A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



whole estate in Thrislington, and with his son John 

 Shawe, jun., acquired the manor of Thrislington in 

 1 6 14 from Nicholas and Christopher Kulthorpe."' He 

 made a settlement of half of it in 1632 on his third 

 son Thomas, and died in the same ycar.**^ Both John 

 Shawe, jun., and Thomas appear to have died with- 

 out issue, and Robert, a fourth son of William, 

 inherited the manor. "^ Robert's three elder sons 

 Robert, Thomas, and John "' died without issue.** 

 His fourth son William*' died in 1709, leaving 

 daughters and co-heirs."" Thrislington was alienated 

 between 173 I and 1750 by the heirs of the Shawe 

 family to Sir Thomas Robinson of Rokeby, bart.," 

 who sold it to Hendry Hopper of Durham."- Hendry 

 Hopper died in 1750."'' His grand-nephew Robert 



Hopper. Gyronny 

 table and ermine a caitle 

 argent. 



WiLLIANtSON. Or a 



cheveron gitlet between 

 three treJoiU sable. 



Hopper Williamson was lord of the manor in 1823.'^ 

 William Hopper Williamson of Whickham, Robert's 

 great-grandson, is the present owner. 



The church of ST. MICHAEL 

 CHURCHES stands on high ground on the south- 

 west side of the village and consists of 

 a chancel 42 ft. by 17 ft. with small north vestry, 

 clearstoried nave 57 ft. by 22 ft. with north and south 

 aisles each 9 ft. wide, and north porch 9 ft. 4. in. by 

 8 ft. 6 in., all these measurements being internal. 

 There is a bellcote over the west gable containing 

 two bells. 



With the exception of the vestry, which is a modern 

 addition, the whole of the building is of early 13th- 

 century date, and though successive alterations and 

 restorations have destroyed many of its ancient features 

 it still retains intact its original plan and in the main 

 its mediaeval aspect. Externally the building is of 

 very plain character, the walls being of rubble 

 masonry and the roofs covered with modern blue 

 slates. The original windows were all lancet open- 

 ings, but they only remain in the north and south 

 sides of the chancel and at the ends of the aisles. 

 All the rest of the windows are modern. The 

 outer wall of the north aisle was taken down in 

 1802"* and rebuilt without buttresses, and to this 

 date probably belonged the sash windows on both 



sides of the nave which existed in Surtees's time. At 

 a later period the three lancet lights of the east 

 window were replaced by a large pointed opening."* 

 In 1843-6 the church was restored by Mrs. Surtecs 

 in memor)' of her husband, when the original lancet 

 lights, many of which had been built up,"^ were 

 opened out, the sash windows of the aisles replaced by 

 the existing double lancets, new roofs erected, and 

 the building generally put in a state of repair."* There 

 was a further restoration in 1905-6."" 



The chancel is externally of two bays, having a 



flat double buttress at e.ich of its outer angles. 



The intermediate buttresses of the north and south 



walls are of similar type, and the roof is considerably 



lower than that of the nave. The e.i3t window is a 



modern one of three lancet lights, replacing the former 



insertion. On the north side are two original lancets 



and on the south three, with a smaller round-headed 



opening towards the west end. The heads of the lancets 



are all cut from single stones and are without hood 



moulds, two on the south side and one on the north 



having shouldered inner heads. The sills are 6 ft. 



above the ground outside, but the westernmost of the 



three lancets on the south side has been lengthened 



by 2 ft. at the bottom, forming a low-side window. 



The round-headed window is shouldered on the inside, 



but its sill is considerably higher than those of the 



lancets. Internally the chancel walls are plastered, 



but no ancient ritual arrangements remain except a 



recess at the east end of the north wall. The chancel 



arch is pointed and of two chamfered orders the full 



width of the chancel, with a hood-mould towards the 



nave. The outer order is square on the east side and 



dies into the wall, but on the west it runs down to 



the ground. The inner order springs from moulded 



corbels and the chamfered hood mould terminates in 



carved heads. All the chancel fittings are modern. 



In the floor in front of the altar rails is a grave slab 



with cross and chalice, now very much worn. 



The nave consists of four bays with north and 

 south arcades composed of pointed arches of two 

 chamfered orders springing from circular piers and 

 keel-shaped responds, all with moulded capitals and 

 bases. Towards the aisles the outer order is square, 

 and there is a hood mould on the nave side only. On 

 the south the capitals are simply moulded, but on the 

 north side those of the two responds have a small 

 nail-head ornament. The stops of the hood moulds 

 on both sides are all carved, some with plain masks, 

 others with grotesque heads and ornamenial bosses. 

 The old lancet windows at the ends of the aisles have 

 all shouldered inner heads except that at the east of the 

 south aisle, and there is a modern lancet at the west end 

 of the nave. The clearstory has three square-headed 

 two-light windows with segmental rear arches on the 

 south side, but is blank on the north. The windows 



■" Dur. Rec. cl. 12, no. 2 (3) ; cl. 3, 

 R. 95, no. 5; ; 107, no. 26 ; file 188, 

 no. 13. 



*^ Dur. Rc'C. cl. 3, R. 107, no. a6 ; 

 tile 188, no. I 3 J Surteei, op. cit. iii, 16 n. 



^* Surtecs, op. cit. iii, 16 n. In 1638 

 John Shawe and Mary his wife conveyed 

 the manor to Christopher Byerlcy and 

 Thomas Shawe and the heirs of Chris- 

 topher, possibly for the purpose of a 

 settlement (Dur. Rec. cl. 12, no. 5 (i)). 



^" Reg. of Bp. MiJJIeham (Dur. and 

 Novthiimb. Par. Reg. Soc), 33, 36, 



** Surtees, loc. cit. 



*' Ibid. J Reg. of Bp. Mi.UUham (Dur. 

 and Northumb. Par. Reg. Soc), 37. 



^ Surtees, loc. cit. 



*' Surrecs, op. cit. iii, 16 ; G.E.C. 

 Baronetage^ v, 68. 



^ Surtees, Inc. cit. ; Hutchinion, Hitt. 

 ttnd Anttp of Dur. iii, 85. 



" Burke, Landed Gentry. 



^* Surtees, loc. cit. 



'-■ Surtees, op. cit. iii, 5. " Ibid. 



*' Surtees, writing about 1820, says, 

 'three are closed up in the southern wall 



210 



of the chancel and one in the north wall. 

 One small lancet light still remains at 

 the east end of the south aisle and two 

 arc half closed at the west end of the 

 nave ' (ibid.). 



'* Sir Stephen Glynne visited the church 

 in 1862. He records that it had 'lately 

 undergone a considerable restoration ' 

 {Proe. Soc. Antirj. Neivcaitle [Scr. 3], iii, 



22,). 



^ A brass plate in the chancel records 

 the reopening of the church after restora- 

 tion on 5 May 1906. 



