Aughton.info

Pre-Dissolution

It is not known when East Cottingwith was granted to Ellerton Priory, or at which point it was annexed to the rectorship of Ellerton, but that was certainly the case in the Valor Ecclesiasticus, just prior to the Dissolution.

Dissolution

In the suppression documents of Ellerton Priory two surveys were made. In the second survey (11 Dec., 30 Henry VIII.) the site of the Priory was valued at 10s., and records a fishery in the Darwent worth 12d. Total (with farms of tithes of North banke in Aughton, of Ellerton and Estcottingwith), 27l 8d. (Paper Surveys, p. 401.).

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 in Estcottyngwith, the demense lands of the priory and Ellerton belonging to the rectory of Ellerton and Estcottyngwith .... 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 grant was a little more explicit:

iii) The tithes of hay of a meadow in East Cottingwith

iv) The tithes of wool, lamb, hemp, flax and privy tithes of East Cottingwith

v) The rectory of East Cottingwith and East Cottingwith

In December 1571, 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 grant was more descriptive:

(1) the tithes of corn (tenant named) in Estcottingwith belonging to the Rectory of Estcottingwith and Ellerton,

(2) the tithes of corn and hay of the demesne lands of Ellerton Priory and the tithes of wool and lambs and other small tithes and oblations in Ellerton late occupied by the Prior and convent of Ellerton,

(3) lands (named), the profits of the Lent book of Estcottingwith with the oblations and privy tithes there and the tithes of hay of Northbanke, parcel of the Rectory of Aughton, once of Ellerton Priory.

(4) the whole Rectory of Estcottingwith and Ellerton,

(5) lands (tenant named) in Ellerton,

(6) lands (tenant named) next Fosse Milles, parcel of the Manor of Clifton, once of the Monastery of St. Mary by the walls of York,

(7) lands [named, with tenant's names] in Estcottingwith, parcel of the Manor of Estcottingwith and once of the said Monastery of St. Mary, and

(8) lands (tenant named) in Estcottingwith, [m. 33] parcel of the Manor of Estcottingwith and once of the said Monastery of St. Mary; with reservations;

(1) - (6) from the termination of a lease by patent, 17 Feb., 3 Eliz., to John Herbert of the same, by the name of (a) the tithes of hay of Northbanke in Aughton, the oblations and profits of the Lent book of Aughton, Spaldington, Willowtofte, Seton, Lathom and Le Rydinge Grange, the tithes of hay of a meadow in Estcottingwith in Aughton, the tithes of wool, lambs, hemp, flax and privy tithes of Estcottingwith, and the Rectory of Ellerton and Estcottingwith, (b) lands in Ellerton and (c) lands next Fosse Milles, for 21 years from Michaelmas then last at yearly rents of (a) £9., (b) 14s. and (c) 12s.,

(7) from the termination of a lease thereof by patent of the Exchequer, 15 Feb., 3 Eliz, to John Herbert inter alia, with reservations, for 21 years from Michaelmas then last at a yearly rent of 39s. 6d.

(8) from the termination of a lease thereof by patent of the Exchequer, 4 July, 4 Eliz., to Richard Hodgeson inter alia, with reservations, for 21 years from Lady Day then last at a yearly rent of 9s. 1.75d.; yearly rents (1) £4, (2) 66s. 8d., (3) 33s. 4d., (5) 14s., (6) 10s., (7) 39s. 6d. and (8) 9s. 1.75d. 

The Greames alias Gares lease was terminated 10 years into the lease, and a new 50 year lease (for services) was granted to Sir Robert Constable, the queen's servant, dated the 5th August, 1581.

Sir Robert's lease was terminated in 1589, and the rectory of Ellerton and Estcottingwithe was finally sold by the crown, and granted on the 11th February, 1589/60, in fee simple to Henry (Hastings), earl of Huntingdon, for services.

At some point, probably before 1610, the rectory of Ellerton and East Cottingwith came into the hands of Sir Hugh Bethell (died 1610), as we find that in 1614 Hugh's daughter and sole heiress, Grisell, together with her husband, Sir John Wray, conveyed the rectory to Sir Hugh's nephew, Walter Bethell, (see the Feet of Fines section). The will of Sir Hugh has been checked, and although he mentions the rectory of Aughton he does not mention the rectory of Ellerton and East Cottingwith, which was probably conveyed to Grisell on her marriage, to hold as trustees, in tail male, until Walter came of age.

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 East Cottingwith belonged to the Lady Bethell of Alne and the tythes of  Corn, Wool and Lamb were worth five and thirty pounds yearly. 

Lambeth Palace Library, COMM XIIa/17, page 371.

East Cottingwith

There was no Tithe Commutation for East Cottingwith as the tithes had been extinguished due to the Enclosure Act of 1773.

The only record for East Cottingwith concerning tithe commutation under the Tithe Act of 1836 is the Tithe File.

Tithe File

IR 18/11536

The tithes file contains all the correspondence and meeting minutes that the Commissioners generated in discovering to what extent commutation had already taken place. The East Cottingwith Tithe File contains just one document, which simply states that the Act for Enclosing and subsequent award were exhibited.

See under Land, Land Ownership, East Cottingwith Enclosure 1773.