William,
smith of Farndale
c 1285
to c 1360
A Smith of
Farndale whose family started to engage in poaching
FAR00037
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c1285 to c1350 William was the poacher of a hind and a calf in 1330 and repeat
offender in 1336 A narrative of William the Smith’s life |
William Farndale
might have been born in about 1285. He might have been the son of William
Farndale (FAR00013), who later
moved to Danby.
The date of the
following extract from the Coucher Book, folio 222,
is probably about 1330 :—
"
Richard Mosyn, of that part of Rossedale which
belongs to the Abbot of S. Mary's (i.e. Rosedale West), William Troten of Spaunton, Roger del Mulne of Farndale, Robert son of Peter of Rossedale, Walter Blackhous of
Farndale, went on a Monday in January to some unknown place within the forest
and killed a soar and slew a hart with bows and
arrows." All are outlawed.
The Coucher Book, folio 224, tells how
two men, on Thursday next after the feast of S. Lucy the Virgin, went to Mulfosse, in Hartoft, and there slew one hind. How
" Thomas de Hamthwaite, Robert de
Bolton, Richard of Helmsley, John de Skipton, Robert Moryng,
Abraham Milner, Stephen Moye, and Peter son of Henry, with others unknown, on
Thursday, 7th of March, 1331, went to a place called Hamclifbek,
with two leporariis (gazehounds or greyhounds), and
belonging to John de Kilvington and Robert Spink, and with bows and arrows, and
there slew one soar and one hind and one stag, and were fined, etc."
In the same folio we have an account of how " Roger son of
Emma, John de Bordesden, Robert Moryng,
John son of William Fabri (Smith) of Farndale, Robert Stybbing, and William Bullock, about the feast of S.
Bartholomew, captured one hind and one calf at Rotemir."
How " Hugh de Yeland and John de Yeland, Thomas Hampthwait,
William de Langwath, Peter son of Henry Young,
William de Hovingham, forester of Spaunton, William
Burcy (or Curcy), Robert de Miton,
sergeant of Normanby, and six others unknown, captured at Leasehow,
with bows and arrows and hounds, a young hart," and so on.
(History of the
Parish of Lastingham)
It seems likely
that Rotemir is a place around Farndale, but it is
possible it is a reference to Redmire, west of
Leyburn.
The Coucher Book also tells of how Thomas de Hamthwaite, Robert de Bolton, Richard of Helmsley, John de
Skipton, Robert Moryng, Abraham Milner, Stephen Moye,
and Peter son of Henry, with others unknown, on Thursday, 7th of March, 1331,
went to a place called Hamclifbek, with two leporariis (gazehounds or greyhounds), and belonging to
John de Kilvington and Robert Spink, and with bows and arrows, and there slew
one soar and one hind and one stag, and were fined, etc. In the same folio we
have an account of how Roger son of Emma, John de Bordesden,
Robert Moryng, John son of William Fabri (Smith)
of Farndale, Robert Stybbing, and William
Bullock, about the feast of S. Bartholomew, captured one hind and one calf at Rotemir and Hugh de Yeland and
John de Yeland, Thomas Hampthwait,
William de Langwath, Peter son of Henry Young,
William de Hovingham, forester of Spaunton, William
Burcy (or Curcy), Robert de Miton,
sergeant of Normanby, and six others unknown, captured at Leasehow,
with bows and arrows and hounds, a young hart.
1334
1334 was the year
of the Eyre Court. It was therefore time to catch up with the Farndale
misbehaviour of the preceding years. A mainpernor was
a person who gave a guarantee that a prisoner would attend court. Westgill is the area of Farndale around West Gill Beck
which flows down to the River Dove at Low Mill. The folk of Farndale had
clearly been out in significant numbers to engaging in poaching. The hearing
dealt with offences of some antiquity, the reference to the seventeenth regnal
year of Edward I indicating an offence that took place in 1288 to 1289. So
these records were catching up with many years of activity in the forest.
Fines,
amercements and issues of forfeitures at Pikeryng before Richard de Wylughby
[Willoughby], Robert de Hungerford and John de Hambury,
itinerant justices assigned to take the pleas of the forest of Henry, earl of
Lancaster, of Pickering … Roger, son of Gilbert de Frandale [Farndale], one of
the mainpernors of John, son of Albe,
indicted of hunting. … John Alberd, another mainpernor of the same Robert, son of Richard de Westgill, indicted of hunting. The same John Alberd, one of the mainpernors of
John, son of Richard de Westgill, indicted of
hunting. John, son of Walter, one of the mainpernors
of Robert, son of Richard de Westgill, indicted of
hunting. John le Shephirde of Farndale, one of the mainpernors of John, son of Richard de Westgill,
indicted of hunting. Alan, son of Nicholas de Farndale, one of the mainpernors of Richard, son of John de Farndale, indicted
of hunting. The same Alan, son of Nicholas de Farndale, one of the mainpernors of Adam, son of Simon the miller of Farndale,
indicted of hunting. Nicholas Laverok, one of the mainpernors of Richard, son of John de Farndale, indicted
of hunting. The same Nicholas Laverok, one of the mianpernors of Adam, son of Simon the miller, indicted of
hunting. John, son of John the miller, one of the mainpernors
of Richard, son of John the miller of Farndale, indicted of hunting. The same
John, son of John the miller, one of the mainpernors
of Adam, son of Simon the miller, indicted of hunting. William le Smyth of
Farndale, one of the mainpernors of Robert, son
of Richard de Westgill, indicted of hunting. The same
William le Smyth of Farndale, one of the mainpernors
of John, son of Richard de Westgill, indicted of
hunting. John, son of John the miller, one of the mainpernors
of Richard, son of John the miller of Farndale, indicted of hunting. The same
John, son of John the miller, one of the mainpernors
of Adam, son of Simon the miller, indicted of hunting. Nicholas Brakenthwayt, one of the mainpernors
of Richard, son of John the miller of Farndale, indicted of hunting. The same
Nicholas Brakenthwayt, one of the mainpernors
of Adam, son of Simon the miller, indicted of hunting. Alan de Braghby, one of the mainpernors
of Richard, son of John the miller of Farndale, indicted of hunting … Nicholas
de Repyngale [Rippingale],
one of the mainpernors of Richard, son of John, and
Adam, son of Simon the miller of Farndale, indicted of hunting. The same Alan
de Braghby, one of the mainpernors
of Adam, son of Simon the miller, indicted of hunting. John de Braghby, one of the mainpernors
of Richard, son of John the miller of Farndale, indicted of hunting. … Pleas of
the forest of Henry, earl of Lancaster, of Pikeryng
[Pickering], held at Pickering before Richard de Wylughby
[Willoughby], Robert de Hungerford and John de Hambury,
justices itinerant on this occasion assigned to take pleas of the said forest
in Yorkshire: People mentioned … Adam, son of Simon the miller of Farndale, and
Richard, son of John the miller: It is presented that they and three unknown
men, on Friday next after the feast of the Translation of St Thomas 17 Edw I,
came in the said forest in a place called Petroneldel,
and there took two deer. And when they had been proclaimed by the forester,
they sent away one deer, which the foresters carried to the castle of Pikeryng [Pickering], and another deer the wrongdoers
carried away with them and thereupon did their will. They do not now come, but
it is witnessed that they are staying in the country. Therefore the sheriff is
ordered to make them come … John, son of Richard de Westgil
of Farndale, and Robert, his brother: On Sunday the eve of the Nativity of St
John the Baptist 18 Edw II, they came in the said forest in a certain place
called Soterlund, with one mastiff, bows and arrows,
and took there one fawn and carried away the game with them and thereupon did
their will. They do not now come, nor were they previously attached, but it is
witnessed that they are staying in the country. Therefore the sheriff is
ordered to cause them to come.
William, smith of Farndale, on Monday 2 Dec 1336, came hunting in Lefebow with bow and arrows and gazehounds………’ (NRRY Vol III).
From the Calendar of Patent Rolls,
Edward III AD 1345 to 1348, 21 Edward III – Part III, page
472: Jan 17, Westminster. Commission
of Oyer and terminer to Henry de Percy, Thomas de Rokeby, William Basset,
William Malbys, William de Broclesby,
Thomas de Fencotes and Thomas de Seton, on complaint
by the same Peter that Edmund de Hastynges …. William
Smyth of Farndale the younger … broke his park at Egton, Co York, hunted
therein, carried away his goods with deer from the park and assaulted his men
and servants, whereby he lost their service for a great time. By fine of 1 mark.
There
is also a reference to Richard Ruttok of Farendale in the long list of names.
So on 17 January 1348 at Westminster, there was a
commission of oyer and terminer to a long list of names including William Smyth
of Farndale the younger and Richard Ruttok of Farendale for breaking in to the
park at Egton, hunting and carrying away the property of the owner with deer,
and for assaulting the owner’s men and servants causing their inability to work
for a long time, for which the werefined 1 mark.
1360
William might
have died in about 1360.
See also FAR00040