GREAT EDSTON
Michelestun (xi cent.); Eddiston, Edestone (xiii
cent.).
This parish now contains 1,831 acres, lying for
the most part on the east bank of the River Dove,
from which the land slopes up gently towards the
north-east. The soil is chiefly alluvial, but the
village lies on a patch of Kimmeridge Clay. On the
north-east the parish boundary follows the ancient
road from Normanby to Kirkby Moorside, and from
this a lane leads past Edston Common to the village.
Great Edston stands on the summit of a steep hill.
The cottages are built of stone and are chiefly roofed
with tiles. The church stands at the west end of the
single street, and opposite is a pond. The Wesleyan
chapel is further to the east.
South of the village, and between the River Dove
and Walmouth Beck, is the district known as North
Holme, once included in the parish of Kirkdale
(q.v.). This township covers 544 acres, occupied by
two farms. Of the 2,001 acres in Great Edston,
North Holme and Little Edston (in Sinnington
parish), 892 acres are arable land, while 1,089 acres
are laid down to permanent grass and 15 acres are
given up to woods and plantations. (fn. 1)
Manors
In 1086 Berenger de Toni was holding a 'manor' and 8 carucates in
GREAT EDSTON, the former tenant
having been Gamel. (fn. 2) Berenger de Toni died without issue, (fn. 3) and his lands here passed to his sister
Adeliza, who married Roger Bigod. (fn. 4) The overlordship continued (fn. 5) in the Bigod family until 1306,
when on the death of Roger Bigod Earl of Norfolk, (fn. 6)
without heirs, all his honours and estates passed to
the Crown. (fn. 7)
Bigod. Or a cross gules.
In the 12th and 13th centuries a mesne lordship
was held here by the Earls of Albemarle, (fn. 8) whose
tenant, Ralph de Clare of
Sinnington (fn. 8a) (q.v.), in 1209
sold 2 carucates here to the
Prior of Hexham, (fn. 9) retaining
2 carucates 2 oxgangs in demesne. (fn. 10) The most important
fee here in 1284–5 consisted
of 5 carucates 1 oxgang, held
by the Prior of Hexham, and
said to be within the liberty
of St. Peter of York. (fn. 11) This
land was appurtenant to the
manor of Salton (q.v.), which
it has followed in descent. (fn. 12)
Ralph de Clare was followed by Roger his son, who
was said to have sold all his lands here before his death
in 1250. (fn. 13) In the case of Great Edston he retained
a mesne lordship.
In 1285 Richard de Breuhuse, husband of Roger's
granddaughter and heir Alice, (fn. 14) held this mesne lordship,
over 2 carucates 7 oxgangs, for a quarter of a knight's
fee, his tenant being Walter Romayne. (fn. 15) Walter was
assessed for the subsidy here in 1301, (fn. 16) and in 1303
settled this manor with that of Kirkby Misperton on
Walter son of James de Holme and his wife Alice
daughter of John Cruel of Wrelton and their issue. (fn. 17)
Walter de Holme had no children by Alice, but made
a settlement on his heirs male by his second wife
Iseult with contingent remainders to the heirs male
of his brothers Roger and Thomas and final remainder
to the heirs male of his daughter Joan. (fn. 18) John the
son and heir of Walter by Iseult died without issue
male, as did his uncles, and Joan, who was then
married to Robert Pert, entered into possession of the
manor. (fn. 19) In 1376 her claim was disputed under the
first settlement by Walter de Bergh, Robert Thornton
and John son of Nicholas de Topcliffe, descendants of
Agnes and Alice, sisters of Walter Romayne. The
plaintiffs in this suit were presumably unsuccessful. (fn. 20)
Joan's son and heir was John Holthorpe of Hayton,
whose son William (fn. 21) had a release of the manor in
1442 from Maud del Clay, daughter of Brian son of
Iseult daughter of John de Holme. (fn. 22) Henry son of
William Holthorpe made a settlement in 1459 on
the heirs male of his aunt Katherine daughter of
John Holthorpe. (fn. 23) Katherine by her husband John
Stillington (fn. 24) had a son Robert Stillington, Bishop of
Bath and Wells, who succeeded to Great Edston on
the death of Henry Holthorpe. (fn. 25) He died in 1491
and was succeeded by his brother Thomas. (fn. 26)
Simpson. Or a lion sable.
In 1534 John Stillington (fn. 27) died seised of the manor,
having previously made a settlement on his son Thomas
by his first wife Isabel. (fn. 28)
Thomas, aged four in 1534,
obtained livery of Edston and
North Holme in 1555. (fn. 29) In
1564 he sold Great Edston
to Richard Simpson, (fn. 30) whose
son and heir Roger Simpson
was holding the manor in
1585. (fn. 31) He was succeeded
here by his second son Robert
Simpson, (fn. 32) who died seised of
the manor in 1610, leaving a
son and heir Henry. (fn. 33)
In 1696 (fn. 34) a Henry Simpson
sold Great Edston to Thomas Hayes. The manor
appears to have remained in the Hayes family till
1793, (fn. 35) when Thomas Hayes and Mary his wife
conveyed it to Gerard Gustavus Ducarel. The principal landowner in 1859 was Mrs. Peacock. (fn. 35a) Miss
Huby, the Rev. C. Walker and others held land here
in 1890. (fn. 35b) Since 1905 the only manorial rights
have belonged to the owners of Salton.
In 1201 (fn. 36) the nuns of Keldholme received a confirmation of a grant by Hugh del Tuit of land
together with a mill at Edston. (fn. 37)
The Prior and convent of Malton held a field
lying between Great and Little Edston. (fn. 38) Giles
Bateson, one of the queen's footmen, was appointed
bailiff in 1545 of the lands of the priory here and
elsewhere. (fn. 39)
Church
The church of ST. MICHAEL consists of a chancel and nave in one range
measuring internally 56 ft. 3 in. by 21 ft.
The oldest part of the present building is the
nave, which is of 13th-century date, but the chancel
was probably rebuilt and lengthened late in the 18th
century; in recent years the church was considerably
restored, when new roofs were put on, some of the
principals from an earlier roof being re-used, and a
wall built across the west end of the church with a
two-centred arch opening into the ringing chamber
and vestry.
The east window has a semicircular head and a flat
external architrave with slightly projecting blocks
at the springing and a small keystone, and is filled in
with a wooden transom and mullion having leaded
glazing. The sill of this window has been considerably raised in recent years. The east window in the
north wall is of a similar description, but has an
uninterrupted external architrave. To the west of
this is a blocked-up square-headed opening, and further
west is a blocked-up 13th-century doorway having
chamfered jambs and a two-centred segmental chamfered head with a hood mould stopped by muchdecayed abaci. The rear arch is segmental. The
two eastern windows in the south wall are similar to
the one opposite, but the second one, which has a
straight joint in the masonry beneath the sill, was
apparently at one time a priest's doorway. The next
window has the segmental rear arch and inner jambs
of an original lancet, but the jambs have been sloped
off to make room for the insertion of two modern
lancets. To the west is an original 13th-century
lancet with a wide inner splay and segmental rear arch.
The lancet has an external splay, and is rebated on
the inside for a frame. Next to this is an original doorway with a pointed head having an external chamfer,
moulded abaci, and a moulded label with carved stops.
Incised in the east jamb are the marks 'I[E]' and on
the west '[E]OA.' The rear arch is segmental. Over the
head of the doorway is set a Saxon sundial, on which
is the following inscription: 'Lodan me wrohtea.'
Over the dial in smaller capitals is 'Orologium
viatoru[m].' The west window is a 13th-century
lancet with splayed inner jambs and a flat head on
the inside; the outer jambs have a small chamfer.
At the west end of the nave is a small wooden
bell-turret containing two bells. The bells are
inaccessible.
The altar rails are of the 17th century, and the
table is of a little earlier date. The font is circular
and of 12th-century date, and has carved round the
base a small arcade of semicircular arches supported
on pilasters with chamfered capitals.
The plate consists of a silver cup and a pewter paten.
The cup has the London mark of 1570, with maker's
mark 'MG,' and the paten bears no date.
The registers begin in 1558.
In the churchyard, by the entrance doorway, is a
12th-century tomb slab.
Advowson
The church was granted to Hexham
Priory towards the end of the 12th
century (fn. 40) by Archbishop Roger, in
lieu of an annual payment of 100s. A vicarage was
ordained in 1308. (fn. 41) The patronage remained in the
hands of the Prior of Hexham until the Dissolution,
when it was granted to Sir William Eure, and
follows the descent of the Hexham possessions (q.v.)
here and at Salton (fn. 42) (q.v.) until 1836, when it was in
the hands of G. W. Dowker.
In 1875 Mr. W. Altham presented to the living.
From 1887 to 1900 G. W. Dowker and J. W. and
R. P. Yates presented alternately. (fn. 43) By 1903 it had
passed to Mr. H. W. Pearson, who presented till
1909, (fn. 44) when the living was in the gift of Miss
Easterby of Eastergate, Chichester, who now holds it.
Charities
An ancient yearly payment, issuing
out of certain lands called Ridings
in the township of Hutton-le-Hole,
and another yearly payment of £1 out of lands called
Claygarths in the same township, are distributed
amongst the poor under the title of John Wawn's
charity.
This parish is entitled to benefit from the apprenticing charity founded by Viscountess Lumley,
1657.
In 1884 the Rev. Robert Keath Pearson, by will
proved 22 March, bequeathed £100 to be invested
and the income applied for the benefit of the poor
inhabitants at the discretion of the vicar and churchwardens. The legacy, less duty, was invested in
£79 14s. 8d. consols with the official trustees.
The dividends, amounting to £1 19s. 8d., are duly
applied.