Archaeologia aeliana

THIRD OF JESMOND MANOR THROUGH THE ASKE, BULMER, SAYER

AND BOWES FAMILIES.

Taken principally from Harrison's Yorkshire, p. 70.

86 AN ACCOUNT OF JESMOND.

Sayer acquired not only the Monboucher-Harbottle one-sixth -but

also the whole of the Aske-Bulmer-Bowes-Sayer one-sixth, making

up the Matilda Emeldon one-third of Jesmond manor, and in 1579

he and his son John Sayer the younger sold that one-third with the

lands appertaining to it to Richard Hodshon of Newcastle,,

merchant, whose mother was a Sayer of Worsall.5 John Sayer the

elder and his son John Sayer the younger both took part, but on

different sides, in the Rising of the North in 1569. The father was

on the side of Queen Elizabeth and assisted his cousin by marriage,

Sir George Bowes, in the defence of Barnard Castle. The son, then

a ‘ verie young man,' was servant to the Earl of Northumberland

and shared the misfortunes of that ill-starred nobleman. After the

collapse of the rebellion, John Sayer the younger .was imprisoned in

Durham gaol, but on his father's earnest suit. Lord Sussex com-

pounded for his pardon for the fine of £500.4 Probably this fine,

with the other expenses of the contest, was the cause why John

Sayer, with his son's concurrence, parted with their Jesmond

property to their relative, the wealthy Newcastle merchant, Richard

Hodshon.

mayor in 1555, 1556 and 1580. He is better known in local

histories as Richard Hodgson. It is generally stated that it was his

son Lancelot who dropped the ' g ' and first spelled his name

' Hodshon,' but throughout the Jesmond records and in his own

will Richard's name is also so spelled, and that spelling

John Saire, Esq.. and John Saire, his son and heir-apparent, defendants, as to

1 messuage, 4 tofts, 1 water mill, 2 gardens, 100 acres of land, 100 acres of

meadow, 100 acres of pasture, 100 acres of moor, 100 acres of furze and heath

(all these contents are formal only), and common of pasture for all beasts in

Jessmount ; also as to the third part of the manor of Jeesmount in Jessmount,

whereby the said John and John acknowledged the premises to be the right of

the said Richard in consideration of 130 marks of silver. — Notes of Fines,

6 Sharp's Memorials of the Rebellion, p. 128.

Arms of the Lords of Jesmond. — V.

Harbottle Umfreville Aske Botness.

THE MANOR. 87

death Richard ' Hodshon ' died on the 31st December,

1585 (the date Surtees gives for his burial), seised of a

messuage and lands in Jesmouth, ' which said messuage and

premises are held of the queen as of her manor of Ellingham in

the said county by the name of the manor of Guagye, now in the

queen's hands by reason of the attainder of Thomas late Earl of

Northumberland, late attainted of high treason, by the service of

the sixteenth part of a knight's fee.' Robert Hodshon was found

to be Richard's son and next heir, and was in 1586 aged 34 years.7

time, ' rank Papists ' and ' Popish recusants.' 8 Lancelot

Hodshon (Richard's second son) was in prison ' for recusancie ' in

1598,9 and his elder brother, Robert Hodshon, was probably at

some time in similar trouble, for Lancelot Hodshon purchased his

elder brother Robert's inheritance in Jesmond, not in his own name

but in the name of his relative Sir Ralph Lawson, whose grandson,

Henry Lawson of Brough, in 1626 released it to Lancelot.1

1626, and was succeeded by his son and heir, John Hodshon. One

or the other of them had, some time prior to the year 1631, added

to the Hodshon Jesmond possessions by acquiring the large out-

standing freehold estate, detached from the manor, which had come

down from the Carliols in the thirteenth century to the Thirkelds

in the sixteenth century, by steps which we shall hereafter endeavour

to trace, for in the survey of that year (1631) both ' Mr. Hodshon's

40s. land ' and ' Mr. Hodshon's Thirkeld land ' are frequently

mentioned.2

began at an early date to part with the surface. In 1641 he

8 38 Surtees Society, p. 115 (n) ; 50 Surtees Society, p. 319.

9 38 Surtees Society, p. 284 (n).

1 Jesmond Title Deeds.

2 Watson Papers, Mining Institute.

88 AN ACCOUNT OF JESMOND.

alias Jesmond moor, excepting the coal mines,3 and in 1642 Mary

Hodshon (widow) and John Hodshon her son mortgaged their

Jesmond land to Ralph Fowler of Newcastle, merchant, to secure

£400 and interest. Once more the mortgage to the Newcastle

merchant was the precursor of the conveyance of the fee to him.

In 1656, Ralph Fowler acquired from the Hodshons the freehold of

his residence in Jesmond called Sandyford Hall,4 and in 1659 John

Hodshon, Anne his wife and Lancelot Hodshon, son and heir of

the said John Hodshon, conveyed to Ralph Fowler nearly the whole

of the remainder of the surface land which they held in Jesmond

by a deed containing a reservation of the minerals.5

Adventurers, in those of the Newcastle Hostmen and in the above

deed of 1642, is called Ralph Fewler, was a son of William Fewler,

of Stockton, probably the William Fewler to whom his rich uncle

Thomas Ratcliffe of Cockerton, in 1593 gave by will a farmhold in

Newton Bewlay.6 By the name of Ralph Fewler he was, in 1631,

apprenticed to Francis Liddell, Merchant Adventurer, and his

indentures were assigned successively to Thomas Liddell the elder

and Thomas Liddell his son. In 1643 he paid £4 as his share of an

assessment upon the members of the Merchants' Company for

maintaining the garrison of Newcastle.7 He was also admitted a

hostman at a date not recorded in the hostmen's books. There was

much friction between him and his brother hostmen in consequence

of his frequent breaches of the rules, and the following may be taken

as a fair sample of the entries made against him : — 8
''4th January, 1641-2. — Ralph Fowler being present in Court and

nominated to be a steward of the said society, did contempuously

4 Ogle's The Ogles and Bothal, App, No. 740.

5 Jesmond Title Deeds.

6 101 Surtees Society, p. 234 ; 38 Surtees Society, p. 238.

7 93 Surtees Society, p. 133.

8 106 Surtees Society, p. 79. Ibid,, p. 104.

THE MANOR 89

to come or take his oath. Therefore the Governor stewards and

Court now present doe order that he pay tenn pounds to the stewards

of the said society for a fine and that he shall not vend or dear any

coales untill he have paid the said fine, the said contempt being

committed contrary to his oath."

“ 15th August, 1655. Whereas Mr. Ralph Fewler being summoned to

appear this day and being present in Court was required by the Court

to pay the said several fines of 2s. and 6d. and also a fine of Twentie

pounds formerly imposed upon him by an order of Court, he peremptorily

refused to pay anything and in a scornful waie bid the Court to get

it as they could, whereupon the Court commandinge him to withdrawe

for a little time that they might consider thereof he went awaie and

come not backe againe in great contempt of the Court. It is therefore

this present day ordered by this Court that the said contempt and

scome be taken into due and serious consideracon the next Court day

so that the said Mr. Ralphe may be proceeded against for his said

contempt."

examined by Sir John Marley and others in 1642.' His only issue

was his daughter Elizabeth, who married John Ogle, of Kirkley,1

and he died between 1658 and 1661, for his will is dated in the

former and proved in the latter year. In it he is described as of

Sandyford Stone (now part of Dr. Gibb's Jesmond estate), and it

mentions his grandson Ralph Ogle, son and heir of John Ogle, and

his daughter Elizabeth Ogle his executrix.2

1670 to Martha daughter of John Thompson, and the lands at

1 By virtue of this alliance the Ogles of Kirkley quarter as the arms of

Fowler : Azure on a chevron engrailed between three lions passant ermine as

many crosses moline sable.— Ogle's The Ogles and Bothal, p. 11. This coat is

slightly differenced from that of Fowler of Staffordshire : Azure, on a chevron

Burke's Armoury, But as Ralph Fowler's name was originally Fewler his right

to this coat (for which no authority is given by Sir Henry Ogle) is doubtfuL

2 Ogle's The Ogles and Bothal, App., 660.

90 AN ACCOUNT OF JESMOND.

the Jesmond lands were conveyed by his executors, Thomas Ogle

and Nathaniel Boutflower, with the concurrence of his younger

children, to George Lidgard, of Newcastle, merchant.4 In the next

year (1707) George Lidgard and Isabel his wife conveyed the same

premises to Sir James Clavering, of Whitehouse, baronet (grandson

of Sir James Clavering of Axwells, baronet, deceased), to James

Clavering, of Greencroft, esquire (one of the sons of the said Sir

James Clavering, baronet, deceased), and to John Clavering, of

Newcastle, gentleman (brother of the said Sir James Clavering, of

Whitehouse, and another of the grandsons of the said Sir James

Clavering, baronet, deceased), as joint tenants, and on the 30th

September, 1728, the deed of conveyance to them was exhibited in

the Court of Chancery at Westminster in a suit between James

Clavering and others, plaintiffs, and Sir Francis Clavering, baronet,

and other defendants.5

surface lands of the Hodshons to one Robert Andrew, of

Gateshead, gentleman, whoso successors are shewn by the

genealogical table on next page.

1741, the land passed through John Andrew to Robert Bonner, who

took the name of Warwick. In 1790, after the death in that

year of his predecessor in title, John Andrew, Robert Warwick

levied a fine to bar the entail, and in 1815 he suffered a recovery for
3 ' Mr. Thompeon was cast out of the parsonage of Bottle, and preacht to a

plain country people untill he came to Newcastle. He married a great fortune

and kept his coach.' — 50 Surtees Society, p. 146 and note. He had issue

Nathaniel and Martha. Nathaniel died without issue. Martha married Ralph

Ogle. — Mr. N. C. Ogle's Title Deeds. For further particulars of the Thompson

family, see New History of Northumberland, vol. v. p. 288.

4 Mr. N. C. Ogle's Title Deeds. For further particulars of the family of

Ledgard, see New History of Northumberland, vol. vii. p. 322.

5 Jesmond Title Deeds.

THE MANOR. 91

the same purpose.6 Immediately afterwards he conveyed away