NtTNNINGTON. 



171 



An old, but unusual, custom still prevails in this 

 church, of separating the male and female part of 



been suppressed long since for incontinency. Sir Tho- 

 mas Nautcliffe, thinketh about 400 years ago.* 



This account was taken by Roger Dodsworth, July 

 2nd, 1619. From which it appears, that the church at 

 Nunnington, in 1619, was much larger than the present 

 one, which was built in 1672; for in the present there 

 is but one aisle, whereas the former had at least two. 

 "The fair marble stone, to the memory of Thomas But* 

 <( ler and his wives," still remains, but the brass figures 

 and inscription have been removed, leaving, however, 

 evident marks to shew where they were formerly placed; 

 it is the large blue stone in the aisle, near the reading 

 desk, the floor of which, and the adjoining pew, parti- 

 ally conceal it. Sir Thomas Nautcliflfe, from whom, 

 Dodsworth obtained some of his information, was then 

 resident at Nunnington, in the manor-house, a lease of 

 which, with some part of the estate, the family held for. 

 fifty years. 



The Lords Roos, Wake, Vessey, and Percy, menti- 

 tioned in Dodsworth*s account of the north window, 

 have been either benefactors to the monastery, or more 

 probably proprietors at different periods of the estate at 

 Nunnington, for they were all proprietors of other lands 

 in the neighbourhood. 



The Lords Roos had the estates at Helmsley, the 

 "Wakes succeeded the Kstotesvilles at Kirkby-Moorside, 

 .the Vesseys or Vescys were at Mallon, and the 

 Percys at Muscoates, in the parish of Kirkdale. 



In regard to the old Knight Templar, an amusing tra- 

 ditionary account is still current in this neighbourhood ; 

 where the name of leter Loschy is still familiar. Los- 

 chy-hill, near East Newton, was, it is said, infested in 

 the days of yore by a huge serpent, the terror of the 

 neighbourhood, but which our redoubted knight gal- 

 lantly undertook to slay. For this purpose, he clothed 

 himself in a stout leathern surtout, covered with razors' 

 blades, artfully fastened on every part of it, and pre- 

 senting a coat of mail of most formidable appearance.* 

 'llius armed*, and attended by his faithful dog, he salli- 



Y 2 



