Simon the Miller of Farndale

 

c 1255 to c 1334

 

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The wealthiest tenant in Farndale in 1301

Possibly the earliest direct ancestor in the written record of the modern family

 

The First Family Tree

The Medieval Inhabitants of Farndale

 

 FAR00021

 

Home Page

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Return to the Home Page of the Farndale Family Website

The Farndale Story

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The story of one family’s journey through two thousand years of British History

The Farndale Lineages

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The 83 family lines into which the family is divided. Meet the whole family and how the wider family is related

The Farndale Directory

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Members of the historical family ordered by date of birth

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Links to other pages with historical research and related material

Related Family Stories

The story of the Bakers of Highfields, the Chapmans, and other related families

 

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Simon the Miller of Farndale is the first significant person to have adopted the name Farndale. In 1301 he paid the most tax in the dale, as its miller. He appears regularly in the records as the father of sons who were punished under the draconian forest laws, generally for poaching offences.

 

Whilst it is impossible to be certain, a possible model for the ancestry of the Early Farndales means that he is a candidate for the first direct ancestor of the modern family of whom we have a record.

 

 

1240s and 1250s (before Simon was born)

 

Farndale was first cleared for agriculture from perhaps about 1220 (FAR00004A). So although we don’t know about Simon’s parents, it might be supposed that they were the hard grafters who first broke up the forest in the dale and started farming. As Farndale was an extension of the existing estate of Kirkbymoorside, Simon’s grandparents and his ancestors before them, were likely to have come from the land at the northern edge of the Vale of York, perhaps in the ancient agricultural lands around Kirkdale. These lands were part of the same landholdings and estate as Farndale.

 

The two early mills might have been constructed in about the 1240s. It would have been the most costly piece of infrastructure in the dale and the cost of its construction would have been borne by the Stuteville landowners, at the time Joan de Stuteville, the Lady of Liddell. Joan’s seal bore the image of a lady riding side-saddle, a style which she is reputed to have been the first to adopt. Perhaps she was occasionally seen riding through the dale in that fashion. The landlord would have collected a hefty rent from the tenants and millers of the water mills. We know that Joan was collecting eleven marcs per annum from the two water mills in the mid Twelfth century. A marc was two thirds of a pound, or 13s 4d.

 

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By the mid thirteenth century, Farndale was a thriving community with two watermills. It is likely that the principal watermill was at modern Low Mill, with another probably smaller mill, a little upstream, at High Mill.

 

It seems likely that the mill at Low Mill was first operated by Simon’s father, in the very early days as the dale was being cleared for agriculture. Perhaps Simon’s family moved into the dale from perhaps the ancient agricultural lands around Kirkdale, to clear the dale, but quickly diverted to become the principal millers of the dale.

 

There is an undated Yorkshire Deed from about the mid thirteenth century: Grant by Nicholas Devias, being in good health and lawful power (in mea bona sanitate et ligia potestafe) to Alice his wife, for life, of an annual rent of 10 li, which lady Joan de Stotevile gave him for his service, namely, 20s. from the land in Farndale, held of him by Adam de Ellerschae, and eleven marcs from his two water-mills in Famedale, and two and a half marcs from his water-mill in Brauncedale, payable half-yearly at Michaelmas and Easter. Paying yearly at Christmas one silver penny for all service, etc. Witnesses, Sir Richard Foliot, Sir Adam Newmarch [de Novo mercato), Sir Henry Biset, Sir Thomas de Hetun, William de Pligt Peter de Giptun, Clement de Nortun, Robert de Slucropt, Colin de Nortun and many others.

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The location of the now disused High Mill, now known better for the Daffy Café.

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The River Dove would have provided an optimal source of power for milling. There was a nineteenth century watermill at High Mill on Mill Lane south of Church Houses, Farndale, which is almost certainly the site of an earlier mill. The hamlet of Low Mill was also the site of an earlier mill on the River Dove and is located where the fast flowing West Gill Beck flows down from the high ground to meet the River Dove. Both these mills were located centrally within the valley. There are also remains of a watermill at Low Elm House in neighbouring Bransdale.

The Mills of Farndale

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Medieval milling and the mills of Farndale.

 

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c 1255

 

There is no record of Simon’s birth or of his early life. By 1301, as the wealthiest person living in the dale, he might have been in his mid forties. So we might guess that he was born in about 1255. Perhaps he was born in his father’s watermill, which may have been a structure of cutting edge technology, built only a decade or so previously. The mill was likely to have been at Low Mill, and this might have been the heart of the medieval Farndale community.

 

1276

 

By 1276, at the time of the death of Joan Stuteville, about 545 acres of Farndale was under cultivation (see FAR00017). The bonded tenants paid a standard rent of 1s per acre. By that time there were seven cottars in Farndale and further occupation at Duthenwayt, probably in the area of the Duffin Stone today, up the western side of the dale. Simon’s parents were likely to have been part of a community of villeins, tilling the land, and paying high rents to the Stuteville landowners.

 

We cannot know when or who Simon married. Given the likely dates of the births of his children, it seems possible that he would have married in about 1276, when he might have been about 21.

 

c 1278

 

Perhaps their eldest son, John (Johanne) de Farndale (FAR00030), son of Simon of Farndale, might have been born in about 1278. John moved out of Farndale to Egton by 1301 on the northern side of the moors, and then back to Rosedale, before taking a substantial loan in 1347, from which he became a saddler and freeman of York. He is a likely candidate for the direct line to the modern Farndale family.

 

c 1279

 

William (Willelmo) de Farndale, (FAR00013), might have been born in about 1279. William moved to Danby by 1301.

 

c 1280

 

Adam de Farndale (FAR00025), son of Simon the Miller of Farndale might have been born in about 1280. Adam later appears in the poaching records.

 

1282

 

Robert Farndale, (FAR00031), son of Simon the Miller of Farndale might have been born in about 1280. Robert was a prolific poacher in the 1330s, who was outlawed.

 

By 1282, on the death of Joan’s son, Baldwin Wake, the cultivated acreage in Farndale had risen to 768 acres in only six years (FAR000020). There were 90 bondmen by this time in Farndale. This must have represented a planned campaign of settlement and activity in the dale must have been noisy and constant at this time. Activity at the mill must have been hectic.

 

It seems likely that Simon the Miller was the first or one of the first millers of the principal mill at Low Mill, and it seems possible that he had taken on the family business from his father.

 

1301

 

Simon Molendinario (“the Miller”) paid 7s and 9d in the Lay Subsidy of 1301 (FAR00029). This was more rent than anyone in Farndale. Furthermore he had a  servant, called John (serviente ejus, ‘his servant’, perhaps a person who helped Simon’s work as a miller) who paid 3d in the subsidy. John may later have also been referred to as John the miller (FAR00021B), and may have been his brother or his employee who became a more substantial part of the Low Mill business in time.

 

The person who paid the highest tax was De Simone Molendinario. Molendinum is the Latin for mill. So it seems very likely that this was the same person. Simon would have been about 37 in 1301 if we are right about his year of birth. Simon paid the highest amount of tax at 7s 9d.

Millers were important members of fourteenth century society. Everyone ate bread, and grain had to be ground into flour. This could be done by hand, using a quern, but it was very time-consuming. Mills powered by water or wind allowed grinding at scale. The quality of the flour from a mill was also better, being more finely ground and containing less grit.

Mills were expensive to build. Watermills needed ponds, weirs and leats to provide enough water moving quickly enough to turn the millstone. The millstone itself had to be cut properly before it could be used. Generally the mill could only be built by the lord of the manor. For the lord of a manor a mill provided a source of income. His villein class had to pay to have their grain ground and they were not allowed to grind it themselves. Many did so secretly, however, using a domestic quern, which had to be well-hidden. If they were caught they would be fined and the quern confiscated or destroyed. This monopoly was resented by the peasants. During the Peasants’ Revolt in 1381 some men forced their way into St Albans Abbey where confiscated millstones had been set into the parlour floor. The millstones were dug up and broken into pieces.

Windmills were invented towards the end of the twelfth century. They were used in flat areas where the water did not move fast enough to turn a wheel.

The most famous miller of the fourteenth century was the one in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. He is described in the Prologue as being a brute. He was tall, wide, and strong enough to break a door down with his head, and the winner of every wrestling contest he entered. He had a hairy wart on the end of his nose. He stole from his customers and overcharged them. His tale is lewd, and humorous.

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Simon the Miller’s worth in moveable goods was therefore £5 16s 3d. Using the National Archives Currency Converter, this might be a value of about £4,200 today in moveable good, or the value of six horses.

 

The mill must have been constructed with funds of the landowner, descendants of the Stuteville family (by then Thomas Wake, the Second Baron Wake of Liddell in 1301), and Simon was likely to have been a tenant who paid a significant rent to Thomas Wake. As he is likely to have been the miller at the more substantial Low Mill, his share of the annual rent from the two mills of eleven marcs, was likely to have been the higher share of the eleven marcs total, say six marcs or £4.

 

As a miller, at the heart of the community of Farndale, operating the most advanced piece of commercial machinery at the time, Simon the Miller was likely to have received a substantial income from the farmers of Farndale who required his services. He was likely to have been income rich (though with a hefty sum then diverted to his landlord), whilst building up a moveable wealth which may be modest by modern standards, but was likely to have been envied by others in the dale.

 

We might imagine a model whereby he received an annual income from operating the mill of say £8, with a deduction of £4 to pay his rent, and annoying impositions of national taxes, like his payment of 7s 9d in 1301, together with the costs of operating the mill. He must also have required to pay his servant John. As we shall see, the folk of Farndale were surrounded by royal forests, under the possession of the House of Lancaster (see FAR00015A), and ancient rights of common grazing and hunting had been stripped from the indigenous population since the Norman Conquest. The draconian forest laws were imposed vigorously and prolifically and must have represented another substantial financial burden. 

 

At this stage, perhaps counter intuitively, the Farndales were within the remit of the House Lancaster, though their descendants of Sheriff Hutton by the time of the Wars of the Roses would be firmly within the world of the House Neville, staunch supporters of the Yorkists. The Lancastrian family had estates in Yorkshire as well as in Lancashire and elsewhere. The distinction between the Lancastrians and the Yorkists would become more focused when the Lancastrian John of Gaunt’s son, Henry Bolingbroke, took back his Lancastrian lands and seized the throne from Richard II (himself a descendant of the Stutevilles), becoming Henry IV, and the Yorkists later emerged as a competing claim to the throne during the problematic reign of Henry VI. Even from the time of Simon the Miller, the Lancastrians are better perceived as House Lancaster, with property in many places, than a geographical base.

 

The moveable goods which Simon the Miller owned and against which he was taxed, might have substantially comprised his business possessions, with some modest family cooking and domestic possessions alongside. Although he may have had a far more substantial turnover than the other folk of the dale, he may not have been so wealthy in the residue of funds he had left to feed his family.

 

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1310

 

A number of local folk had taken draught beasts into Pickering Forest in the reign of Edward III in 1310 or 1311, where the draught animals were forbidden to wander. Some pasturages were reserved for the use of the King where there was no right in common and here, cattle were agisted at a fixed price, to be paid to the bailiff. These sums were collected by the agisters, of whom there were two in each ward, men of substance it seems by their assessments in the Lay Subsidies. 

Not the least of the profits derived from the possession of a forest was that arising from the agistment of cattle in waste grounds. (The Duchy of Lancaster Records, from the North Riding Record Society, The Honour and Forest of Pickering, Edited by Robert Bell Turton, Volume IV, 1897, page xxvii).

There was a lengthy list of those individuals from Farndale found by the agisters in about 1310 with their cattle in the forests. Thomas Wake, the Lord of Liddell, whose tenants they were, said the price had already been paid and the tenants should be discharged of the matter. Amongst those fined were John (FAR00030), son of Simon of Farndale (FAR00021) who had 3 oxen, worth 12s agisted (North Riding Records Yorks Volume III, The Honour and Forest of Pickering, 1894, Edited Robert Bell Turton, page 61, The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 273, 273v, DL 42/1/23/U64 folios 273 to 274v).

 

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1 July 1323

On 1 July 1323 Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller of Farndale (FAR00021), and Richard (FAR00016), son of John the miller (FAR00021B) (who was probably Simon’s fellow miller either from the High Mill or working as Simon’s servant at Low Mill), with three other unknown men, came into Pickering Forest in a place called Petrenedle, and took two deer. When confronted by the forester, they had sent away one deer, which the foresters carried to Pickering Castle, but the poachers carried away the other deer. The Eyre Court had a long period when it did not sit and the case did not come to be heard until 3 October 1334 (some eleven years later) when they did not appear and the sheriff was ordered to apprehend them. Later, Adam and Richard came before the justices and asked to pay for licence to make concord for their offence so that they could be redeemed. Adam paid £1 6s 8d and Richard paid £2 for this licence, and they found mainpernors (or guarantors) for these amounts (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 217, DL 42/1/23/U22 folios 217 to 218v, Close Rolls 22 August 1323, 17 Edward II page 15 and 16, North Riding Records Yorks, The Honour and Forest of Pickering, 1894, Volume II at page 217 to 218).

There are full details of this incident at another webpage.

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In this record, we have another early record of Simonis Molendinarii (Latin for a Miller). Simon was probably an old man by this time.

 

 

1332

 

On 24 September 1332, Robert Farndale (FAR00031) son of Simon of Farndale (FAR00021), and Robert son of Peter of Farndale, (FAR00008), were caught killing and carrying off a hart in the forest at a place called Flaskes (Patent Rolls, North Riding Records, York, The Honour and Forest of Pickering, Volume II, The Coucher Book of the Duchy of Lancaster Records, page 66). Robert was outlawed.

 

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There are full details of this incident at another webpage.

 

 

13 March 1334

Nicholas of Farndale (FAR00022), gave bail for Roger (FAR00013A) son of Gilbert of Farndale (FAR00018) who had been caught poaching in 1334 and 1335. Robert (FAR00031) son of Simon the miller of Farndale (FAR00021) and Robert (FAR00012), son of Peter of Farndale (FAR00008) were co-offenders (North Riding Records Yorks Volume III, The Honour and Forest of Pickering).

There are full details of this incident at another webpage.

 

3 October 1334

A hearing of the itinerant Eyre Court (FAR00015B), picking up cases from several decades previously, took place at Pickering on 3 October 1334 (The Duchy of Lancaster Records, from the North Riding Record Society, The Honour and Forest of Pickering, Edited by Robert Bell Turton, Volume IV, 1897, page xiii).

At a hearing at Pickering before Justices Richard Willoughby and John de Hambury on 3 October 1334, a long list of offenders included Robert (FAR00031), son of Simon of Farndale (FAR00021), Roger del Milne of Farndale (FAR00013A), Robert (FAR00012), son of Peter de Farndale (FAR00008), Walter Blachose (BLA00001), Ralph del Heued (HEU00002), who were ordered for apprehension by the sheriff by Easter 1335 (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 276v to 277v).

 

Justices of the Common Pleas were a later judicial position within the Court of Common Pleas of England and Wales, under the Chief Justice. The Common Pleas was the primary court of common law within England and Wales, dealing with common pleas (civil matters between subject and subject).

Sir Richard Willoughby (c 1290 to 1362) was the son of Sir Richard Willoughby of Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, a lawyer, who served as Chief Justice of the Bench in Ireland from 1323-1325. Richard attended Parliament in 1324 and inherited the estate from his father the following year. Richard was a successful lawyer and increased his wealth greatly by his legal career. He was appointed one of the justices of Common Pleas in 1328 and served between 6 March 1328 to 22 December 1330; 9 October 1340 to November 1341; and 20 November 1343 to 1357. He was one of the justices of King's Bench in 1330. He was briefly Chief Justice between 1338-1340, but was demoted and charged with corruption. He threw himself on the King's mercy and was pardoned on payment of 1200 marks. In 1343 he was re-appointed as a justice, and served until 1357. Sir Richard was buried at Willoughby-on-the-Wolds, where there is a monumental effigy.

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The monument to Sir Richard Willoughby, judge in chief over the Farndale poachers

 

Under medieval forest law, mainpernors were individuals who acted as guarantors for others, ensuring they appeared in court to answer for alleged offenses against forest law. These offenses primarily involved the king's hunting rights and the protection of forest resources like timber and vegetation. Mainpernors essentially vouched for the accused's future appearance in court, preventing them from fleeing justice within the forest jurisdiction.

 

Richard (FAR00016), son of John the miller of Farndale (FAR00021B) and Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller of Farndale (FAR00021) had trespassed and hunted in Pickering Forest, others including Adam (FAR00022A), son of Nicholas de Farndale (FAR00006), and John (FAR00016A), son of John the miller (FAR00021B) and John Wraghby of Farndale (WRA00001) mainperned (provided guarantees) for their appearance (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 227, 227v, DL 42/1/35/U7 folios 337 to 338v).

 

Mainpernors (“guarantors”) were fixed including Alan (FAR00011), son of Nicholas de Farndale (FAR00006) was also fined 40d as mainpreneur for the hunting offences of Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller of Farndale (FAR00021). Nicholas Laverock was also fined 20d as mainpernor of Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller (FAR00021), also indicted for hunting. John (FAR00016A), son of John the miller (FAR00021B) was also fined 2s as mainpernor of Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller (FAR00021), also indicted for hunting. Nicholas Brakenthwayt was also fined 2s as mainpernor of Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller (FAR00021), also indicted for hunting. Alan de Braghby was fined 2s as mainpernor of Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller (FAR00021), also indicted for hunting. John de Braghby was also fined 20d as mainpernor of Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller (FAR00021), also indicted for hunting. (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folios 336v and 337, DL 42/1/35/U6, Folio 335v-336v (not on public record)).

 

As mainpernor (guarantor) Richard (FAR00016), son of John (FAR00021B), and Adam (FAR00025), son of Simon the miller of Farndale (FAR00021),  Nicholas de Rippingale was fined 5s because they did not turn up. (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folios 342v).

 

There are full details of this hearing at another webpage.

A number of individuals from Farndale were fined following prior indictments for poaching in 1334 and not turning up at the Eyre. They paid bail or had bail paid for them (North Riding Records, Volume IV by the North Yorkshire Record Society, the Honour and Forest of Pickering, 1897, page 23, 28, and 34 not on line but I have a physical copy).

 

Date of Hearing

Notional date of Offence

 

Payer

Guarantor (malpernor)

Poacher

Amount of Fine

3 October 1334

c 1321

John  Alberd

Adam (FAR00025) son  of  Simon  the Miller of Farndale (FAR00021)

Alan  (FAR00011) son  of  Nicholas of  Farndale (FAR00006)

3s 4d

3 October 1334

c 1325

Walter Trusseleygh

Adam (FAR00025) son  of  Simon  the Miller of Farndale (FAR00021)

Richard  (FAR00016) son  of  John  Miller (FAR00021B)

Nicholas  de  Repyngale

5s

 

There are further details of these offences at another webpage.

 

It seems that Simon’s son’s Robert and Adam both faced the arbitrary justice of the forest laws catching up with them for a number of poaching offences, and whilst actings as mainpernor or guarantor seems to have been a reciprocal activity, a significant number of Farndale folk were fined as guarantors for Adam’s non appearance. Perhaps the folk of Farndale were growing wearisome at the antics of their miller’s family by this time.

It seems likely that Simon, who would have been about 80 by 1335, had died by then. Perhaps the fact that the later judicial references to Simon’s sons as the son of Simon of Farndale from 1335, rather than Simon the Miller of Farndale in 1334, mean that he died an old miller in about 1334. His sons don’t appear to have carried on his business. Eighty was of course a ripe age in medieval Yorkshire, and he may have died sooner than this, his sons being referred to by reference to their deceased parent.

 

1335

The Eyre Court then continued to sit at regular intervals until 1338 or 1339.

In the case last heard on 3 October 1334, at a hearing at Pickering, again before Justices Richard Willoughby and John de Hambury at Easter 1335, a long list of offenders including Robert (FAR00031), son of Simon of Farndale (FAR00021), Roger del Milne of Farndale (FAR00013A), Robert (FAR00012), son of Peter de Farndale (FAR00008), Walter Blachose (BLA00001), Ralph del Heued (HEU00002), had still not been apprehended and were ordered for apprehension by the sheriff by the Tuesday three weeks after Michaelmas 1335 (ie by Tuesday 17 October 1335)(The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 277v to 278v).

Were he to find them the sheriff was ordered to take steps in such a way that he has their bodies here at this day to make satisfaction to the earl about their redemption for trespasses of hunting whereof they are convicted before the said justices by the foresters, verderers and other ministers.  

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There are full details of this incident at another webpage.

 

17 October 1335

In the case last heard in April 1335, at a hearing at Pickering, again before Justices Richard Willoughby and John de Hambury in October 1335, a long list of offenders including Robert (FAR00031), son of Simon of Farndale (FAR00021), Roger del Milne of Farndale (FAR00013A), Robert (FAR00012), son of Peter de Farndale (FAR00008), Walter Blachose (BLA00001), Ralph del Heued (HEU00002), had still not been apprehended. As a follow up, on 10 February 1337, the original judicial panel of Richard Willoughby and John de Hambury were to be replaced by the King by a new judicial panel comprising two of Richard de la Pole, Robert de Hungerford and John de Hambury (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 279 to 280v).

William de la Pole (c.1290-1366) and his brother Richard (died in 1345) built a wool business in Hull, Yorkshire. From there they became closely connected with the Royal court, lending large amounts of money which delivered interest as high as 22%.

 

1336

In 1336 there was a list of offences committed since the commencement of the Eyre and these included Adam (FAR00025) son of Simon Miller of Farndale (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 204v, DL 42/1/23/U14 folios 203 to 205 and North Riding Records Yorks Volume II, The Honour and Forest of Pickering, page 119).


13 February 1337

In the case last heard on 17 October 1335, at a hearing at Pickering, before Justices John de Hambury and Richard de la Pole in February 1337, the case of Robert (FAR00031), son of Simon of Farndale (FAR00021), and others was heard again. They had still not been apprehended. The King ordered at Leicester on 1 October 1337 that a fresh writ be issued by Monday next after the feast of St Andrew the Apostle (The feast is on 30 November) with an adjourned hearing to Wednesday next after Ascension (39 days after Easter) 10 Edw. III (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 280v to 282, North Riding Records Yorks, The Honour and Forest of Pickering, 1894, Volume II at page 119).

 

1 December 1337

The same case involving Robert was heard again on 1 December 1337. They had still not been apprehended. (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 282 to 283v).

 

16 March 1338

The same case was heard again on 16 March 1338. They  had still not been apprehended. (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 283v to 284v).

 

21 September 1338

The same case was heard again on 21 or 28 September 1338. They had still not been apprehended. (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 284v to 286).

 

5 April 1339

The same case was heard again on 5 April 1339. They had still not been apprehended. (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 286 to 287).

 

14 or 21 September 1339

The same case was heard again on 14 or 21 September 1339. They had still not been apprehended. Exacerbated at the lack of progress in apprehending the gang, the sheriff was ordered to hunt for them from county to county and if they were still not found, they were to be outlawed (The Great Cowcher of the Duchy of Lancaster, The National Archives, DL42/1 Folio 287 to 289v).

Simon’s son Robert, like Robin Hood, seems to have become an outlaw, for his forest offences.

 

How does Simon the Miller of Farndale relate to the modern family?

It is not possible to be accurate about the early family tree, before the recording of births, marriages and deaths in parish records, but we do have a lot of medieval material including important clues on relationships between individuals. The matrix of the family before about 1550 is the most probable model based on the available evidence.

Simon the miller of Farndale may be the first direct relative of the modern Farndale family, whose son may have been John de Farndale, who left the dale and eventually settled in York. It seems likely that it would have been the younger sons of the wealthiest inhabitant of the dale in 1301 who left the dale with sufficient resource to have relative success themselves in founding the permanent line of the family.