STOCKTON WARD 



NORTON 



of Tunstall, for the use of William RadcIifFe and his 

 issue, with successive remainders to Ralph and Charles 

 Radcliffe. A further settlement on William and 

 Ralph, with remainder to Charles in default, was 

 made in i 595,**^ while five years later it was settled 

 on Charles for 52 years, with reversion to William 

 and remainder in default to Ralph and his issue.**'^ 

 William and Charles Radcliffe sold their land to 

 Ralph Davison in 1607.^''= Its later history is uncertain. 

 It may have come into the hands of Robert Brandling, 

 who conveyed a garden, four messuages, four cottages 

 and 220 acres in Norton in 1610 to Francis Kitchen. ^'^ 

 A messuage and 4 oxgangs in Norton belonged to 

 John Laicenby, who died in 1 607, leaving a son Simon. ^' 



About 1384 a freehold of 3 oxgangs late of Adam 

 son of John was held by Richard Stanlawman for a 

 rent of i u.*- This came into the possession of Roger 

 de Fulthorpe of Norton, perhaps a younger son of the 

 house of Tunstall. He died about 141 4 seised of it 

 and leaving a daughter and heir Isabel.^' She married 

 John Bayer, and the holding followed the descent of 

 the manor of Preston upon Tees till 1635 at least.'''' 



William son of John de Norton died about 1376 

 holding 3 oxgangs here by a rent of 1 8/. dd. and 

 leaving a son William.*'* This freehold belonged to 

 Robert Spurner about 1384, to William Highfield of 

 Aislaby on his death in 1488, and to his son Thomas 

 Highfield in 1500.'^^ 



In 1426 Thomas de Tange granted two messuages 

 and lands in Norton and Stockton to Thomas 

 Holden.^' In I 504 John Soule sold his lands here to 

 John Preston, Robert Robson and William Blakiston 

 of Blakiston.'* John Johnson, as nephew of Thomas 

 Simpson, sold his lands in Norton to John Bates in 

 1485,''' and James Bates of Bedlington, who was the 

 brother and heir of John, in 1491 granted the 

 reversion of 2 oxgangs to John Michelson then 

 held by Joan widow of John Bates and her hus- 

 band John Graves.™ Percival Michelson, son of 

 John, in 1522 had a lease of 2 oxgangs of land 

 called Kentland, and the reversion of 3 oxgangs 

 after the death of Joan widow of John."' Anthony 

 Michelson in 1553-4 granted a messuage and land in 

 Norton to his son John, and John, as son and heir of 

 Anthony, surrendered to Henry Huton."- In 15 17 

 Avice widow of John Pepper surrendered 4 oxgangs 

 of land, &c., to the use of William the son of John, 

 and he gave his capital messuage and 3 oxgangs to his 

 brother Edward. '^ In 1522 Joan widow of Edward 

 Pepper h.ad the capital messuage in which he had 

 dwelt, with 2 oxgangs of serviceland and i oxgang 

 of ' maleland ' ; afterwards she and her second hus- 

 band, John Thomson, demised to William Pepper for 

 life an oxgang of land occupied by Avice Pepper.^'' 



HARDlf'lCK{ Herdcwyk, xiii cent.) was evidently 

 included in the 12th century in the bishop's vill of 



Norton. About 1384 16 oxgangs, by far the greater 

 part of the vill, were demesne land, farmed by three 

 tenants for [fi 1 8/. \d. There were a few acres of 

 exchequer land and 8 oxgangs and some closes held by 

 free tenants."' 



In 1408 the herbage of the vill was let for a year 

 at 13/. rent ; that of Hykkesflat was included in the 

 grant.'* The vill of Hardwick itself, together with 

 Holstanmore (Ouston), was in 141 7 demised to Adam 

 Barnefor two years at a rent of 23 marks""; in 1450 the 

 vill was demised to John Halyman and John Hartburn 

 for six years at rents increasing from £\- \.a [^1% and 

 j^20 in the last two years,"" and again in 1456 at the 

 rent of ^l 8 6/. for the first five years and £20 for the 

 lixth year"'; and in 1509 to John Michelson, 

 William Milner, Thomas Halyman and John 

 Weddowe to the use of all the tenants of the vill of 

 Norton.*'' 



In I 341 it was found that Richard de Hardwick 

 had held two-thirds of a messuage and 40 acres of the 

 bishop by a rent of 3/. ()d. and that his mother Isabel 

 held in dower the other part of the messuage and 60 

 acres by a rent of 8/. j./." ; John his son and 

 heir was an infant eighteen months old. The 

 principal free tenant of about 1382 was Roger 

 son of Alan Fulthorpe, probably Roger Fulthorpe of 

 Norton (q.v.). He had acquired various parcels of 

 land, including 6 oxgangs of arable, which had 

 formerly belonged to Richard de Stanlaw (.'Stanlaw- 

 man), clerk. *^ This estate is not again mentioned, 

 but may have descended in the Sayer family with part 

 of Norton. 



A freehold of 2 messuages and 2 oxgangs, originally 

 in the possession of Thomas Porter, was held for 

 \s. id. rent in 1 349 by William son of John. It 

 belonged about 1384 to his son John, who died in or 

 before 1392, leaving a son William.**' 



Two tofts and 2 oxgangs of land in Hardwick by 

 Norton lately belonging to William son of John and 

 a rent of 6 marks from a messuage, 6 tofts and 6 ox- 

 gangs lately belonging to Roger son of Alan Fulthorpe 

 were in 1414 given to endow the chantry of St. Mary 

 and St. Cuthbert in Durham Cathedral.** 



Hardwick Farm was the property of John Peacock, 

 who died in 1851 ; it was soon afterwards bought by 

 John Grey.'* It was later acquired by Mr. Robert 

 Richmond, whose widow now holds it. 



BLAKISTON (Blecestun, Bleicheston, Blecheston, 

 xii cent. ; Blekestone, 1203 ; Blnckstone, xvii cent.) 

 is said to have been given to the monks of Durham 

 by Bishop William of St. Carileph, but the 

 charter is regarded as a forgery.** Bishop Ranulf 

 took the vill away from the monks and gave it 

 to his nephew Richard together with other estates, 

 the alienation being confirmed by Henry I *" ; but 

 the bishop restored it to the monks at some date 



*'» Dur. Rec. cl. 12, no. 2 (1). 



'"j Ibid. •"": Ibid. no. 2 (2). 



^ Dur. Rec. cl. 3, R. 94, m. 33. 



«' Ibid, file 181, no. 4+. 



" Hatfield' % Surv. (Surt. Soc), 172. 



" Dur. Rec. cl. 3, no. 2, fol. 171 d. 



** Ibid. foL 294 ; no. 3, fol. 3 I ; no. 4, 

 fol. 56 ; file 169, no. II ; file 177, no. 99 ; 

 file 188, no. 72. 



'• Ibid. no. 2, fol. 95 d. 



" HatfieU't Surv. loc. cit. ; Dur. Rec. 

 cl. 3, file 169, no. 12, 50. 



•' Arch. Ael. (New Ser.), i, 64. For 



Thom.is Holdea sec Trjnt. Hist. Soc. 

 Uvi, 257. 



«> Dur. Rec. cl. 3, R. 6;, m. 2 d. ; 

 Dcp. Keeper' 1 Rep. xxxvi, App. 73, 76. 



'^ Dur. Rec. cl. 3, R. 56, m. 1 d. 



■" Ibid. no. 18, fol. 162 ; R. 56, m. 9 d. 



" Ibid. no. 21, fol. 260 d. 



"' Ibid. R. 78, m. 24, 27. 



" Ibid. no. 21, fol. 207. 



'« Ibid. fol. 260 d. 



" Hatfield's Sur-v. (Surt. Soc), 179-80. 



"' Dur. Rec. cl. 3, no. 14, fol. 175. 



" Ibid. fol. S89. 



"• Ibid. no. i^, fol. 51;. 



■' Ibid. fol. 803. 



-^ Ibid. no. 21, fol. 61. 



*' Ibid. no. 2, fol. 22. 



»* Hatjleld's Surv. loc. cit. 



" Ibid. ; Dur. Rec. cl. 3, no. 2, fol. 

 4;d.,ii;d. ** Ibid. R. 34, m. 1 1. 



*^ Fordycc, op. cit. ii, 207. 



»« FeoJ. Prior. Dunelm. (Suit. Soc), 

 pp. 1y, 144 n. 



^ Charters (from copies) in Surtecs, 

 op. cit. ii, 210. It was to be held by 

 knight's service. 



