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THE STOVIN MANUSCRIPT
The document below, under the heading 'Hatfield Chase', is a transcript of the
Manuscript written by George Stovin c. 1752. The manuscript was lost for many
years until it was found in a Solicitor's office in Doncaster in 1880.
It is now held by the Yorkshire Archaeological Society (yas@wyjs.org.uk) and
the transcript is reproduced here by kind permission of the Archivist.
The manuscript sets out the history of the civil commotion in the Isle of
Axholme in the 17th century, as a consequence of Vermuyden's drainage work,
and also gives a list of the names of the Participants (ie. the Financiers)
and the Settlers who carried out the work.
It concludes with a TRUE COPY, made by Stovin, of the ancient Deed drawn up
by the Lord of the Manor of Epworth on 31 May 1359.
HATFIELD CHASE
A Brief Account of the Drainage of the Level of Hatfield Chase in the
Countys of York, Lincoln, and Nottingham with the Country Adjacent
This famous Chase of Hatfield was the greatest Chase of red deer the Kings of
England had, containing in all limits above 180,000 acres; and was formerly
the estate of the Earls of Warren and Surry.
William the first gave the church to the Priory of Lewes, and William the
second gave the tyth of all the eels taken out of the fisheries here to the
abby of Roch.
The manor of Hatfield continued in the Warren family for many generations,
and came at last to John Earl of Warren and Surry, who died possess'd of it.
He settled it upon Maud de Bereford, his concubine, and two children, John and
Thomas; but it came, soon after, to Edmond de Langley, fifth son of Edward the
third, and continued in the Crown till King Charles the first granted it to
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden.
This church is only a vicaridge, and but of small income, but the inpropriate
tyths are lett for above £800 a year, and are now the property of the Duke of
Portmore; but for many years they was the property of the Cavendish family.
The town of Hatfield is in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and is one of the
cleanest and pleasantest vilages in those parts, being a fine gravelly soil,
and most of the buildings new, and built of brick and tyle. It stands about
25 computed miles almost south of York, and 5 computed miles almost north-east
of Doncaster.
It is a very large and extensive parish, and the manor is copyhold, at a fine
certain, and a very small one. The copyhold tenants having the priviledge of
felling their wood and timber without the consent of the lord of the manor.
To which manor belongs the several towns or hamlets of Thorne, Stainford,
Woodhouse, Dunscroft, Tudworth, Fishlake, &c.
At this town of Hatfield, the Kings of England had a royal seat (now called
the Manor House), at which place Queen Philipa, consort to King Edward the
third, being there to take the deversion of hunting, was brought to bed of a
prince (called from thence), William de Hatfield, who died there, and was
buried in the cathedral church of St. Peter in York, where his effigie is to
be seen cut in white marble on the north side the quire in the said church.
His mother gave five marks yearly to the Abbot of Roth, and five nobles to the
monks there, for the saying mass for the repose of his soul; which said sum
was transfered, and is now yearly paid out of the impropriate tyths of
Hatfield to the archbishop and dean and chapter of York.
This town of Hatfield is famous in history for a great battle fought there
between Penda King of Mercia and Cadwala King of Wales, who fought Edwin King
of Northumberland; in which battle Edwin and his eldest son Offred was both
slain. Edwin was buried at Dervento, now Aldby, 6 miles east from York, upon
the river Derwent. This estate of Aldby now belongs to Henry Brewster Darley,
Esq.
There are many Roman antiquities found at this place.
In the parish of Hatfield is a large mooras, about 15 miles in circumference,
a rank moor, and so light and boggy that you may thrust a pole down to the
length of ten, twelve, or fifteen foot; this place is called Hatfield Waste,
and is where the inhabitants dig their turf for burning.
But what is most admireable, in the very center of this mooras is about 60
acres of firm land, sandy, and full of blue cobble stones, much like those got
in great plenty at the Spurn Head, at the mouth of the Humber. Upon this
ground is a farm-house, and a spring of fine fresh water, though the water in
the mooras is very bad, and of the colour of coffee. This place is called
Lindham, where dwelt an hermit, called William de Lindham, of whom the people
of Hatfield, Wroot, Finingley, Thorne, Blackston, &c., tell incredible
stories, and some things more than wonderfull.
This great Level has the river Trent and the Humber to the east, and south-
east; and the river Ouse to the north and north-west; and had several natural
rivers running through it, which emptied themselves into the two rivers of
Trent and Ouse. The river Ayre arises in the western hills near Skipton in
Craven, and has many fine seats and towns upon it, as Leeds, a famous town of
trade for fine broad cloths, tamys, stuffs &c. Temple-Newsom, now the seat of
the Honble. Lord Irwin; this manor belonged to the Knights Templars, but was
given by Edward 3rd to John Lord D'arcy. Thomas Lord D'arcy forfeited this by
rebellion, 1544, 35th Hen: 8th, who gave it to Matthew Earl of Lenox and
Margrett his wife. Henry Lord Darnley, father of King James the first, was
born in this house.
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Upon the banks of the said river stands Swillington, the seat of Sr. William
Lowther, Barrt. Also Kipax, the seat of Sr John Bland; and Castleford, a
Roman station, where I have met with several Roman coins. Through this place
is the famous Roman road leading from the watering place north of Lincoln,
over Littlebrough Ferry, over the Trent to Doncaster, and from Castleford to
Aldborrough, Catrick &c.
Near this famous road, and adjoining Kipax, is Leadstone, now the estate of
the Honble. the Earl of Huntington. At the conquest it was the estate of Edwin
Earl of Mercia; afterwards belonged to .....Harboard, esq.; then to Sr. Ric
Saltonstall; then to Sr John Lewis; and then to Lady Betty Hastings. Below
this is Biram, the seat of Sr John Ramsden. Also Ferry-Bridge, upon the great
road from London to Edinbourgh. Then Carlton, the seat of Sr Miles Stapleton;
and Cowick, the seat of the Lord Viscount Down. Near which is Snaith, a
market town, formerly the estate of Laceys, Earls of Lincoln with the soak of
Snaith, containing all Marshland, &c. Then Rawcliff late the seat of Sr John
Boynton; and then Ayremin, where the river falls into the Ouse, and now the
estate of the Rt. Honbl. Hugh Earl of Northumberland. N.B. This river was made
navigable up to Leeds and in my memory the lock dues of this river was let to
one Mr. Clark for £800 per annum; but by the increase of trade up that river,
the lock dues are let at £3,500 per annum, and has been let at that rent for
several years, and it is supposed they will now be let for £4000 per annum.
The next river which came in a more particular manner through this Level is the
Don, which rises in the black mountains near Penniston in the West Riding of
Yorkshire, and comes near Sheffield, a noted place for cutlers, and glides down
to Rotherham, where it takes in the Rother out of Derbyshire, and many other
small rivulets. It then comes by Oldwork, the estate of Francis Foljamb, esq.;
then by Tribourgh, Coningsburgh, Strafford; takes in the Dare at Darefield; then
by Sprotburgh, and so to Doncaster, a Roman station upon the military road;
then to Wheatley, the seat of Sr Geo. Cook, Sandal, Barnby-super-Don,
Stainford, and Fishlake, below which place, and near Thorne, this river
divided itself into two branches, the one running north into the river Ayre,
and the other east into the river Trent.
On this branch stands Croul, an ancient market town, and formerly part of the
possessions the Abbey of Selby, in Yorkshire; below which stands Eastoft,
divided by the river Don, one part in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and the
other in Lincolnshire. The Yorkshire part was lately the estate and residence
of Francis Eastoft, esq., and the Lincolnshire part the estate of Sr John
Lister, and his seat (tho' there is some other owners in the place). This
estate was part of the possessions of the Abbey of Selby and is now the estate
of Thomas Lister, esq., of Geresby, near Louth, in the county of Lincoln.
Below this, in Lincolnshire, and upon the banks of this river, is Ludington,
part of the mannor of Croul, and below it stands Haldenby, formerly the seat
of Sr Francis Haldenby, and below that Folkerby, the estate of....Skerne esq.,
now of Eliz. Ramsden, a widow lady. Below this and near Don-mouth, where it
emptied itself into the river Trent, stands Aethlingfleet, now called
Adlingfleet, which took its name and being from Edgar Aethling, who was heir
to Harold (slain by William the Conqueror) and also to the crown of England,
who having fled into Denmark with many English noblemen for refuge, prevail'd
with Swain, King of Denmark, to send his son Knut with a fleet of 300 sail of
ships, and a great number of men to assist him in recovering his crown, who
came into the Humber in the third year of William the first, and having raid'd
and plundered the country on both sides that famous river, pass'd on to York,
took that city, and got therein a great booty. But William the Conqueror
having raised a large army, and upon the march to give them battle, they
returned to their fleet that then lay between the Trent and the Ouse, in the
river Don (where the tides before the drainage of Hatfield Chase ebbed and
flowed up beyond Doncaster).
Here the Danish army encamped all winter, and in the spring Knut came to an
agreement with the Conqueror for a large sum of money, and with the great
riches he had got at York, and in the country, he quitted the nation taking
those spoils along with him, and left Edgar Aethling to shift for himself,
who fled into Scotland to the king his kinsman, by which means William the
Conqueror was left in peaceable possession of the kingdom of England.
This camp was strongly situated, having part of the Humber and the Trent to
the east, the Ouse to the north, and the river Don to the south, and covered
with a deep mooras (25 miles in circumference, to the west), so that a few
forces would defend it against the Norman duke, as the Danes by their fleet
were masters of all the above named rivers. The river Don is at this place,
and for many miles upwards, the ancient boundrie between the counties of
York and Lincoln.
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Swain, King of Denmark, came into the said rivers, the next year, with a large
fleet and army, plundered the country, got a vast booty, and made all the
people swear fealty to him, thinking to secure his possession; but upon more
mature thoughts, he conceived it best for him to get off with his booty, and,
sailing home, the Danes never came more to disturb this nation.
The lordship of Adlingfleet was given by William the Conqueror to one of his
followers in his expedition against England, called John D'avill, and anno.
Dom. 1080, William Ellerker of Ellerker, esq., lord of Holdenshire, married
Marrian the daughter and heiress of John D'avill, lord of Adlingfleet. She
bears Or, on a chevron betwixt four flower de luces sable two flower de luce.
William Ellerker, his great great grandson, married the daughter and coheiress
of Sr Amias Ludlow, of Scrivleby, in Lincolnshire.
The third river that run through this Level was the Idle , which takes its
rise near Idleton, in Nottinghamshire, and took in inumerable brooks and
rivulets in its passage, even to the borders of Derbyshire, and running past
Bawtry to Missen, fell into this Level and was a large and crooked river as
most natural rivers are. At Sandtoft (before the drainage of this Level), there
was a ferry over this river into the Isle of Axholm, from Thorne, Hatfield,
&c., and about a mile north-east of this ferry it fell into the river Don.
The fourth river is the Torne, a small brooke which brought great quantities
of water into this Level from Tickhill river, and St. Catherine's Well, near
Loversall; and several other brooks fell into the Idle near Wroot.
The fifth and last river is Went, which rises near Nostell, the seat formerly
of . . . . Gargrave, knight, but now of Sr Rowland Winn Bart., which takes in
many streams, and fell into the north branch of the river Don near Cowick, the
seat of Lord Down.
The reader may form an idea of what a watery country this must be before the
drainage. Five rivers running through it, and frequently overflowing their
banks; besides the tides comeing into the two branches of the Don every twelve
hours, and no artificial banks to confine the waters in their proper channels;
and he will be, I hope, agreeably surprised when he finds, in this history,
that all those waste lands, by the management of the undertakers of this great
work, are now become dry land.
I cannot omit giving some account of Thorne, within the manor of Hatfield,
now become a handsome market-town. It stands about two measured miles almost
north from Hatfield, in a point just between the before mentioned branches of
the river Don.
On the north side the church at Thorne stood a castle, which was the prison
for offenders in Hatfield Chase. This castle has a large ditch round it; the
mount where the castle stood is very high; but the castle is long since
demolished; the dungeon is yet in being, and was used for a celler by the late
Mr. Thomas Canby of Thorn. The castle hill was planted with ash trees, which
was a great ornament to the town, but they was lately sold and cut down. The
hill is now called Peel Hill, being a corruption of Pile Hill, from the word
Pile (among architects) signifying a mass or stack of buildings.
By the drainage this town was greatly inriched, and their turbary has for
above a century employed their poor, and will do the same for ages to come.
The labouring people dig their turf in the summer, and their wives and
children makes them ready for sale. When the harvest is over, the men brings
them in small boats from the moors, down the canals and drains made by the
undertakers of the drainage, into the river Don, through Thorne Sluice, and
puts them on board keels and other small vessels, which carry them to market
to York, Selby, Leeds, Hull, Gainsbrough, Lincoln, &c., where they have
ready sale for them. There is scarce a boatman in Thorne but what has built
a new house of brick and tile, and maintain their families exceeding well.
These moors, or Thorne Waste, is of great extent, being 25 miles round; in the
midst of which has been a Lodge for one of the keepers of this famous chase.
It affords turbary to Croul in Lincolnshire, Eastoft, Haldenby, Folkerby,
Adlingfleet, Ousefleet, Goule, Hooke, Ayremin, Rawcliff-in-Marshland, Snaith,
Sykehouse, Fishlake, &c., in the county of York.
And upon this waste is plenty of game, as hares, partridge, black moor-game,
ducks, geese, curliews, snipes, foxes &c., It affords plenty of cranberries,
and an odoreferous shrub called Gale; some call it Sweet willow, or Dutch
myrtle.
And here I cannot ommit to mention that the inhabitants of Thorne far exceed
all their neighbours in their care and industry, for they have had the art to
get estates out of fish-ponds; to make terra firma of pools and stagnated
waters; to plow with horses, where a man, a hundred years ago, could not walk
nor stand. In short, to get good corn, meadow, and pasture land, where there
was none before.
As a confirmation of this country being nothing but water, there was, in the
parish and liberty of Thorne only, fifty-three copiehold fishings held of the
Lord of the manor of Hatfield by certain rents, and also many copiehold
fishings held of the lords of the manor of Epworth, Croul, and Wroot. None of
the inhabitants of the other towns who have a right upon this Waste could or
would as yet follow so good an example as the Thorne people have set them.
It is chiefly the inhabitants of Thorne that has changed the face of the
country, and has got estates out of the deepest pools of water; converted
moor and moss into dry land, and out of quagmires and bottomless pitts raised
meadows, pastures, and cornfields. And as it may be natural for the reader to
enquire how all this was perfected, I shall inform him as well as I can.
This was their method and industrious care, viz., every inhabitant that had
right of common and turbary in this parish, by agreement had the moor measured
in breadth next to Thorne common and they computed how many yards broad would
fall to each common-right house. When this was done, every person had his
equal breadth next Thorne common to the west, and so was to cut to the east
(each man as far as he could); then they begun to cut drains betwixt each
others moor; the turf that came out paying for the labour, and betwixt those
dykes they graved their turf. But they graved it to the very bottom, untill
they came to the natural soil, which in many places is good strong clay, sand,
&e.; and so every year clear'd as much of it as they could sell or burn for
fuel. So that now they have got from twenty to forty and fifty acres each of
good firm land, and in all above....acres, and in all above .... miles from
west to east, and still pursues the game. And upon this new found land is
planted oaks, elm, ash, willows, thorne &c., which grow exceeding well.
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I question there is such an improvment made in any part of Great Britain.
They are every year improving and draining this Waste, that in the same number
of years that is past since the first drainage to this time, they may and
possibly will gain as much more land as they have already goten, and so on for
some ages to come; for there is no other town that opposes them, or makes any
improvement. And they having no known bounds between them the Thorne people
will go on until their spades clash against the spades of the inhabitants of
the towns above mentioned, almost at their own doors.
This great Waste is of the same nature with that called Hatfield Waste, and
both of them, as also all the low grounds and commons in Hatfield Chase, is a
sort of subterranious forrest which is dug up daily, as oak, fir, &c. I have
known an oak tree taken up that afforded a thousand pales five foot and a half
long, and from six to seaven inches broad, for which I paid ten shillings a
hundred, besides several loads of firewood.
NB.-In the year 1100, all Belton, Epworth, Crowle, Haxey, and Owston commons,
part of this Level, were cover'd with a great old decaying forrest, or wood,
and all down from Crowle Causey to Althorp upon Trent. Philo: Transactions,
Vol.lst, part 3rd, pa: 218.
Fir trees have been found underground above thirty yards long, and yet
wanting many yards at the small end, and have been sold for masts for ships
from 4, 8, 10, to 15 pounds a peece. Some have been found chop'd and squared,
some bored through; some burn'd through, or on one side; some half riven with
great wooden wedges in them, and broken axe heads, somewhat like sacrificeing
axes in shape. Under a tree near Hatfield was found 8 or 9 Roman coins.
Mr. Edward Canby, father to the late Mr. Thomas Canby, of Thorne, found an oak
tree 40 yards long, 4 yards in diameter at the great end, 3 yards one foot in
the middle, two yards over at the small end; so that the tree seems to have
been as long again; for which he was offered twenty pounds.
A man was found in Thorn moors lyeing at his length with his head upon his arm,
as in a common posture of sleep, whose skin being tann'd, as it were, with the
moor water, preserved his shape intire. (Do. part 2nd, pa : 212.)
About sixty years ago, or seventy, the servants of Mr. James Empson, of Gowle,
was digging turf in this great Waste, and one of them cut a man's arm off by
the shoulder, which he carried home to his master, who took the bone out and
stuff'd it, and made a present of it to Dr. Johnson, of York, an antiquarian.
This was the very hand and arm mentioned by Dr. Gibson, late bishop of London
in his Translation of Cambden's Britania, in the additions to the West Rideing
of Yorkshire. And in June 1747, in the neighbouring moors, and on the said
Level, in the moors belonging to Amcotts, was found by John Tate of Amcotts,
who was digging turf, the intire body of a woman. He first cut of one of her
feet with his spade, on which was a sandall; but being frighted, left it.
I being informed of it, went with Thomas Perfect, my gardener, and others, and
we took up the whole body; there was a sandal on the other foot ; the skin was
like a peece of tannd leather, and it stretcht like a fine doe skin ; the hair
was fresh about the head and privy parts, which distinguished the sex; the
teeth firm; the bones was raled black; the flesh consumed; and she lay upon
her side in a bending posture, with her head and toes almost together, which
looks as tho' she had been hurl'd down by the force of some strong current of
water; and tho' a great part of this moor had been formerly graved off, she
lay seven foot deep from the present surface. I tooke the skin of one arm,
from the elbow to the hand, and shakeing the bones out, it would have made a
ladies' muff. The other hand not being cut with the spade, as we dug for it,
I preserv'd it, and stufft it, first takeing out the bones, which my
son, James Stovin, now has in his possession, at Doncaster. And what is very
remarkable, the nails are firm and fast on the fingers. He also has one of
the sandals, which was made of one whole peece of a raw hide, and only one
short seam at the heel, sowed with a thong of the same leather. The sandals
had ten loops cut in the whole leather on each side, and ten small loops at
the toe, which caused to the toe of the sandal to draw up like the mouth of a
purse. They was laced on, upon the top of the foot, with a thong of the same
leather. This lady's skin and the sandals were both tann'd by the same tanner
(to witt) by the black water of these moors; for there being such great
quantities of oak, firs, and other wood buried in these moors, the water is
by them tinctured and made exactly of the collour of the modern tann fatt
water, and the fir haveing so much resenous matter in it, no doubt that helps
to preserve these bodies for so many ages, for that they have laid some
hundreds of years.
I have the assent of that learned body, the Royal Society, for in September
1747, I sent the hand and sandal above mentioned to that learned body with the
same account (or to the same purpose I have here given), and when they
returned it, I was honour'd with their thanks by letter, and their opinion was
that "they must have laid there many hundred years; for the sandals were worn
in England about the conquest, yet they could not find they was of the make or
shape of this above mentioned, but concluded it must be much ancienter than
that period." I buried the remains of this lady in Amcots chapel yard.
I showed the hand and sandal to my worthy friend Thomas Whichcot, of
Harpswell, esq. knight of the shire for the county of Lincoln in parliament,
who was pleased to put the sandal on before I sent them to the Royal Society.
At Thorne, in these moors, about ten years ago, as one Wm Biddy, of Thorne,
was digging turf, he found the intire body of a man with his teeth firm in his
head; the hair of his head firm and fast on, and of a yellowish collour,
either natuarly so or dyed by the water of this moor. His skin like a peece of
tannd leather. He took the body up intire, after having lay there some hundred
years. N.B. I had this account from the man himself.
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I also think proper to mention that the servants of Mr. George Healey, of
Burringham, on the east side Trent, and near this Level, was digging up
firewood in a large moor belonging to Burringham, and at the bottom of a fir
tree root they found (as tho' laid together) a British spear, a British axe,
and two short swords or durks, all of brass, which Mr. Healey made me a
present off, and which I now have by me.
In these moors is found yew in plenty, which the country people call wire
thorne, and it is very evident that all this wood grew upon the place,
for you find the roots in their natural position, and when they fell is
unknown. Some will have it that they have lay in the ground ever since Noah's
flood; others that this great forrest was destroyed by the Romans, which last
is the opinion of Abram de In Pryme, a native of this Level and F.R.S., who
writes that, "he supposes it was destroyed, and set on fire by the ancient
Romans, under Ostorius, the Roman general, who had a pitch'd battle with the
Britons, at a place now called Osterfeld, near Bawtrey, upon the confines of
this great Level; that the Romans being victorious, the Britons fled to these
woods and fastnesses; that he pursued them with his victorious army, and, in
order to destroy them, set fire to the woods, &c."
This seems possible, but I want to know if this battle was fought in autumn?
for it is evident to me that these trees, whenever they fell, it was in
autumn, and when the fruits of them was at maturity; for I have taken out of
the places, when they was digging these trees, hazel nuts, in great
quantities, also fir apples or the cones, all very fair and at full
perfection. When I have laid the hazel nuts in the sun for some time they
would moulder to dust in one's fingers; but the cones of the fir grows tough
and hard. The nuts have the kernnel left in them.
Dr. Shuckford makes Noah's flood to be in autumn, but it's observable that all
the tops of the trees, in general, when found, lye towards the east, which is
the course of the rivers running through this Level into the river Trent that
it's very probable, the woods being destroyed by the Romans, that those
rivers overflowing frequently and by several inundations from the west and
south-west, with the leaves, dirt, and sludge brought down for several ages,
these large moors was formed, and those trees covered; for this Level was the
receptacle of all the waters from the south-west of Yorkshire, a great part of
Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
King Charles the first, being lord of Hatfield, Epworth, Croul, Misterton, and
thirteen other contiguous manors, the demeans whereof consisted of a Level of
above seventy thousand acres of overflowed wastes, whereupon he and his
progenitors had an extensive chase of red deer, for the ease of his tennants
(from the destruction made by the deer in the adjacent inclosures and
cornfields), and for the good of all his subjects, he contracted with
Sr.Cornelius Vermuydeu and his Participants, in the 2nd year of his reign, to
dischase and drain the same, reserving to himself one third part of the said
Level, as lord of the soil, allowing the drainers one third part for their
charges, and of meer grace granted the remainder to the respective tennants
for their common:
Vermuyden was to agree with the commoners about their several allotments, yet
he met with unaccountable and unforseen trouble and vexation from the
commoners. But, by several commissions directed to several noblemen, all the
allotments was settled by consent of parties, and soon after confirm'd by
decrees in the Exchequer.
But the tennants and commoners of Epworth manor in the Isle of Axholm, in the
towns of Haxey, Owston, Burnham, Epworth, and Belton, claiming under an old
deed of John de Mowbray, once lord of the whole island, dated the 31st of May,
1359, gave great obstruction to this laudable and great undertaking.
N.B. Roger de Mowbray forfeited the fine estate by rebellion against Hen. the
. . . . See Rapin.
The said Level was dischased and drained at the expence of above L400,000,
Vermuyden and his Participants being obliged to stop up the old natural rivers,
and to cut new and spacious canals, rivers, and drains for some hundred of miles
in all. The river Idle was stopt up near Haxey, and the waters conveyed into the
Trent at West Stockwith.
The first Commission of Sewers for this Level was granted A.D. 1630; and in
the year 1632 another was granted in order to compel Vermuyden to stop up the
branch of the Don that run east through the Level into the Trent, and to cut
a new drain from the northern branch of Don near Cowick to Gowle, into the
river Ouse, which cut being four or five miles long, and very wide, cost the
undertakers L30,000, and the sluce into the Ouse cost above £3,000.
The King, in the fourth year of his reign, sold his manor of Hatfield to Sir
Cornelius Vermuyden under the old rent of £195 3s. 4d., and a red rose, and an
increased rent of £425 per annum, to be paid to the Crown for ever. Also, part
of the manor of Brampton, with his premisses in Wroot, under the old rent of
£8 6s. 8d. and a pair of gloves, or four-pence, and an increas'd rent of £60
per annum.
His majesty also sold his third part of the drained lands to John Gibbon and
John Corsellis esquires, under the fee farm rent of £1,228. 17s per annum,
payable to the Crown. But soon after this, the king granted the above mentioned
rents to Katherine, Duchess Dowager of Buckingham, and George, Earl of Rutland,
in trust for George, Duke of Buckingham, son of the said duchess and the late
Duke of Buckingham, who was stab'd by Felton, at Portsmouth.
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Sir Cornelius Vermuyden had brought over a great number of Dutchmen and French
Protestants, with their families and their whole substance, amongst whom were
several gentlemen of family and great fortune. These gentlemen came over to
participate in this Level, as may be seen in page . . . and where you have an
account of the numbers of acres they severaly purchased of Sr Cornelius
Vermuyden.
These undertakers had many difficuilties to encounter with, having houses to
build for themselves and their tennants, who they had brought along with them,
to keep them from the inclemency of the weather; and Sr Cornelius Vermuyden
built a noble house, according to the fashion of those days. It was stud-bound
(and I have heard all the wood work was framed in Holland). It was a great
pile of building, with a square court in the midle of it, with barns, stables,
graineries, &c, to the north-east and west, and the south front was the
dwelling house. These buildings are still standing, but the dwelling-house
almost new built of brick and tyle by . . .. Harvey, esq., of .... in
Bedfordshire, the present owner.
Sr Matthew Vanvalkenburgh also built a good house upon the banks of the Don,
in this Level, which was lately the estate of Sr John Boynton, then of
Boynton-Boynton, esq., who left it to two daughters.
Sr. Philibert Vernatti also built a good house near the banks of the Idle, in
this Level; also the De Witts, two brothers; and many more.
They also built a church at Sandtoft, in Belton parish, for the use of the
Dutch and French Protestants inhabiting this Level, and had several ministers
that succeeded each other, who preach'd to the Dutch every Lord's Day in the
forenoon, and to the French Protestants is the afternoon, in their several
languages; as will more fully appear hereafter.
The people of the manor of Epworth claimed right of common upon 13,400 acres,
and at the division of the lands between the drainers and the commoners they
had 6,000 acres allotted them. But some of them not being content therewith,
in the twelfth year of the said king, their differences was by consent of the
Participants and commoners refferr'd to Sr. John Banks, the then Attorney
General, who allotted the commoners 1,000 acres more out of the Participant's
part (which, at the first allotment was 7,400 acres), also Epworth South Moor
and Butterwick moor. And considering that the poor of Epworth, Owston, and
Belton parishes would be great sufferers by their loss of fishing and fowling,
he awarded that the Participants should pay £400 for a stock to employ the
poor people in the making of sack cloth, cordage, &c.
N.B. This manufactory of makeing sackcloth is still carried on in this island
and employs numbers of poor people, they having ready sale for it.
These lands was at the first quietly enjoy'd and a great number of Dutch and
French Protestants being placed there a Church (and a Ministers house) were
erected for them at Sandtoft in Belton Parish for their congregation and a
salary of £80 a year was settled on their Minister, and he preached to them on
each Lords day in both languages.
But the people of Epworth manor and Misterton did, at the breaking out of the
civil war take up Arms against His Majesty, and, with the assistance of some
of the Parliamentary soldiers, they laid waste the inclosed lands within those
manors, Burnt and destroyed houses and corn thereon to the value of L20,000,
defaced tbis church, and Ten commandments, buried carrion under the communion
table, carried away the Leads and Seats, pulled up the sluices and navigable
sasses, and would have thrown this famous Level into its former chaos, had they
not been suppressed for they were, even in those days, excepted from Pardon.
No orders, no decrees of the Commissioners of Sewers could now be put in
execution. No officers durst to execute them, for fear of their lives from the
Islanders, and several of the Commissioners refused to act, for fear of
insults. Upon which Sir Arthur Ingram and other great Participants prevailed
upon Nathaniel Reading Esq to undertake the subduing of these Monsters and
agreed to give him a salary of £200 per anno. To indemifie him, to reimburse
him all charges & reward him further.
And in the month of September 1655 in the 7th year of the reign of King
Charles the 2nd, he entered upon this hazardous undertaking.
He obtained several Writs of Assistance and Orders of the House of Lords and
deputations from the Sheriffs of the 3 Counties. Provided Horses, Arms, and
necessaries with Men at £26 a Year each and their Diets with a Surgeon in
Ordinary and upon particular occasions hired many more. And after 31 set
Battles wherein several of his men were killed and many others wounded he
subdued these people.
This Mr Reading was Counsel at Law and first sent into this country by the
Earl of Antrim (who had married the Duchess Dowager of Bucks) to collect the
Fee Farm Rents in arrear and was at first of Counsel for the Commoners,
Quieted the Crown and the Paricipants in their Allottments, Repaired the
Church, settled another Minister, Restored the Congregation and made the
Levels and Parts adjacent quiet, safe and Flourishing.
The Isle people continued quiet for some years, only battling the Participants
at Law, till the year 1688. They still claiming more Common, the affair was
referred by consent of Parties to Sir Thos. Hussey, Sir Willoughby Hickman,
Sir John Boynton, Coll. Whichcott &c who made an Award. But the Isle people
would not submit to this.
In 1691 this Cause came to hearing in the Exchequer. The Court recommended it
to the Parties to endeavour an accommodation amongst themselves. And the 5th
of May 1691 the Participants Agents, and John Pindar Solicitor came to an
Agreement in writing viz. That the Commoners of Epworth Manor should have
1000 acres to be set out in the first place and that 664 acres should be set
out for the Commoners of Misterton and that 5736 acres residue of the 7400
acres should be surveyed and divided into two equal parts, ons half to be
enjoyed by the Participants and the other half to the Commoners and their
heirs, and the Commoners was to enjoy also the 6000 acres Epworth South Moor,
at first allotted to them free from any interruption of the Participants all
of which by Consent was decreed Accordingly.
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The Commoners had decreed to them out of the whole 13400 acres, 9868 acres with
liberty of improving the same free from all charges of Drains and Sewer Rates
or any proportion of the Fee Farm Rent and the Participants (for the sake of
peace) was content with 2868 acres for all of their great costs and charges.
Now all these differences seem'd to be at an end the Sheriff of Lincolnshire
by virtue of a Writ of Assistance gave the several Parties possession of
their Allotments and the Participants inclosed and let their Allotments to
Tennants who ploughed and sowed the same. But whilst the corn was growing a
great number of men in disguise, Women and Children with Popplewells wife at
their Head pulled down demolished and burnt the fences and destroyed the corn.
Mr. Reading wanting above £3000 the Participants was indebted to him he
solicited them for the payment thereof. But they alleged that their Expenditor
had no money in Bank that the Rioters had again laid waste their lands. But if
he would accept of a Lease of their Lands in Epworth Manor for six years they
would grant him that in full consideration of his demands.
He accepted this Lease with great reluctance foreseeing the ill consequences
that would attend it. But necessity forced him to it and on he pushed but was
now to fight with an Hydra grown more formidable than ever. He made several
miles of Fences and Ploughed and sowed above 1000 acres of Land when a
consultation being held among the Rioters they assaulted him, his sons and
servants night and day - shot at them desparately they killed and destroyed
his goods - Fired his house at Midnight with design to burn him, his Wife and
Family in their beds.
And afterwards great numbers of them being disguised and Armed destroyed all
his Outhouses and Tenants houses, cut down hundreds of fruit and other trees,
plundered a New House he was forc'd to build to lye in, carried off his goods,
burnt his fences, turned their cattle into his corn, and gave him the diversion
of all points of Military Execution. He complained of these insults above and
obtained Pardon for the discovery of the Villains and had some of them in
Prison, and several of them being Outlawed they outbraved the Law and detached
some of their Principals to go up with a Public Purse and defy the Parliament
itself.
Robert Popplewell being now their Solicitor (tho' no Lawyer) they inclosed
several hundred acres of land belonging to the Crown and with Money they defied
the Government and the Participants which rents were paid to Popplewell. But
several of the Rioters being indicted at Lincoln Assizes and Bills found Robt
Popplewell applied to Coll. Whichcott and Coll. Pownall to interceed with Mr.
Reading to be favourable and on the award of these two Gentlemen Robt.
Popplewell paid to Mr. Reading £600 to save his wifes Bacon and the rest of his
Friends and Rioters.
Mr Reading died at Belton amongst his inveterate enemies, aged about 100 years.
And his son Thomas Reading and Lieut Coll. Reading leased these Isle Lands of
the Participants at £420 per Anno and were at very great expenses at inclosing
and keeping up the same.
About the year 1714 they had part of Claytons Regiment of Foot (of which
Regiment Mr Reading was Lieut. Coll:) incamped upon Ross to defend their
Inclosures. But the Act against Rioters passing in the 1st year of the reign
of King George 1st, put a stop to their career. And in the year 1719 the
Commoners Bill against the Participants was dismissed with Costs so that the
Level has flourished ever since and prodigiously Improved by the care of the
Participants, the Diligence of the Officers and good Management of the Farmers.
Acres
The Kings 1/3 part came to --------------------- 24505
The Participants 1/3 part --------------------- 24505
The Commoners 1/3 part --------------------- 24505
-----
Total of the Number of Acres Contained in this Level 73515
=====
The Names of the first Participants
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden
Marcus Vanvalkenburgh
Matthew Vanvalkenburgh with 54 more in Number.
The Grant was to Sir Cornelius Vermuyden who took in the rest of his Countrymen
as Partners sold them different Shares of these Lands. Many more of the Dutch
and French Protestants came over and was planted in the Levels As
Becuda Morrillion
Brunyou Delaprium etc to the number of 90 Families.
Coll. Robt Reading was son to Nathaniel Reading Esq by Arabella Churchill Sister
to John Churchill and own Aunt to that British Hero John Duke of Marlbrough
The Colonel behaved very well in his Military capacity at the Battle of Dumblain
In the year 1715 against the Pretenders forces, and Commander in Chief at the
Little Battle of Glenchurl ? the year after when he took 500 Spaniard Prisoners.
The Church at Sandtoft has been demolished many years and no Remains left, and
the Churchyard eaten as common by the Isle People; there were great Numbers
Married, Baptized and Buried here as appears by the Register Book of that Church
and the Women Retained their Maiden names after they were married. I well
remember part of the Walls of this Church standing and have been in it about the
year 1686 or 7. To the best of my memory it was on the North side of the Bank
coming from Bears Wood Green to new Idle Bank near opposite to Mr Reading's last
new Built House which stands now on the South Side of the said Bank. I also
remember the Building and demolishing of the Fort at Dunkirk and have rode over
the Grounds that it was built to defend from the Islanders before it was
Inclosed.
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The Ministers of this Church at Sandtoft
1st Monsieur Buchet 2nd Monsieur Deckerhuel 3rd Monsieur Delapris
4th Monsieur Delaporte 5th and last Monsieur Levvy.
The Isle People were in Law and contention about their Commons to the year 1719,
Almost a Century, to the ruin of many Opulent and Ancient families in the Island
and to the great advantage of the 2 Solicitors who squeezed great Estates out of
them and the Commoners and the Honest Gentlemen of the Law reaped a long and
plentiful Harvest. Here is still in this Level one Moor or Waste above 20 miles
round and another above 15 with several smaller and in all these Moors plenty of
Oak and Fir digged up from under the Moor being a part of Subterraneous Forest.
Also many Antiquities as Human Bodies, British Spears, Axes &c.
The Names of the First Drainers and People
which came over from France Holland &c.
===============================================================================
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden French Dutch
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Andrew Bouard Dubliq Moregrave
Matthew Vanvalkenburgh Furquoin Beamarin
Marcus do. Blancart Derique
Lucious do. Bennel Ronbult
Cornelius Vanbuozen Scanfair Renard
Samuel Vanpuroer Lonque Franch
John Vanarcle DeayHay Smaque Smack
William Vancudby Eghard or Egor Cough Hoy
Philip Jacobson Cayday Hernue Harnue
Isaac and Pietre Vanpuron Lehoug Manker Anker
Pieter Crayspennine Prinsay Blancarr
Widow of Edward Bishoppe Lepiare Coqular Cocklar
Marcillus Vandaron Leliewor Lew Banrudett
Derial Semy Delonoy Leny Vanplue
Leonard Coth Cufair Tusson
Fabrian Ulick Pinffoy Behazel
Reof & Sebastian Frianker
Widow of Michael Fraysly
These were the First
Participants. Dutchmen.
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------
French Dutch French
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Sir Philip Vernatte Abraham Dolens Lenoir
Abraham Vernatte Abraham Shys Chavat Savat
----------------------------- Dioniscious Vanroel Decoup
Jacob Shys Settalle Tale
Scotts Chas Deboxol Leonard Lennard
----------------------------- Reyneir Cornelion
Sir James Campbell Wouter Degaldon NB These were
Sir John Ogle The Professor Goel first Participants
Jacob Vandinear
NB. These were the first Jacob Draogbrack
Participants Sir James Coth
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------
French Dutch
----------------------------- ---------------------------------------
Laflour Beharrel
Descamto Sterphin Sterpin
Lebrand Vandebes
Dubertlat Perce
Lera Taffin Taffinder
Legrain Brounyce Brunyou
Damulir Massingal
Morrillion Bou Bay
Rebon Grebolt
Danertion Marquecheir
Clate
Kierby
==============================================================================
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A TRUE COPY
Of the Ancient Deed of John de Mowbray sometime Lord of the Isle of Axholme and
the Honnor of Brember made to the Freeholders there after he had made an
Approvement to himself of the wastes within the Manor of Epworth in the said
Isle as it is now translated out of the French into English by William Ripley
Keeper of the Records in the Tower of London the said Mowbray and His
Predecessors and also Successors he were a long time Lords of the said Manor.
THIS INDENTURE between the thrice honoured Lord Lord Sir John Mowbray Lord of
the Isle of Axholme and of the Honnor of Brember of the one Part Rawlyn of
Brumham John Thetilthorpe, Thomas Melton, Jeoffrey Laundels, Vincent Bavant,
John Gardner, John Cutwolf, Richard of Belwood and John at Hogh, his Tenants of
the Isle of Axholme, and all the Tenants and Resiants within the said Isle on
the other Part, Witnesseth that all the said Tenants and Resiants have
supplicated their said Lord Sir John Mowbray to have remedy against divers
claims touching their rights and divers debates and Grievances to them made by
Ministers of the said Lord Sir John Mowbray upon which Supplication it is agreed
that the said Sir John Lord aforesaid hath granted for him and for his Heirs to
the said Rawlen, William, Roger, John, Thomas, Jeoffrey, Vincent, John, John,
Richard & John, Tenants aforesaid and to ther Heirs and to all having their
Estate or Parcel of their Estate and to all the other Tenants and Resiants
within the Isle of Axholme and to their Heirs and to all that hereafter shall
have their Estate all the things underwritten That is to say - that the said
Sir John nor his Heirs shall not approve any Wastes, Moors, Woods, Waters, nor
make, or shall make any other manner of Approvement of any Part within the said
Isle of Axholme; and that the said Rawlin, William, Roger, John, Thomas,
Jeoffrey, Vincent, John, John Richard and John and their Heirs, and those that
shall have their Estate, and all other Tenants and Resiants within the Isle of
Axholme shall have their Common which is appendant to their Free Tenement
according to that which they have had and used Time out of Mind.
And also that the aforesaid Rawlyn, William, Roger, John, Thomas, Jeoffrey,
Vincent, John, John, Richard and John and their Heirs and all those which have
their Estate or a Parcel of their Estate, shall have, all other the Tenants and
Resiants within the aforesaid Isle may dig in the Moors and Marshes, Turfs,
Trees and Roots found within the soil of the said Moors and Marshes. And that
one Pound containing one half acre be made at the cost of the said Tenants and
maintained hereafter by the said Lord and his Heirs in Belton-Car an one other
in Haxey-Car containing as much, and they be made in places for the most Ease
of the said Tenants. And that no Chase of Beasts of Commoners be made but once
a year and that the said Beasts be not otherwise driven but to the Pound of
the Paster where they shall be taken and there the Beasts of the said Tenants
to be delivered by the Tenants aforesaid, or by their Servants, and Saving
always to the said Tenants and to their Heirs and to their Servants that
they may take their Beasts and receive them in the Drift, or before the Drift,
So that the drift of beasts of Strangers be not thereby disturbed.
And that in the Severalities of the said Lord adjoining to the places in which
they have common which is open and not Inclosed no Beast of the said Tenants
and Commoners to be taken nor Impounded but easily driven out and that the said
Tenants and Resiants and their Heirs and all those which have their Estate or
Parcel of their Estate shall have, may dig and Take Turf or other Earth for the
Walls of their Houses and for all other necessaries of the said Houses and for
to Inclose the walls of their Messuages or Mansions and to dry flags in all the
said Wastes for to cover the Ridges of their Houses and Walls and for bringing
of Trees to repair the River of Trent where cause of Repairing is and to make
them new.
And that the said Rawlyn, William, Roger, John Thomas, Jeoffrey, Vincent, John,
John, Richard and John aforesaid and all other the Tenants and Resiants, their
Heirs and all those which shall have their Estate or Parcel of their Estate be
not for the Future amaced or grieved for default of not appearing to ring their
Swine, and that they may put Hemp to be Rated in all the Waters of the Isle
(except the Skiers which are severed to the use of the said John Mowbray) and
that the said Lord nor his Heirs, nor his Ministers, make no molestation nor
grievances to the Dogs of the forenamed Tenants and Resiants aforesaid, nor to
their Heirs nor to those which shall have their Estate or Parcel of their
Estate, and if they do, the Tenant shall have their Recovery at the common Law.
And that the afsd Rawlin, William, Roger, John, Thomas, Jeoffrey, Vincent, John,
John, Richard and John, Tenants aforesaid and all the other Tenants and Resiants
their Heirs and all those which hereafter shall have their Estates or Parcel
of their Estates, may Fish through all the Water and Wastes of the said Isle
without impediment of the Ministers of the said Lord Sir John Mowbray, Except
the Skiers aforesaid.
And also that they may dig Turf and all other manner of Turf in all of the
Wastes aforesaid to carry and improve their Land at their pleasure, and that
none of the Tenants aforesaid or of their Heirs or of those having their Estate
impeached of Trespass without answer given in Court and then by their Peers to
be fined and taxed if they be Amerciable.
And the said John granteth that all the Tenants and their Heirs and all those
which shall have their Estate which are bound to Inclose the Woods of the Lord,
may take them underwood to make them new Hedges or to repair them, as much as
shall be necessary, that is to say.
...in the places of the said Woods of the said Tenants, their Heirs and those
which shall have their Estate without being Impeached or grieved by the
Ministers of the said John, Granteth for him and all his Heirs that all the
things and Articles aforesaid be of effect and force in the Law as well to
those which are generally named Tenants, and their heirs, as those which shall
have their Estate or Parcel of their Estate, as those which are named by
proper names, and their heirs, and those which shall have their Estate or
Parcel of their Estate.
And if in the articles aforesaid, there be any point which may have divers
Interpretations or Intendment, that it shall be taken to best advantage of the
names of the Tenants aforesaid, and of their heirs, or of those which shall
have their Estates and not otherwise.
Given at our Manor at Epworth the first day of May in the year of the Reign of
Edward the Third after the Conquest Thirty Three.
==============================================================================
This Copy agrees with the Original French Deed Translated and Examined by
William Ripley, Cleark of the Records in the Tower of London.
================================== 1 6 5 2 ===================================
The Freeholders and Commoners had a Tryal, Verdict, Judgement and Execution
upon it at the Exchequer Bar in Michaelmas Term Last, in the name of
Thomas Vavasour, a Gentleman of an Ancient Family, son of Henry Vavasour the
Grandfather, son of Henry Vavasour the Great Grandfather who married Joanne
one of the daughters of Robert M Hall to whom by Partition made between her
and Elizabeth and Mary, her Sisters, the same Place called Belwood did come.
Robert M Hall was son and Heir to Oliver M Hall who was son and Heir of Mary
one of the daughters, and Heir of Thomas Beltoft and Emot his wife to whom by
Partition with Elizabeth her Sister, the said place called Belwood came.
Emot was daughter and Heir to Richard de Belwood who is one of the eleven
specially named in the Deed of Mowbray and Lieth Intombed in the Parish Church
of Belton in a Tombe called Belwood Tombe, and Thomas Vavasour the Grandfather,
desiring upon his death bed to be buried near the same Tombe, was after his
death laid in the Tombe (the Tombe being broken open for that purpose), where
a pair of Slippers was found at the feet of Richard de Belwood, whose bones
are there yet in Lead.
========================= END OF THE STOVIN MANUSCRIPT =======================
5 January 2005
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