Manor of Gunby

In the Domesday survey the manor of Gunby, consisting of 1 carucate and 3 bovates, was held by Gilbert Tison, and the Count of Mortain held 5 bovates  there too. Shortly before 1100 Gilbert Tison gave 2 carucates of Gunby to Selby Abbey in frankalmoin, so it is likely that Tison came by the 5 bovates of the Count of Mortain following the Count's forfeiture.

Selby Abbey tenanted the manor of Gunby to Humphrey of Gunby, who also held lands of the Abbey in Breighton, Willitoft and Foggathorpe. The manor then descended in the Gunby family, until 1293, when Thomas de Gunby was hanged at York for harbouring his two sons, Roger and John, who had been found guilty of robbery and hanged at Reading. The manor then came to Thomas' daughter Alice, who was married to John de Pothowe. John

As the manor was held in its entirely by Selby Abbey in frankalmoin, it does not show in the survey of knights' fees known as Kirkby's Inquest, nor in the Nomina Villarum.

At some time in the fourteenth century the manor came to the de la Hay family, as the will of Peter del Hay in 1426 contained the following bequest to his wife: Elizabethae jam uxori meae omnia bona de mea in maneriis de Gunby et Balne. (To Elizabeth my wife I will all the goods in my manors of Gunby and Baln). The manor remained with the de la Hay family until a de la Hay heiress, Isabella de la Hay (died before 1481) married John Vavasour. She also brought him Spaldington, and John Vavasour made his seat there. John's son, William Vavasour was described as William Vavasour of Gunby when he married Isabel, daughter of Robert Urswick of Badsworth. William died in 1504.

Following the Dissolution, the Selby Abbey interest in the manor of Gunby passed to the crown, and by letters patent dated the 23th Aug, 1545, the crown granted to Sir Arthur Darcy, for £468 17s 6d, the manor of Gonby with fishing in the River Derwent and a wood called Gonishawyth. In 1553 Andrew Vavasour fined with Arthur Darcy and Mary his wife, for the Manor of Gunby and lands in Gunby and Bryghton.

The manor eventually came to the Dolman family, when Elizabeth Vavasour married Thomas Doleman (J.P in 1584). Their son, Sir Robert Doleman (died 1627) was described as Knight, of Pocklington and Gunby. The manor remained with the Dolman family until it was sold in 1652 to John Rogers, Alderman of Hull, and remained with the Rogers family until 1742, when Nathaniel Rogers, without male issue, settled the manor on his daughter and heiress Elizabeth Rogers, who married 1st  James Barry, 9th Sep 1742, in Sculcoates, then 2nd Rev. William Welfitt in 1772, who acquired the manor as part of the marriage settlement. William Welfitt leased the manor and farm of 345 acres, to Robert Hepton of Gunby for 11 years, in February, 1792, but it is likely that an earlier lease was made to Hepton, as he was certainly the occupier in the Land Tax returns of 1783.

Throughout the 1800s the manor changed hands, was mortgaged, leased and released, many times. Some of the names involved in these transactions were: Rev. William Welfitt, Henry Maister of Hull esquire, Robert Carlisle Broadley of Hull, Arthur Maister, William Schofield, Michael Clarkson of Gunby, gentleman, James Bell of Temple Hirst and James Froggart of Attercliffe, Joseph Richardson, Thomas Bell, William Procter of Selby, gentleman and his trustee Jonathan Burtt of Gunby, gentleman.

By 1836, the manor appears to have been divided, as in that year 10s rent was paid by William Proctor to Charles Robinson, being half a year's rent 'For Part of Gunby Manor'.

In 1892 Bulmer's Directory gave Jonathan Burtt, esq., as the lord of the manor.

Manorial Documents
The manor of Gunby was never big enough to warrant any manorial courts, and so the normal manorial records were never generated. However, there is a wealth of information on this manor in the Gunby Estate records in the East Riding of Yorkshire Archives in Beverley, which detail the various owners of the manor and their leases to various tenants.




Gunby Estate

Includes: Leases, wills, sales, deeds, covenants, marriage settlements, and copies of historical documents. Only one document is manorial in nature (below).
c.1228-1950
East Riding of Yorkshire Archives
DDGU
Survey of Gunby
1758
East Riding of Yorkshire Archives
DDGU/2/12