Melmerby Parish History

Mannix & Whellan, History, Gazetteer and Directory of Cumberland, 1847

Has a large village of its own name, containing several neat houses, situated on the road from Alston to Penrith, 9 miles N.E. by E. of the latter, and 10 miles S.W. by W. of the former town. Its parish, which is only two miles in length and one in breadth, is bounded on the east by Hartside Fell, and on the other sides by the parishes of Addingham and Ousby; and is supposed to have taken its name from its having been the residence of Melmor, a Dane, about the ninth century. It contains 1630 acres, of the rateable value of £1216, and 329 inhabitants. Hartside Fell, which rises to the height of 1300 feet above the village, is ascended by a gradual rise of one foot in twenty; its surface is generally smooth, and affords good pasturage for sheep, with limestone rock appearing in many places. A lead mine has been wrought here for many years, but it is not very productive. In one part, above a spacious valley, rises abruptly the bold front of a limestone rock, called Melmerby Scarr, which was once so intermixed with lead ore, that the rays of the setting sun falling upon it, caused it to be seen at a great distance. There are two mineral springs in the parish, but neither of them is resorted to for medicinal purposes. The soil in the lower and cultivated parts of the parish, is of a dry sandy nature, resting on a red freestone rock, and producing good crops of oats, barley, and potatoes. The Rev. John Hall, of Clifton, near Bristol, is lord of the manor, and owner of a great part of the soil. One of the Pattensons obtained this manor about 150 years ago, by marriage with one of the Threlkelds, who had it from the Purvings, in 1380, previous to which it had been a parcel of the barony of Adam Fitz Swein.

Melmerby Hall, the ancient manorial seat, is now occupied by Richard Hardinge Hethorn, Esq. Gale Mall, now a farm house, belongs to the family of the late Henry Holme, Esq., and has a small manor annexed to it. The church, dedicated to St. John, is a small ancient fabric, consisting of a nave and chancel, with a bell turret. The living is a rectory, of which the Rev. John Hall, of Clifton, is patron, and the Rev. Robert. C. Pattinson is incumbent. It is valued in the king's books at £12 1s. 6d., but is now worth about £170 a year, besides 38 acres of glebe. The tithes have been commuted for £118 per annum. The Maiden Way crosses the eastern part of this parish, as also of the parishes of Ousby and Addingham. "It is still in some places above 18 feet broad, but almost impassable from great stones, the fragments perhaps of its original pavement." An annual feast is held here on July 5th.

Richard Singleton's Description of Melmerby 1677

The last master of the College of Kirkoswald, Richard Singleton,described the church of Melmerby in 1677, (after Roland Threlkeld had been Melmerby's rector), he wrote:—

The window at the east end of the quire hath 3 lights, proportionable to the rest of the building, wherin formerly hath been store of curious painted glasse. In the midlemost of which lights towards the top ther is yet to be seen a coat of the Threlkelds in its colours, a maunch gules in a ffield argent: and in the midst of the uppermost part of the maunche there is, I take it, a trefoil. In the light between the said midle light and the vestry hath been set up or painted in his gown and cassoke I conceive (not much unlike to ours at this day) one Rol[and] Thr[elkeld] which is yet to be seen entire from his midle to his feet, and his right arme is yet extant, with this inscription underneath at the bottom, in black letters: 'Orate pro anima Rolandi . . . . . (under that these words) Dutton.' I suppose this inscription hath gon all along the bottom of the three lights and sett out all his titles, ffor report tells us, he was rector of Dufton and vicar of Lazonby as well as rector of Melmorby: he was rector also of Haughton in the Spring neer Duresme and prebendary of Carlisle and master of Kirkoswald Colledge. 'Twas he that built a bridge at Force mill for his own convenience to passe between Melmoreby (wher he most resided) and Lazonby. He was not married, nor did he admitt any womane to manage about his house, but kept (as I have heard by some) a dozen men, by another, sixteen men to wait on him, and for every man he usually kild a biefe at Martinmasse time (pluralities sure were not scrupled then since a man might have enjoyed tot quot).

From: 'Colleges: Kirkoswald', A History of the County of Cumberland: Volume 2 (1905)

MELMERBY: ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST'S WELL. Richard Singleton, the rector of Melmerby, who died in 1684, wrote as follows (Machell MSS.)

"Wee have sev'all wells in the parish, whereof 4 are more remarkable than the rest. Imp. Margett Hardies well, which is in the Gale intack : some say it will purge both waies, but this I am sure of that if any drink of it (as I have done when hunting) they will presently become very hungry. It was so called from a woman of that name who frequented it daily, and lived to a great age: they report her to have been a witch. Secondly, Fen hiey well, ffamous for Sir I,ancelott's (Threlkeld) father frequenting it, and this they say will cure the . . . or . . . Thirdly, Kep-gob-well, which is upon the mountains, and in the drought of summer is a great relief to man and horse when we bring downe our peates. Fourthly, The Ladies well, which is in the Lord's parke, and is good for dressing butter with."--Ibid.

Ancient Petition 5208, from 1320-26

John le Denum petitions the King that whereas he has a castle in Cumberladn called Melmerby Tower, which could be kept by a dozen men at arms, he has kept it until now and has often been assailed by the Scots to their great loss, and John's lands are so devastated there and elsewhere that he can no longer bear the expense. He craves help in the form of wages or otherwise until times change, because all the country around would suffer great loss peril and loss if it were taken through lack of garrison.