Winterburn History Timeline

A collection of notes and document extracts assembled from a wide variety of sources, forming an historic timeline of events which had an affect on Winterburn. It contains many interesting facts and references to individuals, providing a brief, but useful, history of Winterburn.

Before1400 : 1400-1550 : 1550-1700 : 1700-1800 : 1800 onward

1429
Chapel mentioned in a field opposite St Helen's Well - Commission relating to the manor of Flasby sat in this chapel, document states "in capella Beata Elena de Essheton".

1482
A licence was issued to the parish chaplain of Gargrave to marry John Proctor and Agnes Parker of Winterburn in the chapel of Winterburn, after banns.

1496
Presence of Jeffray Proctor (family derived from Sir Oliver Mireway, of Tymbridge, Kent) also Thomas Mireway, alias Proctor, of Frierhead married Mary, daughter of Thomas Proctor, of Winterborn.
Proctor or Procter - was a special attorney allowed to act for the Abbot ( of Sawley ) in the local wapentake courts when he wasnt present.

1507
Death of Thomas Proctor, tenant of Friars Head, (Will in York registry Vol 6 232) tenancy passed to his son Stephen and then to Gabriel (steward and bailiff of Furness estate). After Dissolution, Stephen Proctor, his son born of Friars Head enriched himself by trade and investment and rebuilt the house in the present form about 1600.
The front is symmetrical, of two storey with four gables each with even bay windows on each floor of six light transomed. In the gables are three light windows with ogee heads under truncated ogee hood moulds. The porch in the second bay has an entrance with three centred arch on moulded responds. To the rear are two slightly projecting wings with an array of plainly mullioned windows. (In 1596 Stephen bought the remaining estates of Fountains Abbey from the heirs of Sir Richard Gresham, he rebuilt Fountains Hall, and when compared to Friars Head they have a lot in common, Friars Head being the prototype for Fountains Hall.) He became Sir Stephen Proctor.

1510
Portion of Army roll discovered among Archives at Bolton Abbey, from The Household Book of Henry, Lord Clifford dated Anno Henr. Octavi Secundo (2nd year of Henry VIII)

Flasby
William Hessfelld, a man, a horse and harnished
Richard Lister a bille
William Blackborne
Stephen Proctor , a man, horsd a c
Rauffe Proctor, a man, horsd a c
Rodger Proctor a bill
Lyonel Whitfield
Robt. Snelle, horsd and harnished

The above list being made in the 2nd year of Henry VIII is three years before the Battle of Flodden Field, in which Lord Clifford was given a principal command. It is most probable that these men were on a list of retainers, liable to be called upon in a time of necessity, and therefore most, if not all, if living and capable would have joined him at so important an engagement.

1512
Death Ralph Proctor bur. Gargrave. (Will York registry Vol 8 93)

1516
18 Jan. 7 Henry viii. Bond paid by Thomas Proctour of Wynterbourne in the township of Flasby. (Lancs. Rec. Off DDTA 118)

1517
Roger Proctors Will (York registry Vol 9 29 & 92) left 13s 4d to a priest "to sing for my soulle at Winterburn Chapel", he lived at Coppercott and was buried at Gargrave. It is possible that there was a chapel at Friars Head. H. Speight in his book 1891 (on Airedale) quotes local report that the last Abbot of Furness passed a night there on his way to the Consistory Court at York after his submission to Henry VIII. Speight noted that the orchard adjoining the house was supposed to have been the monks burial ground, a legend that was strengthened by the fact that a few years before Speights visit a number of bones were dug up when a new road was made to the house.

1522 : The Loan Book

1524 Lay Subsidy

1525 Lay Subsidy

1531 : Letters of the first Earl of Cumberland
The Earl having requested a lease of the Abbeys manor of Winterburn, the prior and convent here ask for a respite of over three months to take outside advice, on the ground that they are merely the bodie of the convent. This strongly suggests that at the time the house had no abbot. The only possible vacancy to which the remark could refer occurred in 1531, when Alexander Banks died and was succeeded by Roger Pele, the last abbot. Despite the contradictory dates given in works of reference, there can be little doubt that Pele succeeded in 1531, since he paid £200 for his admission and confirmation (L & P., v. 657; cf. ibid., 849). The letter forms the initial stage of Cumberlands long struggle to gain and keep control over the Winterburn lands, a major source of revenue estimated by a rental of 1535 at £51-12-6 (T.A. Beck, Annales Furnesienses, p. 330 ). On the death of Abbot Banks, a monk named Hugh Brown robbed his bedroom, broke open the chest containing the common seal, and sealed blank parchments, upon which leases were afterwards made of Winterburn and other Yorkshire lands to the Earl of Cumberland (V.C.H., Lancs., ii. 123; Beck, op.cit., App, ix, pp. lixivia seqq.). In June 1533 Abbot Pele sought Cromwells protection against Cumberlands pressures. (Cf. L. & P., vi. 632 the letter is quoted by Beck, op. cit., p.340, but he is probably mistaken in dating it 1535 ). In 1534 John Proctor complained to the Star Chamber that Cumberlands servants had expelled him from Furness lands in Winterburn leased to him; moreover they had imprisoned him for two months in Skipton castle. Cf. Yorks. Star Chamber Proceedings, iv (Y. A. S. Rec. Ser., lxx ), pp. 52-3. The Earl nevertheless managed to keep de facto control.
The letter:-

Right honourable and our especiall good Lorde, in our full humble wyse we commend us to your good Lordshipe. And where we perceyve by your counsellors Mr Roger Tempest & Mr Berie that ye be desirous to have one take or lease of oure lordshipe of Winterburne, with apportenance, in this matter we beseeche youe to be good lorde to us & oure monasterie, and that we may have respite to giffe youre good Lordshipe one answere betwixt this and the feast of Saynte Michaell tharchangell, for soo myche that we, that ar the bodie of the convent, can gyffe noo direct answere to noo suche mater witheout some good advisement. Surelye& God, if ony levying man under oure Prince have the said Winterburne, with thapportenance, youre good Lordshipe shalbe the fyrste. And as we ar and may be youre poore beydmen, that it may please youe to be good lorde unto oure poore monasterie. And so doynge, ye bynde us for ever to be youre daylye orators, as knawithe Oure Lorde, whoo have youe in his blessed tuicion. Frome Forneys the xth days of Juny
Youre humble orators, the
Prior & convent of Forneys.

To there right honourable and especiall good Lorde, therle of Cumbrelande, delivered be this.

1534
The particulars of the estates of the Abbey which are extracted from the general survey of the 26th Henry VIII (1534-5) in the First Fruits Office are:- Furness - Roger (Pyle) abbot, Rents of free tenants: Wynterburn Hall vi s; Vill of Wynterburne xl xs iid; Freerhead viiil iiis ivd; Cowper Coate viiil xs; Cowhouse viiil. These were the extended rents.
Memorial written by one of the bailiffs of the first Earl of Cumberland a short time prior to the Dissolution, it appears that the nobleman had actually obtained possession of Winterburne. It is equally clear that he was compelled to restore it. (History of Craven, Whitaker p240). See above.

1536 : Dissolution
Salley Abbey being one of the lesser establishments was dissolved in 1536 and many of its possessions were sold to Sir Arthur Darcy, a younger son of Lord Darcy.
In August a dispute developed between Cumberland and the third Earl of Derby (Edward Stanley) as Cumberland was punishing the tenants at Winterburn as their steward; "let him deist till the matter be tried", since Derby held the stewardship of all the Furness lands by a grant under the common seal of the house. (No.43 Clifford letters of the sixteenth century)

The Pilgrimage of Grace :- At the Dissolution the Abbey of Salley was locked up and the monks turned out, this happened across whole country but caused great resentment, partly due to innate conservatism and attachment to the old ways, and partly to the loss of social benefits formerly granted by the monasteries, such as the relief of poverty and care for the sick. Also enclosure of common land by landlords was taking place causing hardship for labourers etc. There were a series of uprisings, and great number of people gathered in Craven, Skipton or rather the Earl of Cumberland (Lord Clifford) held out for the King and troops from Skipton Castle were called out to suppress this revolt, and some rebels were imprisoned at Skipton Castle, among them a Marton of Winterburn and a Proctor of Cowpercotes. At this time the Abbot and monks of Salley had been reinstated by the people, but were now threatened by an army under the Earl of Derby, truce and promises were made by the Duke of Norfolk. But after they had dispersed the rebels were punished harshly. The Abbot and Prior of Salley were hanged by the orders of Sir Arthur Darcy.

John Proctor marries Alice Standisshe of Thornton

1537
In July 1537 Robert Southwell wrote to Cromwell that the tenants of Winterburn were complaining against Cumberland. The manor was replenished with tall men, and in value L. li by the yere or above, wher as my seide Lorde would have it for xxxii li by the yere (Beck, op. cit., p. 359; L. & P., xii(2). 206). When Southwell had exposed the invalidity of the Earls lease, Cumberland admitted as much to Cromwell, but claimed that he had already received Cromwells permission, confirmed under the seal of the Court of Augmentations, to keep the land in farm for the term of the lease (L. & P., xii(2) 279).

1540
Bolton Priory Estate in Malhamdale possessions bought by John Lambert of Calton for £120. 11s. 8d in March. Airedale bits bought by Richard Wilkinson (Bradford) and Thomas Drakes (Halifax) in Dec.

1542 The lions share of the Bolton Priory estate bought by ex-patron of priory Henry, Earl of Cumberland, including Gargrave. The Furness estate was parcelled out after the Dissolution, with the reservation of several small annual payments, which at the Restoration were granted to General Monk, and are still paid to the lords of the honour of Clitheroe, Waifs, Strays, Treasure Trove etc. But the Manor of Winterburne, together with free warren within the same and mines and minerals within the leaseholds was claimed by the late Thomas Wilkinson Esq, and has been generally allowed. (From Whitaker's History of Craven).

1543

1547 Lay Subsidy