Over a window on the west side of the steeple, is the figure of a thrush standing on a tun: this is a rebus, allusive to the name of the founder, Thurstan, archbishop of York. On each side of the steeple, the following inscriptions remain legible:—

On the East-Side,

SOLI DEO IHU. XTO. HONOR. ET GLIA. IN SCLA. SCLOR.

West-Side,

AGNO. DEI IHU. XTO. HONOR ET GLIA SCLA. SCLOR.

North-Side, Upper Line,

ET VIRTUS ET FORTITUDO DEO NOSTRO IN SECULA SECULORUM AMEN. North-Side, Lower Line,

SOLI DEO HONOR ET GLIA. SECULA SECULORUM.

South-Side,

SOLI DEO HONOR ET GLIA. IN SECULA SECULORUM AMEN.*

Although the Abbey of Fountains became so liberally endowed, yet the founders of it remained some time in a state of the most distressing poverty, insomuch that one day, when the abbot had been out to beg, and yet all the common stock amounted only to two loaves and a half of bread, a stranger asking for a morsel at the door, the abbot ordered one of the loaves to be given him; saying that God would provide for them, and the story adds, that the good man's saying was verified, for soon afterwards Earl Fitz John, owner of Scarbrough, sent them a cart-load of bread; and they collected some little store at harvest-time. Two years, however, were spent by them in great hardships, but about the end of that period their affairs began to mend. Hugh, dean of York, a man of wealth, falling sick, ordered himself and all he was possessed of to be carried to the monastery of Fountains. Serlo and Tosti, two rich canons of York, devoted themselves and all their possessions to this monastery. Robert de Sartis and his wife, whose bodies were interred here, bequeathed to the community their town of Harleshows, with the fields adjacent, and the forest of Warkesall. The village of Caiton was given them by Serlo de Pembroke; and the abbot, besides, obtained the Grange of Aldeburgh.†

The business of St. Mary's produced applications to the king and mutual accusations, and the archbishop of Canterbary, then the pope's legate in England, was acquainted by Thurstan with all these proceedings; but we cannot find what was the determination, farther than that at the succeeding Christmas, the archbishop gave the separatists a certain parcel of lands, about three miles north from Ripon, a spot represented as little better than a desert, and the monks as being reduced to such a state that first a large elm, and then a few yew-trees furnished, both by day and night, all their covering from the inclemency of the weather at that bleak season. The place lay between two steep hills, and was surrounded on all sides with rocks and brambles. This ungrateful soil they endeavoured to clear and cultivate, though at the same time they were so much in want of food, that they were reduced to the necessity, as their number increased, of subsisting on wild herbs, when they could find them, and sometimes even on the leaves of trees.

* Hargrove's History of Knaresbrough. + Boswell's Antiquities.

ANCIENT STATE OF DONCASTER AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD..

[Continued from page 343.]

To the Editors of the Northern Star.

CONFORMABLY to my promise, I now send you some further account of the ancient history of Doncaster, continued from an article which appeared in your Fifth Number.

The Roman topography of Britain is at best doubtful and obscure; nothing can be distinctly seen, and therefore little thoroughly understood; the united labours of full fourteen centuries have been insufficient to dispel the darkness which hangs over it. If our more early ancestors, (some of whom could view our classic relics with the eye of an antiquary,) overlooked the vestiges of Roman grandeur, then existing with more prominence; what, in our day, can be expected but confusion more confounded, when the efforts of an increasing population, in order to the gratification of some caprice of bad taste, are fast levelling every noble pile of antiquity, filling up the protecting ditch, and tossing down the ponderous wall, which the infancy of warfare rendered formidable ;--while the plough, at once the cause of their destruction and the means of many interesting discoveries, is progressively producing a revolution on the face of the earth, and, in time, cannot fail of effecting the total destruction of every vestige of antiquity to which it has access.

If, however, the Roman topography of Britain be obscure, that of the few writers which succeeded the Romans is, if possible, more difficult of élucidation. Even in the natural and political history of our island, which is so important in enabling us to trace the gradual course of circulization in our largest and most beautiful cities, "from the mud-wall cottage to the gilded palace," we have to lament an irremediable deficiency. Our knowledge of local districts, and particular places where important events are said to have occurred in Anglo-Saxon times, is extremely limited. We have little else to depend upon but the ignorant and designing monks, whose lying legends equal in absurdity the sources of Grecian mythology, and whose party-spirit indeed rather darkened than enlightened the period their writings profess to describe.

In Saxon history, Doncaster is known only by name, having no oceurence immediately near it, worthy of note, save the battle of Hatfield, which was fought between Penda, the Pagan king of Mercia, and Ceadwalla, the Briton. In this battle King Edwin of Northumberland lost his life; he was its first Christian king, and with him perished his eldest son prince Offaide; this event took place in A. D. 633. Evident vestiges of an encampment yet remain, which appears to have been very extensive.

The Harleian MSS., as also the collections of the indefatigable Dodsworth, record that Doncaster, some short time prior to the Conquest, was in the possession of the Frossarts family, who held it of the king in capite, and in whose family it appeared to be hereditary; but he, like the genera

lity of our Saxon ancestors, soon felt the rigid hand of the insolent Norman, who, in order to fulfil his engagements with those who aided him in at taining the crown of England, parceled out the conquered domains to his numerous followers. To Robert, earl of Montaigne, this manor, with 750 others, fell as his share; who, in imitation of his master, again subdivided his lands into smaller portions amongst his retainers, on condition that each should muster a given number of men on certain occasions, when the Frossarts were again so fortunate as to be put in possession of their former estate. Doncaster, Hexthorpe, Balby, Warmsworth, Sandal, &c. were the apportioned part which they held of the earl of Montaigne, and in whose family it continued till the reign of the first Richard, in the year 1189; at this period, on failure of male issue, their possessions devolved on a female heiress, whom Dr. Miller erroneously names Joan; she was given in marriage to Robert de Turnham: failing in male issue, his daughter Isabel succeeded, "whom," says Dr. Miller, and here, by-the-bye, the doctor has taken more than usual pains in his history, "King John, out of his special favor and regard to Peter de Malo-lacu, or Maulay, and to requite him for his eminent services, amongst which was the murdering of his amiable nephew, Prince Authur, bestowed this Isabel on him in marriage, with whom he had the baronage of Mulgrave, and considerable possessions in Holderness, the lordship and soke of Doncaster, together with all the possessions of the Frossarts and Turnhams." The Peter de Maulays continued to enjoy it for eight generations; but afterwards it went into various hands; for during these troublesome times, when property too often was acquired by favour or rapine, we frequently find it pass with amazing rapidity into different families, being often indeed suspended for a while without an owner at all. Such was the state of the manor or lordship of Doncaster during the life-time of the fourth Peter de Maulay, after which it fell into litigation, and was in the reign of king Edward the First left to the decision of the barons of the exchequer, who again confirmed it in the possession of the Maulay family, which at different periods had stood high in the opinion of their sovereign. After the termination of the male line in the person of Peter de Maulay the eighth, it devolved by right of inheritance on his two sisters, and the daughters of Peter the seventh. The manor of Mulgrave was allotted as the portion of Constance, while the manor and soke of Doncaster, &c. was deemed the hereditary right of the younger sister's orphan issue.

The next claimant to the soke of Doncaster, &c. is one George de Salvyne, Knt., who married Elizabeth, a grand-daughter of Peter de Maulay the seventh, and niece to Peter de Maulay the eighth. The property again became devoid of an owner by some means or other, and was granted by a royal charter to the body corporate of the borough of Doncaster, &c. This charter has been ratified by succeeding kings. A descendant of the Salvyns instituted a claim to the manors in question, and the corporation petitioned the king for leave to surrender their charter, in order to avoid the pending law-suit; but the matter never coming to an hearing, the corporation gave the said Salvyne a large sum of money to relinquish his claim, and the then reigning monarch was pleased to give it his sand

tion.

After this brief history of the ancient lords of Doncaster, &c. a question will naturally arise as to the residence of those feudal chieftains; for we cannot but suppose that they would have either a permanent or an occasional residence, situated somewhere in their wide domains. An air so pure, a district so fertile, and a conntry altogether so interesting, could not but demand the attention of these haughty barons, and induce them at times to take up their abode amidst their dependants; but such a place is not, either by history or tradition, pointed out to posterity. We may hazard a conjecture by supposing their occasional residence to have been at Rossington, a fertile district on the edge of their property in this part. Evident vestiges of some ancient mansion yet survives the hand of " all-destroying time," though its total abolition is on the eve of accomplishment; and ere the sun performs many revolutions, "it will be as though it never had been.

I am unable to give the extent of the basis of this ancient building; a part of the moat which formerly surrounded it, is yet in tolerable preservation, but the occupiers of the land are fast filling it up, and in other respects destroying the few remaining ruins. It is in the neighbourhood known by the name of Draw-Dikes, and a few of the oldest inhabitants very well remember some of the rafters which formerly supported the drawbridge, which, prior to the inclosure, was in much more perfect condition. Several of the buildings in the town owe their fonndation to its ruins, while some are half-built out of them, especially the back-part of the buildings: a pane of glass was lately taken out of the church-windows, whereon was rudely painted some devices, and the effigy of Lady Maude de Maulay. The wood also which skirts the north and north-west side of these ruins, is yet known by the name of the Park; its situation is strikingly pleasing, having the entire command of the great north road. These things tend to show, that at a distant age it was the residence of some dignified nobleman; but its splendour passed away before the time of Camden. It seems, however, rather extraordinary that a place, which doubtless was at one time of some eminence, should be entirely overlooked by all our antiquarians. The family-residence of the Maulays was at Mulgrave-Castle, in this county, a place interesting to the antiquarian, and majestic in its

pages

AS parochial history seems to be a part of your plan in filling up the of the Northern Star, some observations concerning the parish of MARSKE near Richmond, may be acceptable to your antiquarian readers. N

VOL. II.

In my rambles through that place some time since, I made several remarks, which, as far as I know, have never yet been laid before the public, and which you may think worthy of a portion of your Miscellany,

The church stands upon the declivity of a hill, gently sloping to the south, commanding a fine view of Marske-Hall, the seat of John Hutton, Esq.; Clintz, the residence of Thomas Errington, Esq., joint-proprietors of this parish, and an obelisk, which rears its lofty head above the surrounding hills. This obelisk covers the body of Matthew Hutton, formerly a captain in the army, who, dying in the year 1813, at Macclesfield, requested his executors to bury him in this place, where, when a boy, he had often sat, enchanted with the beauties of this mountainous country. By his will, he left a certain portion of his property to be expended in erecting a monument over his body, which his executors, to their very great credit, have fully executed.

The fabric of the church seems to be very ancient, what we should call the early Norman, having a north-aisle with round arches, supported by strong pillars with Saxon capitals. There are no particular monuments in the church or cemetery worthy of observation; except on the north-side of the chancel is the following inscription, cut on three of the oaken pannels which surround the communion-table. Worn out by time and the dampness of its situation, it is very difficult to be deciphered, but as I made it out I send you.

Jacksoniomnema, in piam memoriam, non in vanam gloriam, positum.

lambi.

Præivit aut sequetur omnis hos homo. Vides, stupesque? quin monêre protenus. Cupiditatibus tuis statim mori, Deoque te dicare, sic diu, vel hic, Eris modo bonus, sic et, quod optumum.* Fruere mortuus beatitudine.

Sie ιαμβίζει pro defunctis suis charissimis pariter ae mellitissimis Johannes Jackson.

Ὁ μεμονωμένος, lTim.v.5.

Καὶ ὁ ελάχιςορος, Ερ.ν.8.

A. 1639.

Vita hominis fabula; nec refert quam longe sed quam bene acta.

• This word appears to be so spelled on the wainscot.

SEN. Ep. 77.