Aughton.info

Pre-Dissolution

Ellerton Priory was granted the church and rectory of Aughton, by the Del Hay family, in the early 13th century. Before then, the church of Ellerton  was a chapel of Aughton. In 1230, the corn tithe of Laytham and the tithes of Willitoft were granted to Mr. Gentilius, clerk, vicar of Aughton, with the assent of Roger de Thirkleby, the rector of Aughton, and Roger Hay, the patron.

For around 50 years in the early 15th century the rectorship of Ellerton was held by the prior and Convent of Ellerton, as a body corporate, and they appointed not a rector, but a 'warden' to take custody of the church and rectorship. The last warden was John Sharow, who had been appointed in 1432. After this date no further rectors of Aughton are named, and the Priory appointed vicars instead, who were often, if not always, brothers of the Priory.

As some point, the chapelry of East Cottingwith became attached to the rectorship of Ellerton.

Dissolution

In the valuation of Ellerton Priory just prior to the Dissolution (the Valor Ecclesiasticus), the assets of the Priory included:

Exitus rectorie de Aughton in man’ dictis prioris viz in decimis ganorum & feni sing’ anis
[Issues of the rectory of Aughton in the hand of the said Prior, namely in tithes of grain and hay] worth yearly £10 13s. 4d.

Exitus agn’ & lani decimal’ sing’lis anis
[Issues of lambs and wool] worth yearly £4 13s. 4d.

Oblacoibus & minut’ decimis cum profic’ libri quadragesimalis sing’lis annis
[Oblations and petty tithes with the profits of the Lenten Book] worth yearly 53s. 4d.

Among the Suppression Documents (Paper Surveys, p. 401.) the farms of tithes of North banke in Aughton, of Ellerton and Estcottingwith, were worth 27s. 8d. 

Post Dissolution

The Lands and Spiritualia of the dissolved priory were listed shortly after the Dissolution (22 April 1538 - 21 April 1540) in the Ministers' and Receivers' Accounts (SC 6/HenVIII/4560) and included: 

m.4.

Sprititualia:

Farms of tithes of Aughton rectory, tithes and “lez thraves” in Spaldyngton and Wyllowtofte, tithes in Ceytan, tithes belonging to the chapel of Lathome, “lez thraves” of Bubwith and a house in Aughton called “le vycarege” with “le lenten boke” and oblations of Est Cottyngwith.

On the 9th March, 1539/40 John Herbert of Ellerton was granted the site of Ellerton Priory, Ridding Grange, certain tithes in Aughton, and the rectory of Ellerton and EstCottingwith [L&P 15, Aug. Book 212, f.70b]. Herbert had been the 'keeper' of Ellerton Priory during its dissolution [L&P 13 pt. 2 entry 1172, pages 486-7]. In 1546 he was appointed to be the bailiff and collector of all the former lands of Ellerton Priory [L&P 21 pt. 1, Aug. Book 236, f.158b].

Herbert had his lease renewed on the 17th Feb, 1561/2, for 21 years, and the description in the Calendar was more informative concerning 'certain tithes in Aughton',  [CPR 3-5 Eliz, Vol 2, page 181]. The lease included the 'tithes of hay of Northbancke in Aughton'.

Although Herbert had been granted the oblations of the Lent Book of Spaldington and Willitoft (the detached parts of the parish of Aughton that lay physically within the parish of Bubwith), the tithes of those two places were excluded. Peter Vavasour of Willitoft had been leased the tithes of Spaldington and Willitoft and the crosprisauntes (corse-presents, or mortuary, a traditional payment paid to the parish priest at the funeral of the deceased, usually the second best beast), parcel of the rectory of Aughton, for 44 years, by Robert, the Prior and Convent of Ellerton, by indenture dated the 18th May, 1532. This lease Peter Vavasour surrendered to the crown by deed dated 24th March, 1570/71, and the crown granted him a new 11 year lease a few weeks later on the 16th May, 1571. 

Also in 1571, on the 20th December, Herbert's lease was terminated, 10 years into his 21 year lease. The reasons for this are not currently known, and a new 21 year lease was then granted to Richard Greames alias Gares. Again, the new lease the tithes of hay of Northbanke, parcel of the Rectory of Aughton, once of Ellerton Priory. Fuller details of this lease can be found under East Cottingwith Tithes.

In 1581 the Greames, alias Gares, lease was terminated, and a new 50 year lease was granted to Sir Robert Constable, the queen's servant, for services. This lease lasted a mere 8 years, as on the 11th February, 1589, the crown sold the lands and the tithes of hay in Northbank to Henry , earl of Huntingdon, in fee simple.

Evidence for the disposition of the greater part of the tithes of Aughton, appertaining to the rectory, following the Dissolution, are lacking. However, it is clear that by 1609 the rectory was in the hands of Sir Hugh Bethell.

In the will of Sir Hugh Bethell, dated the 7th February 1609/10, the following bequest was made: 

I will and give to the poor people who shall be placed in my Almes House at Ellerton the sum of sixteen pounds of lawful money with twelve loads of turves to be taken yearlie of the moor called Nought Moorhill in Ellerton the said yearlie rent to be taken and paid out of the Rectorie and parsonage of Aughton with the glebe land of the said parsonage and of the profits of one close called the Cross Flatt in Aughton.

Sir Hugh did not bequeath the rectory of Aughton in his will, but it it clear that he held it at the writing of his will, or more likely it was being held by his daughter Grisell, and her husband, Sir John Wray, for the use of Sir Hugh, with remainder to Grisell and Sir John, probably as part of Grisell's marriage settlement (currently not found).

Commonwealth Survey of 1651

During the Commonwealth Survey held at Beverley on the 25 November 1651, it was reported by the Commissioners that the tythes of Aughton were the inheritance of Sir John Wray and were worth thirty pounds yearly. 

Lambeth Palace Library, COMM XIIa/17, page 366.

Tithe file

IR 18/11470

The file has been heavily ‘weeded’. It contains two letters from Charles Howard, the Assistant Tithe Commissioner, to the Tithe Commissioners:

11th March 1841

In this letter Howard reports on the meeting held on the 22nd February, 1841, for awarding the total rent-charge. He told the Commissioners that the township contained about 1,869 acres, of which 1,693 acres were owned by the respective Landowners, and the tithes over the remaining 276 acres were owned by Mr. (James) Fletcher, whose agent agreed with the landowners at 3s/9d per acre, thus making the meeting very amicable. He further reported that he had had a good deal of trouble with the other tithe owners, mosty of whom imagined that their lands were tithe-free.

29th May, 1841

The second letter reports on a meeting held on the 27th last, to hear any objections to the Rent-Charge in lieu of Tithes. The copy award had been deposited at the house of Robert Maltby in Aughton on the 25th April last and notices placed on the Maltby’s door, and on the door of the Parish Church by Thomas Gillah. He noted that the Vicar of Aughton had contended that 19 acres of Glebe was tithe-free, but that he showed no proof of this. There were no further objections, and the copy award was enclosed:

Copy Award

And whereas I have duly considered all the allegations and proofs tendered to me by all parties interested and have myself made all inquiries touching the premised subject which appeared to me to be necessary And whereas I find that the estimated quantity in statute measure of all the lands of the said township which are subject to payment of tithes amount to 409 acres and 1 rood, which are cultivated as follows:-

Arable Land: 384 acres, 1 rood, 0 perch

Meadow or pasture: 25 acres, 0 rood, 0 perch

The residue of land amounted to 1,459 acres, 3 roods and 16 perches and was described in the attached Schedule A and the tithes had been merged by the respective landowners in the lands.

The Assistant Commissioner also found that James Fletcher of Rams House near Ash, Kent, was improprietor of all the tithes arising from lands in Schedule B; and the respective landowners mentioned in Schedule C were severally the improprietors of all the tithes arising from their respective lands.

Schedule A

Landowner	A	R	P
James Fletcher esq.	1031	1	39
Henry Preston esq.	156	1	17
Charles Weddall esq.	80	0	0
Thomas Lodington Fairfax and William Stephenson esq.	192	0	0
Total	1459	3	16

Schedule B

Landowner	Occupiers	A	R	P
Henry Preston esq.	George Giles	80	3	13
	James Collins	54	1	6
Henry Thomas Bridges	William Knapton	52	3	10
George Elland	William Mosley	30	0	0
James Walker and William Wilkinson	George Precious	5	0	0
Sir Bethell Codrington Baronet	Thomas Gillah	53	1	11
	Total	276	1	0

Schedule C

Landowners and Tithe Owners	A	R	P
Rev. John Graham	92	0	0
The Vicar of Aughton	19	0	0
Samuel Walker and William Wilkinson	23	0	0
Henry Preston esq.	156	1	17
Charles Weddall esq.	80	0	0
Thomas Lodington Fairfax and William Stephenson esq.	192	0	0

Tithe Apportionment

IR 29/41/7

The tithe apportionment begins with a copy of the Tithe Award, and is identical to the copy award in the Tithe File above, then the Apportionment Schedule follows. The Apportionment Schedule has columns for the Landowner, the Occupier, Number Pertaining to the Plan (key to the Tithe Map), Name and Description of Premises (unfortunately this column is mainly blank, with just a few homesteads and orchards listed, and no field names), State of Cultivation, Quantities in Stute Measure, Amount of Rent-Charge Apportioned.

Payable to James Fletcher

Landowner	Occupiers	Key	A	R	P
Allenby, John	Wharram		0	3	20
Bridges, Henry Thomas	Knapton, William	22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27	52	3	30
Codrington, Sir Bethell	Bottrill	51, 52, 106, 108, 109, 110	54	1	15
Ealand, George	Moseley, William	99, 100, 101, 102	32	1	17
Preston, Henry esq.	Collins, James	77, 78, 79, 80, 96, 97, 98, 64	54	0	27
	Giles, George	65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76	80	3	32
Walker, Samuel, and Wilkinson, William	Precious, George	17	5	2	9

Payable to the Respective Landowners

Landowner	Occupiers	Key	A	R	P
Fairfax, Thomas Lodington, and Stephenson, William	Stephenson, Francis	1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42	173	1	12
Fairfax, Thomas Lodington, and Stephenson, William	Stephenson, William	36	0	2	22
Fawcett, The Reverend	Buttle, Thomas	83, 84, 104, 105	37	0	1
Preston, Henry esq.	Collins, James	43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63	114	0	5
	Giles, George	51, 52, 53, 54, 55	42	1	12
Pickard, Reverend	Buttle, Thomas	92, 93, 94	16	1	14
Shooter, The Reverend	Buttle, Thomas	80, 111, 112	21	0	3
Sutton, The Reverend	Buttle, Thomas	86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 93, 103	34	3	14
Walker, Samuel, and Wilkinson, William	Precious, George	9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16	23	1	17
Vicar of Aughton	Collins, James	19, 21	8	2	5
	Giles, George	18, 20	8	0	28

Tithe Map

IR 30/41/7