The Franklands of Thirkleby

The Franklands of Thirkleby By Timothy Frankland Privately printed by Needham Griffin Ltd, London, 2002 (0207 633 0917)

Richard of Neals Ing (parish of Giggleswick) had three sons:

A William b c1505 B Richard C Hugh

A] William [d 1576] = Margery [d 1566] made freeman of the clothworkers company 1545, bought Rye House in 1559, Blubberhouses and Fewston in 1563, other lands and Thirkleby in 1572.

Married 2nd wife Joyce (or Jocosa) the widow of Henry Saxey merchant adventurer and daughter of Robert Trappes goldsmith.{see DNB for her benefactions}

William and Margery had three sons and a daughter: Edmund [d 1574], Henry and William his other sons were disinherited as tuppers and wastrels. Joyce died unmarried.

B] Richard of Pace House had the following children

a Hugh 1540 = Joan daughter of George Trappes (Joyce’s niece) was a clothworker in London and with his uncle William (above) bought Ickhorngill, Paceyate (Pace Gate where Pace House is) and Evening Croft.

b Ralph of Pace House 1547 – 1631 = Margaret (his son William “wise William” inherited lands from uncle Hugh)

c John d 1620 = Janet (his son Richard received lands from uncle Hugh, notably Thirkleby , which he sold to his cousin William. Richard died in Ireland )

Bb Ralph of Pace House

Had three sons William 1572 - 1639, Richard and Ralph

“Wise” William who died 1640 = Lucy Boteler, lived at the Hertforshire estates but built the mansion at Thirkleby (while Joyce lived there, William senior’s wife)) and much increased the estate. He also bought the Newsham estate. They had seven sons and two daughters.

Richard is said to have sold the estate called Cragg Hall at Fewston to Henry Fairfax of Newton Place but this is wrong. He married Bridget Somerscales and they had two daughters Margaret b1613 = John Bannister and Joan = (1636) T. Palliser of Kirby Wiske at St Michael’s le Belfrey in York. Richard died c1624 and the children were in the custody of Thomas Somerscales their uncle. Thomas S arranged the marriage with the Bannisters. I have been informed : “x” whose evidence comes from Parkinson 'Lays and Leaves of the Forest' pp 100-1:

“From documents now in the writer's possession, we learn that on the 23rd day of January, 1638 AD, Richard Bannister de le Cragg, gentleman, and Ellen his wife, John Bannister their son and Jana (nee Frankland) his wife, Ralph Bannister younger son of aforesaid Richard, with Marmaduke Beckwith of Dacre with Thomas Beckwith his son, and Thomas Beckwith of Aldborough, surrendered, in the Forest court at Knaresborough, certain lands and houses called Bainbrigg Yeate, Low Cragg, Beiston and the Holme and Eshsteades scituat, jacentes et existentes in hamlata de Fuiston infra villam de Timble et Foreseste de Knaresburg to the use and behoof of Henry Fairfax of Newton Kyne, clerk, and his heirs and assigns for ever.

“In the following year viz. June 6th 1639 AD there was conveyed to him (i.e. Henry Fairfax) in like manner by William Frankland, knight of Thirklebie, Henry Frankland, Esquire his son, and Richard Frankland de Fuiston, gentleman, the adjoining estate of le Cragg or Cragg Hall, one of the Elizabethan Halls of the Forest”.

The evidence seems to be that Richard Bannister is called Richard Bannister de le Cragg and that le Cragg is Cragg Hall. In fact I think the Oakes deeds talk of him as Richard Bannister de le Cragg from the start of his residence in Fewston and this is when he was living in Cragg Hall with his wife. From the Oakes deeds as well Cragg Hall seems to be her dowry or marriage portion. Grainge's 'Harrogate and the Forest of Knaresborough' pp 478-81 has more on Cragg Hall and its different owners although it does not mention the Bannisters explicitly.

Cragg Hall was demolished to make way for Fewston Reservoir and I can find no post cards or illustrations.

Ralph died 1629 buried Fewston