Landholders & Lords of the Manor

Listed below is a selection of the some of the main Hook Lords and landholders of Hook between the 12th and18th century. It is not known whether they actually lived on the moated site or even, in fact, in Hook. But they all featured in land and property transactions relating to Hook.  As might be expected, there are many instances of shared landholding and overlaps in dates of holdings.  The spelling of names has been retained as recorded in the documents.

1100’s - c.1330(?):  de Hook

It is possible that the de Hook family arrived during the Norman invasion.  Maybe they gained the manor of Hook as a reward for supporting William I in his conquest of Britain?  Although 'de Hook' only indicates that the person lived in the geographical area of Hook and not all 'de Hooks' are necessarily related, documentary evidence suggests a familial relationship between many people using the de Hook name. 

1330 - 1378:  De la Ryvere

1330: Grantor:  Avice, late the wife of Sir Nicholas de la Rivere, and sister and one of the heirs of Sir Thomas de Houk.

Recipient: Richard de la Rivere, clerk, and William his brother. (Their sons and heirs)

This is presumably how the manor of Hook moved, in part at least, from the de Hook family to the de la Ryvere family. The de Hooks seem by now to have relocated to Cotness and Ryedale, etc.

1384 - 1402:  Ughtred

In 1384/5 Thomas Ughtred was granted (the manor of?) Hook by William de Swynfflet, John Marshall Rouclyff, William Benetson of Linton, and Thomas de Moram of Hook.

It is often stated that the moated site at Hook was leased to Thomas Ughtred in 1402 by St Mary’s Abbey, York. We believe that this may be incorrect The misunderstanding may have occurred due to the mention of Hook in the Inquisition Post Mortem made after Thomas’s death in 1402:

"623 Writ. ‡ 1 May 1402 [Asplion].

YORKSHIRE Inquisition. Pocklington. 27 May. [Hungate].

Jurors: William Bekard of Bielby ; William Jakelyn ; John Langdale ; Robert Liolf; William Barton ; Hervey (Heruici) Rotse; William Rither ; John de Pokethorp; Robert Chapman of North Dalton or South Dalton ; John Barker of Everingham ; William Dolman ; and Richard atte Esshe .

He held the manors of Kexby, Kilnwick Percy, Hook, Scagglethorpe, Colton and Laund with certain lands and tenements in Moor Monkton, and rents of £15 14s.10 1/2d. from the manor of Leppington. On 8 Sept. 1398 he gave them to Robert Twyer, knight, master Adam Fenrother, rector of Catton , Walter Rudestan of Hayton and William Conestable of Catfoss; and on the following Sunday they demised them to him to hold at their will, and so he held them, and not by any other status as was said.

Kexby is held of the earl of Westmorland by fealty, annual value 50 marks; Kilnwick Percy of William Lord Latimer , under age in the king’s ward, annual value 100s.; Hook of the abbot of St. Mary’s, York, by fealty, annual value 10 marks; and the other manors of Lord de Moubray, under age in the king’s ward, annual value £10."

https://inquisitionspostmortem.ac.uk/view/inquisition/18-622/624 

The IPM was required as Thomas outlived his son, and his next heir, his Grandson - also called Thomas - was underage, at 18 years old.

There is no mention of the MOATED manor in the IPM, but it seems logical that the tenants (unlikely to have been Thomas Ughtred) lived on the site.

1377 - 1425 +:  Nevill

1545 - 1725:  Bayley

Feoffment relating to manor of Southom, alias Southoo Graunge, in Hoke [Hook] and Swyneflete.

Parties: 1) John Bellowe, esquire and Edward Bayles, gentleman 

2) Robert Bayley, yeoman; 

Consideration: £40

This seems to be the first mention of the Bayley family in relation to Hook. Considering the date and the frenzy to acquire ex-monastic property after the dissolution, it seems likely that Robert Bayley was taking advantage of this opportunity to purchase the Grange, which had previously belonged to Louth Park Abbey..

Interestingly, in a feoffment dated 1583, Loathe Park is referred to as ‘alias South Grange’. This property transfer (from Thomas Day of York, yeoman, and his wife, Elizabeth, to William Empsone of Goole, yeoman, and his wife Jane) was as a result of the division of the estates of Robert Bayley of Goole, deceased - father of Elizabeth Day and Jane Empsone - and following the death of their brother, Anthony Bayley under age.

"Property: William and Jane Empsone to have a barn, milne house, ox house and East Grene Feild (lately enclosed), Morain Lane House with Barker Flatt, orchard, hemp garth, Ashe Garth, Low Flatt, Low Faugh Feild, a parcel called Reade Lee and Paddock, Banke Close, More Close, ten 'hedinges or turfe grafftes', the Constable ground, with a cottage thereon in Goole, cottage and toft in Rednes [Reedness], two and a half acres in Hooke [Hook]; Thomas and Elizabeth Day to have Lowth Park Grange, South Howse or South Howse Grange with a milk house, dove house, garth, sheep fold, West Grene Feild (lately enclosed), Middle Flatt, High Faugh Close, a little Thorney Close, Inge Close, and five 'hedinges or turf grafftes', farm called Consett Ground or Farm in Goole, messuage in Skelton, two and a half acres in Hooke, two and a half acres in Rockcliffe [Rawcliffe] Endorsed 'The division of Lowthe Park alias Southo Grange'."

1568

It would appear that the acquisition of property and land following the Dissolution began in earnest around 1568, when a number of families who were to play an important part in Hook’s history were involved in property transactions.

1568:  Ayscoughe

This is the first reference to the Ayscoughe family, although they must have acquired the property previously as in this year they made sales to Robert Eratt, Thomas Bailyea and Richard Emson.

1568 - 1705:  Empson

Title: Bargain and sale relating to property in Hook

Parties: 1) William Ascoughe, South Kelsey, Lincolnshire, esquire 2) Richard Emson, Howke [Hook], labourer

This is the first year that the Empson family are mentioned. It is interesting that Richard is ‘merely’ a labourer. Is this the first step on the ladder that leads to the future wealth and prestige of this family?

1568 - 1703:  Mitchell

The first time we meet the Mitchell family is in Anthony Mitchell, Senior and Junior’s, acquisition of the moiety of a cottage, croft and sand, a parcel of moor and a cowgate in Hook from William Ascoughe.

 In 1688, three years before the death of Robert Mitchell (father of Dorothy Mitchell, see below), he had been named in a lease for one year relating to property in Hook. The property was described as, "capital messuage called Hall Garth in Hooke, with croft and six acres"

The definition of a capital messuage:

"A capital messuage is the main messuage of an estate, the house in which the owner of the estate normally lives; A house together with its yard, outbuildings, and land."

So ...

If the capital messuage in 1688 was called Hall Garth ... and if a capital messuage was the main messuage of an estate, where the owner of the estate normally lives - this suggests that there may have been a house on Hall Garth where the Lord of the Manor lived.

1684 - 1857:  Sotheron

Dorothy Mitchell (born c.1667) married William Sotheron, Gent in 1684. Dorothy was the daughter of Robert Mitchell. Dorothy inherited Hook from her father in 1691. (The Sotheron pedigree says that she inherited Hook from her brother, Thomas. However, her father’s will suggests otherwise.) 

This marriage led to a long line of Sotherons in Hook.

According to the Sotheron pedigree, John Sotheron was responsible for rebuilding the mansion at Hook. John died unmarried in 1743, which is the date credited with the building of Hook Hall.

However, we believe that this may have been Hook House, which appears on the enclosure map of 1768 in a very similar form to that represented in later OS maps. Hook House is recorded as being built in the early 1800’s - but maybe this was a later incarnation on the footprint of the earlier building? Early bricks can be seen at the base of the walls of the modern-day building.

Maybe - just maybe! - the Mitchells lived on the moated manor site. The manor house may have been in need of major repair by this time, especially if it had been built at the time of the de Hook family. Therefore, John Sotheron - descendant of the Mitchell family - built the ‘new’ Hook House nearby, the moated site becoming the residence of servants / storerooms, brewery, etc. / pasture for animals, etc., perhaps?  (This is just our personal theory!)

1694 - 1747:  Jefferson

We first meet Joshua Jefferson in 1694, when he leases a moiety of a messuage and croft, two acres one rood, half a cowgate and two roods of turbary in Hook from Robert Gilberdale of Luddington, yeoman, and his wife Grace.

Joshua died in 1721. His will is interesting and includes a bequest to William Sotheran, the younger, of Hook, and William Mitchell of Goole, Yeoman, of £400. This sum is for the purchase of lands, the interest on the money, rents and profits of the land to be used for a Minister of Hook Chapel, as long as the Minister resides in Hook and preaches a sermon there every Sunday or Sabbath day.

We wonder whether this bequest might have been used to purchase the land and materials in order to build Hook Hall?  We can find no record of the Sotherons ever living there. However, from at least 1810 it was the residence of the Vicar of Hook.

Furthermore, in the enclosure map of 1768 a foot path is shown running from the Church to the area of Hook Hall. The path is marked as belonging to Mrs Ann Godfrey.  In the Christmas Diary of 1899, direct reference is made to the Vicar walking across the field from his residence at Hook Hall to the Church.

1700s:  Godfrey

In 1706, Jefferson, Godfrey and Sotheron are recorded as joint Lords of the Manor of Hook.  

In 2023 an archaeological investigation at St Mary's Church, Hook, was carried out under the supervision of Dr Jon Kenny of 'Jon Kenny – community archaeology'. Jon had been consulted by the vicar of the church, Rev Philip Ball, because he was undertaking a renovation and improvement project on the floor of the nave. This would involve reflooring the nave, introducing underfloor heating and removing the fixed pews that dominate the nave at present. 

Of particular interest was the burial inside the church of a relatively high-status woman who died between the mid-1700s and mid-1800s. A search of the burial records found only one high ranking female burial in that period. This was Elizabeth Godfrey, the wife of William Godfrey late of Hook, who had died 26th February 1766. 

It seemed possible that a memorial on the chancel wall, just around the corner from the burial site, may record this death.

Research revealed that Elizabeth’s maiden name was Woodhouse. She was born in 1701 and was the daughter of John Woodhouse and Lydia Scholey Woodhouse of Norton. Elizabeth married William Godfrey of Hook, ‘a man of good estate’ (and possibly one of the aforementioned Lords of the Manor) on Sunday 30th September 1722 in Campsall.  Their son, William, was baptised at Hook in 1723. Elizabeth’s husband, William, was buried on 12th August 1738 at Hook.  Elizabeth was buried at Hook on 1st March 1766, aged 65.

We believe that their son, William Godfrey, became a Reverend. He was buried on 30th June 1782, at which time he was serving at Crowle in the Isle of Axholme, Lincolnshire . We have no evidence that he was ever a vicar at Hook.  However, at the time of the enclosure map (1768) a Rev William Godfrey is listed as one of the three Lords of the manor in Hook - an absent landlord, maybe?