STONEGRAVE
Stanegrif, Steinegrif (xi cent.); Steingreve,
Steingrive (xii-xiii cent.); Stangreve, Stayngref
(xiii-xv cent.).
This parish consisted in 1831 of the townships of
West Ness, East Newton, Laysthorpe and Stonegrave. (fn. 1)
Of these West Ness was in 1887 amalgamated with
East Ness, formerly in Hovingham parish (q.v.).
Waterholme, near East Ness, is the residence of
Mr. R. C. Dixon. Including East and West Ness
the parish has an area of 3,262 acres, and excluding
Newton and Laysthorpe (941 acres) 858 acres are
arable land, 974 permanent grass and 47 woods and
plantations. (fn. 2) The chief crops raised are wheat,
barley, oats and turnips. The parish lies on alluvium,
corallian beds, Oxford clay, Kimmeridge clay and
Keuper marls. Stone quarries are worked at East
Newton and Laysthorpe. An Inclosure Act was
passed in 1775–6. (fn. 3) The land varies from 125 ft.
to 325 ft. above the ordnance datum. The village
is situated at the foot of Cauklass Bank and is built
along the road from Oswaldkirk, the houses being
mostly of stone with tiled roofs. The church stands
at the west end of the village in a churchyard of
moderate size. In a field to the south of the church
are distinct traces of a moat, which probably surrounded the original manor-house. The rectory
appears to be of early 18th-century date, but has
been considerably modernized and repaired. The
capital messuage of Stonegrave is mentioned in
1370. (fn. 4)
Lying to the east of a by-road running north from
the main road midway between Oswaldkirk and
Nunnington is East Newton Hall, mentioned in
1638, (fn. 5) now used as a farm-house. The building,
which is of stone, with a stone slate roof, is two stories
in height with an attic and dates from early in the
17th century. It was evidently of H or E-shaped
plan. The two end wings, facing east and west, and
measuring about 60 ft. by 23 ft., were about 31 ft.
6 in. apart, and probably had central chimney stacks,
but a little later a large chimney was built at
the east end of the south wing. The connecting
wing is now demolished, and only the southern wing,
which has been added to in recent years, is now
inhabited, the northern one being cleared of its
internal partitions and used as a barn, while the
inhabited wing has been so altered and repaired as
almost to obliterate the original arrangement. The
end walls of the side blocks, which are gabled, are
treated symmetrically on the west, which was the
principal front. The windows, some of which are
blocked, are mullioned and transomed under square
hood moulds, those in the west walls of both wings
being original. In the east wall of the south block
is a large stepped chimney stack. There are none
of the original fittings left on the ground floor, but
the two easternmost bedrooms are panelled with
17th-century panelling, and in the end one is an
elaborate fireplace. The south wall, now the principal
front, has been considerably altered, new windows
being inserted and old ones blocked up. The north
wall is concealed by later additions. The eastern end
wall of the north wing was like the corresponding
wall on the west, but the walls on the north and
south sides have been considerably patched up and
altered. On the north side of this wing is a disused
well with a fine horse wheel. From the cellar at the
west end of the south wing is a subterranean passage
running northward. It is now built up about 40 ft.
from the commencement, but probably connected
the two wings in the basement. A great interest is
given to the house by the Thornton Romances and
the Autobiography of Mrs. Alice Thornton, (fn. 6) a daughter
of the important Yorkshire house of Wandesford of
Kirklington.
In 1278–9 and 1298 (fn. 7) mention is made of a
forester of Stonegrave where is still Cauklass Wood.
There is a public elementary school for the parishes
of Stonegrave and Nunnington. Richard Barnes
(1532–87), Bishop of Durham, was once incumbent
of Stonegrave. (fn. 8)
Manors
Ulf, who held 6 oxgangs in STONEGRAVE before the Conquest, gave them
to the church of St. Peter, York, and the
archbishop held this land in 1086. (fn. 9) The remaining
5 carucates 2 oxgangs in Stonegrave and 3 carucates
in Ness in this parish, then soke of Ralph Paynel's
manor of Nunnington, (fn. 10) were afterwards part of the
Paynel fee, (fn. 11) and remained members of the manor of
Nunnington. (fn. 12)
East Newton Hall, Stonegrave, from the South-west
Simon de Stonegrave (who had a brother Henry)
was tenant in 1200, (fn. 13) and father of William father of
the Simon de Stonegrave (fn. 14) to whom Henry III in
1257 granted a weekly market on Monday at his
manor of Stonegrave, a yearly fair on the vigil, feast
and morrow of the Feast of the Holy Trinity and free
warren in Stonegrave, Nunnington, Ricalf, Ness,
Waterholme and the Newhay. (fn. 15) Simon married
Beatrice daughter and heir of Richard son and heir
of Jordan Foliot, (fn. 16) and left sons William, Peter and
John. William's only child Joan died without issue,
and Peter, who was lord in 1267 and died in 1267–8,
also left no children. (fn. 17) John, the third brother, was
repeatedly excommunicated by the Archbishop of
York for seizing the issues of Stonegrave Church,
and finally the greater excommunication pronounced
against him in 1269 brought about his submission. (fn. 18)
From his death in 1295–6 (fn. 19) this manor followed the
descent of that of Nunnington (q.v.), being now in
the possession of the trustees of the late Mr. Henry
Rutson.
In 1276 complaint was made that John de Stonegrave prevented the king's ministers from entering
his lands for any purpose, (fn. 20) and in 1279–81 he asserted
immemorial right to amendment of the assize of bread
and ale, and claimed free warren in Stonegrave, West
Ness, &c., under the charter of Henry III. (fn. 21)
Two carucates at LAYSTHORPE (Lechestorp,
xi cent.; Leystorp, Leistorp, Lasthorpe, xiii cent.;
Lathrope, Lersthorpe, xvi cent.; Lastropp, Laystropp,
xvii–xviii cent.) belonged to Orm before the Conquest. By 1086 they had passed to Hugh son of
Baldric, (fn. 22) from whom the overlordship descended to
the lords of Kirkby Moorside (fn. 23) (q.v.).
Thomas Fossard, who in 1241 granted a knight's
fee in Sutton, Laysthorpe and elsewhere to Byland
Abbey, (fn. 24) seems to have been mesne lord, and the
manor was still held in 1618 of the manor of Suttonunder-Whitestone Cliffe, then in the possession of
the Archbishop of York. (fn. 25)
Hugh Wake and Joan de Stutevill his wife confirmed
to Byland Abbey all that the monks held of Thomas
Fossard's fee in this place, (fn. 26) and in 1284–5 and 1316
Byland Abbey was tenant in demesne of the whole of
Laysthorpe (fn. 27) and had rents here at the Dissolution. (fn. 28)
The next mention found of the manor is in 1618,
when William Thornton of East Newton died seised. (fn. 29)
The Thorntons of East Newton remained in possession
until 1692, when Thomas Comber, Dean of Durham and rector of Stonegrave, and Thomas Purchase,
who had married respectively
Alice and Katharine, the
daughters of William Thornton, (fn. 30) conveyed both manors
to Sir Brian Stapleton and
others. (fn. 31) In 1722 (fn. 32) and 1751 (fn. 33)
members of the family of Purchase were parties to deeds
concerning the manor; in
1802 Benjamin Outram and
Elizabeth his wife, Solomon
Thwaite and Mary his wife,
Benjamin Thwaite and Mary
his wife, John Thwaite and
Hannah his wife and Isaac
Thwaite and Mary his wife conveyed the manor to
James Horner, (fn. 34) and in 1810 Robert Sigsworth and
Mary his wife conveyed it to Thomas Sigsworth. (fn. 35)
In 1859 the manor was in the possession of Henry
Dowker and in 1890 it was owned by Lieut.-Col.
John Kendall.
Thornton of East Newton. Argent a bend gules with three escarbuncles or thereon.
East Newton Hall, Stonegrave, from the South-east.
A lordship belonging to Hexham Priory (fn. 36) at
EAST NEWTON was held in 1618 as of the manor
of Salton (fn. 37) (q.v.), a prebend of Hexham.
According to entries on the plea rolls (fn. 38) the manor
passed by marriage from William de Newton to
Thomas Thornton, whose son Robert was possibly
ancestor of the transcriber of the Thornton Romances,
which were in the possession of this family until
late in the 16th century. (fn. 39) Robert Thornton,
lord in 1620–1, received in that year a grant of free
warren 'in East Newton in Laysthorpe.' (fn. 40) William
Thornton, son of this Robert, left two daughters and
co-heirs, of whom Katharine seems to have had
Laysthorpe and Alice East Newton. Alice married
Dean Comber, (fn. 41) who died in 1699; his son Thomas (fn. 42)
was party to a deed concerning the manor in 1714. (fn. 43)
Sir George Orby Wombwell, bart., has been the
owner since at least 1857.
WEST NESS belonged to Jordan Foliot, (fn. 44) and by
the marriage of his granddaughter descended to John
de Stonegrave, who held it in 1284–5. (fn. 45) It has since
followed the descent of the manor of Stonegrave (fn. 46) (q.v.).
Church
The church of the HOLY TRINITY
consists of a chancel about 23 ft. by
16 ft. 6 in., north vestry, nave 37 ft. 2 in.
by 16 ft. 9 in., north aisle 9 ft. wide, south aisle
8 ft. 4 in. wide, and a west tower 11 ft. 9 in. by
11 ft. These measurements are all internal.
The original nave appears to date from the latter
half of the 11th century. About the middle of the
12th century the north arcade was opened in the
north wall and a north aisle added. That this
arcade was underbuilt in an older wall is proved by
the fact that the skewbacks of the outer orders are
of separate stones with a straight joint between
each pair of arches. At a somewhat later date
during the same century the south arcade was
opened in the south wall and a south aisle added.
The detail of this arcade is of a later type than that
of the north arcade. In this case the wall appears
to have been cut away in two separate portions,
finally forming an arcade of two bays, divided by a
square pier, each arch having its own semicircular
respond against this pier. At one or other of these
rebuildings the west tower was added, a conclusion
indicated by the fact that the north and south walls
of the tower form a straight joint with the west wall
of the nave. In the first half of the 15th century
the upper stage of the tower appears to have been
rebuilt and a new nave roof constructed, the corbels of
which still remain. All history of the fabric between
the 12th and 15th centuries has been entirely
obliterated by the restorations which the church has
undergone during the 19th century.
In the east wall of the chancel is a modern window
of three trefoiled lights. In the north wall is a
single-light modern window, and to the west of this
a modern two-centred arch opening into the vestry.
The chancel arch and the two windows in the south
wall, with the doorway between them, are also
modern.
The north arcade of the nave is of three bays with
round arches of two chamfered orders and circular
columns and responds. The voussoirs of the two
western arches are alternately of yellow sandstone
and white freestone. The capitals of the columns
are scalloped, with square-chamfered abaci. The
capital of the eastern respond has also a scalloped
capital, while the capital of the western respond is
carved with a form of broad water-leaf. The carving
of the capitals appears never to have been completed.
The vertical faces of the scallops of the capital of the
eastern column are carved on their west and south
sides with six groups of three concentric circles.
Apparently the sculptor intended to work them into
some such forms of circular ornament as are found on
the corresponding vertical faces of the capital of the
western column, the four western circles of which on
the south face are ornamented with foliated designs
within beaded borders; the next to the eastward with
a figure of a mermaid inverted, combing her hair and
holding a mirror in her left hand. The easternmost
on this face is carved in a similar manner to the four
western circles. On the west face of the same capital
are two completed circles containing ornament, a
third consists merely of two concentric circles. The
south arcade of the nave is of two bays with round
arches of two chamfered orders each with a chamfered
label. The responds are semicircular, with square
abaci and moulded bases. The capitals of the responds of the eastern arch are carved with a broad
water-leaf, while those of the western arch have
scalloped capitals, the scallops at the angles of the
eastern capital being carved in shallow relief. The
necking of the west respond is carved with nailhead ornament. Between the arches, and stopped
by their labels, is a chamfered string-course. In
the west wall is a round-arched doorway, now leading
into the tower, evidently the west doorway of the
original nave. The clearstory windows are modern,
but at the level of their sills are carved corbels of early
15th-century date, which must have formerly taken the
feet of the principals of a contemporary roof of four
bays. Two of the corbels on the north side are
carved with angels bearing shields, one of which is
charged with a cheveron between three thorn trees,
while the other shield is blank. The remaining
corbels are sculptured with heads, four being crowned.
The north aisle opens into the vestry by a modern
two-centred arch of two chamfered orders. The
north wall is pierced by two modern single-light
windows with semicircular heads. The north doorway has also a semicircular head and appears to be
modern. The west window is of a single light
and similar to those in the north wall. The east
window of the south aisle is a modern two-light
window of 14th-century design. The two south
windows, which are of similar design, and the south
doorway are also modern. The west window is
similar to the east window.
The tower is in three stages, the two lower of
which are of 12th-century date. The original west
doorway was built up and a west window of two
lights with tracery within a two-centred head formed
in the aperture in the 15th century. The jambs of
this doorway are clearly visible. The bell-chamber
is lighted on all four sides by square-headed 15thcentury windows of two transomed lights. The 12thcentury tooling is in a fine state of preservation
on the interior of the second stage. The parapet is
embattled, and there are modern crocketed pinnacles
at the angles and in the centre of each face.
The walls of the chancel, nave and aisles have
been entirely refaced on the exterior, where not a
vestige of the original work remains. The roofs are
modern.
The oak chancel screen bears the date 1637. The
centre portion consists of a cornice and frieze, carved
with running ornament, with a narrow architrave
moulding below, beneath which are four small elliptical arches with internal cresting. The narrower
portion of the screen on either side is crowned by
the same cornice, frieze, and architrave, broken forward east and west, forming a sort of canopy, with
pendant posts at each angle. The whole is supported by four small Ionic colonnettes standing on
high bases, between which panelling was probably
originally placed in the side portions, and gates in
the centre opening. The screens which divide the
vestry from the chancel and the north aisle are
formed of woodwork of similar date. Some portions
of wainscot work of the same period are also placed
on the south wall of the chancel.
In the north wall of the north aisle is a recessed
tomb dating from the first quarter of the 15th century.
The south side of the base of the tomb has seven
trefoiled panels with two-centred heads. On two of
the panels are angels holding shields, one blank, the
other charged with a cheveron between three thorn
trees. These correspond exactly with the corbels in
the north clearstory wall mentioned above. The base
is crowned by a chamfered cornice ornamented with
square flowers. On the top of the tomb are two
curious effigies of a man and a woman in high relief.
The male effigy has long hair with a small beard,
and wears a gown reaching to his feet, and confined
loosely by a leather belt at the waist. The gown
has loose sleeves, beneath which are seen the tight
sleeves of a tunic reaching to the palms of his hands,
which are in prayer. Suspended from his left sleeve
by a hook is a shield charged like that on the base,
and hanging from his belt is a short dagger and strap;
the head rests on a cushion. The length of the
figure is 5 ft. 7½ in. The female effigy on his left,
within the recess, wears a similar pleated gown
buttoned down the front with waistbelt and tight
wristlets turned down. The head-dress is closefitting, and the head rests on a cushion, while the
hands are in prayer, and the feet rest on a lion, or
perhaps a dog. The length of the figure is 5 ft.
The jambs of the recess in which the tomb is partly
placed are square, and perhaps have been cut away.
At the springing on either side are corbels, carved
with the heads of a crowned queen and a crowned
clean-shaven king, perhaps meant for Henry V
and his queen. The abacus, which is on a level
with the crowns of the corbels, is of a poor, thin
section and extends 16 in. from the recess on each
side. The arch, a depressed three or four-centred
one, is unusual, having a sort of internal cresting of
three-leaved flowers. The arms on the base of the
tomb and on the shield suspended from the arm of the
male effigy are those of Thornton (fn. 47) of East Newton.
From the same arms being found on the corbel in
the clearstory wall described above it seems probable that the Thornton buried here must have
given or bequeathed money for a new roof, as the
style of these corbels coincides with the period of the
costumes worn by the effigies. West of this is
another tomb recess of modern date. Within it is
an effigy of c. 1320, wearing a long surcoat and a
coif. The legs are crossed and the feet rest on a
lion. The hair appears to be long and to escape in
a roll on either side of the face from beneath the
coif. In the vestry is a painted canvas tablet to
William Thornton, who died in 1668. On the
north wall of the chancel is a small brass in memory
of William son of Thomas Comber, Dean of Durham, who died in 1702. In the floor of the chancel
is a slab in memory of Thomas Comber, S.T.P.,
Dean of Durham and also rector of Stonegrave, who
died in 1699. At the west end of the south aisle,
in the floor, is a tapering slab with a double marginal
inscription and the indent of a shield. The inscription is nearly illegible, but the remaining portion
may be read as follows:
' . . . (ro?) bertu(s?) . . . nup(er?) (rector?)
. . . positus fuit die sancti georgii . . .'
Stonegrave Church: Chancel Screen
Near this slab are placed several pre-Conquest fragments sculptured with interlacing ornament, including
two hog-backs. The largest fragment consists of a
nearly perfect cross with equal arms connected by a
circle, with a tapering stem, at the top of which is a
figure, possibly representing the Ascension; in the
middle of the stem is a Latin cross, and at the foot
another figure, holding a book, possibly an Evangelist.
The stone on which the cross at present stands was
evidently the tomb slab of a lady, a pair of shears being
plainly discernible, and is probably of 13th-century
date. On another fragment is a Paschal Lamb. (fn. 48)
There are two bells, the treble inscribed 'Tout
pour l'Eglise mdclxix,' the tenor, 'T. Comber, Rect.
An. Dom. mdclxix.'
The plate is silver and consists of a cup, paten and
flagon. The cup, in which the hall marks are
indistinct, is probably of 1610, and the paten of 1701
is inscribed 'Patina Ecclesiae de Stonegrave ex dono
Dominae Annae Bowman de Nunnington.' The
flagon is inscribed 'The gift of Mr. John Pearson of
Laysthorpe for the use of the Communicants belonging to Stonegrave Parish September 1st 1764.'
The registers begin in 1584.
Advowson
The advowson of the rectory
belonged in 1267 to Peter de Stonegrave, lord of the manor, (fn. 49) the
descent of which it continued to follow till 1554,
since which date it has remained in the hands of the
Crown. (fn. 50) Robert Thornton had leave from the
Dean and Chapter of York in 1397–8 to celebrate
mass in the chapel at East Newton during the vacancy
of the see. (fn. 51) Alice widow of William Thornton and
writer of the Autobiography, by her will in 1705
bequeathed £20 for rebuilding the chapel, 'long
since demolished.' (fn. 52) This chapel, which was under
the invocation of St. Peter, (fn. 53) was never rebuilt. (fn. 54)
Charities
A sum of £2 3s. 9d., known as the
Widdington and Sunley charity, is
paid by the owners of lands in
Nunnington and distributed among the poor together
with the income of the sum of £21 2s. 9d. consols,
held by the official trustees in respect of the charities
of Mrs. Comber and Mr. Thomas Comber.
In 1728 John Clark of Nunnington left a house,
orchard and garth towards the repairs of the church.
The property now consists of two cottages and land,
producing £8 10s. yearly.