A HISTORY OF DURHAM 



some distance to the west, is mentioned in 1 644 as a 

 part of Low Embleton.''* The scattered farms of 

 Low, Middle, and High Swainston, which lie to the 

 south-west of Embleton Church, represent an ancient 

 manor," as do the farms of Murton and West Murton 

 in the north of the township.'" There was a capital 

 messuage in Swainston in 161 3." 



The remaining township of Fishburn lies to the 

 west of Embleton, and is separated from Sedgefield 

 and Butterwicic by the River Skerne. The village of 

 Fishburn has a street running east and west along a 

 hill sloping to the south. In 1622 there were two 

 capital messuages here, the East Hall and the New 

 House.'- The former was probably identical with 

 Fishburn Hall at the e.ist end of the street. A little 

 further to the east is a disused mill. The mill-pond 

 of Fishburn is mentioned in 1 183" and about 1384," 

 but this was probably on the Skerne to the south of 

 the village. A messuage here called ' Carter house,' 

 mentioned in 1570,'' was probably the same as the 

 Charterhouse which belonged to the Wilkinson family 

 in 1857.'^ The temporary church of St. Catherine 

 was dedicated 18 October 1922. The village con- 

 tains a Wesleyan Methodist chapel, dating from 1 846. 

 A colliery was opened at Fishburn in 191 i by Messrs. 

 Henry Stobart & Co., which has caused a rapid increase 

 of population. 



Between Fishburn and Sedgefield is the County 

 Lunatic Asylum, built in 1858. 



The viU of SEDGEFIELD was 

 MANORS, i^c. purchased or repurchased by Bishop 

 Cutheard (900-15) with money 

 belonging to St. Cuthbert.'' All its appurtenances, 

 except the land held by Aculf, Ethelbriht and Frithlaf, 

 were included in the purchase, and over the excepted 

 land the bishop had sac and soc.'* About 1183 the 

 vill was held by twenty villeins, whose tenure and 

 services corresponded to those of the villeins of Boldon, 

 and twenty farmers, each holding 3 oxgangs, paying 

 5/., and doing various services roughly corresponding 

 to those of the farmers of Wardon " (qv.). There 

 were besides five bordars who held 5 tofts and the 

 various officers of the vill who each held a small 

 amount of land. John the reeve, who was a farmer, 

 had 2 oxgangs, the smith had I oxgang, the car- 

 penter had I 2 acres, the pinder also i 2 acres. '^*' The 

 mill, which was probably in the hands of a farmer, 

 rendered 6 marks.^' 



Thestatement made under Butterwick in 1183 that 

 each plough team of the villeins there ploughed and 



harrowed 2 acres at Sedgefield *^ seems to indicate 

 that Sedgefield had at that date a demesne, though 

 none is mentioned under the special entry for the vill. 

 It is clear, however, that in the 14th century all the 

 services of the villeins were performed on the demesne 

 of Bishop Middleham." Halmote courts were held 

 at Middleham or Sedgefield for Middleham, Sedge- 

 field and Cornforth.''' The tenure of the vill was 

 somewhat altered between 11 83 and 1384. Free 

 tenants in 1384 held 148 acres and 'exchequer' 

 tenants 168 acres. Twenty-five farmers or ' mal- 

 men ' held 40 oxgangs instead of 60 in holdings 

 varying from i to 3 oxgangs. There were still 

 twenty bondage or villeinage tenements, each con- 

 sisting of a messuage and 2 oxgangs, but in many cases 

 a single tenement was shared by two tenants. The 

 water-mill, a windmill and the toll of ale were in the 

 hands of the tenants. The common oven, kiln and 

 forge and two dove-houses were farmed by separate 

 individuals.^' There are many instances of leases of 

 the mills and the forge and the oven to separate tenants 

 from the 14th to the 16th century, and as late as 

 1589-90 it was maintained that the copyhold tenants 

 must maintain and repair the mill at their own 

 expense.'^ 



The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are now lords of 

 the manor of Sedgefield ; a large part of the land is 

 still copyhold. The freehold estates arc not impor- 

 tant.*' 



BRADBURT (Brydbyrig, x cent. ; Bradbery, xiv 

 cent.) was among the vills which Snaculf son of 

 Cykell granted to St. Cuthbert in the time of Bishop 

 Aldhun (990-1018).'''' It is not mentioned in Boldon 

 Book,'^^ but probably formed with The Isle part of the 

 knight's fee in Durham held by Adam de Musters 

 in I 166.'''' Walter de Musters made a gr.int of land 

 here to the almonry of Durham in the time of Bishop 

 Hugh Pudsey.'' Walter had three sons, Robert, 

 Nicholas and William de Musters. '- Robert pur- 

 chased land in Bradbury and granted it to the almonry 

 of Durham in the lifetime of his father, who confirmed 

 the grant, as did Nicholas and William de Musters."' 

 The brothers seem to have succeeded in turn to the 

 manor, which William probably held in the early 

 years of the 13th century.'^* The knight's fee 

 belonged to William de Musters between i 249 and 

 1260, and Sir William de Musters witnessed a local 

 deed in 1256.'''' In 1264 Sir William de Musters 

 of Bradbur)- was among the knights of the bishopric."' 

 In 1326 Bradbury was among the manors of William 



" Rec. Com. for Com/). (Surt. Soc), 11. 



" See below. w Ibid. 



" Dur. Rec. cl. 3, file 183, no. 42. 



** Ibid, file 189, no. 77. 



" y.C.H. Dur. i, 330. 



'■* Hatfield- 1 Sur-L-. (Surt. Soc), 1S7. 



" Exch. K.R. Misc. Bk«. xxxviii, 

 fol. 204. 



*' Fordyce, op. cit. ii, 347. 



'" Simeon of Durham, Opera (Rolls 

 Ser.), i, 208 ; Hiil. Duielm. Script. Tret 

 (Surt. Soc), p. ccccxxii. 



*' Simeon of Dur. loc cit, 



»» y.C.H. Dur. i, 330. 



" Ibid. 61 Ibid. 



" Ibid. 331. 



^ Hatfield' i Surv. (Surt. Soc), 190. 



" Dur. Rec. cl. 3, no. 12-28. 



" HatfieU'i Surv. (Surt. Soc), 186-90. 



" Dur. Rec. cl. 3, R. 3i,m. 14; no. 14, 

 fol. 51, 538, 666; no. 16, fol. isgd., 



218 d., 304 d. ; no. l- 



fol. 



Exch. Dep. Hi!. 32 Eliz. no. 23. 



"'■"In 13S2 Thomas Grey of Urpeth 

 had 4 oxgangs here {Hatfield's Surv. 

 [Surt. Soc], 186) which were purchased 

 from the younger Thomas Grey in 1414 

 by Henry Pillok. *Gray8land ' was granted 

 in March 1434-5 by William Hoton 

 of Hardwick to the chantry of St. 

 Katharine in the church of Sedgefield 

 (Dur. Rec cl, 3, R. 35, m. 6d. ; no. 2, 

 fol. 272). A freehold which belonged to 

 Walter o' the Hall and his son Thomas 

 was also acquired by William Hoton, and 

 was granted by him to the same chantry 

 (ibid. no. 2, fol. 20; no. 12, fol. 32 d.; 

 Hatfield's Surv. [Surt. Soc], 186 j Dur. 

 Rec. cl. 3, no. 2, fol. 133 d., 272). The 

 lands of the chantry were granted partly 

 to Edward Downing and Roger Rant, the 

 fishing grantees, in 1591, partly to George 



Ward and Robert Morgan in 1607 (Pat. 

 1372, m. 18 ; 5 Jas. I, pt. xxvii). The 

 principal freeholder in 1771 was John 

 Burdon (Exch. K.,R. Deer, and Orders 

 [Ser. 4], XXX, no. 16, Mich. 1771). 



*''' Simeon of Dur, op. cit. 1, 83. 



^^ The * island of Bradbury * is men- 

 tioned J see The Isle below. 



''^ Red Bk. Exch. (Rolls Ser.), 417. 

 The two manors were held for half a 

 knight's fee (see below). 



'' McCaU, Story of ihe Family 

 lyandfiforde, 332. 



'^ Ibid. 335-6, 342. 



'5 Ibid. 



"* He made a grant to Bertram, Prior 

 of Durham, 1189-1212. 



'^a Surtces, op. cit. i (i), cxxviii ; D. in 

 the poss. of Canon Grccnwell, Bk. DI 

 no. 6. 



" HatfieWi Suri>^ (Surt. Soc), p. xv. 



