radcliffe

RECUSANCY AMONGST THE GENTRY OF EGTON AND LYTHE

There were three gentry families that were staunchly recusant during the penal times. They were the Radcliffes of Ugthorpe, the Salvins of Newbiggin and the Smiths of Egton Bridge. Outline pedigrees (after John Graves History of Cleveland) are given.

There is more to these potted pedigrees than appears on paper. The period of the RadcIiffe one extends a little more than the reign of Queen Elizabeth I, some sixty years. That they were the wealthiest is evidenced by their speedy disappearance, not due to the failure of male issue, however. Katherine bore the brunt of the fines, loss of two thirds of her manorial property and seizure of goods and chattels. The relevant entries in the Recusant Roll No. 2 Michaelmas 35/36 Eliz. (1593/1594) reads "On May 22nd 1593 Ralph Rookeby and otheis seized, in the Queen's name, from Katherine Radcliffe, recusant, two thirds of the lordship or manor of Ugthorpe, with aopurtenances, and two thirds of two messuages in West Barnby with appurtenances. Such lands to be let out to tenants at an annual rent, due to the Crown of £2-19s-2 2/3d. Arrears for the year preceding £1-9s-7 1/3d. The tenants are not to pay, since Brian Metcalfe Gent. will be answerable for the future, (gaining the benifit of the seized lands).

Katherine Radcliffe (in a second entry) 'spinster' lately of Ugthorpe in the parish of Lythe, recusant, owes £3-6s -8d, charged upon herself, for the price or value of the goods & chattels of the same Katherine; returned & certified by the aforesaid commisioners, as stated above. In addition to all this, she and the others on the Roll are in debt to the Crown in the sum of £120 'for the like' recusancy.

The pedigree of the Salvins is different. It extends all most to the end of the penal times. It fails through lack of issuemale; all but the last two mentioned lived at Newbiggin. The Roll above shows Dorothy, wife of Ralph Salvyn of Newbiggin Esquire £120 'for the Iike' recusancy. She is on the Egton list for 1604 in largely the same terms. It is strange that out of 158 names on the Egton list for 1641 there are no Salvin names. Anne and Ursula Salvin appear on the 1680 list and William on that for l69l, perhaps the last on the pedigree above. One of the Easingwold Thomases is carefully watched as a "Non-resident papist but supposed to have estates" in the Archbishop's recusant correspondence for 1767, and in the same place is "William Salvin, Croxdale with a secular priest Thomas Talbot aged 30." After this Salvin names do not appear again, at least on the local lists. The priest is, no doubt, one and the same as the one mentioned by W.G. Ward in his essay, who "came to Egton Bridge about 1788." At the Thirsk Quarter Sessions in 1619 appeared Will Salvin, late of Newbiggin, a popish recusant. Although he went to the Chapel of Egton, he did not, from September 8th to the 30th receive tne sacranent of the Lord's Supper. He was fined £20. What became of their home after they left is not known, but an interesting item is worthy of note:- "On February 27th 1830 died William Pearson of Newbiggin aged 91, leaving £20 to the infant chapel at Whitby. As William Salvin who died in 1726 was buried at York, the dates allow the possibility of William Pearson's birth at Newbiggin in 1739 and the home being in recusart hands for almost another hundred years.

When discussing the Smith pedigree, it must be pointed out that it did not come from Graves as may be understood, but from Mr. Ward through the kindness of his nephew Mr. Bernard Macridge, who now possesses some of the family muniments. Why this is so is easy to explain since Mr. Ward's great-grandmother was a Smith herself. It would be remiss to attempt to better the concise account he wrote himself about it related earlier on. If the numerical identity procedure is applied to the three pedigrees a descent pattern becomes visible.

In the RADCLIFFES it is extremely short being merely 11 (One-one) meaning eldest son of eldest son. Roger the son and heir being dispossesed of his inheritance by Edmund, Lord Sheffield created Earl of Mulgrave by King Charles I. Katherine was 2, and being a spinster, passed her manor to William 6 her half brother who had William 61 his eldest son. Apathetic entry occurs in the 1691 recusant list for Egton, namely Jacob Radcliffe, and Roger Radcliffe and Agnes with nothing to distinguish them from the remainder of the papist peasants listed. This Roger could probably have a four or five figure identity number being perhaps the grandson of the last recusant owner of Mulgrave.

The SALVIN male line number pattern is 121217521711 meaning a descent of twelve generations, the last seven living in the penal times and thereby being recusants. The second, fourth and eighth holder of the Nebiggin lands had an elder sister whilst the fifth had six daugters before his son and heir. An Edward Salvin of Newbiggin gent., was to be buried in Egton Church on July 18th 1557, but his name does not appear.

That of the SMITHS is somewhaat similar:- 1111112266, a male line descent of ten generations all excect the three Richards being recusants, the last three, of course, living in the dawn of religious freedom. A son and heir as a first child for six marriages. lf this is not remarkable then the name patteern is. Only two names Thomas and Richard following one another until the Richard of the fourth succession died in infancy, his next younger brother Thomas following. This Thomas's eldest son Thomas died young as well, his next brother Richard succeeding. To have weathered the storm of persecution successfullyy is indeed a great blessing. To see the steadfastness of the Smith family must have been encouragement without a doubt to many a peasant home. In fact to find one of them witnessing a will of one of the local farmers is a sure sign of that farmer's recusancy even without any other evidence.

The sale of their Egton property and their departure from the district is a loss truly regrettable, yet something of their spirit remained in their kinsman Mr. Ward until l945 when his death was another great loss . It is as an attempt to rekindle that spirit and reawaken the memories of Venerable Nicholas Postgate whose labours provided its foundation, that this work is being undertaken. May the prayer once heard in our schools "--Never let us lose the Faith for which our Martyrs died" be heard again.

The name of Ann Smith wife of Richard Smith of Egton 'Yoman' immediately precedes that of Dorothy Salvin previously refered to, and likewise in debt to the Crown of £120 'fer the like' recusancy. This second Recusant Roll also includes the names of a number of "smaller fish" among the local people. They are John Hodgson of Grosmont 'yoman', William Phillipe of Danby 'yoman' and Isabella Taylor lately of Staithes, widow. From each of these the fine of £120 is due for six months recusancy. A crippling £20 a month till death or submission. The next roll shows that Ugthorpe Manor is still providing one third its income to Katherine Radcliffe, two thirds less crown rent (two amounts of £2-4s-5d were paid into the Treasury on May 10th 1596 and Novembeer 8th 1596 respectively) to Mr. Brian Radcliffe. The names of the 'smaller fish' are no longer there as it seems Iikely they had not the money or lands to secure it. Nevertheless the Taylors persevered and are proudly in evidence in Fr. Hervey's Ugthorpe records one hundred and fifty years later. So did the Hodgsons whose endurance will be related in due course. The name of Phillipe does not seem to have continued for it does not occur in any lists or registers afterwards.

The listing of the wives of the Salvins and the Smiths seems to indicate some show of outward conformity to the penal statutes on the part of the respective husbands and a willingness to continue to pay for their wives recusancy.