‘My ancestor came over with William the Conqueror,’ boasts one who is proud of his long line of ancestors. ‘So did mine’—‘and mine’—‘and mine’—might say a good number of us. Perhaps we could not prove our statement, but never mind. If we cannot prove that an ancestor of ours did come over with William the Conqueror, no one can prove that he didn’t.

Of course we all of us had ancestors living somewhere or other in the year 1066, but there are very few who can identify those ancestors. How many of us can trace back our pedigree for a couple of hundred years? Few probably. But the family descent of some of our countrymen and countrywomen can be traced back for several hundred years. These are our nobles and landed gentry.

Thus the descent of the present Baron Hotham of South Dalton can be traced back, through the Sir John Hotham who defied King Charles I., to an ancestor who in the twelfth century changed his name from De Trehouse to Hotham; that of Major Chichester-Constable of Burton Constable to an Ulbert Constable who lived in the reign of Henry I.; that of the Duchess of Norfolk to a William Fitz Nigel, who was Lord of Flamborough in the same reign; that of Mr. W. H. St. Quintin of Scampston Hall to a Sir Herbert de St. Quintin who was one of the companions-in-arms of William the Conqueror; and that of the Duke of Northumberland and Earl of Beverley to a Willelmus de Perci, who ‘came over with the Conqueror’ in the year 1067.

Proudest of all the proud nobles of the North were the Percys, whose descent from Willelmus de Perci has just been mentioned. Willelmus took his surname from the village of Perci in Normandy, and himself boasted a descent from one of the companions of that Rolf the Viking who sailed up the Seine in the year 912. Als Gernons he was nicknamed, from his habit of wearing whiskers, whence the name ‘Algernon’ which was given generation after generation to the male members of the family.

In the Domesday Book Willelmus de Perci is recorded as the tenant-in-chief of more than a hundred manors in Yorkshire, and of twenty-three in Lincolnshire. Among the former were Leconfield, Scorborough, and Nafferton; among the latter Immingham. Willelmus was one of the Norman knights who accompanied Duke Robert of Normandy in the First Crusade, and he died at Mountjoy within sight of the Holy City.

Century after century the Percys took part in all great affairs of state. A Percy fought in the Battle of the Standard, another took part in the signing of Magna Carta at Runnymede, another was taken prisoner with the King at the battle of Lewes, another fought in the great naval victory of Sluys, and helped to win the battle of Neville’s Cross six years later.

The thirteenth Baron Percy was created Earl of Northumberland on the day of Richard II.’s coronation. But he and his son ‘Harry Hotspur’—the hero of the famous battle known as ‘Chevy Chace’—befriended Henry of Lancaster when he landed at Ravenser Spurn. Afterwards, however, both father and son rebelled, and Hotspur met his death at Shrewsbury, while his father was slain at Bramham Moor, in Northumberland. Hotspur’s son, the second Earl, fell at the battle of St. Albans which opened the ‘Wars of the Roses,’ and his grandson, the third Earl, fell at Towton six years later. Such a race of fighters were the Percys.

Most princely of the line was Henry Algernon Percy, the fifth Earl, nicknamed ‘Henry the Magnificent.’ He took part in the Field of the Cloth of Gold, and ruined himself by the expense there entailed. This Henry Percy possessed a castle at Wressle, and a fortified manor-house at Leconfield—the latter a large house standing ‘withyn a great Mote,’ and built ‘three partes ... of tymbere,’ the fourth part being ‘of stone and some brike.’ The ‘Mote’ remains, but all traces of the ‘large House’ with its eighty-three rooms have disappeared.

Wressle Castle, or rather a part of it, still exists—the only ancient castle in the whole of the East Riding. Built in the closing years of the fourteenth century, it remained the chief Yorkshire seat of the Percys till the time of the Great Civil War; when orders for its destruction were issued by a Parliamentary Committee at York, although the owner—the tenth Earl of Northumberland—had sided with Parliament against the King.

The castle was built round a central courtyard, and in 1650 three sides of the square were pulled down, only the south side being left standing. A fire which broke out about 120 years ago completed the destruction of the interior of this remaining side, so that what exists to-day is a mere shell.

This block of buildings contained the Great Chamber or Dining Hall, the Drawing-Chamber, and the Chapel. The last was afterwards used as the Parish Church. On its ceiling was painted the Percy motto:—

Above the chapel was a small chamber which is thus described by a visitor in the reign of Henry VIII.:—

One thing I likid exceedingly yn one of the Towers, that was a Study, caullid Paradise; where was a Closet in the midle, of 8 squares latised aboute, and at the Toppe of every square was a Desk ledgid to set Bookes on Cofers withyn them, and these semid as yoinid hard to the Toppe of the Closet; and yet by pulling, one or al wold cum downe briste higthe in rabettes,^[56] and serve for Deskes to lay Bokes on.

Much interesting information as to life in a mediæval castle can be gleaned from what is known as The Northumberland Household Book.^[57] The original manuscript of this was prepared in 1512 by the orders of Henry the Magnificent, and gives a detailed account of the estimated household expenditure for a year and of the regulations of the household.

From this book we learn that the staff at Wressle Castle consisted of 166 persons, of whom eleven were priests, and that ‘the Hole Expensys ... for oone hole Yere amounted to DCCCCXXXIIJL. VJS. VIIJD.’ It is strange to find that beds, hangings, and furniture were moved from one residence to another when the Earl travelled, and that there is no mention of glass among the table requisites, vessels for eating and drinking being solely of wood or pewter.

For travelling and for hunting the Earl’s stables contained vj Gentle Hors, iiij Palfreis (one for my Lady and three for my Lady’s gentlewomen), iij Naggs, iij Sumpter Hors and Mail Hors (for carrying the bed, coffers, and coats of mail), vij Hors for the use of servants, and vij Charriot-hors to drawe in the Charriot.

Very precise rules are given for the serving of meals. Breakfast was served at eight, and dinner at eleven, each morning. Among the rules to be observed for the serving of meals are these:—

First when they go to Cover, Hee [the Usher] must go before them through the Hall, crying ‘By your leaves Gentlemen, stand by.’

If any unworthy Fellow do unmannerly sett himself down before his Betters, he must take him up and place him lower.

Let the best fashioned and apparrelledapparrelled Servants attend above the Salte, the Rest belowe.

If one Servant have occasion to speak to another about Service att the Table, let him whisper, for noyse is uncivil.

What my Lord and Lady had to eat for breakfast is shown in the following extracts:—

Furst a Loof of Brede in Trenchors ij Manchetts^[58] j Quart of Bere a Quart of Wyne Half a Chyne of Mutton or ells a Chyne of Beif boilid.

During Lent no breakfast was allowed on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but on the other days of the week there were provided in place of ‘meitt’:—

ij Pecys of Saltfisch vj Baconn’d Herryng iiij White Herryng or a Dysche of Sproits.

What the Earl’s children had for breakfast in the nursery is similarly shown:—

Item a Manchet j Quarte of Bere and iij Muton Bonys boilid.

Or, during Lent:—

Item a Manchet a Quarte of Bere a Dysch of Butter a Pece of Saltfisch a Dysch of Sproits or iij White Herryng.

Among the household necessaries to be provided are:—Wheet, Malte, Beefis, Muttuns, Gascoin Wyne, Poorks, Veelis, Lambes, Stokfish, Salt Fishe, Whyt Hering, Rede Herynge, Sproits, Salmon, Saltt Elis, Fieggs, Great Rasins, Hopps for Brewynge, Hony, Oile, Waxe, Weik for Lightys, Bay Saltte, White Saltte, Parishe Candell, Vinacre, Lynnon Clothe, Brass Pottis, Mustarde, Stone Crusis, Rughe Pewter Vessel, and All Manner of Spices—Piper, Rasyns of Corens, Prones, Gynger, Clovvez, Sugour, Allmonds, Daytts, Nuttmuggs, Rice, Safferon, and Coumfetts—See Cholys, Char Cholis, Fagoots, and Greet Woode, ‘bicause Colys will not byrne withowte Wodd.’

For the great feasts during the year xx Swannys were to be provided from the Earl’s Carr at Arram, in addition to xxix Does and xx Bukks from his Parks at Leconfield and elsewhere. So also for my Lord’s table were to be bought Capons, Geysse, Chekyns, Pegions (‘iij for jd.’), Cunys (‘ijd. a pece’), Pluvers (jd. a pece’), Mallardes, Woodcokes, Seegulls (‘jd. a pece so they be good and in season’), Styntes (‘vj for jd.’), Quaylles, Snypes, Pertryges, Redeshankes, Dottrells, Bustardes and Larkys (‘xij for ijd.’). Hearonsewys,^[59] Bytters,^[59] Fesauntes and Kyrlewes were to be paid for at the rate of ‘xijd. a pece’; but the most expensive dish was one of Cranys, which cost ‘xvjd. a pece.’

What high junketings there must have been at Wressle Castle in the days of ‘Henry the Magnificent’! Did the feasters afterwards pay for their over-indulgence in rich food? An answer may perhaps be supplied from the purchase of ‘xxx Saks of Charcoill for Stilling of Bottells of Waters’—Water of Roses, Water of Harts Tonge, Water of Parcelly, Water of Walnott Leeffs, Water of Prymeroses, Water of Cowslops, Water of Tandelyon, Water of Marygolds and many others—‘all worth,’ each penitent would doubtless declare, ‘xxjs. a bottell.’

In chapter XV. mention was made of the Percy Tomb in the chancel of Beverley Minster. The magnificent canopy of this was built in memory of Eleanor Fitz Alan, wife of Henry Percy of Alnwick, who died in 1328. Henry Percy, fourth Earl of Northumberland, lies buried in the Percy Chapel at the extreme east end of the Minster, and the wife of another Henry Percy lies buried in Hessle Church. But of her burial there is no record but a simple brass inscribed:—

Other proud nobles of our Riding were the Wakes and the Cliffords. Hugh Wac married the daughter of Gilbert of Gaunt, the first Earl of Lincoln, and his son Baldwin assisted at the coronation of King Richard I. A descendant, the first Baron Wake, fought in the Scots wars of Edward I. Thomas, the third Baron, was granted by Edward III. leave to convert his manor-house at Cottingham into a castle. From him the Wakes of Somerset claim descent.

On the chancel floor of Londesborough church may be seen the brass of Margaret, Lady Clifford and Vescy, the wife of the Lord Clifford whom Shakspeare calls ‘bloody Clifford.’ This Lord Clifford fought on the Lancastrian side at the disastrous battle of Towton, and was one of the many nobles there slain. During twenty-four years after the battle Henry, Lord Clifford’s son, lived in disguise as a shepherd on the moors round Londesborough and on the hills of Cumberland, thus earning the name of ‘shepherd lord.’ But the battle of Bosworth Field restored the fortunes of the family, and the ‘shepherd lord’ then regained ‘the estates and honours of his ancestors.’

The descendants of Henry, Lord Clifford, became Earls of Cumberland, and the heiress to the Earldom married Richard Boyle, the first Earl of Burlington. Their great-grandson, the third Earl of Burlington, was famed for the rebuilding of Burlington House, London, and for the planting of the ‘Londesborough Clumps.’ This was between the years 1703 and 1753.and 1753.

From the third Earl of Burlington the Londesborough estates passed in descent to the Dukes of Devonshire, one of whom pulled down its ancient Hall, and afterwards sold the estates to George Hudson, the ‘Railway King.’ By further purchase they devolved upon the present Earl of Londesborough.

Older than the Cliffords are the Constables, of whom there are in the East Riding two distinct families. Robert Constable, the son of Ulbert, possessed the manor of Halsham in the reign of King Stephen; and from him is descended Major Chichester-Constable, Lord of the Seigniory of Holderness, and owner of Burton Constable Hall.

In the year 1133 was living a certain William Fitz Nigel, Constable of Cheshire and Lord of Flamborough. From him descended Sir Marmaduke Constable of Flamborough, who, when seventy-one years of age, fought together with his four sons in the battle of Flodden. Sir Marmaduke lies buried in the church at Flamborough, where, on his tomb, is a brass inscription recording his exploits. Part of it is here given:—

The Sir Robert Constable who took part in the Pilgrimage of Grace and was hanged in chains over the Beverley Gate at Hull was Sir Marmaduke Constable’s eldest son. With his execution the fifty-one manors that he held were forfeited to the King, but some of these were restored to his descendants by Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth. The last of the Constables of Flamborough took the side of the Parliamentarians in the Great Civil War, and signed the death-warrant of the King.

From the second son of Sir Marmaduke Constable descended the Constables of Everingham, to which house belongs the Duchess of Norfolk, daughter of the late Baron Herries. From Sir Marmaduke’s nephew descended the Constables of Wassand, whose representative to-day is Mr. Henry Strickland Constable of Wassand Hall.

Another East Riding family whose ancestor ‘came over with the Conqueror’ is that of the St. Quintins, whose name is derived from a town in the north of France. Sir Herbert de St. Quintin held the manors of Skipsea, Mappleton and Brandesburton in the reign of Henry I. On the floor of the chancel of Brandesburton church are the brasses of Sir John de St. Quintin, who died in 1397, and his wife Lora.

Several members of the family lie buried in Harpham Church, where are the altar tombs of Sir William de St. Quintin, who died in 1349, and his wife; the brasses of Sir Thomas de St. Quintin and his wife Agnes, dating from about 1420; and the brass of another Thomas de St. Quintin, who died in 1445.

Sir William St. Quintin was Member of Parliament for Hull in the reigns of William III., Anne, and George I.; and Mr. William Herbert St. Quintin, of Scampston Hall and Lowthorpe Lodge, is the present representative of the family.

The ancient family of Boyntons took its name from the East Riding village of Boynton. By marriage with the heiress of the Sir Martin de la Mare mentioned at the close of Chapter XVII., the family became possessed of the manor of Barmston; and in 1614 Matthew Boynton married Frances, daughter of Sir Henry Griffith of Burton Agnes. Four years later he was created a baronet by James I., and forty years later his son, Sir Francis Boynton, succeeded to the Burton Agnes estates. Sir Griffith Henry Boynton of Barmston, and Mrs. T. L. Wickham-Boynton of Burton Agnes Hall, are his descendants.

Burton Agnes Hall is famed as being ‘one of the most beautiful Tudor houses in Yorkshire.’ Parts of a building to the west of the Hall go back to about the year 1170, and some of its woodwork dates from the middle of the fifteenth century. But the Hall itself was built in the early years of the seventeenth century, and the date 1601 and the initials of Sir Henry Griffith and his wife are carved in the stonework over the main doorway.

Taking part in the Wars of the Roses was a Robert Hildyard of Winestead, famed widely as ‘Robin of Redesdale.’ Winestead came into possession of the Hildyards by the marriage of this Robert with the heiress of the Hiltons, three of whose altar tombs remain to-day in the Hilton chapel of the church at Swine.

Another Robert Hildyard had command of a King’s regiment of horse in the Great Civil War, and for his services in this was knighted and afterwards created a baronet. There are in Winestead Church fragments of large brasses, an altar tomb, and a wall monument, to different members of this family; to a younger branch of which belong the Hildyards who have for many generations been rectors of Rowley.

How early the Saltmarshes of Saltmarshe, near Howden, took their name is not definitely known. Sir Edward de Salso Marisco was Member of Parliament for Beverley in 1299, and a Geoffrey de Saltmersc held lands at Swinefleet about 1170. Their ancestor is said to be Lionel Saltmarshe, who was knighted by William the Conqueror in 1067. Colonel Philip Saltmarshe is the representative of the family to-day.

Last to be mentioned here are the Stricklands of Boynton. The family had its origin at Marske, in the North Riding, and a Sir Thomas de Strickland bore the banner of St. George at the battle of Agincourt.

William Strickland, who purchased the manor of Boynton in 1549, sailed when a youth to the New World with Sebastian Cabot, and helped to discover Labrador and Newfoundland. He is said to have introduced the turkey into our country—a deed commemorated in the family crest. His descendant was created a baronet by King Charles I., and the present Sir Walter William Strickland, of Boynton Hall, is the ninth holder of the title.

Readers of Tom Brown’s School-Days will all remember the hero’s friend Martin, his second in the historic fight with Slogger Williams. ‘The Madman’ was his name among his fellow school-boys, but it was as Sir Charles Strickland that he was known in the neighbourhood of Boynton.