Colville of Coxwold and Yearsley
The small village of Coxwold in the North Riding of Yorkshire, about 9
miles south-east of Thirsk, was the home for three centuries to a family called
Colville. Within the parish of Coxwold was the Augustinian priory of Newburgh,
where William of Newburgh (c. 1135-1198) wrote his Historia rerum Anglicarum. [1]
Also close by was the Cistercian abbey of Byland whose ruins still exist today.
The first of the family in Coxwold was Thomas de Colville. The family
probably had its origins at Colleville-sur-Mer on the Normandy coast. Members
of the Colville family appear in several English counties and also in Scotland
during the twelfth century. The heirs of the first Thomas for several generations were
all called Thomas, and are very difficult to distinguish. Below I have
attempted to show the genealogy of the family, based on contemporary records,
although there may be additional generations in the thirteenth century.
Please note that the dates are mostly approximate.
Thomas de Colville I (c. 1125 –
c. 1180)
Roger de Mowbray (d. 1188) enfeoffed Thomas de Colville of the manors
of Coxwold, Yearsley and Oulston at some time before 1158.
About 1150, Thomas de Coleville gave to Byland Abbey his grange of
South Thorpe (Torp del Suth) [2]
and before 1158, king Henry II confirmed to Thomas de Colville all the lands of
which Roger de Mowbray had enfeoffed him for the service of one knight. [3]
Thomas de Colville II (c. 1160
– c. 1230)
The second Thomas de Colville appears to have been in the service of
the bishops of Durham. Before 1208, bishop Philip of Poitou had enfeoffed him
with a carucate of land in Brompton by Northallerton in exchange for the park
of Creit (Crake?). [4]
His younger brother Philip, ancestor of the Colville family of Dale
and Ingleby Arncliffe, was also in the service of the bishop of Durham.
Thomas de Colville III (c. 1200 – c. 1250)
On 20 January 1237, in a final concord made at Westminster Thomas de
Colville acknowledged the right of the abbot of Byland to a pasture for 200
sheep and 77 oxen in Coxwold by the gift of Thomas de Colville, grandfather of
the said Thomas; and granted permission to the abbot to repair a fishpond on
Thomas’s land in Coxwold, and to have free passage for fishing and dragging
nets. The Abbot received Thomas to all the benefits and prayers of the church. [5]
Thomas de Colville IV (c. 1220 – c. 1280)
In 1252, the abbot of Byland sued Thomas de Colville to hold to an
agreement made between Thomas de Colville, grandfather of the said Thomas
(whose heir he is), and Hamo, formerly abbot of Byland, concerning 100 acres of
pasture in Yearsley. [6]
Since Hamo was abbot of Byland from 1198-to about 1203, this Thomas in 1252,
was the grandson of the one living at that time
On 4 February 1256, Thomas de Coleville, at the instance of John,
prior of Newburgh was exempted for life, from being put on assizes, juries or
recognitions, and from being made sheriff, coroner, escheator, forester,
verderer, agister, regarder or other bailiff of the king against his will. [7]
On 13
September 1257, the king granted Thomas de Colville fee warren in his demesne
lands in Coxwold and Yearsley, Yorkshire. [8]
On 28
December 1257, Thomas de Colville and Beatrice, his wife, gave the king one
mark for a writ ad terminum. The sheriff of Yorkshire was ordered to take
security. [9]
Sir Thomas de Colville V (c. 1265 – c. 1327)
In 1284-85, at the time of Kirkby’s inquest, Thomas de Colville was
holding land in Coxwold, Oulston and Yearsley. [10]
In 1284, William de Empingham, prior of Newburgh, sued Thomas de
Colville, to permit him to have common of pasture in Coxwold, of which William
de Louthorpe, formerly prior of Newburgh, was seized as of fee, as appurtenant
to his free tenement in Coxwold, on the day of his death. [11]
In 1289, Thomas de Colville sued Ralph, abbot of Jervaulx, to hold to
the agreement made between Thomas de Colville, father of Thomas (whose heir he
is), and Thomas, late abbot of Jervaulx, concerning 3 tofts, 6 bovates and 12½
acres of land in Redmire. [12]
Thomas de Coleville served his feudal lord, Roger de Mowbray in both
Scotland and France. On 17 June 1291, Thomas de Colville had protection until
Christmas, for staying in Scotland with Roger de Mowbray on the king's service.
[13]
In 1294, Thomas de Colville coming with Roger de Mowbray to Gascony had letters
of protection, directed to the sheriff of Yorkshire. [14]
Sir Thomas de Colville married Mabel, daughter of Hugh de Neville of
Thornholme, Lincolnshire. On 4 August 1297, he and Mabel had a grant for life
of the manor of Holtby near York, belonging to Henry le Scrope. [15]
On 16 June 1298, the prior of Newburgh complained that Thomas, having
assembled a multitude, assaulted the prior's servants hunting in the warren of
Coxwold, which he held jointly with the prior, and took away the prior’s dogs
and greyhounds and other goods. [16]
In July 1298, Thomas de Colville and Mabel his wife, sold the manor of
Edlington, Yorkshire to Henry le Scrope for £10. [17]
In October 1298, a commission of oyer and terminer was ordered concerning the
persons who hunted in the park of Thomas de Colville, of Coxwold, while he was
on the king's service in Scotland, and under his protection. [18]
On 7 January 1304, Thomas de Colville, and his heirs, were granted a
weekly market on Wednesday at their manor of Coxwold, Yorkshire, and of a
yearly fair there on the vigil and the feast of the Assumption. [19]
On 23 March 1304, Thomas de Colville, who was staying in Scotland by
the king's order, had letters to the justices of the Bench for respite of an
assize of novel disseisin that Ralph de Thornton, parson of the church of
Brandesby, arramed against him concerning tenements in Yearsley, Yorkshire, and
the assize of novel disseisin that William Des of Fencotes arramed against him
concerning a tenement in Little Fencotes, in the same county, until Midsummer. [20]
On 28 January 1307, Thomas de Colville, and his heirs were granted
free warren in all their demesne lands in Holtby [and] Fencotes, Yorkshire. [21]
On 26 January 1313, Richard Kellawe, bishop of Durham and Sir Thomas
Colville, knight and Mabel his wife reached an agreement regarding 4 acres of
waste land in the moor of Allerton called 'Bullehoumore', between the fields of
Allerton and Sigston, for their lives with sufficient pasture. After their
deaths it shall remain to Henry their son. [22]
Before 1322, Sir Thomas de Colville was married secondly to Margaret. On 6 June 1322, there
was an inquisition by Simon Ward, sheriff of Yorkshire which found that no
evildoer broke into the house of Sir Thomas de Colville at Yearsley by night,
nor carried off his wife Margaret: but on the Sunday after Easter Margaret fled
from the house by the procurement of Agatha late wife of Marmaduke Darell,
knight, and her son Richard, who received Margaret and still do so. No evildoer
took away any goods or chattels of Thomas with Margaret, nor did Margaret take
anything except her gown. [23]
Sir John de Colville (died about 1344) and
his brother Thomas de Colville VI, esquire (died before 1344)
Sir Thomas de Colville died before 1327, when the inquisition post
mortem of John de Mowbray found that: John de Colville was holding half a
knight’s fee in Coxwold and Thomas de Colville was holding a quarter fee in Yearsley.
[24]
On 10 July 1338, a commission of oyer and terminer was ordered to
investigate the complaint by John de Colville, knight, that John, prior of Newburgh,
Walter de Wystowe and William de Kirketon, his fellow canons, and many others
assaulted him at Coxwold, depastured his grass there with beasts and assaulted
his men and servants. [25]
On 22 June 1340, John de Colville and Margaret his wife had licence
for the alienation in mortmain to the prior and convent of Newburgh, in
satisfaction of 30s. of the £10 yearly of land and rent which they had the
licence of Edward II. to acquire, of a messuage, four bovates of land and an
acre of meadow, in Coxwold, which are not held in chief. [26]
In 1341, by a fine at Westminster. John de Colville, knight sold the
manor of Little Fencotes to Thomas de Fencotes, (subject to the life estate of
George de Colville in 6 messuages, 6 bovates and 6 acres of land, 2½ acres of
meadow, and 10d. rent; and to the life estate of Thomas de Colville in 10
messuages, 6 bovates and 6 acres of land, the moiety of an acre of meadow, and
40s. rent; with cross life estates between George and Thomas) for £100. [27]
Sir Thomas de Colville VII (c.
1310 - Aug 1349)
On 3 April 1344. Sir Thomas de Coleville, knight., son and heir of
Thomas de Coleville, esquire, confirmed various charters to Byland abbey. In
the confirmation deed he mentions, "Domini
Thome de Colevill proavi mei," and "Thome de Colevill, armigero,
patri meo." [28]
On 9 February 1347, Sir Thomas de Colville, knight, sold the advowson
of the priory of Thornholme, Lincolnshire to Sir Robert de Neville of Hornby,
knight, for 20 marks of silver. [29]
On 10 April
1347, Thomas de Colville had licence to impark his wood of Bukdensike, in Yearsley,
Yorkshire. [30]
On 17 August
1348, Thomas de Colville was granted of the stewardship and bailiwick of the
king's forest of Galtres for life. [31]
He died (probably of the plague) before 16 August 1349, when the king's
yeoman Walter de Whithors was granted the stewardship of the forest of Galtres,
to hold for life in like manner as Thomas de Colville, knight, deceased, held
it of the king's grant. [32]
Sir Thomas de Colville VIII (c. 1325 – c. 1398)
It appears that Sir Thomas de Colville VIII granted the manors of Coxwold
and Yearsley to Thomas Ughtred (probably for life). On 26 June 1354, the king
confirmed the petition of Thomas Ughtred, to whose hands the said manors have
now come by purchase, to grant free warren, a market and a fair in Coxwold and
Yearsley to him and his heirs. [33]
Thomas Ughtred died in 1365.
On 19 March 1366 John Colville (his uncle) released to Thomas Colville
of Coxwold, all right in his lands, etc., in Coxwold except a plot of land
called Lassart. [34]
In 1374, at the inquisition post mortem of Philip son of Geoffrey, son
of Hugh de Neville of Thornholme, Lincolnshire it was found that Philip died on
19 May 1345 without heir of his body, seised of a rent at Thornholme. After his
death, the rent descended to Thomas de Colville [VII] of Coxwold, knight, then
26 years of age and more [born before 1319], as his kinsman and heir, to wit,
son and heir of Thomas de Colville, son and heir of Amabel [Mabel] de Colville,
sister of Geoffrey son of Hugh de Neville. After the death of Thomas de Colville
[VII] of Coxwold [in 1349] the service of the said rent descended to Thomas de
Colville [VIII], knight, as his son and heir, then aged 22 years and more [born
in or before 1327], who is now seised thereof. [35]
Before 21 November 1392, Thomas de Colville had recovered possession
of the manors of Coxwold and Yearsley from Thomas Ughtred when the king
confirmed free warren, a market and a fair in Coxwold and Yearsley to him and
his heirs. [36]
Sir Thomas de Colville IX (c. 1360 - May
1405)
Sir Thomas Colville IX, son of Sir Thomas Colville VIII succeeded his
father about 1398. He was Member of Parliament for Yorkshire in 1402 and his
biography can be found here.
http://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/colville-sir-thomas-1405
He married Joan de Esh, daughter and co-heir of Thomas de Esh of Esh,
Durham, widow of Robert del Bland (died before 3 November 1393). [39]
After Thomas Colville’s death in 1405, she married thirdly, nn Forster, by whom she had a son Richard Forster, who died shortly before his mother in December
1439. Richard’s heir was his sister Maud, widow of John Wakerfeld, junior.[40]
[1] John
Taylor, ‘Newburgh, William of (b. 1135/6, d. in or after 1198)’, Oxford
Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004.
[2] Report
on Manuscripts in Various Collections, vol. 2, Historical Manuscripts
Commission (1903), 3.
[3] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 10: 1354-1358 (1909), 316.
[4] H.
C. Maxwell Lyte, ed., Liber Feodorum. The Book of Fees Commonly Called Testa de
Nevill. Part I, A.D. 1198-1242 (London: HMSO, 1920), 25.
[5] A.
S. Ellis, ed., Yorkshire Deeds, Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, vol. 12
(1893), 237.
[6] William
Paley Baildon, Notes on the Religious and Secular Houses of Yorkshire, Vol. 1,
Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series 17, 1895, 29.
[7] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Henry III, vol. 4: 1247-1258 (1908), 461.
[8]
Calendar of Charter Rolls, vol. 1, Henry III: 1226-1257 (1903), 472.
[9] Calendar
of Fine Rolls 42 Henry III, No. 165.
[10] R.
H. Skaife, ed., The Survey of the County of York Taken by John de Kirkby,
Called Kirkby’s Inquest, Surtees Society 49, 1866, 94.
[11] William
Paley Baildon, Notes on the Religious and Secular Houses of Yorkshire, Vol. 1,
Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series 17, 1895, 146.
[12] William
Paley Baildon, Notes on the Religious and Secular Houses of Yorkshire, Vol. 1,
Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record Series 17, 1895, 95.
[13]
Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward I, vol. 2, 1292-1301 (1895), 434
[14] Francisque
Michel, Roles Gascons, vol. 3: 1242-1307 (Paris, 1906), 277.
[15] Brigette
Vale, The Scropes of Bolton and Masham, c.1300-c.1450: A Study of a Northern
Noble Family with a Calendar of the Scrope of Bolton Cartulary. PhD Thesis,
vol. 2 (University of York, 1987), 244.
[16] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward I, vol. 3: 1301-1307 (1898), 381.
[17] Feet
of Fines: CP 25/1/268/69, number 11.
[18] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward I, vol. 3: 1301-1307 (1898), 383.
[19] Calendar
of Charter Rolls, vol. 3, Edward I, Edward II: 1300-1326 (1908), 39.
[20] Calendar
of Various Chancery Rolls: 1277-1326 (1912), 74
[21] Calendar
of Charter Rolls, vol. 3, Edward I, Edward II: 1300-1326 (1908), 78.
[22] Thomas
Duffus Hardy, ed., Registrum Palatinum Dunelmense, vol. 2 (1874), 1255.
[23] Calendar
of Inquisitions Miscellaneous (Chancery), vol. 2 (1916), 140.
[24] Calendar
of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 7, Edward III (1909), 54. No. 81.
[25] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 4, 1337-1339 (1900), 143.
[26] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 4, 1337-1339 (1900), 548.
[27]
Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/274/115, number 39.
[28] Report
on Manuscripts in Various Collections, vol. 2, Historical Manuscripts
Commission (1903), 7.
[29]
Feet of Fines: CP 25/1/139/115, number 13.
[30] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 7: 1345-1348 (1903), 534.
[31] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 8: 1348-1350 (1905), 143.
[32] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Edward III, vol. 8: 1348-1350 (1905), 368.
[33] Calendar
of Charter Rolls, vol. 5, 15 Edward III-5 Henry V: 1341-1417 (1916), 141.
[34] William
Brown, ed., Yorkshire Deeds, vol. 2, Yorkshire Archaeological Society, Record
Series 50, 1914, 56.
[35] Calendar
of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 14, Edward III (1952), 69, No. 70.
[36] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Richard II, vol. 5: 1391-1396 (1905), 197.
[37] Calendar
of Patent Rolls, Henry IV, vol. 3: 1405-1408 (1907), 488.
[38] Calendar
of Inquisitions Post Mortem, vol. 18, Nos. 1151-1159.
[39] Forty-Fifth
Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records (1885), 164.
[40] Forty-Fourth
Annual Report of the Deputy Keeper of the Public Records (1884), 385
