Middle division: Thirtleby

THIRTLEBY

THIRTLEBY hamlet lies 4 km. south-east from Swine village. The name is Scandinavian and means 'Thorkel's farmstead'. (fn. 1) Of 755 a. (306 ha.), (fn. 2) the civil parish was united in 1935 with that of Coniston as the new civil parish of Coniston. (fn. 3) In 1377 poll-tax payers at Thirtleby were recorded with those in Ellerby. (fn. 4) Ten houses at Thirtleby were assessed for hearth tax in 1672. (fn. 5) From 44 in 1801, the population of Thirtleby increased to 69 in 1871, fell to 55 in 1881 and 44 in 1891, recovered after 1901 to 75 in 1911, then fell again to 51 in 1921, and was 55 in 1931. (fn. 6)

THIRTLEBY hamlet has comprised since the mid 19th century a dozen scattered houses. (fn. 7) Spacey Field Farm, built c. 1800, was demolished in the mid 20th century, (fn. 8) and Swiss Cottage, a 16th-century style lodge for Thirtleby Grange, put up by 1852, (fn. 9) was taken down in or shortly before 1995. Woodlands, Hill Farm, and Central House were built between 1852 and 1889, (fn. 10) and Stillmeadow and Mount View Farms were put up near the site of Spacey Field Farm in the mid 20th century. (fn. 11) A beerhouse at Thirtleby was licensed in the 1750s. (fn. 12)

MANOR AND OTHER ESTATES.

In 1066 Morkar held 4 carucates at Thirtleby as soke of his manor of Mappleton. By 1086 Drew de Bevrère held them, (fn. 13) and they were later part of the Aumale fee.

Much of Thirtleby was held of the counts of Aumale by the St. Quintins and later descended as part of their manor of Woodhall, in Ellerby. (fn. 14) In 1541 the Woodhall estate included land at Thirtleby let for over £13 a year, (fn. 15) and c. 260 a. there was sold by George Goring in several lots in the 1590s. (fn. 16) Those estates have not been traced further.

About 1200 Herbert de St. Quintin subinfeudated 2 carucates and 2 bovates in Thirtleby to Beatrice wife of William of Rochford as her marriage portion, in return for which the Rochfords quitclaimed Brandesburton to St. Quintin. The estate, mostly held by tenants, (fn. 17) descended to Walran of Rochford (fl. 1240), and in 1347 the St. Quintins' tenant was his or another Walran's heir. (fn. 18) In 1381-2 Joan Rogerson, probably Sir Walran of Rochford's daughter, sold the estate at Thirtleby, then comprising 2 houses, 1 carucate and 1 bovate, and rent, with the manor of Wold Newton, or Newton Rochford, to Sir Ralph Hastings. (fn. 19) As THIRTLEBY manor, it descended to William Hastings (d. 1483), Lord Hastings, whose feoffees and executors evidently settled it on Windsor college in support of Hastings's chantry there. (fn. 20) Later described as the reputed manor of EASTHALL GARTH, (fn. 21) the estate seems to have been held by Elizabeth Clough in 1782 and then by Robert Hudson until 1798, both probably lessees of Windsor college. J. B. Tuke, banker and merchant, bought the 249-a. farm from the college, evidently in 1798 or 1799, and divided it into two holdings. (fn. 22) Following Tuke's bankruptcy, his estate was sold in lots in 1806, the 100-a. Spacey Field farm being bought by C. E. Broadley and Easthall Garth farm, then of 145 a., by John Stephenson. (fn. 23) Stephenson (d. by 1817) was succeeded in turn by Matthew Stephenson (d. by 1827) and Thomas Stephenson. (fn. 24) Thomas Stephenson Holland, the last-named or another, had the farm at his death in 1894. G. F. Stephenson Holland succeeded to it, then of 125 a. and called Manor House farm, in 1907 and sold it in 1919 to J. A. Frost (d. 1933) and his wife Margaret. (fn. 25) The farm was sold by Mrs. Frost to Joseph and Henry Elliott in 1942, and, as the 100-a. Manor farm, by them to William Gibson in 1953. G. B. Green bought the farm in 1955 and still had it in 1994. (fn. 26)

The Constables held a little land at Thirtleby under Woodhall manor c. 1600. (fn. 27)

Land at Thirtleby belonged to bishop Walter Skirlaw (d. 1406) and was granted by his executors to Swine priory in or soon after 1415. (fn. 28) Comprising two houses and 2 carucates, or 195 a., it was held under a Crown lease by Anne Goring in 1609. (fn. 29) The estate was evidently later sold by the Crown and in 1704 was held by Edward Graham, viscount Preston, and others who then sold several houses and 419 a. at Thirtleby to Mark Kirkby. (fn. 30) Kirkby (d. 1718) devised the estate to his son Christopher (fn. 31) (d. c. 1733), from whom it passed in turn to his brother Mark (d. 1748) and sister Isabel Collings. (fn. 32) Mrs. Collings (d. by 1764) devised part of Thirtleby to her great-nephew the Revd. James Torre and the rest to his son Nicholas Torre. (fn. 33)

The Revd. James Torre (d. 1788) was succeeded by his son James (d. 1816) in a farm of c. 190 a., which was sold to William Brigham in 1821. Brigham died in 1851 or 1852, and Edward Walker bought the farm in 1853. (fn. 34) After Walker's death, 174 a. was sold to Sir Thomas Constable, Bt., in 1865. (fn. 35) Later called Thirtleby Grange, (fn. 36) the farm remained part of the Burton Constable estate in 1994.

Nicholas Torre's share of Thirtleby seems to have passed to Christopher Torre (d. c. 1825), who left the Revd. Henry Torre a farm of some 218 a. (fn. 37) It later belonged to the Revd. Henry J. Torre (d. 1904) and then to his widow Hyacinthe (d. 1907), before being sold to Richard Richardson in 1909. Richardson (d. 1929) was succeeded in Field House farm in turn by his son Richard (d. 1964), (fn. 38) and grandson Mr. A. D. Richardson, who still occupied it in 1995. (fn. 39)

The rectorial tithes and dues of Thirtleby were bought by John Ramsden in 1681, (fn. 40) and they later descended with Bilton manor. (fn. 41) Some were sold to proprietors and merged, (fn. 42) but the rest were commuted in 1842 for a rent charge of £68 18s. 6d. payable to the Revd. William Dawnay, viscount Downe. (fn. 43)

ECONOMIC HISTORY.

COMMON LANDS AND INCLOSURE. The open fields of Thirtleby evidently lay north and south of the hamlet. (fn. 44) Lord FitzHugh converted a few acres of the tillage to pasture before 1517. (fn. 45) South field was recorded again in the early 18th century, (fn. 46) but at least part of North field had been inclosed by 1750. (fn. 47) Large closes, possibly newly-made from the commonable lands, were recorded in 1799: there were 98 a. in Spacey field and 47 a. in Summer pasture, which was soon afterwards divided into three closes. (fn. 48) Ridge and furrow remained near Thirtleby Grange in 1994. (fn. 49)

LATER AGRICULTURE. There were up to six farmers at Thirtleby in the 19th and earlier 20th century, one or two with 150 a. or more. (fn. 50) Market gardening, nurserying, (fn. 51) and fruitfarming (fn. 52) have also been pursued there. A cattle dealer at Thirtleby was recorded in 1851 and one or two cowkeepers from the late 19th century, and c. 1990 cattle- and other livestockfarming there contributed to their prominence in Coniston civil parish. (fn. 53)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

A poorhouse was probably maintained at Thirtleby, (fn. 54) where one person was on permanent relief between 1812 and 1815 and up to 9 people were relieved occasionally in the early 19th century. (fn. 55) Thirtleby joined Skirlaugh poor-law union in 1837, (fn. 56) and the township, later civil parish, remained in Skirlaugh rural district until 1935. As part of Coniston civil parish, it was then included in the new Holderness rural district and at reorganization in 1974 was taken into the Holderness district of Humberside. (fn. 57) In 1996 Coniston parish became part of a new East Riding unitary area. (fn. 58)

EDUCATION

Children from Thirtleby attended Bilton and Swine schools in 1871. (fn. 59)