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The fief was divided into three portions, viz.:-(1) The Fief of Kilton proper; (2) the Lordship of Hinderwell; (3) the Kirkleatham property.

THE FIEF OF KILTON PROPER contained the two manors of Kilton, the two manors of Torp or Kilton Thorpe, the manor of Little Moorsholm, and the soke of South Lofthouse.

THE CAPITAL MANOR OF KILTON is thus described in the Survey :

Terra Regis. Nort Reding. Langeberg Wapent. Manerium. In Chilton Turchil iii carucatas terre ad geldum. Ibi viii acre prati.

This manor was given to Alan de Percy by Henry I about 1104, when the King also gave him the Mortain manor of Kilton.

THE MORTAIN MANOR OF KILTON is thus described in the Survey:

Terra Comitis Moritoniensis. In Chilton ad geldum i carucata et dimidia caruca potest arare. Ibi Vctred habuit i manerium. Nunc habet Comes Robertus et wastum est.

What were the original boundaries of these two ancient manors is now quite uncertain. At a very early date, probably about 1135, a mill was built on the site of the present Kilton Mill, and is mentioned in the Inquests p. m. of the Thweng lords.

THE ROYAL MANOR OF TORP (Kilton Thorp) was granted to Alan de Percy by the King at the same time as the royal manor of Kilton, and is thus described in the Survey, viz.:

Terra Regis. Manerium. In Torp Turchil ii carucatas terre et dimidiam ad geldum. Terra ad i carucam.

THE MORTAIN MANOR OF TORP described in the Survey:

of Whitby. William de Percy I had issue,
by his wife Emma de Porte, four sons-
Alan, second feudal baron, the founder
of the Kilton fief (obiit circa 1131),
Walter, Richard, lord of Dunsley, and
William, a monk (see the Percy pedigree,
given p. 682-683 note, Cartalarium
Abbatha de Whiteby, vol. 2). It seems
improbable that Walter, the
holder of what subsequently became
known as the fief of Kilton, in the
barony of Percy, was the second son
of William de Percy I, for had this
been the case he would, almost certainly
have retained the family name. If

first

(Kilton Thorp) is thus

related to the Percies, and it seems improbable that he would have received so comparatively large a fief had this not been the case, he may have been an illegitimate son of William de Percy I.

1 Sometime about 1216, de Mauley, Baron of Mulgrave, the principal adherent in Cleveland of King John against the baronial party, seems to have compelled Alta Ripa, then lord of the Kilton fief, to give him the Mortain manor of Thorp, containing 1 carucates of land. this came about there is nothing to show; but that it did occur is certain, and this small manor was, previous to

How

Terra Comitis Moritoniensis. In Torp ad geldum i carucata et dimidia et i caruca potest esse. Ibi habuit Vctred i manerium. Nunc habet Comes et wastum est.

These four small manors comprised the present township of Kilton (1,723 acres), and aggregated eight carucates, giving an average of about 215 acres per carucate. Of the ancient boundaries of the four manors it is impossible to say anything definitely.

THE MORTAIN MANOR OF LITTLE MOORSOM is thus described in the Survey :

"Terra Comitis Moritoniensis. In Alia Morehusum ad geldum i carucata et dimidia caruca potest arare. Ibi Vctred habuit i manerium. Nunc habet Ricardus (de Surdeval) de Comite et wastum est. Totam dimidiam leucam longum et ii quarantenas latum."

This small manor was granted by one of the early lords of Kilton in subinfeudation to a family who took their name from the place, and were known as the de Alia Moresums. Their residence stood on the site now occupied by the house known as Little Moorsholm Farm. This family were benefactors, with the consent of their over-lords, to the Priory of Guisborough and the hospital of Hutton.

The manor was of no great value. "Est apud Lyttel Moresom unium messuagium," i.e. the farmstead of the Alia Moresoms, " et una carucata terrae debilis et morosae "—the moors seem to have extended further southwards than they do to-day" continens lx acras de quibus duae partes possunt quoet anno seminari cum utroque semine precium acre iid et tertia pars inde jacet quolibet anno in warecto et pastura inde nichil valet quia jacet in communi." (Inq. p. m. Wm. de Thweng, 1341.)

This is interesting, as showing the method of cultivation adopted.

THE CHESTER SOKE OF SOUTH LOFTUS.-A considerable portion of the lordship of Locthusum (Lofthouse) was granted, soon after the Survey, by the then owner, the Earl of Chester, to William de Percy, and the soke of South Lofthouse, which from the Percy feodary appears to have contained six carucates of land, was, at an early date, incorporated in the fief of Kilton.

1230, subinfeuded by the Mauleys to a junior branch of the Nevill family, and was never regained by the lords of Kilton. In Kirkby's Inquest, Ranulph

de Nevill is named as holding certain lands in Wilton, Lackenby, Kilton Thorp, and Ellerby under Peter de Mauley, Baron of Mulgrave.

The Kilton fief proper, therefore, consisted in all of six manors, five lying on the west and one on the east side of the Kilton beck, and aggregating in all fifteen carucates of land.

THE LORDSHIP OF HINDERWELL. This lordship extended over some 4,684 acres, and comprised the whole of the present parish of Hinderwell-cum-Roxby (4,905 acres), with the exception of the berewic of Bergebi, consisting of one carucate. In addition, the soke of Boulby, which had originally formed part of the Earl of Chester's lordship of Lofthouse, and which had, soon after the Survey, been given by him to William de Percy, was included in the Hinderwell lordship, bringing the total area up to some 5,200 acres.

Various portions of this extensive lordship were, at an early date, granted by the lords of Kilton in subinfeudation to different families.

According to Kirkby's Inquest (1284), the heirs of Robert de Seton held the manor of Hinderwell, Adam de Seton the manor of Seaton, and Wm. de Bovington that of Roxby, all under the Thwengs, whilst the families of Wyrkfauke and Dalehaus are mentioned in the Inq. p. m. of Thomas de Thweng (48 Edward III) as holding lands in the lordship under the barons of Kilton.1

When, about 1106, Walter came into possession of the Hinderwell lordship, there were two churches upon the property, one at Seaton and the other, in ruins, at Hinderwell.

The Seaton church stood about a quarter of a mile east of Seaton Hall, and on its site three stone coffins and human bones were found some fifty years ago, one of the former bearing interlaced Anglo-Saxon sculpture. The church was probably abandoned about 1140, and allowed to go to ruin.

The Hinderwell church stood on the site of the modern cemetery of Hinderwell, the supposed dimensions of the consecrated ground attached to it being now marked out by stones

1 The Wyrkfaukes were settled in the parish of Hinderwell at an early date, probably so soon as 1120, as feudatories of the de Kyltons. The name is spelt in different ways, Wyrkfauk, Wirfauc, Wirfald, Wirfaud, etc.; and they were still resident in the parish in 1662, when the name is spelt Worfolk. In the Inq. p. m. Thomae de Thweng (48 Edward III), Roger de Wyrkfauk is mentioned as holding lands in Hinderwell under the lords of Kilton. Wm. Wirfaud gave half a carucate of land with a house at Hinderwell (Charter No. 426, Cart. Abbat. de Whiteby), and

two bovates of land in the same place
(Ibid., No. 429) to Whitby Abbey,
' concedente filio meo Willelmo." This
son William gave 4 perches square of
meadow in Gildhustofts between Ellerby
and Hinderwell to the Abbey (Ibid.,
No. 100), and his son Osbert Wirfauck
gave half a carucate of land in Hinderwell
to the same house (Ibid., No. 428).
William of Ochetun, another feudatory
of the de Kyltons in Hinderwell, gave a
toft in that place to provide for a light
before the altar at Whitby Abbey (Ibid.,
No. 227).

at the angles. It was in ruins when Walter came into possession of the property.

Historical inferences would seem to point to the fact that Walter resided at Vctred's manor-house of Seaton, which had probably been rebuilt or repaired by Sir Richard de Surdeval, who, previous to 1104, held the manor of Seaton under the Earl of Mortain. The house almost certainly stood on the site of the present farmstead known as Seaton Hall, and subsequently became the residence of a junior branch of the de Kyltons of Kilton, who assumed the name of de Seton from that of their residence, and who held considerable property in the lordship of Hinderwell as feudatories of the de Kyltons and their successors, the de Thwengs.

The lordship of Hinderwell comprised the manors of Hinderwell, Seaton, and Roxby, and the sokes of Boulby, Arnodestorp, Roxby, Hinderwell, and Rescheltorp.

THE PERCY MANOR OF HINDERWELL is thus described in the Survey:

"

Terra Willelmi de Perci.

Manerium. In Hildreuelle habuit Norman iiii carucatas terre et vi bouates ad geldum. Ubi possunt esse ii caruce et dimidia. Willelmus habet et wastum est. Prati acre xiii. T.R.E. ualebat Xx solidos. Soca. In Arnodestorp est soca pertinens ad Hildreuelle x bouatarum terre ad geldum et i caruca potest ibi esse.

THE MORTAIN MANOR OF SEATON is thus described in the Survey :

"Terra Comitis Moritoniensis. In Scetun ad geldum iii carucate et ii (caruce) possunt esse. Ibi habuit Vctred i manerium. Nunc habet Ricardus (de Surdeval) de Comite (Moritoniensis). In dominio i caracata et vi villani cum ii carucis et dimidia ecclesia. Totum manerium i leucam longum. et dimidiam latum. T.R.E. x solidos ualebat. Modo similiter. Ad hoc manerium iacet soca in Roscebi ii carucatarum ad geldum et ii caruca possunt esse. Silua pastilis i leucam longa et iiii quarantenas lata. Totum Roscebi ii leucas longum et dimidiam leucam latum. Vctred tenet."

THE CHESTER SOKES.-The Earl of Chester, at the time of the Survey, held two sokes in the present parish of Hinderwell belonging to his lordship of Lofthouse. These, soon after 1087, were granted by him to William de Percy first, and were incorporated in the original fief of Kilton. They are thus described in the Survey :

"Terra Comitis Hugonis (Cestrenisi). Hinderwell. Ad hoc manerium (Lochusum) pertinet soca hec . . . . . Roscheltorp (i carucate) . . . . Hildreuelle (x bouatarum) .. Bollebi

(ii carucatarum)."

The last-mentioned was not in the parish of Hinderwell, but formed part of the new lordship.

THE ROYAL MANOR OF ROXBY. When Henry I gave Alan de Percy the Mortain lands in Hinderwell, he also gave him the small royal manor of Roxby, which was then incorporated in the Kilton fief, and is thus described in the Survey:Terra Regis. Manerium. In Roxebi. Norman i carucatam terre. Terra ad i carucam."

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The lordship of Hinderwell aggregated 14 carucates and 4 bovates of land, and was the largest portion of the fief.

THE KIRKLEATHAM PROPERTY.-The lords of Kilton held about one-third of the parish of Kirkleatham, the remaining two-thirds being subsequently owned by the Priory of Guisborough. They were, however, patrons of the parish church.

THE PERCY MANOR OF WESTLIDE (Kirkleatham) is thus described in the Survey :

"Terra Willelmi de Perci. Manerium. In Westlide habuit Norman iiii carucatas terre ad geldum. Ubi possunt esse ii caruce. Nunc habet Willelmus. Ibi i sochmannum et vii bordarios cum i caruca. Ibi presbiter et ecclesia et vi acre prati. T.R.E. ualebat

x solidos. Modo v solidos et iiii danarios."

THE CHESTER SOKE OF WESTLIDE (Kirkleatham).—Attached to the Earl of Chester's manor of Lofthouse was a soke in the parish of Kirkleatham, where the town of Coatham now stands. It was given by the Earl to William de Percy, and incorporated in the fief of Kilton. It consisted of two carucates.

All guide books dealing with Cleveland, including works with a general circulation, such as Bulmer's North Yorkshire, accept as gospel, without any inquiry, the ludicrous and utterly inaccurate statements of the history of Kilton Castle contained in Graves' and Ord's Histories of Cleveland. But the task of compiling a really valuable history of any district is one that cannot be undertaken by one man, and would need the combined efforts of half a dozen specialists on various periods.

"Kilton Castle," records the ordinary guide - book, "was built by Robert de Brus in the reign of Stephen, and descended by marriage to the Thwengs." This manor was granted by

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