Scotland, by King James VI. of that kingdom, by the title of Viscount Dunbar, and Lord Constable, by patent, dated at Newmarket, Nov. 14th, 1620, to him and his heirs male, bearing the names and arms of Constable. This nobleman died, in 1645, of the wounds he received at the siege of Scarbro', and his son John, second Viscount Dunbar, who succeeded him, died in 1666. The latter married Lady Mary Brudenell, only daughter of Thomas, first Earl of Cardigan. Robert, the third Viscount Dunbar, succeeded his father; he married first, Mary, daughter of John, Lord Bellasyse, of Worlaby, Lincolnshire; and secondly, Lady Dorothy Brundenell, third daughter of the Earl of Cardigan. He was succeeded in his title and estate by his brother William, in 1714, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Hugh second Lord Clifford, of Chudleigh, but having no issue by her, his estate, in virtue of a special entail, devolved on his nephew, Cuthbert Tunstall, who took the name of Constable, and the title of Viscount Dunbar has ever since remained dormant, no heir male general having appeared to claim it. William Constable, son and heir of Cuthbert, dying without issue, by will entailed his estates and the Seigniory of Holderness on his nephew, Edward Sheldon, Esq., who in March, 1791, took the name of Constable. He also died without issue, and was succeeded by his brother, Francis Sheldon, Esq., who likewise took the name of Constable, and died without issue.

The next Lord of Holderness who succeeded in the entail was Sir Thomas Hugh Clifford, created a Baronet May 22nd, 1815, at the particular request of Louis XVIII., King of France, as a testimony of the services and attentions received by him, from that gentleman, during his long residence in this country. This nobleman was born Dec. 4th, 1762, and married, June 7th, 1791, Mary Macdonald, second daughter of John Chichester, Esq., of Arlington, Devonshire, and had issue, Sir Thomas Aston, the present Baronet. He took the name of Constable, by royal sign manual, in 1821, and died in February, 1823, when he was succeeded by his son, Sir Thomas Aston Clifford Constable, the present Lord of the Seigniory of Holderness; for which honour he holds his courts at Hedon, where the Corporation are bound by charter to provide him with a hall and prison for the manor of Burstwick, with the hamlets, free warren, and parks thereunto belonging, "commonly called the dominion of Holderness," and in some old deeds styled, the Isle of Holderness. Besides its ancient lords, several other families have held the title of Earl of Holderness, but it became extinct in 1778, on the death of Robert Conyers Darcy, Baron Darcy and Conyers, whose daughter and heiress married the fifth Duke of Leeds.

Holderness Clapentake.

THIS district, which, as we have seen, from the time of the Conquest, has formed a baronial liberty, or Seigniory, is bounded on the north by Dickering Wapentake; on the east by the German Ocean; on the south by the river Humber; and on the west by the river Hull, which separates it from the Wapentake of Harthill. It forms a long crescent figure, presenting its horned side to the sea. Its length from north to south is thirty-seven miles, and its breadth is only from nine to twelve miles. Along the sea coast its cliffs are subject to gradual and continual waste, from the incursions of the foaming billows, which, by washing out the friable substrata, tumble the superincumbent earth into the deep, and are thus supposed to carry away, on an average, from 1 to 24 yards of land annually along the whole coast. "We have travelled on roads, which are now gone," says a recent writer, "and have seen the venerable churches of Owthorne and Kilnsea, the former of which was ingulphed in the ocean in 1816, and the latter in 1826." The town of Ravenspurne and several villages, which have been washed away, and have left not a "wreck behind," will be noticed at a subsequent page. There is a tradition that Hornsea was once ten miles from the sea.

Holderness is generally a champaign district, encompassed by the ocean and the rivers Humber and Hull, sinking into low marshes and cultivated fens near the rivers, and rising on its eastern side, by swelling undulations, towards the sea. The Wapentake is in three bailiwicks, or divisionsmiddle, north, and south-and its area, according to the Parliamentary returns, is 160,470 acres. It comprises 46 parishes, subdivided into 84 townships, but there are only two small market towns-Hedon and Patrington. The farmers and graziers however find a ready sale for their produce at Hull and Beverley, which lie near its western limits on the opposite side of the river Hull. The latter is navigable for small craft, and has a canal branching eastward to Leven, and another extending northward, from Frodingham to Driffield. The soil, agriculture, &c., are already noticed in the description of the East Riding, in the beginning of the first volume of this history.

HOLDERNESS SOUTH DIVISION. - This division or bailiwick of the Wapentake of Holderness contains the parishes of Burstwick, Easington, Halsham, Hollym, Holmpton, Keyingham, Kilnsea, Ottringham, Owthorne (part of), Patrington, Paull, Skeffling, Sunk Island, Welwick, and Winestead. The names of places in Holderness may generally be found in a Saxon origin. BURSTWICK. This parish comprises the townships of Burstwick-cumSkeckling and Ryhill-cum-Camerton. The manor of Burstwick was always retained by the Lords of the Seigniory of Holderness in their own hands, whether in the Crown, or in the hands of a subject; and there was situated the great baronial Castle of the Earls of Albemarle, although the first lord resided at Skipsea, and those of later years at Burton Constable. The manor was of great extent, and was in the hands of our Kings at the several periods the Seigniory escheated to the Crown. The public records of the kingdom adduce several proofs of royal visits to Holderness.

Edward I. was at his royal park at Burstwick, on the 9th and 11th of November, 1309. In 1339, King Edward granted the custody of his parks, in the manor of Brustwyk, to William Dale, according to letters patent. In 1347, John d'Arcy, called John d' Arci le Fitz, had the custody of the King's liberty of Holderness, as also of the manor of Brustwyke, with its members. In 1356, King Edward III. bestowed on William de la Pole "the inheritance of that great manor of Brustwyke, in Holderness, with its members." Rymer, in his Fœdera, has preserved the special directions given concerning the treatment of the Countess of Carrick, Queen of Robert Bruce of Scotland, . who was consigned to Richard Oysel, steward of the royal manor of Holderness, after the defeat of her noble husband (34th Edward I., 1306.)*

Edward II. visited Holderness several times. In July, 1323, several state papers were signed by him at Burstwick.

In law phraseology, the ancient name of this parish, Skeckling, or Skeckling-cum-Burstwick, is still kept up, but with the exception of a small onearched bridge across a stream in the village, called Skeckling Bridge, and an adjoining field, called Skeckling Close, the name is altogether practically obsolete. The area of the entire parish is 5,270 acres, and the principal landowners are Sir T. A. Clifford Constable, Bart. (Lord of the Manor); Mr. Robt. Burnham, Burstwick; Mr. Farmer, London; Raikes, Esq., Hull; Anthony Bannister, Esq., Paull; and Mr. Samuel Holmes, Kelsey Hill. Amount of assessed property, £9,141. Population of Burstwick-cum-Skeck

* She was to have with her a lady and a woman for her chamber, "who may be of good age, and not gay;" two pages, "who shall be also of good age, and prudent;" one of them to carve for her; "a foot-boy to wait in her chamber, one who is sober and not riotous, to make her bed, and do other offices pertaining to her chamber;" a valet, "who shall be of good bearing, and discreet to keep her keys, and serve in the pantry and cellar;" and a cook. She was also allowed three greyhounds for her recreation in the warren at Burstwick, "and in the parks when she chuseth;" to have venison in the park, and fish in the fisheries, "according as she shall be inclined;" and she was to reside in the best house in the manor, at her pleasure.-Rymer, vol. ii., p. 1013.

ling township, 509; and of the whole parish, 745 souls. The tithes were commuted at the enclosure in 1773.

The Living is a Vicarage, valued in the Liber Regis at £7., and now worth about £280. It is in the patronage of the Lord of the Manor, and incumbency of the Rev. F. B. King. The Church (All Saints) was erected about the early part of the 14th century, and is a handsome spacious edifice in the Gothic style of architecture; restored and beautified in 1853, with much taste and at considerable outlay. It consists of a nave with a north aisle, a chancel with a north aisle, a chapel on the south side of the nave, forming half a transept, and a lofty square embattled tower at the west end. The south side of the nave has a modern brick porch, and the windows are almost all square headed. The chancel was rebuilt by the patron, who is the lay Rector, about fifteen years ago. On Thursday, the 17th of June, 1853, a new gilded weathercock, surmounted by a globe and cross, was added to this church, on which occasion the venerable patriarch of the village, John Jackson, aged 92 years (since dead), ascended the narrow spiral staircase to witness its adjustment by the sun. The interior is very neat; the aisle of ⚫the nave is divided from it by four pointed arches resting on octagonal columns. The western arch of the tower, which previous to the late reparations was built up with brick work, is now open, and within it is the organ, placed on a low screen of very elaborate workmanship, built by Mr. F. Webster, architect, Hedon, so as to allow a large stained glass window to show above it. This is a great improvement to the general appearance of the interior. The east window of the chancel is of five lights, one of which is filled with stained glass, executed by Wailes, and erected in memory of the late Rev. W. Clarke (who was for upwards of forty years Vicar of this parish), by Mrs. King, wife of the present Vicar. Most of the other windows are either filled or decorated with coloured glass. Over the communion table are two ancient pictures of Moses and Aaron, and an allegorical representation of the Lord's Supper. In the chancel is a plain sedilia, and the remains of the piscina; and suspended beneath the chancel arch is a gilded chandelier of oak, the gift of the present Vicar. The ceiling of the chancel is flat, and by the removal of the underdrawing, the handsome oak roof of the nave has been restored to view. The font has a handsome Gothic top, carved by Mr. F. Webster. The south chapel, which is open to the nave by a pointed arch, is of much beauty, with clustered columns, and the well preserved remains of the sedilia. The tower contains only one bell, but of great size, weighing 17 cwt., which was recast in 1817. New gates have lately been added to the churchyard, which has also received some considerable augmentation in size.

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The Vicarage House is a good substantial residence, the grounds and arrangements of which have lately been very much improved.

The Village is neat and pleasant, and stands about nine miles E. by S. from Hull, and three S.E. from Hedon. The northern part of the village is the ancient hamlet of Skeckling, and is separated from Burstwick by a stream or drain, across which is the above-mentioned Skeckling Bridge. The church and the Vicarage are in Skeckling. A short distance from the village is a Station on the Hull and Holderness Railway. The School is endowed with £15. per ann., left by the Rev. William Clarke, late Vicar, in 1852. Here are also places of worship for the Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists.

"The site of the Castle of the Earls of Albemarle is said to have been visible on an eminence in the south park, with a moat surrounding it, in 1782," writes Mr. Poulson, in the History of Holderness; "but it is doubtful whether the moat may not be that which surrounded the old house which stood inclosed within it, and which forms nearly a square, comprising about four acres of land; the moat, although in some measure filled up, is easily defined. There were also the sites of two or more fish-ponds to the south of the moat, but below the hill. Previously to 1722, there were still many head of deer in the south park."* The same writer says, "In the south park, in Mr. William Constable's time, there still remained an old oak, thirty-six feet in circumference, and in which twelve persons could dine; and there were in the recollection of living persons several other trees, or rather trunks of trees, of lesser circumference."

Burstwick is very elevated, and from some parts of the parish there are most extensive views. Louth Church, in Lincolnshire, may be seen from Burstwick Garth.

We shall briefly notice the principal farms in this parish, the buildings on some of which are very commodious and respectable.

South Park farm is now in the occupation of Mr. Samuel Robinson. The house is an ancient brick building. North Park House is a neat brick building, erected in 1842-3. The site of the ancient house is now converted into garden ground, and is moated round. On the north-east side of the

* The Royal Park at Burstwick assisted to supply the larder of some of our Kings in London with venison, as appears from a payment of £2. 1s. 4d., made to Rd. Oysel, the keeper of the manor, for his disbursements respecting three doles of venison taken in that park, and four doles of venison taken in the forest of Sherwood, which were sent by water from Hull to London, in the reign of Edward I. These disbursements consisted of the cost of salt to preserve the venison, the freight of a vessel to carry it to London, and the wages of a boy to take care of it while on board of the ship. - Wardrobe's Account of the Reign of Edward I., 28 vo., fol. 53.

VOL. II.

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