Sir Thomas Layton finds himself before the Star Chamber, 1633

Sir Thomas Layton (1597?-1650) was the son of Charles Layton of Sexhow (d1617) and his wife Mary Milner of Skutterskelfe (c1568-1633).

Sir Thomas's grandfather, the lawyer Thomas Layton (1520-84), had left his family in a fine position through his years of private practice, public service and astute property dealings.  The marriage of Thomas's parents in 1594 had completed the work, reuniting the manors of Sexhow and Skutterskelfe under one ownership for the first time since the death of their ancestor John Gower in 1377. 

Sir Thomas came into his inheritance as a very young man on his father's death in 1617.  Just how young he was, is rather hard to say.  He is recorded in the 1612 Visitation [cf Graves' History of Cleveland] as being 15 years old and that would certainly accord with the transcription made of the baptismal register by J W Ord and by the Christian Inheritance Project; they disagree on the month (February or July) but they agree on the year.  The Victoria County History entry for East Layton in the parish of Stanwick St John states that he was 23 on his father's death [citing Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccclxvii, 93]; his parents married on 27 February 1594, so this is possible.

His father arranged for him to be married at a very young age – probably 16 (or at the most 19), for it was in 1613 that Charles settled the manor of Kirkby Sigston upon his son.  Thomas's wife was Mary Fairfax, daughter of Sir Thomas Fairfax of Walton and Gilling Castle near Malton.  The Fairfax family had been suspected of Catholic sympathies over the years, but most of them had remained loyal to the Crown in the Northern Rebellion of 1569.  Sir Thomas Fairfax himself was a committed Protestant and so much trusted by government that he continued to hold office in spite of his wife's open Catholicism.  Catherine, daughter of Sir Henry Constable of Burton Constable, was a known recusant and her mother was accused of harbouring priests associated with the exiled Earl of Westmorland.  Catherine (who died in 1626) had sent two of her seven sons to Catholic seminaries on the Continent;  her daughter Mary's religious affiliations are unknown.

A knighthood was bought for Thomas from King James VI and I – knighthoods were in cheap and plentiful supply during the reigns of James and his son Charles I, who together created 3,281 knighthoods between 1603 and 1641.  It was a far cry from the knighthood bestowed on his great-grandfather Sir James Metcalfe of Nappa in Wensleydale.  Sir James had served on the Border under the future Richard III and held many high offices for the Crown – and probably fought at Flodden – before Henry VIII knighted him at Windsor at the age of 68.  Young Thomas was knighted in 1614, the year after his marriage [Victoria County History: Stanwick St John, citing Chan. Inq. p.m. (Ser. 2), ccclxvii, 93].

The young couple must have begun a family immediately, because Sir Thomas was a grandfather before he was forty.  He had married his daughter Mary to Henry Foulis, son of Sir David Foulis, 1st Baronet of Ingleby, and their son David was baptised on 14 March 1633.

This connection with the Foulis family was to bring him to trial before the Star Chamber in 1633.

The interior of All Saints', Hutton Rudby

A few photographs of All Saints' from the collection of the Hutton Rudby History Society:

All Saints', Hutton Rudby c1890

This postcard is said to date from c1890.  You can see here that the pulpit (gift of Thomas Milner of Skutterskelfe) is on the left of the chancel in front of his burial place and the surscription above it.

All Saints', Hutton Rudby in early C20

This view was taken at much the same time – late 1890s or early 1900s – and apparently from the top of a ladder.  The side altar had not then been restored (the Lady Chapel took its present configuration in the 1923 restoration) and the "Sexhow pews" faced sideways towards the pulpit.  The absence of stained glass is very noticeable.

 

This photograph (posted previously in the piece about Thomas Milner) is of much later date and shows the pulpit moved to its present position and Thomas Milner's burial place not yet obscured by the organ.  The stained glass in the East window was given by Sir Robert Ropner in memory of his wife at the 1923 restoration.

And here is the East window in glorious colour:

The artist was John Charles Bewsey, who described it as "expressing the worship of Christ, the Incarnate Word of God, by the whole company of Saints, Evangelists, Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, Doctors of the Church, Virgins and Confessors."

The upper range of figures shows from the left: St Jerome (in red) and St Ambrose; Mary, Mother of God; Christ in majesty; John the Baptist; St Augustine of Hippo and Gregory the Great.

The lower range of figures shows from the left: King Edward the Confessor, St Francis of Assisi and St Wilfrid; St Ethelreda of Ely, St George and St Monica; Christ crucified, with His Mother, St John and Mary Magdalene at His feet; St Joan of Arc, St Gilbert of Sempringham and St Catherine (with her wheel); St Sythe, St Oswald King of Northumbria and St Cuthbert (shown kneeling with Oswald's head.)

(Details taken from a fuller account in Canon D F Lickess' 'History and Guide' to the church)

There is a beautiful collection of photographs of the stained glass in the church on flickr – in fact it's easier to see details in that collection than if you stood in front of them!

Thomas Milner of Skutterskelfe: notes, sources & select bibliography

In order to make the preceding piece about Thomas Milner readable, I have moved a good bit of the detail into these notes.  Here you will find references, extra information and hyperlinks.

Thomas Sowthwaites alias Milner

In quoting the will I have generally modernised the spelling .  A few letters at the ends of the lines of writing are illegible because of the binding, and these I have indicated by square brackets. 
In the comment regarding his father-in-law's estate, 'unloving brethren' for 'loving brethren' is conjecture, but there are clearly a couple of illegible letters there.

The grant of wardship and marriage of Thomas Milner to Thomas Laton [sic]:
Grants in November 1534
33. Thos. Laton. Annuity of 3l. issuing from a third part of certain lands specified in Faceby, Yarum, Carlton, Semar', Broughton, and the reversion of the manor of Skutterskelf in Cleveland, Yorks., which lately belonged to Thos. Lyndley, deceased; during the minority of Thos. Milner, kinsman and heir of the said Thomas; with the wardship and marriage of the said heir. Del. Westm., 24 Nov. 26 Hen. VIII.—S.B. Pat. p. 1, m. 4.
cf: Henry VIII: November 1534, 26-30, Letters and Papers, Foreign and Domestic, Henry VIII, Volume 7: 1534 (1883), pp. 550-560 online here

The marriage of Mary Milner and Charles Layton
Details of an Indenture dated 11 July 11 James (1613) citing the Indenture of Covenants bearing date 26 Feb 37 Eliz (1594) between Charles Layton of the one part and John Constable of Dromonby, Nich. Gower of Staynesby, Esqres., Will. Baite and Tho. Baite of West Laithes, John Constable of Lasinby, Tho. Warcopp of East Tanf[eild], Leon. Baite of West Laithes, gentlemen, and John Milner of Whitwell, gent. can be found in Quarter Sessions Records (ed Rev J C Atkinson) vol 4 (North Riding Records), p141

Thomas Milner of Skutterskelfe: the life & times of a Tudor gentleman

Thomas Milner of Skutterskelfe, a gentleman of about sixty-four years of age, made his will on 28 June 1589, the year after the Spanish Armada.  He had inherited his mother's share of the estate of his grandfather, Thomas Lindley, including one-third of the manor of Skutterskelfe where he lived with his wife Frances Bate and their daughter Mary, aged twenty-one. 

He does not seem to have been suffering from ill health when he made his will – simply describing himself as "whole of mind and remembrance thanks be given to God" – and was possibly prompted to do so because of his extreme irritation at the behaviour of his wife's family over the estate of his father-in-law, who had recently died.  Thomas's will, after careful directions for his burial in All Saints' at Hutton Rudby and legacies to the church (with forthright comments about the current incumbent and his predecessors), proceeds with a bequest to his wife:

"my best breeding mare, my best nag to ride upon, with five of my best kine."

This is immediately followed by a confirmation that she is to have

"all such things as in right she ought in conscience to have and be answered of"

continuing, in a fling against his mother-in-law (for how could he leave his wife his father-in-law's goods?)

"either of mine, or of the goods of her father to whom she was executor, and got nothing thereby of things certainly known to be embezzled at the death of her father by her mother as may appear by a note [in] writing set down whereof she should have had a part, and got nothing through the greedy dealings of her [un]loving brethren, and the witness of some of no great honesty nor yet true feelings therein"

After this, he continues with the disposal of the residue of his estate to his wife and daughter, a legacy to the poor of the parish, and bequests and legacies to family, servants and godchildren.  His will, and the surscription set above his burial place in accordance with its provisions, provide us with valuable details of his family and a picture of gentry life in Cleveland in the sixteenth century.

Arthur John Richardson of Guisborough 1895-1915

This verse was found by the late Miss Grace Dixon among the Chaloner papers, according to a note in my files.

It relates to "Jock" Richardson of Miltoun House, Guisborough.  He was in barracks in Newcastle, training for the Front, when he died of meningitis a few weeks before his twentieth birthday.

The lines, written by his great-uncle George Buchannan of Whitby, must echo the feelings of many families whose loved ones died in uniform, but not in action:

2nd Lieut. A. J. B. (Jock) Richardson

Obt. Jan. 4th, 1915

Not on the battle field, yet none the less

He died for England: in her hour of stress

And peril, his young life he freely gave,

And rests with honour in his quiet grave.

Charles William Southeran 1875-1916

I post here a piece sent to me by John Nichols with the story of his grandfather.  The jolly photograph seems particularly poignant:

The face behind a name on the Hutton Rudby War Memorial

“Private Charles William Southeran, 5705. 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, formerly 28674 Yorkshire Regiment. Killed 5 November 1916.
Born Stokesley (Yorks), Enlisted Stokesley, Resided Hutton Rudby RSO
Buried WARLENCOURT BRITISH CEMETERY”

Charles William Southeran 1875-1916

Charles William (centre) was my maternal grandfather. He was born in Stokesley in 1875 so the time of Attestation on the 16th December 1915 he was 39 years and six months old.

In 1881 He was living at Enterpen but by 1891 he was at Hill House, Middleton on Leven where he was farming with his father Robert. It appears he was one of seven children, one of whom, Robert Wetherill, is shown at right. Charles’ father Robert (Snr) was married to Isabella, née Wetherill.

In 1908 Charles William married Mary (Polly) Bellerby who had moved to Hutton Rudby from Seaham Harbour sometime after 1901.

In 1911 they were living at North Side, Hutton Rudby and they went on to have three girls:
Mary (who married John Henry (Jack) Bainbridge from Hutton), Emily (who married Arthur Henry Wilson and farmed at Tanton) and my mother Dorothy born in, 1914, (who married Arthur Norman Nichols from Seamer).

Charles was Mobilised on 13th June 1916, Posted on 14th June when he had a medical at Richmond. He was age 40, stood 5ft 4in high and weighed 10 stone. He was posted to the 3rd Btn Yorkshire Regiment on 28th August 1916.

His short career went as follows: Posted 10th October 1916, transferred to 7 6th Dirham Light Infantry on 18th October and Killed in Action 5th November 1916.

Brother Robert Attested 12th November 1914 aged 35yrs nine months. He and his wife Mary Jane lived on Rudby Hill, Hutton Rudby. He survived service with the Bedford Regiment in 1915, the Essex regiment in 1916 and the Northumberland Fusiliers from May 1917. It is believed he served in Mesopotamia and is recorded as embarking for UK from India in June 1919 and being Demobilised in August 1919. He was awarded a 5% disablement allowance due to “Nervous debility” due to service in Mesopotamia.

Smallpox by hospital-acquired infection in Hutton Rudby in 1893

Two rather dark tales from the newspapers:

Northern Echo
Monday 2 October 1893

Stokesley Guardians 

A case of scarlet fever was reported at Great Ayton, a case of typhoid fever at Stokesley, and a case of smallpox at Hutton Rudby.  

It was decided that the authorities of the Bradford Fever Hospital be written to informing them that a case of smallpox had occurred at Hutton Rudby through their allowing a nurse in their institution to leave without having her clothing disinfected.

Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough
Thursday 25 May 1893

Selling a Mare for Ten shillings 

This morning at Stockton a hawker named Christopher Smith, of Hutton Rudby, was charged with working a mare while in an unfit state. 

Inspector Cape said he saw a bay mare belonging to defendant yoked in a cart in Bishop-street on the 17th inst., and he noticed that the animal was very lame.  The mare was subsequently condemned by Mr Awde, veterinary surgeon, as unfit to work.
Defendant pleaded for clemency on the ground that he had complied with Mr Cape's instructions regarding the animal, and had sold it at considerable sacrifice.  He gave £7 for the mare, and sold it for 10s. 

Defendant was fined £3, including costs.