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The sale of the Manor of Langcliffe
Nicholas Darcy, Henry Billingsley and the feoffees
The history of Langcliffe, a small village near Settle in Craven, can be traced back to the Domesday book. Its development is very closely tied to the histories of several local families which can be followed over several hundred years. The whole of the parish of Giggleswick in which the village of Langcliffe lay before it became a parish in its own right in 1851 was at the time of the Domesday book in the possession of Roger Poitou and soon after it became united with the Percy family fee as overlords. The Domesday record (1086) notes that "In Lanclif Feg had 3 carucates of land to be taxed". A carucate is roughly an area of land between 60 and 120 acres or the area an ox-team was capable of ploughing in a year.
William de Percy founded the Cistercian Sawley (Sallay) Abbey in 1148. The Sallay Chartulary completed soon after 1333 is a collection of deeds for lands possessed in Yorkshire and Lancashire by the Abbey. From this we know that Elias de Giggleswick held a carucate of land in Langcliffe (1223), probably kept in hand for himself, and in about 1240 he granted his body and all his land in Langcliffe, in demesne and in service, and the mill with its suit, etc. to Sawley Abbey with full manorial rights. " …bosco ejusdem ville et molendino cum secta sua et cum omnibus pertinenciis, libertatibus et aisia mentis dicte ville de Langclif pertinentibus." The mill was later confirmed to be the property of Sallay Abbey by Henry de Percy. The Abbot of Sawley then became the Lord of the Manor of Langcliffe. In the time of Edward II (1284-1327) the Lord of the Manor for Langcliffe was still the Abbas de Sallay (1284) and this continued until the time of Henry VIII (died 1547).
The Scots ransacked the village after the battle of Bannockburn won by Robert the Bruce in 1314 and after 1318 or 1319 the village was rebuilt, half a mile south of the supposed original site in Pesbers field on the west side of the lane to Winskill. Stockfarming for wool was the most likely occupation at this time. A series of Lay Subsidies in the 1500s, detailed censuses of the nation’s military resources – manpower and weapons, show the names of Langcliffe residents (at least those who did not evade the officials!);
In 1522:
Armetstede, Brache, Bradley, Browne, Foster, Kedde, Kyng, Paycoke, Sailbanke and Yveson
In 1524:
Kydson, Wylman
At the time of the Lay Subsidy of 1524 all 18 tenants held their houses from the Abbot of Sawley.
In 1543:
Armitstead, Braschay, Browne, Foster, Iveson, King, Kyd(son), Lawson, Paicocke, Sailbank
In 1547:
Kydde, Lawsonne, Paycok
The Clifford Muster roll of 1510/11 gives the names:
For Langclyff: Browne, Pakok, Yveson
For Gygilswyk: James Carr etc.
From these lists it seems that the family of Carr was not resident in Langcliffe before 1547. The James Carr of Giggleswick on the roll for 1510/11 who died in 1528 has descendants who can be identified with some certainty but his forebears are shadowy and cannot be linked to him with documentary evidence. A descendant, James Carr, is noted below as a holder of the office of feoffee when the manorial rights of Langcliffe were bought jointly from the Darcy family by several of the families in Langcliffe in the period 1591onwards. The connection with the Darcy family comes from the Tempest family who passed the baronial possession of Little or Knight Stainforth by marriage to the Darcy family in 1511.
The sale of the Manor of Langcliffe
The three key events which triggered the sale of the Manor of Langcliffe at the end of the 1500s were the Dissolution of the Monasteries (1535/6-9) by Thomas Cromwell for Henry VIII, the Pilgrimage of Grace (1536), and the Rising of the North (1569). All these followed from the move to Protestantism in England under Henry VIII. The monasteries had built up consolidated estates and at the Dissolution these were returned to the Crown and in turn were granted in whole or in part to local lords or to local families for a consideration. Land in the feudal system was not the subject of ownership but of tenure – the king was the owner. The word ‘sold’ as used now has a different meaning concerning ownership.
In 1533 in the reign of Henry VIII the Statute of Appeals forbade appeals from English courts to Rome, part of Henry’s resistance to papal domination. Sir Thomas More died for his Catholic beliefs and Thomas Cromwell rose to power. An Act was passed in 1535/6 to dissolve lesser monasteries, including Sawley Abbey in 1536.
The Pilgrimage of Grace in 1536 was a revolt of the peasants under Robert Aske of Gray’s Inn against the ejection of monks from the abbeys (including Sawley and Whalley) and a culmination of a generation of growing discontent and fear; the lords of the manor and gentry often tried illegally to enclose land and to abuse peasants’ land use rights. The Royal forces refused to fight the rebels and Aske and the rebels were pardoned. A few months later the King arrested the leaders and executed them. In 1539 the dissolution of the greater monasteries began. Thomas Cromwell lost his head in 1540. Henry died in 1547 to be succeeded by Edward VI and then Elizabeth in 1558.
The Rising of the North in 1569 concerned an attempt to secure the succession of the Catholic Mary Queen of Scots to the English throne. The defeat of the Rising led to the sequestration of lands of those involved which also therefore went to Crown ownership. Many of these old estates were sold to London merchants and speculators who sold on to local gentry, tenants (generally in trust for all the tenants of the manor, who became freeholders), or other speculators. Later James I (1603-1625) and Charles I (1626-1649) both needed money to re-develop the navy so sale of Crown lands was still helpful in filling the coffers.
The Darcy family became the next owners of the Manor of Langcliffe after the Abbot of Sawley. They played an important role in national affairs in the 16th century: Lord Thomas Darcy (1467-1537) was a statesman and friend of Thomas Cromwell with land and properties in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. Thomas was involved in parliamentary matters and the rebellious Pilgrimage of Grace; he was decapitated for treason in 1537. His elder son Sir George Darcy was heir and the younger son Arthur was given an appointment by Cromwell despite the behaviour of his father. As a reward for helping to pacify the rebels in the north of England Henry VIII in 1535 sold (granted in fee simple – then the securest form of tenure) to Sir Arthur Darcie and to his heirs and assigns for ever the Monastery of the Blessed Mary of Sawley according to Letters Patent (of 1538) ‘by the authority of Parliament lately dissolved and suppressed with all houses and idifices situate and built upon and within the same and all singular demesne lands and tenements aforesaid of the late Monastery and also the Lordships or Manors of Staynforth Langclif and Stanton (and Gisbourne) within the appurtenances etc.’. The value of all the property involved was £147-3s-10d a year. The price was ‘in capite for ever by the service of a Knight’s fee and by the annual rental of £25-8s-10d. To be paid to the Treasurer for the time being of the Court of Augmentation of the Revenues of our Crown……’ (in addition Whitaker says that Sir George Darcy obtained and transferred Langcliffe land in 1539 to his younger brother Sir Arthur). In a letter written February 1536/7 to Cromwell Sir Arthur describes how he took possession of the Abbey from rebels. All the removable possessions of the Abbey were sold to Sir Arthur and he became the first grantee of the Manor.
Sir Arthur died in April 1561 and left property to his seven sons by his will of September 1560. To his son and heir Henry he left "the demesne landes of the late monasterie of Salley" and half of the manor of Bolton, lordship of the manor of Aldeondesbury, chaunteries in Thornebury (in Gloucester) and the manor of Hutton Rudby. Sir Henry sold the half of the manor of Bolton in 1567 for £400. To Thomas he left the manor of Stirton and to Edward he left the manors of Stainforth Underbergh and Arneforth. To Arthur heleft the late monastery of Arden (in Yorkshire). To Nicholas the fifth son he left the manors of Langcliffe and Nappey with a yearly rent of £38-9s-8d of which 21shillings was paid "yearly to the Collectors of St. Leonard in the City of York to the Queens majesties use". John was left the manor of Potter Newton and lands in Ardenside, and Francis was left the manor and forest of Gysborne and ix closes in Gonby and Brotofte in Lincolnshire. Finally he leaves to Henry as heir one third part of his estate by law; the long list of property includes lands in Horton, Newby, Rawthemell, Cleitopp, Gygleswyke, Lytton, Ilkeley, Farnely, Weston and Gargrave. The total annual income from the property was £378-12s-8d. In 1560/1 it was found by Inquisition that Sir Henry held the manors of Langcliffe and Gisborne all of the Queen, in capite, by Knight’s service (Whitaker).
In 1582 there was a transaction by Final Concord before the Court of the Queen’s Bench between Henry Darcy, Knight, with his six brothers (including Nicholas) Esquires and Richard Cutt(es/is) junior, esq. and Raphael Pemberton gent.. The transaction involved Langcliffe and Nappay; 2000 acres of land, 300 acres of meadow, 2000 acres of pasture, 30 acres of wood, 50 messuages, 30 cottages, 40 tofts, a water mill, 40 gardens, dovecotes, etc. (Nappay is shown on a Saxton map of Yorkshire in 1577 as being just south of Hellifield and on the river). The document is a Fine with proclamations known as ‘sur cognizance de droit come ceo qu’il a de son done’. The Darcy family appear to be agreeing to transferring the property through ‘an amicable agreement, whether real or fictitious, between a demandant (plaintiffs, Cutts and Pemberton) and tenant (owner Darcy), with the consent of judges….’. ‘The Darcys have recognized that the manors and tenements involved are the right of Cutts which Cutts and Pemberton have by gift of the Darcys and they have remised and quitclaimed them from the Darcys to Cutts and Pemberton for ever’. Since Nicholas Darcy still holds the properties to transfer to the villagers some years later this agreement seems odd. The properties are stated by the original agreement in 1535 with Henry VIII to pass to Darcy heirs and assigns for ever. Perhaps an agreement was needed to convey the property to Nicholas and to alienate it from the other older sons. A method of conveyance by Fine was used. The purchaser (plaintiffs, Cutts and Pemberton) alleges fictitiously that the deforciant (Darcys) has agreed to convey the property but has failed to do so. Before judgement the parties come to an equally fictitious agreement whereby the seller (the Darcy family) acknowledged that the property really belonged to the purchaser (Cutts and Pemberton). This agreement was written out three times - the bottom part (the foot) of the Fine was kept by the court, the other two parts, left and right, by the parties. This bizarre procedure gave Cutts and Pemberton the fee simple (the most complete tenure known to the law); however, they hold the property only as trustees under the control of the Darcys. A Fine alone does not reveal the purpose of a transaction; it is impossible to deduce either that the plaintiffs, Cutts and Pemberton, are acting as agents of the deforciant (Darcys) or purchasing the property from the Darcys. Nevertheless it is probable that Cutts and Pemberton were acting as legal intermediaries rather than as buyers in the modern sense since Richard Cutts was a lawyer. The Fine was usually accompanied by a private deed giving full details of the transaction. This therefore appears to be a legal fictional sale simply to establish the Darcy title securely and to allow transfer to Nicholas Darcy. This sale is recited in Letters Patent dated 1630, purpose unknown, but is a copy of an agreement made in 1582. The value of the transaction was £740 but the sum of money is meaningless if the property does not change hands. The Cutts (Cutt, Cutte, Cuttes) family with property in Arkesden and Matching in Essex is almost certainly the one involved: Richard Cutts the eldest son of Richard of Debden in Essex took his BA at Christ’s College Cambridge 1576/7 and was admitted to the Inner Temple in 1578 and died in 1607. His brother William was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1578 and was called to the Bar in 1587.
Brayshaw states that the other Darcy brothers possessed other local manors and property and were also selling in the decades after the death of their father in 1560. The third son Edward Darcy had the manor of Stainforth in 1579 and he sold some of the land to several parties prior to selling the manorial rights in 1595 as a lease for 500 years to four people probably acting as trustees for the then occupiers of properties. Those not able to purchase paid quit rents to the feoffees or to those who had made purchases.
Nicholas Darcy, Henry Billingsley and the feoffees
To appreciate what follows it is necessary to know something of the types of manorial landholding at the time. The township or parish was not necessarily co-extensive with the manor. The first type of manorial land is demesne land which was kept by the lord for his own use and support. The second is land granted by the lord in fee simple to free tenants (freeholders), descending as of right from father to son in return for for a defined service – and is conveyed by feoffment. The third type is land granted in return for undefined service – a risky matter. Finally waste or common land was held by the lord but the freeholders had rights of pasturage and turbary. It is also helpful to understand the date system: Elizabeth reigned from 17th November 1558, from which date regnal years are counted. The date of the start of a new year was then March 26th in our current calendar.
It is now that Henry Billingsley becomes involved. Henry Billingsley was the son of Roger of Canterbury. Henry went to Cambridge in 1551 and also Oxford but did not graduate. He became apprenticed to a London haberdasher and rapidly became a wealthy merchant. He was chosen Sheriff of London in 1584 and was elected Lord Mayor in 1596; he was knighted in 1597. From 1589 he was a farmer of customs duties at the Port of London. He died in 1606.
It is known that by Statute Staple ( a very secure bond) Nicholas Darcy was bounden to Henry Billingsley for £1000 on 18th November 1583 and £1200 on 14th August 1584. A few months later in 1584/5 (9th February) in a key document leading to transfer of the manor we find that Nicholas Darcy is jointly bound with Henry Billingsley (as security?) to Lawrence Atwill for £1400 endorsed for payment on 31st November 1585 of £863-6-8 (essentially one third of £2600; by Statute Staple Darcy owes Billingsley £1000 from November 1583 plus £1200 from August 1584). Darcy is stated as the sole and lawful owner in fee simple for 500 years and proposes to farm-let the manor to Henry Billingsley (presumably to pay his debts to Billingsley). However the agreement is void if the part payment is made by November 1585, otherwise in May 1586 Billingsley takes over the lease of the manor and within two months Darcy must give all deeds to Billingsley. A deed of 8 August 1586 quotes the above agreement and states that Darcy failed to pay the £863-6-8 by the agreed date. Billingsley is forced to pay the sum to Lawrence Atwill and so Darcy confirms the lease of the manor to Billingsley. The manors of Langcliffe and Nappay are farm-let to Billingsley by Darcy as recited in an indenture between William Carr and Thomas Lawson in 1611. In 1586 (8 August) there is a deed extinguishing the condition in the 9th February 1584/5 deed confirming lease and grant without impeachment of waste, i.e. without reducing the value of the property. At this time the country was swamped with ex-manorial property for sale so buyers at high prices were hard to come by and Nicholas Darcy was perhaps financially embarassed as a result.
In 1587 a Fine document shows that Henry Byllyngsley junr. Gent. (eldest son of Henry the haberdasher) bought (farm-let) property from Nicholas Darcy esq. This comprised the Manor of Nappay and 10 messuages and 4 cottages with lands in Nappay, Gysborne in Craven, Gargrave, Kildewicke, Skipton, Arneclyff, Gigleswick, and Lynton.
In 1591 a key series of transactions were made by Darcy and Billingsley, on 29th November, to transfer the manor of Langcliffe and its property to villagers (and other local people). At this point the complicated financial arrangements between Darcy and Billingsley may have been settled.
The first and most important deed to be considered concerns Darcy alone of the one party and nine men of the locality of the other party. These were
Richard Foster of Stainforth (died 1603) and Chris.Sailbank of Stainforth (died 1600),
James Carr of Stackhouse (died 1654) and Richard Clapham of Stackhouse,
Lawrence Lawson of Giggleswick (died 1617/8),
Adam Browne (elder) (de Winskall died 1622/3),
John Wildman (?de Stackhouse died 1608, ?de Gigleswick 1625, ?de Rathmell 1639),
William Lund of Settle (died ?1600),
and William Bank of Huggon House, Rathmell (died ?1608, ?1622, ?1654).
These nine men appear to be feoffees acting on behalf of a large number of villagers purchasing (for an undisclosed amount) the "whole manor". The 24 villagers named are
Henry Somerscales, Richard Somerscales, William Armysteade, Christopher Armysteade, Thomas Kydde, William Browne, Richard Kydson, Thomas Sowden, Antony Armysteade, Mathew Giggleswick, Richard Foster, Gyles Foster, Henry Paycocke, Michael Saylebanke, Thomas Foster elder, Richard Lawson, Bryan Cookeson, Thomas Newhouse, Thomas Preston, John Lupton, William Carre, John Brayshawe, George Lawson and Lawrence Iveson.
The agreement excepts seven messuages in the tenure of
Lawrence Swayneson, John Kidde, John Armysteade, Richard Brayshawe, Margaret Iveson widow, Thomas Carre and Robert Saylebanke. Further excepted were 101 acres of land in the tenure of Nicholas Darcy and these seven people.
The extract of 1834 noted below confirms that the feoffees have to sell to tenants on demand by the tenants or their heirs.
On the same day, 29th November 1591, we have a transaction between Nicholas Darcy and Henry Billingsley of the one party and eight men of the other party,
William Carr, John Brayshawe, George Lawson, Lawrence Iveson, Thomas Preston, Thomas Newhouse, John Lupton and Bryan Cookeson, all yeomen and all mentioned in the document just noted as purchasers of the "whole manor". For £194-0-7 the sale is of
(i) Six messuages "now or late in the tenure of" Henry Thompson, William Carr, John Brayshawe, George Lawson, William Iveson and Lawrence Iveson all in Langcliffe
(ii) All houses, yards, gardens, crofts and adjoining ground in the tenure of Hugh Kidd
(iii) Two little closes of pasture called Thowker Heades and Holme Close in Langcliffe late in the tenure of Thomas Kinge and Richard Kinge
(iv) 67 acres of arable lands and meadows in Langcliffe now or late in the tenure of William Carr, Thomas Preston, Thomas Newhouse, John Brayshawe, George Lawson, Lawrence Iveson, John Armysteade, William Iveson, Thomas Kinge and Richard Kinge
(v) 6 acres of Hawfeld wood in Langcliffe
(vi) 142 acres of pasture in Langcliffe
(vii) 33 acres of pasture to be sold to Bryan Cookeson, Thomas Newhouse and Richard Somerscales
These in south part of Langcliffe moor Flatt Heades field wall up to Carelae then to Warnedale Head and down Warnedale westwards to a great stone above the lambfolds and then to Stubbyn wall.
(viii) 6 acres of pasture in Langcliffe on Warnedale Knotts adjoining the Yawe closehead
(ix) 39 acres of pasture in Langcliffe on north side of Cowe Close ascending to Turfmore yeate, then to Skarries by side of Cowside Close to the side of Henside Close
(x) 64 acres of pasture on north side of the 33 acres noted above.
The next deed between Nicholas Darcy and Henry Billingsley is with Thomas Kydde, William Browne, Thomas Sowden, Richard Kidson and Anthony Armysteade all yeomen in Langcliffe, Mathewe Giggleswick (glover of Langcliffe) and Thomas Giggleswick son of Mathewe. For £398-2-6 the sale comprises
(i) Five messuages (all houses, buildings, yards, gardens) now in the tenure of all except the son of Mathewe Giggleswick
(ii) 46 acres of arable and meadows held by the same
(iii) 152 acres of pasture near Cow Close, Skarris and Henside.
The next deed dated the same day concerns Nicholas Darcy and Henry Billingsley of the one party and the Foster family and others living at Winskill and Cowside. The second party are
Richard Foster the younger, Gyles Foster, Thomas Foster the elder, Richard Foster his son, Thomas Foster the younger, Christopher Lawson, Henry Paycock and Michael Saylbanke
For £537-12-9 the sale is of
(i) Seven messuages (all houses, buildings, yards, gardens and crofts) now in the tenure of the second party except for Elizabeth Foster widow and one of the Richard Fosters.
(ii) 62 acres of arable and meadow in Wynskall and Cowsyde now or late in the tenure of most of the second party
(iii) 206 acres of pasture near Henside, Robert Saylbanke's calfe close, Cow Close and Wynskale Ing.
On the same day Darcy and Billingsley of the one party agree to sell property to Henry Somerscales, of Stockdale, gent, and Richard Somerscales of Settle, yeoman, William Armysteade and Christopher Armysteade both husbandmen of Stainforth.
(i) Langcliffe water corn mill with the dam, watercourse, soken tolls and fishing
(ii) a little grove or spring of wood called Langcliffe spring (5 acres) and several small parcels of land held by
Lawrence Swayneson, Anthony Armysteade, William Carr, Margaret Iveson widow, William Kidd, John Browne, Thomas Kinge, John Brayshawe and Richard Kidson
(iii) one little close of pasture on west side of grove late in the tenure of Lawrence Swayneson and now in the occupation of Henry and Richard Somerscales
(iv) woods, underwoods and trees in the grove
(v) One messuage in Langcliffe (with all houses, buildings, gardens, crofts)
(vi) Six and a half acres of arable and meadow within Langcliffe now or late in the tenure of Thomas Kinge and Richard King
(vii) One acre of ground in Langcliffe adjoining the south side of the wall of the spring issuing and ascending from the yeate called lee yeate eastward
(viii) 16.5 acres of pasture next to the 33 acres sold to Richard Somerscales, Bryan Cookeson and Thomas Newhouse on Langcliffe moor
Finally Nicholas Darcy and Henry Billingsley assign a lease on the same day for a messuage and land for 500 years to Richard Lawson and his son Thomas of Langcliffe at a cost of £156-13s-00d.
There is an extract made in 1834 referring to all these transactions of 1591 saying that
"Nicholas Darcy did grant bargain and sell unto Richard Foster of Stainforth James Carr of Stackhouse and others the Manor of Langcliffe with all rights members hereditaments and appurtenances thereunto belonging or of right in any wise appertaining and the Reversion and Reversions remainder and remainders thereof and all Rents suits and services of and belonging all and every the said premises To have and to hold the said manor of Langcliffe and other the said premises unto the said Richard Foster James Carr and others their heirs and assigns for ever by the said Deed remaining upon Record in the high Courts of Chancery……………..and the rest of the said Feoffees and their heirs and the survivor of them and his heirs should stand and be seized of the said Manor of Langcliffe with all the messuages tenements lands and hereditaments with the appurtenances and of the freehold estate of them and every of them to and for the only use and uses of the several and respective tenant and tenants of and in the said Manor of Langcliffe and their heirs and assigns for ever. And that they the said Feoffees and survivor and survivors of them and his and their heirs should upon demand grant and convey to every several and respective Tenant his heirs or assigns their several and respective messuages tenements lands parts and parcels of the said Manor."
(This deed is endorsed "extract from a deed now in the possession of the Langcliffe Cooperative Association, showing the manor of Langcliffe to belong to the owners of lands therein" dated 1834). The demesne and freeholder land and manorial rights concerning the other types of land are presumably at issue in this document and the purchasers become feoffees in place of a Lord of the Manor. Feoffees were in effect trustees but with rights to do what they liked with the land (in contrast trustees are limited to specific tasks).
Thus we have evidence for 21 people involved with property purchases in Langcliffe in 1591 and probably resident in the village. The Lay Subsidy of 1524 quotes 18 tenants. The 21 names are:
Armysteade John, Anthony, William, Christopher
Brayshawe John, Richard
Browne William
Carr Thomas, William
Giggleswick Mathew
Iveson Lawrence, Margaret, William
Kidde John, Thomas
Kidson Richard
Lawson George
Saylbanke Robert
Somerscales Henry, Richard
Swayneson Lawrence
Many of the further deeds relating to this transfer of the Manor properties refer back to the Darcy/Billingsley agreement of 9th February 1584/5.
From now on various transactions refer to dates later than 29 November 1591 for agreement between Darcy, Billingsley and others. These seem to concern the exceptions being transferred in November 1591 (e.g. John Kydd and Thomas Carr).
In 1593 (August) William Carr(1) of Langcliffe, yeoman, assigns a lease of 500 years to Christopher Preston of Settle, for part of William’s share of the six messuages with appurtenances in Langcliffe and partition of the same amongst various other parties assigned on 31st January 1592 by Darcy and Billingsley. William Carr(1) makes his mark so could not write – he did not go to Giggleswick School! The other parties are named as in one of the transactions of 29th November 1591:
Willm Carr, Thomas Newhouse, John Brayshay, George Lawson, Lawrence Iveson, Thomas Preston, John Lupton and Bryan Cookson.
In 1593 (Brayshaw states – the deed has not been found) Richard Armitstead of Langcliffe purchased from Darcy and Billingsley a block of property in Langcliffe and sold portions to local families. It is not clear what this means if the whole manor was supposedly sold in 1591 but this is the first mention of Richard Armitstead's name.
An indenture made on 10 February 1599/00 is cited by the Knipe family concerning the transfer from Henry Billingsley and Nicholas Darcy to Henry Somerscales of Stockdale of Langcliffe moore adjoining lands of Malham Moor, lands of the Earl of Cumberland and of Henry Somerscales.
In 1604 a parcel of the lease made by Darcy and Billingsley with John Kydd in December 1592 was leased by John Kydd and Christopher Rediaghe to Thomas Gelderde.
In 1611 William Carr(3) of Langcliffe, bachelor, signature cites a lease for 500 years from Darcy and Billingsley to Thomas Carr (William’s father) in June 1592 for a dwelling house, a garden with appurtenances in Langcliffe (then in the occupation of Thomas Carr), three little closes called Haggwormebotham, Stubbin Close and Leyes Close, 3 roods of arable land and 10 acres of pasture, all for £29-13s-9d.. William Carr now leases to Thomas Lawson of Langcliffe, husbandman, for £7-00s-00d a close called Thowkarrdale (one rood) etc. William was the elder son of Thomas Carr (married Agnes Paley in 1581, buried 1596) who himself married Elizabeth Brayshaw in 1616. Thomas Carr is one of the original purchasers of the manor along with his brother William(1) mentioned above. In 1617 Thomas Lawson then passes the lease to his son Richard on the marriage of Richard to Isabel Clapham in 1617.
An indenture of 1622 concerns Thomas Newhouse elder of Giggleswick transferring Swainson’s farm and land (Thowtterthwaite) in Langcliffe to Thomas Lawson and his son Richard. The Swainson property is being exchanged for land at Barrel Sykes plus 52 shillings four pence. The indenture quotes the transfer from Darcy and Billingsley to Thomas Newhouse in December 1593 and the lease to Billingsley from Darcy in 1584/5 of the manors of Langcliffe and Nappay and the further agreement of 1586. Thomas Newhouse is quoted in the 1584/5 indenture.
A deed of 1647 conveys a messuage with appurtenances, pasture and closes from James Carr of Stackhouse to Richard Lawson the younger of Langcliffe, yeoman, It cites conveyance in November 1591 of the manor of Langcliffe from Darcy and Billingsley to Richard Foster and others. Richard Lawson is a tenant of a messuage and lands in Langcliffe. James Carr (bd 1654) is quoted as the sole surviving feoffee for the tenants of Langcliffe and to vest the estate of inheritance in the premises concerned on Richard Lawson he enfeoffees Richard of the property. In 1699 Richard passes all his freehold and leasehold property and lands lying in Langcliffe to his son Richard in his will. This presumably included the house with datestone 1681 LRM (Richard and Margaret Lawson) in the centre of the village.
James Carr of Stackhouse outlived the other feoffees and the office of feoffee descended in his family for several generations. The Letters Patent of 1630 referred to above, a certified copy of transactions between Nicholas Darcy, Cutts and Pemberton in 1582, might have been needed by James Carr (died 1654) to demonstrate his rights associated with this office. The Carr families of Stackhouse and Langcliffe therefore possessed land in Langcliffe by 1591 (as distinct from leasing land and property) and this led to a branch of the family living and working in Langcliffe from at least that time on.
Many further land transactions were carried out in the 1600s. For example, in 1599/1600 Sir Henry Billingsley and Nicholas Darcy leased Langcliffe Moor, called Scarr Close, to be divided into ten parts containing in all 300 acres (excepting 50 acres next to the Yaw Close) to Henry Somerscales (who built Langcliffe Hall in 1602). The property passed to Isaac Knipe and then to his son William and his wife Jane and daughter Jane by Isaac’s will in 1618. Then in 1631/2 Richard Braishey of Langcliffe, yeoman, rented one twentieth part for the remainder of 500 years (from 1584/5). Similarly in 1631/2 William Foster leased 3/20ths part from the Knipes at £3 a year rent, Thomas Carr of Langcliffe, yeoman, rented 1/10th part for £2 a year, William Carr(3) of Langcliffe, yeoman, rented 1/20th part at £1 a year, Thomas Paley took 1/10th part at £2, and Thomas Geldarde took a lease of 1/20th part for £1. Then in 1637 William Foster, yeoman, took over the assignment of rent charges for 500 years paying William Knipe and his family £180 for the privilege of rent collection from the six tenants.
The transfer of ownership of the manor to local people was obviously a major turning point. Major William Dawson of Langcliffe Hall, an educated man, in 1690 wrote a poem in Latin to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the event; the last few lines are
In laudem Langcliviae
Libertas, sed sera, tamen respexit avitos
Indigenas; illis Darcy sua vendidit arva
Vivitur ingenue, nunc candida tecta resurgent,
Nunc lautae mensae, nunc rerum copia abundans;
Incola, non dominus, spatiosis imperat arvis.
Freedom, although late in coming, was mindful of their forebears who had been born there. Darcy sold his lands to them and they lived as free men. Gleaming dwellings now appeared again, and now there were splendid spreads and an abundant supply of everything; instead of an overlord, the inhabitants now rule over the extensive fields.
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