otterington in 1267–8. (fn. 19)
In that year John de Croft, who claimed to be a
grandson of one Gregory de Otterington, impleaded
Thomas son of Thomas and William de Holtby for
one messuage and 7 acres of land there. (fn. 20) Thomas
was holding 1 carucate 2 oxgangs in 1284–5, when
the other tenants were Alan Norris, Thomas Helbeck and Richard de Romanby. (fn. 21) He must be
identified with the Sir Thomas de Otterington
who witnessed a charter of Roger de Mowbray to
Guisborough Priory in or about 1299. (fn. 22)
At about this date the family of Hornby makes its
earliest appearance in the vill. In 1296 Agnes
widow of Alan Norris claimed dower in North
Otterington against Thomas son of Hugh de Otterington (fn. 23) and Richard de Hornby. (fn. 24) Four years
later Richard de Hornby became the chief tenant in
the vill through a quitclaim from Thomas son of
Thomas de Otterington of two messuages, 24 tofts and
one mill, with land and rent here and in Thorntonle-Moor. (fn. 25) Robert de Hornby, presumably his heir,
paid subsidy in 1302 for his lands in North Otterington, (fn. 26) as did Hugh de Hornby, Alan and Roger Norris
and Thomas de Otterington. (fn. 27) The Romanby family
was still in possession of its holding. (fn. 28)
Robert de Hornby was returned as lord of the
manor of North Otterington in 1316. (fn. 29) In 1330
lands and tenements in Hornby, North Otterington
and Thornton-le-Moor were settled upon Robert and
his wife Christine, with remainder to Thomas de
St. Quintin and Margaret his wife, (fn. 30) who appears to
have been a Hornby. (fn. 31) At the same time Philip
Bekard and John de Croft quitclaimed to them the
reversion of a messuage and land in North Otterington, which were held for life by John le Gerneter of
the inheritance of John de Croft. (fn. 32) Robert de
Hornby was dead in the next year and his widow
Christine, with Thomas de St. Quintin and
Margaret, was in possession. (fn. 33) Margaret is in all
probability to be identified with the Margaret de
Hornby who with John de Romanby held 2 carucates
2 oxgangs in North Otterington in 1347–8. (fn. 34)
St. Quintin. Or a cheveron gules and a chief vair.
Conyers, Lord Conyers. Azure a sleeve or with the difference of a crescent on a crescent.
From the death of Robert Hornby North Otterington followed the descent of Hornby Manor (q.v.),
coming through the marriage of the St. Quintin
heiress with John Conyers into the possession of
the Conyers family. Christopher Conyers, son of
John, increased his estate here by purchase, (fn. 35) probably
from the Romanbys, for in 1428 he was in possession
of the land which had been held by Richard de
Romanby. (fn. 36) The estate remained in the Conyers
family, (fn. 37) and in 1556–7 (fn. 38) was inherited by the four
daughters of John Lord Conyers: Margaret, Anne,
Elizabeth and Katherine. (fn. 39) Margaret died unmarried (fn. 40) and her share passed to her sisters, who
married respectively Anthony Kempe, Thomas Darcy
and John Atherton. (fn. 41)
After the death of Anne her husband conveyed her
share of the estate to John Jackson and Harsculph
Cleasby, (fn. 42) who in 1575 sold it to William Waller. (fn. 43)
Four years later William Waller conveyed it to the
Metcalfe family. (fn. 44) John Metcalfe died seised of a
third of the manor in 1588 and was succeeded by his
son Michael, (fn. 45) who paid £4 as subsidy here in 1625. (fn. 46)
His lands were sequestered during the Commonwealth for the delinquency of another Michael Metcalfe, (fn. 47) whose wife Elizabeth and son Thomas successfully claimed them. (fn. 48) Thomas paid hearth tax for
twelve hearths in North Otterington in 1663. (fn. 49)
In 1711 Henry Metcalfe of Naburn, grandson of
Thomas, (fn. 50) was in possession, (fn. 51) and returned a messuage in North Otterington among his lands in 1717. (fn. 52)
His daughter Mary Metcalfe left it to trustees for sale.
The purchaser was Richard Middleton. (fn. 53) After passing
from the Middletons to George Smith, the Metcalfe
estate was acquired in the middle of the 19th century
by Mr. J. Hutton. (fn. 54)
The shares of Elizabeth and Katherine Conyers in
the manor of North Otterington were acquired before
1614 by Thomas Harbert of York. (fn. 55) Christopher
son and heir of Thomas (fn. 56) quitclaimed them in 1624
to Francis Ireland, (fn. 57) by whom they were conveyed to
Godhelpe Cowper. (fn. 58) They were purchased from
the latter by Henry Best of Middleton, (fn. 59) who settled
them in 1625 on his son William and Isabel Grant
his wife. William died in possession in 1630, his
heir being his daughter Ann, an infant five months
old. (fn. 60) Isabel Best, widow of William, was still in
possession in 1634. (fn. 61) Her daughter Ann, who married Christopher Fulbourne, sued her in 1647 for an
annuity of £40 and the profits of the estate. (fn. 62) It
seems to have passed from the Bests to a family
named Selby; Thomas William Selby of York and
Barbara his wife sold it in 1712 to Sir Hugh Smithson,
bart., of Stanwick. (fn. 63) His grandson and successor Hugh
Smithson was created Duke of Northumberland. (fn. 64)
A later duke sold it in 1778 to a Mr. Holt, from
whom it was purchased by Mr. John Hutton of
Sowber. (fn. 65) His son Mr. J. Hutton is now the principal landowner. Some of his land has passed by
exchange to the North Eastern Railway. (fn. 66)
One capital messuage in North Otterington was
held by the Otterington family for a rent of 4d. or
1 lb. of cummin of the Priory of Durham. (fn. 67)
The hospital of St. James had a grant of 8 oxgangs
in North Otterington in 1208. (fn. 68) This land followed
the descent (fn. 69) of the advowson (q.v.).
THORNTON-LE-BEANS (Gristorentun, xi cent.;
Thornton in Vivario, Thornton in Vivar, xiii cent.;
Thornton Beans, xiv cent.) was a berewick of
Northallerton in 1086. (fn. 70) Five carucates here were
included in the grant of Northallerton (q.v.) to the
Bishop of Durham at the end of the 11th century. (fn. 71)
The vill remained in the possession of the bishops as
part of the manor of Northallerton until 1836, when
it was transferred with that manor (q.v.) to the see
of Ripon. (fn. 72) The Ecclesiastical Commissioners now
exercise the manorial rights.
Robert de la Laund held 1 carucate here of the
bishop at the beginning of the 13th century and was
succeeded by his son Robert, who was living in
1251. (fn. 73) In 1284–5 it was in the hands of Nicholas
de la Laund, (fn. 74) who in 1300 quitclaimed to the
hospital of St. James at Northallerton all his common
in a fish-pond near Thornton. (fn. 75) He was followed by
John, (fn. 76) whose heir was another Nicholas. (fn. 77) The
latter was an adherent of Joscelin Dayvill and consequently forfeited his estates in 1322, but they
were granted to John de la Laund in 1360 in consideration of his good service in the Scottish wars and
of the losses he had sustained on account of them. (fn. 78)
In 1428 Nicholas de la Laund held 1 carucate here
for a twelfth part of a knight's fee. (fn. 79)
The families of Bretton, Prest, Cuthbert and Cotes
appear in connexion with Thornton-le-Beans from
the 15th to the 17th century. (fn. 80)
THORNTON-LE-MOOR (Torentun, xi cent.;
Thornton in Mora, Thornton super Moram, xiii–xv
cent.) is probably to be identified with the Thornton
which was held before the Conquest by Edmund and
at the time of the Domesday Survey was in the hands
of Robert Malet. (fn. 81) Of the 5 carucates here (fn. 82) 2
were in the latter part of the 13th century an
appurtenance of the barony of Greystock, (fn. 83) and were
held by William son of Ralph. (fn. 84) Ralph son of this
William, and cousin of John Lord Greystock,
succeeded to the barony and the whole of the Greystock
estates under a settlement. (fn. 85) Thornton-le-Moor
followed the descent (fn. 86) of the manor of Morton on
Swale (q.v.). The present Earl of Harewood is
lord of this manor.
A second fee in Thornton-le-Moor consisting of 2½
carucates was part of the honour of Eye. (fn. 87) It was
held of the Earl of Cornwall in the late 13th century
by Richard de Malebiche. (fn. 88) Before 1312 he granted
to the Abbot and convent of Fountains 9 oxgangs of
land in Thornton, with his men here and their issues. (fn. 89)
Walter de Beauvais, a tenant of Richard de Malebiche,
added a grant of 1 oxgang. (fn. 90) More must have been
added later, (fn. 91) for the Abbot of Fountains held 2
carucates of land here in the 15th century. (fn. 92) In
1319 the tenants of the Abbot in Thornton-leMoor were exempted from payment of an eighteenth
because of damage they had sustained through the
inroads of the Scots. (fn. 93) The property of the abbey
here was worth £5 6s. 8d. at the Dissolution. (fn. 94)
There is no record of a grant of this land, which was
probably absorbed by purchase into the two other
estates in the vill.
A third holding in Thornton-le-Moor belonged in
1300 to Thomas de Otterington, who quitclaimed
it with his lands in North Otterington to Richard de
Hornby. (fn. 95) It followed the descent of North
Otterington, (fn. 96) and appears to have passed in the 16th
century to a younger branch of the family of Conyers.
Christopher Conyers quitclaimed two messuages with
land here to John Talbot in 1561. (fn. 97) In 1579
Mary Lasingby died seised of half the manor, the
reversion of which belonged to Thomas Conyers. (fn. 98)
Nothing more is heard of it till 1627, when it was
quitclaimed by John Constable and Dorothy his wife
to John Talbot (fn. 99) with a
warranty against John, his
heirs and his father John
Constable. John Talbot was
lord of the manor of Thornton-le-Street, and from this
date Thornton-le-Moor followed the descent of that
manor (fn. 100) (q.v.), coming finally
into the possession of the
Earls Cathcart. The present
earl is one of the lords of the
manor.
Cathcart, Earl Cathcart. Azure three crescents each inclosing a crosslet fitchy argent.
Richard Malebiche had right of gallows in
Thornton-le-Moor in the reign of Edward I. (fn. 101)
Churches
The church of ST. MICHAEL
consists of a chancel 29 ft. 7 in. by
14 ft. 3 in., nave 39 ft. 2 in. by
19 ft. 4 in., south aisle 10 ft. wide, south porch
and a small inclosed west turret. These measurements are all internal.
Both the nave and chancel are of 12th-century
date, but the only details of this date remaining are
the single jamb and part of the head of a small
blocked light south of the chancel and the restored
north window which was opened out about forty years
ago when the church underwent restoration. The aisle
was added probably about the end of the 14th century, but this again has been considerably altered
at a later period. The bell-turret is modern.
The walls of the chancel were all 2 ft. 11 in.
thick, but the east wall has been thinned down
and is occupied by a modern three-light window
with tracery of 15th-century character. Below this
the thicker wall forms a shelf, while traces of two
round-headed windows are still visible. The only
window in the north wall is the small round-headed
light opened out at the restoration of the church;
the monial is modern, but the inner splayed jambs
are old and have a two-centred drop rear arch of
square section. Further to the east at the floor level
is a low blocked recess with a modern stone lintel.
There is evidence outside that it was higher, but
hardly high enough for a doorway. It is perhaps the
former entrance to a vault below the chancel floor.
The first window in the south wall is apparently of
the mid-14th century, and of three narrow trefoiled
ogee-headed lights with widely splayed jambs inside.
The priest's doorway, on the south side, is probably
not older than the 17th century. The south-west
chancel window, chancel arch and two north windows
of the nave are modern. The south arcade is of
three bays. The two pillars are octagonal with
moulded bases, much repaired, and plain moulded
capitals, all retooled. The corbels at the responds
match the capitals and, except a female head below
the west corbel, have also been reworked. The
arches are pointed, and of two chamfered orders,
with plain labels, but all retooled; the labels have
human head stops over the pillars.
The south-east angle of the nave forms a straight
joint with the east wall of the aisle. The east
window of the aisle has three cinquefoiled lights
under a half-round arch, and is of two chamfered
orders. In the south wall is a piscina with a modern
sill; the head is trefoiled and is either a modern
renewal or has been retooled; west of this is a
low recess which looks like a blocked single-light
window. In the south doorway the only old parts
are the two pieces of the stem of the western
shaft. The head is a two-centred drop arch of
two orders, of which the inner is new. The southwest window is modern and similar in detail to those
in the north wall of the nave. A modern quatrefoil
pierces the west wall. The bell-turret, which is
built inside the west of the nave, is 8 ft. by 4 ft. 2 in.
inside; it is entered by a doorway in its east wall.
A former doorway to the north has been filled in.
The turret is of stone and has the bell-chamber above
the nave roof level; this is lighted by a single-light
window in each wall, and is covered by a pyramidal
roof. The west wall of the nave is strengthened by
three buttresses, of which the north-west clasps the
angle buttress, and no doubt the south-west did so
before the addition of the aisle. There are also
clasping buttresses to the chancel. The south porch
has an outer archway of a single chamfered order
with a semicircular drop arch. The walling of the
church generally is of squared ashlar. The roofs and
furniture are all modern. Lying at the east end of
the aisle are several stones of the 11th century or
earlier, carved with interlacing and knot-work patterns. These were found serving as wall-plates
during a recent restoration; they are evidently pieces
of cross-shafts.
Worked up in the screen, which closes off the
space north of the bell-turret in the nave, are three
traceried heads of a 15th-century screen of graceful
appearance; they are now painted.
The few monuments that exist are of 19th-century
date, the best of them being a mural one in white
marble, carved in high relief with the recumbent
effigy of a lady; it is inscribed to Margaret Hutton,
who died in 1833, and stands in the south aisle,
whence it was removed from the chancel.
There are two bells, the first inscribed in Roman
letters 'Holines to the Lord 1658,' and the second
'iehove sanctitatem consonemvs soror parvvla r.g.
i.p. i.c. 1689.'
The plate includes an early 18th-century cup by
John Langwith of York, a chalice and paten of 1874,
and a cup, paten and plate of plated metal.
The registers begin in 1591.
The modern church of ST. BARNABAS at
Thornton-le-Moor, on the site of the ancient chapel,
was built in 1868. It consists of a nave of four
bays, quire, south porch and north vestry, and is in
the late 13th-century style. The traceried east
window is of three lights and the gabled western
bellcote contains two bells. The building is of stone
with a slate roof. The ancient chapel, before its
destruction, was used as a school and also as a Nonconformist place of worship.
The chapel of THORNTON-LE-BEANS was
already 'decayed and tumbled down' in 1566, when
it was granted to Frances Barker and Thomas Blackway. (fn. 102) A new building was erected on the old site
by Mrs. Heber in 1770, (fn. 103) and it includes a portion
of the earlier chapel. It consists of a nave, quire,
south porch and modern north vestry. The building
has undergone considerable restoration, trefoil heads
being inserted in the older side windows. The east
window is a plain single light with a modern cinquefoil head, and in the south wall is a second singlelight window. The chancel arch is plain and semicircular. The communion rails, with balusters, date
from the 18th century, but the table with turned
legs appears to be somewhat earlier. The only
mediaeval part of the present building is a portion of
the north nave wall, which is considerably thicker
than the 18th-century work. A deep break marks
its western termination internally, and seems to
imply that the early chapel was considerably shorter
than the present building. The masonry is roughly
built of large wide-jointed blocks, probably dating
from the 12th century. The nave fittings include
panelled pews and a polygonal pulpit with pilasters at
the angles and a dentilled cornice; it rests on a large
stone baluster stem and is of 18th-century date.
The modern stone bellcote on the west gable contains one bell. The font was given by Dr. Pusey.
Advowson
The earliest mention of the church
of North Otterington occurs in
1208–9, when King John confirmed
to the hospital of St. James at Northallerton certain
grants which had been made to it by Philip Bishop
of Durham. (fn. 104) These included the church of North
Otterington with its dependent chapels of Thorntonle-Moor and Thornton-le-Beans. (fn. 105) In 1246 Thomas
de Otterington, the tenant of the bishop in North
Otterington, quitclaimed to the master of the hospital
all his right in the advowson of the church. (fn. 106) Before
1291 the rectory was appropriated and a vicarage
ordained. (fn. 107)
The master of the hospital continued to present
until the Dissolution, (fn. 108) when the rectory and advowson were granted with the rest of the possessions of
the hospital to Sir Richard Morrison, ambassador and
gentleman of the Privy Council. (fn. 109) He exchanged
this property in 1545 for other lands, (fn. 110) and in 1547
it became part of the endowment of Christ Church,
Oxford, (fn. 111) which retains the patronage.
The church of St. Barnabas, Thornton-le-Moor,
was granted with North Otterington to the hospital
of St. James. (fn. 112) Its advowson followed the descent of
that of North Otterington. (fn. 113) In 1868 it was substituted for St. Michael's at North Otterington as
the parish church. (fn. 114) The latter has remained as a
chapel of ease.
The chapel at Thornton-le-Beans is a chapel of
ease.
Charities
In 1857 Miss Ann Turner by her
will bequeathed £200 to the rector
and churchwardens, to be invested
and the income divided on 1 January in every year
amongst the poor of the township of North Otterington. The legacy, less duty, is represented by £189
4s. 6d. consols with the official trustees.
Charity of William Hutton (see Kirkby Wiske).
Jane Hutton, by her will dated in 1869, directed
£3,000 to be invested in the name of the vicar of
North Otterington, who should pay the dividends to
the curate for the time being in augmentation of his
stipend. The bequest is represented by £2,887 8s.
consols.
Mrs. Heber left 60 guineas, the interest to be
applied in educating poor children of the township
of Thornton-le-Beans. Prior to 1781 a close of land
called Fox Holes, containing 2 a. 2 r., was purchased,
producing about £6 a year, which is applied for
educational purposes.
Mary Musgrave, by deed 1851, settled £118 9s.
consols for the repair of the chapel of ease at Thorntonle-Beans. The trust fund has been paid over to the
Governors of Queen Anne's Bounty, who pay over
£3 5s. a year for the purposes of the trust.