History of the Farndale Family
Chapter 1
The Beginnings –
The Middle Ages
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The first
recorded mention of the name Farndale is in a charter granted by Roger de
Mowbray to the Abbots and monks of Rievaulx Abbey in 1154. By this document
Roger de Mowbray bestowed upon the monastery;
‘……..Midelhovet, that clearing in Farndale where the
hermit Edmund used to dwell; and another clearing called
Duvanesthuat, the common pasture of the same valley,
to wit,
Farndale……….’
Clearly this is a reference to the place Farndale and not to the surname of a
person.. Midelhovet could refer to Middlehead right
at the north end of the dale, a likely place for a hermit to live. Duvanesthuat could refer to Duffinstone, also at the north
end of the dale, see map. Nevertheless, Edmund the hermit is the first recorded
person living in Farndale.
The name Farndale originates from the Old English ‘fearne’
which in Celtic was ‘farn’ and the Norwegian ‘dalre’ meaning valley, thus ‘fearnedalre’
became farndale. The river which runs through Farndale is the ‘Dove’
which comes from the Celtic word ‘dubo’ meaning black
or shady. It therefore seems likely that the first people to settle in Farndale
were bands of mixed Celtic and Norwegians. Roaming tribes had no doubt already
passed through on hunting missions.
The Romans came into the area further east to patrol the coast. They built
roads, part of which still exist and warning stations on the cliffs at places
like Huntcliffe. No doubt Roman patrols passed
through Farndale, but there is no evidence that they stopped there. Similarly
in the 9th Century, the Vikings settled in many places all around the Yorkshire
Moors, but there is no sign of them settling in them.
This area has been described as and area stretching,
‘northwards from the Wolds, of windswept moors of Hambleton and Cleveland (Cliffland) and still remain much as they were in
pre-historic times. A refuge of broken peoples, a home of lost causes.’ Bede
described the area as ‘vel bestiae
commorari vel hommines bestialiter vivre conserverant.’ (A land fit only for wild beasts and men who
live like wild beasts). When the Romans left the Saxons in very small numbers
did venture into the dales on the moors and left their burial mounds and stone
crosses on the high ground and these can still be seen. Thus the people who
today come from the dales of the North Yorkshire Moors have remained
essentially English for several hundred years and they have developed very
special characteristics. In many respects, they remain a unique English Tribe.
Farndale is not shown in Doomsday Book (1086), but Kirby moorside
is and must have included Farndale. Before the conquest Kirbymoorside
was in the hands of Waltef who had a manor and five
carucates of land at Fadmoor. The area first went to
Count Robert of Montain who held it as waste. Later
it went to Hugh Fitzbaldric who administered these lands on behalf of the
Conqueror. Hugh had no sons, so at sometime before
the end of the 11th Century, his lands passed by Royal grant to Robert de
Stuteville, but neither he nor his son who succeeded him paid much attention to
Farndale. Then in 1106 both the Stutevilles were involved in a revolt against
Henry I and were imprisoned. Whereupon all their lands were given to Nigel d’Alpini, who was father of Roger de Mowbray. Then came the
first mention of the place Farndale in the Rievaulx Cartulery,
but there is no further entry. One wonders if the Abbot and Monks ever did
avail themselves of Roger de Mowbray’s offer? The only clue is the place called
‘Monket House’ ((661973); this seems to indicate the
presence of monks in the dale.
Shortly after Roger had issued his Charter in 1154, Robert de Stuteville III
supported by his brother William, began to dispute with Roger his right to hold
lands originally held by his grandfather. This dispute dragged on for ten years
until, in the reign of Henry II, a compromise was reached whereby Roger granted
Robert de Stuteville III land to the value of ten knight’s fees. Part of this
land was Kirby Moorside and its appurtenances. One of these was Farndale. This
is shown in a charter issued by Robert de Stuteville III to St Mary’s Abbey
York in 1183. By this Robert confirmed to the Abbey that the village of
Hutton-le-Hole and, ‘privileges in Farndale for the Abbey’s men of Hutton and
its Hall at Spaunton.’
It thus seems clear that Farndale was part of the manor of Kirbymoorside,
held by the Mowbray’s as Tenants-in-Chief to the King, with the de Stutevilles
and their heirs as sub-tenants. This situation was to exist for a further 200
years.
Robert de Stuteville III was a prominent and influential baron and benefactor
of several of the great northern abbeys. At the time of Henry I he gave the
nuns, ‘the right of getting wood for burning and building in Farndale.’ When he
died in 1183, he was succeeded by his brother William who also became prominent
in northern affairs in the latter part of Henry II’s reign and at the beginning
of that of King John. Robert de Stuteville’s son also called Robert died
a minor so when William died, the Manor of Kirbymoorside
passed to Nicholas de Stuteville and on his death to his son also called
Nicholas. The period of the tenancy of the two Nicholas’s was from 1205 to 1233
and is marked by a protracted dispute with the Abbot of St Mary’s, York
concerning the rights of common pasture in Farndale.
Farndale seems to have been a Royal Forest throughout the Middle Ages, with the
Abbots of St Mary’s acting as the King’s foresters. The earliest reference to
the Royal Forest of Farndale is in an order of Henry I, given to Sheriff Osbert
early in the 12th Century. It read;
‘I order that the Abbot and Monks of York may hold in peace and with honour all
the woodland and land from the water of the Dove to the water which is called
the Severn, as once they held it before the forest was made..........I also
grant to the Abbot and to his successors the whole of my forestry and he shall
cause it to be preserved for all my needful things, the hart
and the hind, the wild boar and the hawk in the same land.’ This Charter
indicates that the forest had been made over to the Sheriff dome time
before, possibly in the reign of William Rufus. During the early years of
the 13th Century, it appears that Nicholas de Stuteville I was made King’s
Forester, for in 1209 the Abbot paid King John 100 marks and a palfrey,
‘for having the Forest of Farndale.’ Almost immediately Nicholas asked that
twelve knights from Ryedale and Pickering should make a perambulation between
the King’s Forest and his for a fee to the Exchequer of 20 marks. Thus Nicholas
was very touchy about his estate in Farndale.
King John had from time to time dis-afforested certain forests, but Henry III
was determined to stop this and he issued an order in 1229 that,
‘...............the whole of the forest of Galtres
and the forest between the Ouse and the Derwent and the forest of Farndale are
ancient forests.........and are not to be destroyed.’
But the arguments with St Mary’s went on. In1233,
‘the Abbot grants that the cattle of Nicholas or his heirs, or of his men in
Kirkby, Fademor. Gillamoor
or Farendale (sic) hereafter enter upon the
common of the said wood and pasture of Houton, Spaunton
and Farendale, should have freeway in and out,
without ward set; provided they do not tarry in the said pasture.’
Farndale is mentioned in the Great Pipe Rolls of 1209, 1210 and 1211, in the
Close Rolls for 1229 and1255 and in the Curia Regis Rolls for 1225 and 1227.
All entries refer to rights of land in Farndale and in particular to the
ownership of Nicholas de Stuteville.
In 1255 the King granted to Hugh Bigod the office of forester for an area
bounded as follows; ‘.........from the waters of the Dove to the water called
the Seven in breadth and length from the bounds of Cleveland to the road
running from Pickering to Helmsley by the lawn of Catwayt
(Catterbridge?)..........’
This seems to prove that the east side of Farndale was part of the Royal Forest
with the Abbot of St Mary as the King’s forester and Lord of the Manor of the
nearby territory of Spaunton. There is little wonder
that the Stutevilles accused the Abbot of encroaching on their territory on the
west side of Farndale. However after the memorandum of 1255 (see above), there
is no further record of dispute.
The forest of Farndale does not appear to have provided medieval kings with
much hunting. It is just possible that Edward II visited on one occasion but no
other monarch appears to have ventured there. John Cromwell, keeper of the
King’s Forests north of the Trent set out an inquisition ordered by Edward III
which said;
‘............the forest of Spaunton between the Dove
and the Seven is so confined that deer do not oft repair thither, except at odd
times some harts and hinds; and when they enter the
forest and are seen and found they quickly and quietly retire to other parts of
the country outside the forest.’
Nicholas de Stuteville II died in 1233 leaving no male heir but a daughter Joan
who was twice married, first to Hugh Wake and second to Hugh Bigod. She
outlived both and died in 1276 when an inquest was taken into the extent of her
estates. This document gives the first real evidence about the people of
Farndale and was written in 1276. It said;
‘..........tenants in bondage, holding by acres who pay £27 5s,
that is 12d an acre. Seven cotters in Farndale pay 15s 8d.’
Based on these figures, there were 545 acres farmed by the tenants in
bondage, presumably villeins, who were serfs committed to serve the Lord
of the Manor, but who could not be bought or sold. Once a villein had met the
demands of the Lord of the Manor, their remaining land and its produce were
their own. On a villeins death by custom his son was allowed to continue as
tenant of his land. A cotter, or cottager, was a man whose holding of land was
so small that he could not make a living from it and must also work for someone
as a labourer. Thus in 1276 only a very small part of Farndale was under
cultivation. In 1282 there is more evidence when another inquisition post
mortem was held into the estate of Baldwin Wake, Lady Joan’s son by her first husband
and heir to the Manor of Kirbymoorside and others.
From this document we learn that, ‘............in a certain dale called
Farndale there are fourscore and ten natives whose rents are extended to
£38 8s 8d............’
Assuming that these natives each held the same amount of land and that the rent
was still 12d per acre, then each tenant would have 8.5 acres paying a rent of
8s 61/2d. Projecting this back to 1276 there must have been 66 tenant
farmers in Farndale then and 24 more by 1282 making a total in that year of 90.
The document goes on, ‘.......each of whom pays at Martinmass
two strikes of nuts, four of the aforesaid tenants only to be excepted from a
rent of nuts, from which four, one strike of nuts. Price of nuts as above
worth 43s 9d of whom four score and five shall have harrowing in Lent
according to the size of the holding, that is, for each acre of his own land, a
1/2d worth of harrowing. Those works are extended to 29s 4d.’
The term nuts seems to refer to acorns. It went on, ....... ‘ and be it
known that they ought to be tallied every year at Michaelmas, and shall
give merchet (a payment by an unfree tenant for his daughter’s marriage) for
their daughters and gersume (a fine relating to
merchet) and make sail for the Lord’s mill, and shall give the tenth pig,
although the Lord shall not fine them pannage.’
Such were the conditions of life for the 13th Century men of Farndale. However
all were by no means poor. In 1301, Edward I levied a tax on 1/15th of the
value of every person’s goods to pay for his wars with the Scots. In Farndale
34 men and one widow paid £3 7s 31/2d while Kirbymoorside
paid £2 3s 81/2d from 27 people and Helmsley paid £3 8s 41/2d from
36.
The lowest sum paid by a man of Farndale was 3d and the highest from Simon the
Miller was 7s 9d. Thus their wealth varied from 45d to £5 6s 8d per
year. These figures are more interesting when compared with the value of goods
for the period. For example;
a
cow
5s
a
bullock
2s
a cart horse
5s
a sheep
12d
a lb of wool
3s
a 1/4 of wheat 3s
a 1/4 of barley
3s
2 small pigs
12d each
a
bed
4s
a
robe
10s
a poor robe
4s
a brass pot
20d
a clasp of silver 18d.
Some of the names in the tax list are interesting, William de Monkegate,
William Wakelevedy (Wake Lady Green?), Walter Ellerscaye (Eller’s
House?), William de Almeheved (Holm Head, now
Elm House?), Ralph and William de Westgille, John de Brannordale, Godfrey de Hoton and William de Fademore. They all indicate the
arrival of surnames.
In 1280, ‘......... from a list of sureties of persons indicted for poaching
and for not producing persons so indicted on the first day of the Court of the
Eyre in accordance with the suretyship as to Richard Draye from..........long
list of names, 1s 8d from Roger son of Gilbert of Farndale, bail for
Nicholas de Farndale of 2s; from William the smith of Farndale, 3s 4d from John
the Shepard of Farndale, 3s 4d from Alan son of Nicholas of Farndale.....’ Then
again in 1293, ‘..........Roger Milne of Farndale with others, the son of Peter
was involved in killing a soar and slew a hart with
bows and arrows at an unknown place in the wood. All outlawed. 5th April 1293.’
Yet again, some years later, ‘.........in July 1323, Adam son of Simon the
Miller was fined 25s 8d for taking two hinds. In 1332, Robert son of
Simon of Farndale, in company with others hunted a hart
and carried it of. Robert’s four companions were
fined but he was outlawed. On another occasion Roger de Milne, Robert son of
Peter, Walter Blakhous and Ralf de Heved, all of Farndale, suffered outlawry because on a
Monday in January they did again kill a soar and slew
a hart with bows and arrows. Others had been arrested and let out on bail, but
the following neither appeared nor excused themselves as the custom is, Richard
son of John the Miller, Adam son of Simon the Miller of Farndale, John son of
Richard of Westgille and his brother Robert. Then in
1336 John the son of William Fabri, blacksmith of Farndale was outlawed for his
part in taking a hind and a calf from the forest.
A rudimentary pedigree of these people in Farndale is at Annex A. Eventually it
is from their descendants that the Farndales of today are descended
as will be shown below.
Even Lady Blanche Wake was convicted in 1332 of taking a soar
and two hinds and carrying them off for her own use. But the Earl of Lancaster
directed his Justices to stay all proceedings against her.
As these communities grew up on the Yorkshire Moors, they did not travel very
far. Up to this time they were all given Christian names only, often many with
the same one. They could only be recognised from each other by the use of their
trade or location linked to their Christian name. For example, John the Shepard
of Farndale. As soon a s men began to travel, even into the next dale, this
system became more permanent and then became shortened into, John de Farndale.
Eventually even the ‘de’ was dropped. It is this process that we next witness.
In the year 1300 a return for Yorkshire to the Parliament meeting in Lincoln
stated;
‘For Wapentagium de Langeberyche;
- Daneby - de Willelmo de
Farndale, iijs (3s) and for Eggeton
cum Lacerigge et Westingby
et Cokewalde (Egton, Leese Rigg Wastonby
and Cucket Nook in the Parish of Egton); - De Johanne
de Farendale xxijd
(22d).’
Thus we know that in 1300 a William de Farndale was living at Danby who paid a
tax of 3s and a John de Farndale living at Egton, only six miles away,
who paid a tax of 22d in the same year. Was John who paid less the younger man?
Was John the son of William? But they were the first to use Farndale as a
recognised surname. Again and still not far away at Guisborough we read in the
Guisborough Priory Cartulery;
‘..........concerning Marton. In east Marton on the way out of the village,
towards the north and on the east side, Richard de Farndale ? and 8 for a toft
and a garden, the gift of Tostig and a one acre field.’ Who was he, was he any
relation to William and John? Was he, by chance, the same Richard de Farndale
who together with Thomas de Farndale and 68 others from North Yorkshire were,
by reason of contumacy (an act of wilful disobedience or insolence,
particularly in respect of an order made by a Court of Law), ‘bound over on our
authority by sentence of Greater Excommunication and in this we have remained
obdurate, for 40 days and have up to now continued in contempt of the authority
of the Church. Given at York 12th August 1316.’
We shall never know but clearly the men of Farndale were moving away from their
dale and into the very areas where present day Farndales, almost without
exception, say they originate from. Then on 21st September 1320 before the
Commission of the Oyer and Terminor (This consisted
of several powerful noblemen and a Judge and was set up by the King to travel
the country to try serious crimes and disorders such as treason and rebellion),
came, ‘John de Doncastre, John de Barton and Adam de Hoperton, touching
on the Appeal in the County of York by Agnes, later wife of John de Maunby
against Adam de Farndale for the death of her husband.’ We know no more, we can
only say that men of these names existed at this time,
A word on religion in Farndale. In 1347 Lord Wake obtained, ‘A licence for the
alienation of frankalmoin (a grant to a church or
religious house free from any temporal service. The person making such a gift
to the church was under obligation to make arrangements for the performance of
feudal services due), to the friars of the order of The Holy Cross, of a toft
and ten acres of land on the moor of Backhowe in
Farndale for them to found a house of the order and to build an oratory and
dwelling houses.’
Thomas Wake died in 1349 and in the Inquisition Post Mortem on the extent of
his estate there occurs this entry under the Manor of Kirbymoorside;
‘FARNDALE. A house with a chapel of the bretheren of
charity was of the avowson of the said Thomas, and
the said bretheren hold their tenements there of the
said Thomas in frank almoin.’
We do not know now where this chapel was built, but the clue is, ‘in the moor
of Blackhowe in Farndale.’ This rules out the valley.
Could it be on the site of where the Lion Inn stands at Blakey? The early
Parish boundaries would follow the boundaries of the Manor. Farndale was never
part of the Manor of Spaunton, but the east side of
the dale was, from the very earliest times part of the Parish of Lastingham and
it remained so until 1873 when it was joined with Bransdale. The west side of
the dale was always part of the Parish of Kirbymoorside.
Writing in 1913, the Reverend FH Weston says, ‘the church of St Mary in
Farndale was built about 250 years ago (1663) as a chapel of ease to
Lastingham.’ But there was a chapel in Farndale long before that and is marked
on Saxton’s map of 1577. On 3rd May 1537, William Folancebye gave in his
will, ‘........... also I bequeath to Farendall
chapel ij torches and ij yows.’
Now to return to the men of Farndale. Who was John of Farndale who was
excommunicated, but had behaved well enough to be re-admitted to the Church in
1324, see below;
‘To the most Serene Prince, his Lord, the Lord Edward by the Grace of God, King
of England, Lord of Ireland and Duke of Acquitaine,
William by Divine permission, Archbishop of York, Primate of England, Greetings
to him to serve who is to reign forever. We make these presents that William de
Lede of Saxton, John of Farndale and John Brand of Howson, our Parishioners,
lately at our ordinary invocation, according to the custom of your realm, were
bound by sentence of excommunication and, contemptuous of the power of the
church, were committed to Your Majesty’s Prison for contumacy and offences
punishable by imprisonment; and have humbly done penance to God and to the
church, wherefore they have been deemed worthy to obtain from us in legal form
the benefit of absolution. May it therefore please Your Majesty that we
re-admit the said William, John and John to the bosom
of the church as faithful members thereof and order their liberation from
prison. May God preserve you for His Church and people. Given at Thorpe, next
York 9th April 1324.’
Again in 1324 on 23rd February, John de Farndale and Peter son of Gervais were
shown as sureties for a Court suit. This would indicate a man of some standing
and wealth. Was he the same John who acted as surety in 1325 which said,
‘when afterward King Edward II in Parliament at Westminster on 23rd February
1325 with the assessment of the Prelate, Earls, Barons and Lords that Thomas
Wake of Liddel claims the right of having fines in his court of escape of stranger
cattle. Afterwards Nicholas Repyngale, his attorney to prosecute his claims,
commands 6s 8d for his Lord’s amercement. Sureties, John de Farndale and
Peter son of Gervais.’
Again was he the same Johanne de Farndale who, at Crofton de Artoft, paid a
subsidy of ijs jd (2s
1d) in 1327 and again in 1333 And perhaps the same who was witness to a
deed granting land from Hugh de Hovyngham, Chaplain to Robert de Salton of Hovyngham and Juliana his wife on the Saturday before
the feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, 27th June 1327. And yet
again John de Farndale who was witness to a similar deed, undated but
about the same time, granting land, a toft and a smithy from William son of
John Smith of Hovyngham to John son of Roger Rabot of
Hovyngham. Hovingham and Croft are less than ten
miles from Farndale.
On 24th May 1328 at York, pardon given to a long list of men including, ‘Hugh Faukes of Lebreston for the death
of Walter de Farndale of Cayton on condition that they join the
expedition against the Scots.’
Then on Monday 13th March 1335, pleas were held at Pickering before Richard de
Willoughby and John of Hambury. The Sheriff was
ordered to summon those listed to appear this day before the Justices to
satisfy the Earl of their fines for poaching in the forest of which they wee convicted before the Justice by evidence of the
foresters, vendors and officers. They did not appear and the Sheriff said that
they are not to be found and that he had nothing in his bailiwick with which
they could be attacked. He was therefore told to go and seize them and produce
them before the Justices on 15th May 1335. The list
includes, Simonis de Farndale, Robertum
filium Simonis de Farndale, Roger de Milne de
Farndale and Robertum filium
de Petri de Farndale.
Then on 15th July
1336, William Smith of Farndale came, ‘hunting in Lefehowe
(Leafhow 7795?) with bows and arrows and gazehouds. Then there are several references to Richard son
of John the Miller of Farndale, Adam son of Simon, miller of Farndale.
Robert son of Simon de Farndale was subsequently convicted but no details are
given. Also in 1336, ‘Fines received at Pickering on Monday 2nd December 1336
before Richard de Willoughby and John de Hainbury, included fines for poaching
against John de Farndale. Two years later John de Farndale (surely not the
same) witnessed a deed at Hovingham. This time for Ellen, formerly wife of
Ralph Kirketon, to Sir John Rabot, Rector of the church at Kirkby Ravensworth,
‘for land and a cottage in Hovingham for a rent of 3s payable at Whitsuntide
and Martinmas.’
In 1347 we have the first record of man of Farndale who had
travelled as far as London. On 7th February at Eltham, ‘Walter de Farndale
parson of Upmeadon (Was this Upmarden
in Sussex?) acknowledges that he owes Richard de Leverton of Tykhill £8; to be levied in default of payment of his goods
and chattels and ecclesiastical goods in the County of Sussex. Two years later
in 1349 at Langley there was a , ‘presentation of Walter de Farndale,
Warden of the Free Chapel of St Margarets, Chelmsford, in the Diocese of
London, to the mediety of the Church of Turvey in the Diocese of Lincoln which
was in the King’s gift by reason of the Priory of St Neotts
being in his hands on account of the war with France on an exchange of
benefices with Thomas de Dersyngton.
On 6th January 1353 and again on 20th May 1354, The Commission of the Oyer and
Terminal referred to John Colinman of Farndale. On 15th October 1358 it
referred at Westminster to, ‘a pardon for good service by the King’s
Sergeant at Arms to William Attwoode for having enfeoffed (transferred
property), John de Barneley and William de Farndale, Chaplains of the Manor of Derleye, held-in-chief and then re-entered into the manor
which they quit, claimed by the King’s licence. Who were they?.
On 20th February 1361 again at Westminster, ‘William de Nessfield, escheater (a Royal official appointed to collect property
and feudal dues) was ordered to deliver to Joan who was wife of Thomas Holland,
Earl of Kent the Manor of Cotyngham, Witheren, Buttercrumb, Kirbymoorside with land in Farndale.’
In a list of Freemen of York published in the 37th year of the reign of Edward
III (1363), is long list of men set free of serfdom including Johannes de
Farendale, a saddler. And again in 1397, ‘Johannes de Farndall, fil de Johnannis de Farndall, a saddler.’ A Freeman of that time
referred to a man freed of his bonds and was described a s follows;
‘The Freedom of the City is to be obtained in one of three ways. First by
servitude; that is when the applicant has served his full time as an apprentice
before his enrolment as a Freeman; second is by patrimony, that is the children
of a Freeman can claim their freedom as a heritage; third is by redemption;
that is by order of the Mayor and Court of Aldermen which means it is given
without payment as a reward for services rendered to the City. The fees
to become a Freeman varied from time to time. In the earliest Chamberlain’s
account books the fee charged for those who had served an apprenticeship was
between 3s 4d and 6s 8d, but there were cases when only 20d was paid, in cases
of poverty in could be entirely remitted. Each Freeman had to take an oath of
fealty. No person could carry on a trade in the City without first obtaining
his freedom. Many sons took their father’s names at this time, but in the reign
of Henry IV the ‘de’ was dropped where it was still in use.’
On 7th May 1370 it is recorded that, ‘Pardon was given to William Farndale
of Caleys (Calais, then British) of the King’s suit
for the death of John de Spaldyngham whereof he is
indicted of any consequent outlawry.’ This the first recorded mention of a man
using Farndale as a surname without a ‘de’ or ‘of.’ Although there just
might have been another in 1368 which might be the same William;
‘Know men present and to come that I, Robert Ripers of Loversall (a Parish 3
miles SW of Doncaster), have given and granted, and by this my present charter
to Sir William Farendall, Chaplain (note it was normal to call all Chaplains
‘Sir’ at that time), 5 acres of land with appurtenances lying in the fields of
Loversall, extending from the meadows of the Wyke to Kardyke,
of which one acre, one rood lie in the Wykefield
between the land of Robert son of John, son of William, son of Robert on both
sides. And 2 1/2 acres lying in the Midelfild between
my own land and the land of Richard, son of Robert on the east. To have and to
hold the said 5 acres of land with appurtenances to the said William and his
heirs and assigns, freely, quietly, well in peace, from the chief lords of the
fee by services thence owed and customary by right. And I the said Robert, and
my heirs will warrant the said 5 acres with appurtenances to the said William,
his heirs and assigns against all men forever. In witness thereof I have
affixed my seal to this present charter. These being my witnesses: Sir John of
Loversall, Chaplain, William Vely, Robert Clerk, Richard Rilis, John son of
William, son of Roger and others. Given at Loversall on Thursday, after the
Feast of St Nicholas, 42 Edward III (7th December 1368).’
Then in 1402 William Farendalle transferred the same piece of land to a John
Burton with a very similar document (see next chapter).
On 27th September 1372 the Will of John de Farendale, deceased, was proved and
an Administration of goods granted to Agnes, his wife. We know no more, but who
was he?
Then on 20th November 1372 at Westminster, The Commission of Oyer and Terminer
refer to John, porter of Farndale, Hugh and Adam Bailey of Farndale hunting in
the forest. In 1384 the Commission refer to John Farndale and others who broke
the close, houses and hedges at Whittonsalle and Fayrhills in Northumberland and seized 30 horses, 20 mares,
100 oxen and 100 cows worth £200 and carried them off with goods and chattels
and assaulted the servants and tenants......’ In a similar entry in 1385 The
Commission, at Durham, record that, ‘John Farndale and others broke the close,
houses and hedges at Whittonsalle and Fayrhills in Northumberland.............’ This John is the
second to use Farndale as a true surname.
On 15th December 1390 a Commission to Robert Burgilon, John Farndale, William
Palmer and the Sheriff of Salop enquired into dilapidations and waste in the
alien priory of Abberbury, otherwise called New Abbey
for Geoffrey Stafford, Canon of Routon, late farmer thereof.
In 1397 the following will of William Farnedale of Shyrefhoton
was proved as follows;
‘In the Name of God Amen. I William Farendale on 23rd February 1397/8, in good
memory, make my testament in this manner: Firstly, I bequeath my soul to
God and the Blessed Mary and all the Saints, and my body to be buried in the
churchyard of Shyrefhuton. Item. I bequeath as
a mortuary payment the best animal I have. Item. I bequeath to burned
around my body, as candles 8lbs of wax. Item. I bequeath to the High
Altar for sins forgotten, 4s. Item. I bequeath to the Chaplain to
celebrate divine service for my soul in the Parish of Shyrefhoton
for a whole year, 100s. Item. I bequeath to each order of Friars in
York, 1/2 a quarter of corn. Item. I bequeath to the fabric of the
Church of St Peter, York, 6s 8d. Item. I bequeath to Sir John Ferriby,
Robert Gyllyng and William Barneby, 6s 8d each. Item. I bequeath to the
Church of Shyrefhoton for putting lead on the south
roof, 20s. Item. I bequeath to each canon of the Monastery of Marton
12d. Item. I bequeath to every Chaplain ministering on the day of my
funeral, 6d. Item. I bequeath to my wife, Juliana, 4li and to my son,
Richard 4li. Item. I bequeath to every poor person on the day of my
burial, 1d. Item. I bequeath to my son, Richard, my small sword with all
my knives. Item. I bequeath to my daughter Helen 2 cows. Item. I
bequeath to my daughter Agnes, 2 bullocks and 2 plough beasts. Item. I
bequeath to Margaret Batlay, 2 bullocks and 2 plough beasts. Item. I
bequeath the rest of my goods to my wife Juliana, my son Richard and my
daughter Helen. I appoint Sir John Alwent, Rector of the Parish Church of
Middleham, Juliana Farendale, Richard Farendale and
William Huby as my executors. In witness thereof I have set my seal. Witnesses:
Sir Robert de Hoton, Prior of Marton, Sir John de Park, Chaplain and many
others.’
‘Administration granted 13th March 1397/8 to Richard Farendale and William
Huby, rights of Juliana, relict of the deceased, being reserved. Sir John
Alwent relinquishes rights.’
On 8th January 1396/7, ‘William Farnedale, Priest, presented
by the same on death of Alan Rasyn.’
So at by the end of the 14th Century the men of Farndale Had begun to move
further afield but with the exception of one or two they did not move far. By
and large they had moved north of Farndale into Cleveland although there were
some in York and Sheriffhutton. They were probably
little influenced by the Scottish and French Wars or any of the other great
events of State of the time. Even the Roman, Viking and Norman invasions do not
seem to have effected them much. Although the laws of the latter did apply to
them and several were punished for disobeying them. The majority remained as
remote hill farmers, very independent, relying on their own skills.
William de Farndale of Danby and John de Farndale of Egton first used
‘Farndale’ as their surnames in 1300. Were they our first ancestors? Both these
places are close to the areas where the Farndales were to flourish for
the next five centuries. Then Richard Farndale at Marton, was he another? What
of John de Farndale who signed so many sureties who seems to have been a man of
some stature. Then Walter the Clergyman at Doncaster and John and his son John
made Freemen of York?
But of much interest is William Farndale, the first to dispense with the ‘de’
and the first to use Farndale as his surname in the modern sense in 1370. How
did he find himself in the King’s suit in Calais. Was he the same William he
bought land at Loversall near Doncaster. And what about William Farndale of Sheriffhutton?
It will never be possible to link all these people together, let alone link
them to the Farndales of today, but amongst them somewhere are our ancestors
and this chapter has given some idea of the way they lived all based on
official documents of the time.