Helmsley

 A History of Helmsley to about 1500

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Helmsley was Elmeslac at the time of the Norman Conquest, and has also been recorded as Hamelak, Hamlake and Haunesley. The suffix ly or ley generally referred to a wood or woodland clearing in Old English (Anglo-Saxon). Helm was likely to have been an Old English personal name.

The Old English suffix -lāc generally referred to some form of practice or ritual. As a noun, the Old English lāc means "play, sport," deriving from an earlier meaning of "sacrificial ritual or hymn" (Proto-Germanic laikaz). This meaning survives today only in words like "wedlock" and "bridelock," and is very rare as a place name suffix. Some of the earlier derivations of the name may therefore suggest a place of ritual.

The usual form of the name of the town is most likely to refer to Helm’s woodland clearing, but there may be some ritual activity suggested by some forms of the name.

3,000 BCE

Archaeological discoveries suggest that the area around Helmsley was first settled in around 3,000 BC and small farming communities existed here during the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages and into Roman times.

c 500 BCE

Finds of beehive rotary querns evidence agriculture and the milling of grain during the Iron Age.

218 CE

A hoard of 34 Roman coins, including a gold coin of Antoninus Pius (138 to 161 CE) and silver denarii were found in the vicarage garden in Helmsley and probably date to around 218 CE. The Roman villa of Beadlam is about three kilometres to the west of Helmsley.

c 640 CE

St Aidan of Lindisfarne (died 31 August 651) visited Helmsley.

c 950 CE

A Hogsback tombstone dates to about the tenth century CE. There are also three stone Anglo-Saxon stones, which were bases for upright posts for a Saxon church of wattle which have been incorporated into the church itself and into the Feversham Monument in the market square, suggesting an earlier church.

1065

The owner of the lands which included Helmsley before the Conquest was Uhtred.

1079

William the Conqueror was lost on Ropa Moor, north of Helmsley, during the Harrying of the North (History of the Norman Conquest, Freeman).

1086

Helmsley was a settlement in the hundred of Maneshou, by the time of Domesday Book. One part of the landholding was wasteland, possibly with two areas of ploughable field. The second part included four ploughlands served by two men’s plough teams, with a large area of woodland, 6 x 1.5 (about 40 km by 10 km) leagues in area. There were six villagers (and therefore households) and a priest and there was a church.

Like most of the area, Helmsley suffered during the Harrying of the North, though perhaps not to the extent of other areas that were completely wasted. Its annual value before the Conquest was £1 12s, reduced to 10s in 1086.

By 1086, the owner of the lands which included Helmsley was Count Robert of Mortain, half brother of William the Conqueror. Robert was one of the few proven companions of William the Conqueror at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, and the Domesday Book evidences that he became one of the greatest landholders in England.

1088

Count Robert of Mortain rebelled against William II (William Rufus) in 1088 and lost his estate, but was later pardoned and his estates were restored.

1106

Robert’s son William rebelled against Henry I, but was captured at the Battle of Tinchebrai in 1106 and stripped of his estates, being imprisoned in the Tower of London and later became a Cluniac monk at Bermondsey Abbey.

1113

Early Cistercian visitors to the area described the land as all bog and fen, the roads mere byways and the forests the haunts of robbers and wild beasts.

1122

The Mortain lands were granted to Walter Espec whop also held land at Wark on the River Tweed.

	William Speche Part of the Norman army with William the Conqueror Feudal Baron of Old Warden by 1086
	Walter Espec Buried on 9 March 1153 Founded Kirkham Priory and Rievaulx Abbey	Adelina Espec	Peter de Ros I Died 1157 That Peter, the Ancestor of this great and noble family, did originally assume his surname in the time of Henry I, from that lordship of Holderness, called Roos, where he then had his residence, needeth not be doubted (William Dugdale) A steward of William of Albemarle Buried in Rievaulx Abbey
			Robert de Ros I Died 1167 Paid a thousand marks of silver to the King for livery of the lands inherited by his mother from her brother, Walter Espec Munificent benefactor to the Knights Templar.
			Everard de Ros c 1145 to c 1182 Lord of the Hamlake (now Helmsley) As a minor, ward to Ranulph de Granville Married Rose Trusbut, of Wartre, in Holderness
		Sir Robert de Ros II (Furnan) c 1182 to 1227 Imprisoned in Normandy during the reign of Richard I and had to pay a significance ransom Regained the whole barony of Walter Espec including Helmsley Castle, Wark Castle, Northumberland and Hamlake Castle, Yorkshire Rebuilt Helmsley Castle Commissioner to conduct William, King of Scotland, to England Married Isabella, daughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland One of the twenty-five barons who guaranteed the observance of Magna Carta	Another son
	William de Ros I of Helmsley Died c 1264 Married Lucy FitzPeter	Robert de Ros of Wark	Alexander de Ros	Peter de Ros
	Sir Robert de Ros III c 1225 to 13 May 1285 He was one of the rebels against Henry III in the Baron’s Revolt and summoned to the Parliament after the Battle of Lewes Married Isabel d’Aubigny, heiress of the Belvoir Estate	Peter, William, Alexander, Herbert, John, Lucy and Alice Ros
	William Ros II 1^st Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1255 to 6 or 8 August 1316 Unsuccessful competitor for the Crown of Scotland in 1292 Faught in Edward I’s Welsh Wars in 1277 and 1282 and in Scotland Married Maud, daughter of John Vaux
	William Ros III 2^nd Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1285 to 3 February 1343 Commissioner whop negotiated with Robert Bruce, King of Scotland on the orders of Edward III Married Margery of Leeds Castle
	William Ros IV 3^rd Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 19 May 1329 to before 29 September 1352 Led the second division of the English army at the Battle of Crécy in 1346 and also fought at the Battle of Neville’s Cross that same year Married Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville Died on Crusade without heir	Thomas Ros I 4^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley 13 January 1335 to 8 June 1384 Married Beatrice Stafford Buried at Rievaulx
		John Ros I 5^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1360 to 6 August 1393 Died in Cyprus No issue Body returned to be buried at Rievaulx	William Ros V 6^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1370 to 1 November 1414 Lord Treasurer of England under Henry IV Married Margaret FitzAlan Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire became the main residence of the Ros family who previously had resided at Helmsley Castle
			John Ros II 7^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1397 to 22 March 1421 1421 Married Margery, daughter of Philip, 2^nd Baron le Despencer	Thomas Ros II 8^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1405 to 1431 Married Eleanor daughter of Richard, 13^th Earl of Warwick
	Thomas Ros III 9^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1427 to 1464 Married Philippa Tiptoft
	The barony of Ros lay under the attainder until the complete triumph of the Lancastrians, by the accession of Henry VII, when the elder son of the late Baron obtained an act of parliament, annulling and making entirely void, the act by which his father was attainted, and restoring to him all the estates and honours of the family
Two younger sisters Died without issue	Edmund Ros 10^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1455 to 23 October 1508 1508 Unmarried Estates overseen by Sir Thomas Lovell	Eleanor Ros	Sir Robert Manners Married Eleanor Ros
			Sir George Manners of Etal 11^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley c 1470 to 23 October 1513 Married Ann (daughter of Thomas St Leger and Ann Plantagenet (sister of Edward IV) George died in the Siege of Tournai
			Thomas Manners 12th Baron de Ros of Helmsley, 1^st Earl of Rutland c 1497 to 20 September 1543 A member of Henry VIII’s court Earl of Rutland from 1525 and Knight of the Garter Married Eleanor Paston
			Henry Manners 13^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley and 2^nd Earl of Rutland 23 September 1526 to 17 September 1563 Married Lady Margaret Neville, daughter of Ralph Neville, 4^th Earl of Westmorland
		William Cecil 2^nd Earl of Exeter	Elizabeth Manners 15^th Baroness de Ros of Helmsley C 1572 to 1591	John Manners 4^th Earl of Rutland c 1559 to 24 February 1588
		William Cecil 16^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley 1590 to 1618		Francis Manners 6^th Earl of Rutland, 17^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley 1578 to 17 December 1632 Married Frances Knyvet and later Cecily Tufton In 1618 three women, the Witches of Belvoir, were accused of witchcraft for having allegedly caused the deaths of his two young sons
			George Villiers 1^st Duke of Buckingham 20 August 1592 to 23 August 1628 Master of the Horse, Lord High Admiral, Lord Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire, Middlesex and Kent Assassinated	Katherine Manners 18^th Baroness de Ros of Helmsley 1603 to 1649 Married George Villiers and later Randall MacDonnell, 1^st Marquis of Antrim
			George Villiers 2^nd Duke of Buckingham, 19^th Baron de Ros of Helmsley 30 January 1628 to 16 April 1687

1122

The Augustinian priory at Kirkham, on the River Derwent, was founded in c 1122 by Walter Espec. The endowment included the church and three houses at Helmsley. Canon’s Garth, north of Helmsley church, may have been built as a residence of the canons of Kirkham, later rebuilt in stone in the sixteenth century.

Walter Espec (Stained Glass window at Helmsley Parish Church)

There is a traditional story that Walter Espec had a son who was killed whilst hunting near Kirkham. A local play had Walter say of his son’s death, There on the spot, where this dear corpse was found, An altar I will raise and an abbey church Where saintly men shall pray in chant and psalm For my boy’s soul, that all may be forgiven.

Walter Espec built the first castle at Helmsley. It stood on the rocky ridge overlooking the River Rye. It may have been of a structure described more generally by Aelred of Rievaulx. Three things make a castle strong: a moat, a wall, and a tower. First the moat, then the wall rising above the moat, and finally the tower, which is stronger and more significant than the other two.

1129

The earliest record of the Norman church at Helmsley is 1129.

1132

Rievaulx Abbey was founded as the base of the Cistercian monks, an abbot, 12 monks and 10 lay brothers. Walter Espec was the patron of the monastery and granted land to build the abbey and establish its early estates.

With the founding and later expansion of Rievaulx and its daughter houses, Helmsley must have found itself in a more widely connected world.

1138

As High Sheriff of Yorkshire, Walter Espec fought against the Scots at the Battle of the Standard, near Northallerton in 1138. Also present was Walter Espec, an old man, and full of days, sharp witted, wise in his advice, restrained in times of peace, farsighted in war, steadfast in his friendship towards allies and in his constant loyalty to kings. He was of immense physical stature, all his limbs of such size that they exceeded the norm; and were in proportion to his great height; his hair was black; his beard abundant; his forehead broad and noble; his eyes large, and sharp sighted; his face very broad, but well shaped; his voice like a trumpet, combining the eloquence which came easily to him with a certain grandeur of sound. Moreover he was distinguished physically. But more so for his Christian piety; of course although he lacked children and heirs, he certainly didn’t lack vigorous descendants of each of his best estates, he made Christ his heir; for in a most charming place, Kirkham by name, he founded a monastery regular of clerics, embellishing it with many endowments and enriching it with estates. (Aelred of Rievaulx).

Walter Espec swore to conquer or be killed by the Scots, while shaking the hand of William of Albemarle, just before the Battle of the Standard

Walter Espec at the Battle of the Standard, 22 August 1138 (Stained Glass window at Helmsley Parish Church)

1150s

Walter Espec retired to Rievaulx Abbey.

1153

Walter Espec died on 9 March 1153.

Burial of Walter Espec (Stained Glass window at Helmsley Parish Church)

Helmsley Castle passed to Walter’s brother in law, Peter de Ros I. The de Ros family then became Lords of Helmsley, continued patrons of Rievaulx Abbey and Kirkham Priory.

1157

Peter de Ros I died and was buried at Rievaulx.

Helmsley Castle passed to Robert de Ros I.

1165

There were some 640 monks and lay brothers at Rievaulx, so that Helmsley had become part of a much larger local community.

1182

Helmsley Castle passed to Everard de Ros.

Personal names of more ordinary folk began to appear including, at Helmsley – Goduin; Drew, son of Thockeman; Master William; Robert the chaplain; and Robert , Dean of Helmsley (The History of Ryedale, John Rushton, 2003, page 60).

1191

Helmsley Castle passed to Robert de Ros II. He raised the castles of Helmislay and of Wark (Rievaulx Chartulary). With rich estates across England and his marriage to Isabella, daughter of William the Lion, King of Scotland, Robert had the funds to rebuild the castle in stone, to the form which largely survives today. The earth and timber ramparts of Walter Espec’s castle were replaced by a stone curtain wall, with towers and gatehouses. Most of the work was undertaken by Robert, those his son and grandson, William and Robert III continued to strengthen the castle defences.

Helmsley Castle was Robert de Ros’ main residence and he probably spent most of his time at Helmsley.

In a borough charter, Robert de Ros have the burgesses of Helmsley burgage tenure which allowed greater freedom from the traditional feudal system, and allowed them their own court, market, pastureland and extraction of wood for building and fuel.

The smaller Helmsley borough was not laid out till around 1191 by Robert de Ros who had inherited the lordship by marriage with Espec’s sister, Adeline. Boroughgate marks a narrow street of small toft plots east of the castle. Tradition claimed that Helmsley market moved from the churchyard where Boroughgate and Bondgate meet to the generously laid out market square, but there is no hint of when this might have happened. The burgesses paid £11 for customs which were described, presumably rather loosely, as based on those of York. (The History of Ryedale, John Rushton, 2003, page 62).

1210

Robert de Ros was loyal to King John, and campaigned with him in Ireland in 1210.

1215

As Sheriff of Cumberland, Robert de Ros eventually joined the Northern Barons who took John to task. He was one of the 25 barons who was selected to oversee compliance of the King with Magna Carta.

1216

Robert held Helmsley Castle against King John in his northern expedition in 1216 (Matthew Paris).

On Henry III’s assumption of the Crown, Robert’s son William continued to support Prince Louis of France’s invasion of England and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Lincoln in May 1217, but he was released later that year.

1225

Robert de Ros was a witness to the 1225 issue of Magna Carta.

Robert de Ros joined the order of the Knights’ Templar.

1227

William de Ros I became lord of Helmsley.

1264

Robert de Ros III became lord of Helmsley.

1275

Rievaulx was selling 60 sacks if wool, which suggests a huge flock of about 14,000 sheep.

1285

There were still only 13 burgesses in Helmsley. The church was rebuilt on a larger scale at about this time.

1322

The Scots seem to have avoided the castle for its strength after their success at the Battle of Old Byland on 14 October 1322 when Edward II flew from Rievaulx and when Rievaulx itself was sacked.

1334

Edward III may have stayed in the east tower of Hemsley Castle for about five days in 1334.

1343

An Inquisition Post Mortem on the death of William de Ros III referred to parks and orchards around Helmsley Castle, and a constable, a parker and a chaplain. It seems to have been in reasonable repair, with an annual maintenance cost of only £6 13s 4d.

1353

After the Black Death, most of the tenants are dead through the great mortality of men lately in those parts (Inquisition Post Mortem on the death of William de Ros).

1377

The population had grown back to 282 adults in Helmsley and its neighbourhood, including brewers, a tailor, a fuller, a dyer, comber, smith, tanner, cook and baker.

1393

Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire became the main residence of the Ros family after William de Ros V inherited Helmsley Castle. The Ros family previously had their main residence at Helmsley Castle.

1446

Thomas de Ros III inherited the estate and served in the Hundred Years War, returning in 1449.

1455

During the Wars of the Roses, Thomas de Ros II joined the Percy family of Northumberland and supported the Lancastrian Henry VI.

1461

After the Yorkist victory at the Battle of Towton in March 1461, Thomas Ros fled to Scotland

1464

Thomas Ros fought at the Battle of Hexham, and was captured and then executed at Newcastle. Helmsley Castle was in the possession of the Crown.

1478

Helmsley Castle was granted to Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III).

1485

After the defeat of Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth, the Helmsley lands were restored to the Ros family, to Edmund., but overseen by Sir Thomas Lovell, due to Edmund’s perceived incapacity.

1538

After the Dissolution of Rievaulx Abbey, Thomas Manners brought the site and transferred the west window of the abbey church to Helmsley Castle.

1563

Edward Manners mainly resided at Belvoir Castle and turned Helmsley Castle into a grand country house.

1578

The refurbishment works were progressing slowly. Your buildings at Helmsley Castle here do not proceed so speedily as the mason supposed (William Segrave, Edward Manners’ agent). The refurbishment probably continued until the late 1580s.

Bibliography

Helmsley Castle, English Heritage, John R Kenyon.

Excavations at Helmsley Castle, P R Wilson, Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, Volume 61, 1989, page 29.

Helmsley Castle, William M L’Anson, , Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, Volume 24, 1917, page 325.