altar platform. At some time, probably later than the time when the chapel was built, the roof has been underdrawn with boards, which have been painted a turquoise blue colour; but about half have been ripped off. "The chapel is built of squared stones, and it is probable that if a little care had been taken to keep it in decent repair it might have lasted a long time. Messrs. Poole & Hugall, in their book on The Churches of Scarborough, Filey, and the Neighbourhood, published in 1848, speak of it as in good condition, and give a picture of the lichgate, which must be one of the oldest in the North of England, where they only have been introduced in modern times. The lichgate has been built of smaller and rougher stones than the chapel itself. The roof has entirely disappeared, except three timbers. The side posts and lintel of the gate itself remain. There have been no seats in the gateway, or stone upon which to rest the corpse. The height of the doorway, from the under-side of the lintel to the ground, is 6 feet 4 inches; the width of the doorway, 5 feet 1 inches." The inscription, commemorating the foundation, is on a slate slab, surrounded by a stone border, which stone border, which is quite plain on three sides, but on the top side takes the form of a projecting cornice, and is affixed to the east wall of the chapel, on the south side of the east window. The following is a copy: "WHEN SR THOMAS POSTHVMVS HO[BY] KNIGHT PROVIDED THAT HIS ASSIGNE (VNTO WHOM HE HATH IN REVERSION AFTER HIS OWNE DEATH) AND HIS HEIRES & ASSIGNES SHALL FOR EVER FINDE ONE SVFFICIENT PREACHER TO PREACH GODS WORD, AND TO CATECHYSE After his wife's death, in September, 1633, Hoby erected a monument, now on the south wall of the chancel of Hackness Church, as a testimony to their entire mutual affection to one another. It is 57 inches high by 574 inches wide, and consists of a black marble tablet, 35 inches by 35 inches, bearing the inscription given below, which is surrounded by a white marble border. This border has a seeded rose in each corner, and the arms of Hoby impaling Dakins in the centre of each of its four sides. The top and bottom portions of the border have a small rectangular panel of black marble, 113 by 24 inches, on either side of the coat of arms. That portion of the border, on either side of the monument, has the head of a cherub enveloped with wings in the place of the marble panel. The inscription on the monument is as follows: THE LADY MARGARET HOBY, LATE WIFE OF SR THOMAS POSTHVMVS HOBY KNIGHT, AND SOLE DAVGHTER & HEIRE OF ARTHVRE DAKINS ESQR BY AFTER SHE HAD LIVED SEVEN & THIRTY YEARES & ONE MONETH BAND IN MVTVALL ENTIRE AFFECTION TO BOTH THEIR EXTRAORDINARY COMFORTES AND HAD FINISHED THE WOORK THAT GOD HAD SENT HER INTO THIS WORLD TO PERFORME AND AFTER SHE HAD ATTAINED VNTO THE BEGINING OF THE SIXTY THIRD YEARE OF HER AGE ON THE FOVRTH DAY OF THE SEVENTH MONETH OF THAT YEARE, IT WAS THE WILL OF ALMIGHTY GOD TO CALL HER AND HER BODY WAS BV FOVRTH OF THIS VALE OF MISERIE; RYED IN THIS CHANCELL, ON THE SIXT DAY OF THE SAME MONETH (BEINGE SEPTEMBER ANo 1633) SOE NEER VNTO THE BODIES OF HER SAYDE FATHER; AND OF HER SAYDE MO THER (WCH WAS INTERRED BY HER SAYDE FATHERS BODIE ON THE THIRTEENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER AN° 1613) AS THAT ALL THREE WILL BECOME BVT ONE HEAPE OF DVSTE. WHILST THIS LADY REMAINED IN THIS NATVRALL LIFE SHE HELDE ACONSTANT RELI GIOVS COVRSE IN PERFORMINGE FAITHFVLL CHILD OF THE DVTIES REQUIRED OF EVERY GOD BOTH IN THEIR PVBLIKE AND PRIVATE CALLINGS: NOT ONLY BY PROPAGATINGE HIS HOLY WORD IN ALL PLACES WHERE SHE HAD POWER BVT ALSOE BY EXERCISINGE HER SELFE DAYLY IN ALL OTHER PERTICVLER CHRISTIAN DVTIES, AND ENDEVOURES TO PER FORME THE WHOLE WILL OF GOD THROUGH HER FAITHE IN CHRIST THE FRVITES WHEROF WERE DAILY REAPED BY SVNDRY OF THE FAITHFVLL SERVANTES OF God, (ASWELL STRANGERS VNTO HER, AS OF HER OWN KINRED & ALLIES) WHOSE WANTES WERE LARGELY SVPPLIED BY HER CHRISTIAN CHARITIE AND ALL SVCH AS WERE EYE WITNESSES OF HER GODLY MANNER OF LYFE AND CONVERSATION AND OF GODS GREAT MERCY SHEWED VNTO HER IN HER LASTE SICKNES BY GIVINGE VNTO HER MEMORY TO PRAY VNTO HIM: AND IN THE MANNER OF SEPE RATINGE HER SOVLE FROM HER BODIE WITH SOE LITTLE BODILY ASSVRED HOPE FIXED IN THEIR HEARTES THAT HER FVTVRE RESVRRECTION WILL BE ΤΟ INHERIT THAT ETERNALL HABITATION IN GODS HEAVEN [L]Y OF HER ONLY SAVIOVR IESUS CHRIST, TO ΕΝΙΟΥ AFTER HER DEP[AR]TVRE OVTE OF THIS MORTALL LYFE, AS THE CROWNE OF THAT FAITH WHICH SHE PROFESSED AND PRACTIZED HEER ON EARTHE. NON ERO VOBISCVM DONEC DEVS IPSE VOCABIT: TVNC CINERES VESTROS CONSOCIABO MEIS. THOMAS POSTHVMVS HOBY. It seems probable Hoby spent a large amount of money on his wife's property, and felt justified in persuading her, after a great deal of importunity and solicitation, to settle the manor and rectory of Hackness and her other lands upon herself and her husband and their heirs, with remainder over to his own heirs. The agreement, by which Hoby and his wife agreed with Ralph Sutton and William VOL. XVII. G Chapman to levy a fine for this purpose, was executed on July 27, 8 Car. I (1632). There was in the deed a proviso enabling him to make such revocation thereof as he should please. She died in September, 1633. Before her death she expressed a wish to sell all her property except Everley, to raise money to be disposed amongst her kindred and for other charitable purposes, at the discretion of her husband; 100li. being for the use of her kinswoman, Thomasine, wife of James Danby. With the object of carrying out her intention, about a month after her decease, he conveyed the lands to John Chapman, a relative of his wife, in trust, to raise 2,700li. for this purpose; but Chapman becoming by a debauched course of life. altogether unmeet to stand any longer trusted, Hoby brought actions in the Courts of Wards and of Chancery against him and his father, William Chapman, to have the conveyance set aside. The defendants agreed to reconvey the property, saving the estate of John Chapman and his wife, Katherine, in Harwood Dale, where he (Chapman) was to find a preaching minister at the new chapel. However, when the deed was ready for execution, the defendants denied that there ever had been any such agreement, and in their answer in the new suit, brought by Hoby against them in the Court of Chancery, William Chapman alleged that Hoby had promised him a lease for seven years, at a very reasonable rate, of a fair messuage, called Nettlehead, but that since the agreement the plaintiff had ruinated a fair house which was upon the premises, and carried away a great part of the materials. Ultimately judgment in the suit was given on Tuesday, October 22, 1639, by Lord Coventry, keeper of the Great Seal, assisted by the Chief Justice of the King's Bench and the Chief Baron, when it was decreed that the agreement should be performed by both parties, and that all suits in the Star Chamber or elsewhere should cease. Before Hoby had recovered the property he proceeded to carry out his wife's wishes, and, amongst other of her kindred, paid to Thomasine Danby 100li.; but to guard against the money being wasted, as it had been by Chapman, took a bond for that amount from her husband, James Danby, payable at the end of twelve months. This took place in April, 1638. Shortly before the money became due Danby went to see Hoby on the subject, and was told that, as he had a good report of him, the hundred pounds would not be recalled. Hoby desired Danby and his wife not to make themselves strangers to him, as he had a kind respect towards them, and all other his deceased lady's kindred that were hopeful. Afterwards he distributed further portions of the 2,700l. to his wife's kindred, but always took bonds for the sums so paid. |