Notes on the Micklethwait family that settled in the East Riding circa 1600 and later resided in Holborn, London
The family owned property in the East Riding of Yorkshire in the parish of Swine in Holderness and in the nearby parish of Leven. They also owned property in County Durham, Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire and in London.
East Riding
The Village of Swine
Swine village formerly stood on a long street leading south-eastwards to Coniston. On the south side of the street, the buildings, which included the church, the Manor House and the Priory extended for only about ½ km, but on the north side houses were spaced all the way to the Coniston boundary.
The Swine Manor House
In the mid-15th Century the Manor House of the Meltons included a hall, outer hall, great chamber and ‘knight chamber’. It seems to have stood on the east side of the church.
The amalgamation by the Micklethwaits of the chief Manor of Swine and the former priory’s estate in 1653 makes later identification of the Manor House uncertain.
‘The Mansion House of Swine’ whose contents were sold by John Micklethwait JM67 in 1660 was perhaps the Manor House and it may have been the same house, the largest in Swine, which had 13 hearths in 1672.
By the mid-19th Century Swine Hall, standing near the church was regarded as the ‘Old Manor House’ – it was probably demolished in or soon before 1868 when a vicarage house was built on the site.
New Developments
- In 1639 Anne Saville, sister and heir of Lord Darcy, decd. sold Swine Manor to Joseph Micklethwait JM42.
- In 1653, Joseph JM42 and his son John JM67 also acquired the former Priory’s manor of Swine.
- In 1681 John’s son Joseph JM90 bought the rectorial estate and dues there and at Ganstead.
- By 1735, the Micklethwaits had put up outlying buildings named Kelwell, Hill, Carr House, Woodhouse, Great Stanks, Bridge House Farms, Sleightings Farm and possibly others.
Descent and further enlargement of the Swine estate
1639 – Joseph Micklethwait (1597–1658) JM42 bought the estate from Anne Saville, sister and heir of Lord Darcy, decd.
1658 – Joseph’s son John Micklethwait (1628–1660) JM67 inherited.
1660 – John’s son Joseph Micklethwait (born 1656) JM90 inherited.
1681 – Joseph JM90 purchased the rectorial estates in Swine and neighbouring Ganstead.
???? – Joseph’s elder son Thomas Micklethwait (1678–1718) JM112 inherited.
1718 – Joseph’s second son Joseph Viscount Micklethwait (1680–1734) JM113 inherited.
1720 – Lord Micklethwait JM113 further enlarged the estate by purchase.
1733 – Lord Micklethwait JM113 left nearly 2,200 acres in Swine to Ann Ewer, spinster. In Ann’s will (1687–1739), she elected to be buried next to Lord Micklethwait!
1734 – Lord Micklethwait’s elder sister Barbara Perkins, widow JM114 unsuccessfully challenged the validity of the will. This branch of the Micklethwait family became extinct after the death of Barbara Perkins.
1734 – A Bargain and Sale involving Barbara Perkins JM114 and Ann Ewer was signed, which details the land, property and other sources of income from the Manor or Lordship of Swine. This included the following properties – a total of 2,143 acres of land:
Hall Farm (212)
Abby Farm (154)
Hill Farm (206)
Wood Side Farm (112)
West Car Farm (180)
Stants Farm (151)
Fosbridge Farm (161)
Kelwell Farm (125)
Sleightings Farm (225)
Rashill Farm (100)
Robinsons Farm (150)
Whitehouse Farm (168)
Inns Farm (18)
Johnsons Farm (29)
Great Marr (Lord’s Marr/Fish House Garths) (48)
Thirty Acre Carr (90)
Swine Wood (14)
- Various small tenements, cottages and garths.
- 32 cottages or toft steads and garths or places where cottages usually stood in Swine (many demolished c.1644).
- Free rent of four shillings per annum issuing out of certain lands in Swine.
- Tithes of six three stands of meadow in Myton Ings.
- All other tythes and portion of tythes in Ganstead.
- Half oxgang of frees – parish of Leven.
- All income arising from the Manor of Leven (Leuene)
- All other manors, messuages, tenements, farms, etc. in the County of Yorkshire in which Viscount Micklethwait JM113 had an interest at the time of his death.
1739 – Ann Ewer’s nephew Anthony Ewer (died 1756) inherited.
1756 – Anthony Ewer’s younger brother William Ewer (died 1789) inherited.
Descent of the Leven (Leuene) Estate
The manor of Leuene (in Yorkshire) was given by Edward the Confessor to the Church of St. John of Beverley; and in the Doomsday Book it is enumerated amongst the vast possessions of that church. When the collegiate body was abolished, in the first year of Edward VI (1547), the manor reverted to the Crown.
Ten years later Sir Marmaduke Constable appears as owner, and it subsequently passed through various hands to the Micklethwaits. The last Lord Micklethwait JM113 bequeathed his estates to the Ewer family, and they were then passed to the Duke of Portland. In 1742, he sold the manor, demesne, and other lands, to Mr. Bethell, an ancestor of the present owner.
We have not established how this estate passed from the Ewer family to the Duke of Portland. Having in mind the date of 1742, it would appear that Anthony Ewer sold it to the Duke of Portland.
County Durham
The estates
The County Durham estates which were owned by Sir John Cropley until his death in 1713 included the Manors of Coatham Conyers, Grindon, Little Chilton, East Brandon and Burnigill.
The Cropley name
It was the wish of Sir John that the Micklethwaits take on the Cropley name but they did not do so. The Cropleys of Clerkenwell then became extinct.
Whilst the Ashley Cooper family, who eventually inherited, did not take on the surname Cropley, the 6th Earl of Shaftesbury was christened Cropley Ashley Cooper and it was he who inherited.
Descent of the County Durham estates
1713 – Sir John Cropley died and Thomas Micklethwait (1678–1718) JM112 inherited the Durham estates (and other property in Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire and London).
Sir John also mentioned in his will his godson Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of Shaftesbury (1671–1713). Anthony was married to Ann Ewer’s sister, Jane Ewer. Ann Ewer (1687–1739) witnessed Sir John’s will.
1718 – Thomas Micklethwait JM112 died and the estates of East Brandon and Burnigill passed to the current Earl of Shaftesbury under the terms of Sir John Cropley’s 1713 will.
1740 – The Manors of Coatham Conyers, Grindon and Little Chilton were by now in the possession of Hon. Richard Lumley, Earl of Scarborough. We do not yet know how this came about.
Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire and London
1713 – When Sir John Cropley died in 1713, Thomas Micklethwait (1678–1718) JM112 inherited property in Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire and London.
- The Leicestershire property was at Gaddesby.
- The Cambridgeshire property was at Dullingham in Burwell; Exning; Newmarket; Soham and Whittlesea.
- The London property was at Wallbrooke, parish of St Mary, Woolchurch Lange, Nr Stocks Market, City of London; Breadstreet, City of London; White Fryers and Holborn Bridge.
- The Cambridgeshire property at Burwell is referred to at British History Online.
- Nothing is known at present about the other properties.
Summary of families involved in this story
The reader will note that a number of different families have been involved in this story.
The Darcys, the Micklethwaits, the Cropleys, The Ewers, The Woods and the Ashley Coopers.
The relevant branches of the Darcys, the Cropleys, the Micklethwaits and The Ewers each became extinct. To summarise:
1639 – The Darcy family sold the Yorkshire East Riding Swine estate to the Micklethwait family.
1713 – Sir John Cropley of Clerkenwell and of Red Lyon Square, St Andrews, Holborn, London left his extensive estates to Thomas Micklethwait JM112 of Swine Yorkshire and of Devonshire Street in the parish of St Andrews, Holborn, London. Sir John mentioned in his will, his godson Anthony Ashley Cooper.
Sir John’s will was witnessed by Ann Ewer also of Red Lyon Square, St Andrew Holborn, London.
Ann’s sister Jane married a member of the Ashley Cooper family.
1718 – Thomas Micklethwait JM112 died and left his remaining estates to his younger brother Joseph Viscount Micklethwait JM113. He also left some possessions to Ann Ewer.
1734 – Lord Micklethwait JM113 left the majority of his land and property; probably property in Leicestershire, Cambridgeshire, London and the family’s original estates in the East Riding of Yorkshire to Ann Ewer.
1789 – Ewer family bequeathed what remained of these estates to the Hon. Cropley Ashley, later 6th Earl of Shaftesbury.
Note: Copies of relevant family pedigrees, wills and legal agreements have been obtained and lodged at the North Yorkshire County Records Office.
The Micklethwait family seem to have had a connection with St Andrew Holborn and/or neighbouring parishes since the 17th Century.