ARTHINGTON.

Although not situated in the parish of Harewood, yet its nunnery standing on the confines of the township and the important position which it occupies in connexion with the parish, demand some notice of its history. The village occupies an exceedingly rural and picturesque situation on the banks of the Wharfe. At the time of the Domesday survey it belonged to the Earl of Morton. The following is the extract. "In Hardinetone, Alward had one manor of three carucates, and two oxgangs and a half to be taxed, where there may be three ploughs, Richard has it of the Earl. There is there one villane ploughing with two oxen, and there are two acres of meadow. Wood pasture two quarentens long and two broad. The whole manor one mile long and four quarentens broad. Value in King Edward's time thirty shillings, now five shillings." What a sad illustration this affords of the desolation to which this part of the country was reduced by the Conqueror. In this large and fertile township, only one inhabitant was found ploughing with two oxen, and the value of the land was reduced from thirty shillings, its value in Edward the Confessor's reign, 1041, to five shillings, its value at the time of the Domesday survey.

It appears that about the middle of the 12th century (1150), Peter de Arthington founded this nunnery, and endowed it as a Priory of Cluniac Nuns,* to the honour of

* See Appendix.

the Virgin Mary. He gave the sight and demesnes of the house which were afterwards augmented by Serlo de Arthington, his son. They were subsequently confirmed by Pope Alexander. The following grants, from benefactors in this neighbourhood, will enable the reader to form some estimate of its worth and position.

Serlo, son of the founder, gave lands in Arthington, called Bedesholme, Huberholme, and all the land between Tebecroft and Soterkeld.

Peter, son of Serlo de Arthington, gave one acre of land in Tebecroft; and Agas, of Arthington, daughter of - Vavasour, Esq., of Weston, gave all she had in the same place. Peter also gave water to supply the mill, and Ralph, son of Geoffrey de Arthington, gave an effart of land with meadow thereto belonging, and lands in Mickleholme, Bedesholme, and the meadow, with an acre of land at the head of Lincroft, and common in the marsh for their oxen and six cows.

Bramhope.-Jeremy, son of William de Marton, gave pasture for 200 sheep here, with common in the pastures, and turbary throughout the whole.

Little Burdun, now called Burden Head.-Serlo, son of Peter de Arthington, gave half an oxgang of land here.

Harewood.-Robert de Lisle, Lord of Harewood, in the 6th year of Edward III., A.D. 1332, for the good of the soul of Margaret, his wife, gave one quarter of wheat yearly at Michaelmas, out of this manor.

Helthwaite, or Helthwaite Hill.-Alice de Romelli, Baroness of Skipton, the devout foundress of Bolton Priory, gave one half of her lands in this place, which was confirmed by Warin Fitz Gerald, the King's Chamberlain, and by William de Curci,

her son.

Helewic. Roger de Fodringhey, Jordan de Risford, and Sigereda, Roger's wife, gave four acres of land in this place, with pasture for forty cattle, twenty hogs, twenty goats, and with easements in his wood, which was confirmed by William, son of Cospatric de Estainecotes and Petronilla, his wife, daughter of Roger de Fodringhey.

Maltby, near Doncaster.-On the 12th January, 1377, 1st year of Richard III., the parish church of Maltby, given to the nunnery of Arthington, was appropriated to it by Alexander Nevill, Archbishop of York, who, in recompense of the damage done to his cathedral church thereby, reserved to himself and successors, out of the fruits thereof, an annual pension of 13s. 4d., and to the Dean and Chapter 6s. 8d., payable by the said religious at Pentecost and Martinmas; and also saved to the perpetual Vicar thereof (who shall be presentable by the religious for ever) the same portion of fruits and profits of the church which the Vicar heretofore used to receive, and also the annual pension of four marks, payable by the said religious at those times whereon the Rectors paid it.

Pool, near Otley.-Simon, son of Robert de Pouil, in A.D. 1258, 42nd year of Henry III., sold to the nuns all his meadows here lying near Wiwarderiding.

Jeremy, son of William de Marton, gave all his land and meadow here, with an effart of land in the same territory called Snetholfeding.

Thomas, son of Isaac de Pouil, in a.d. 1254, 38 Hen. III., gave all his culture of land, extending in length from Milnebeck to the highway leading to York.

Ralph, son of Hamel de Pouil, gave one messuage and two tofts, with half an acre of land here.

Stubhouse.—Henry de Stubhus sold to the nuns four acres of land in this territory.