Gilling and its Families After the Saxons: The Ettons of Gilling The Normans When the land of the Saxon earls was confiscated after the Conquest it would appear that Orm’s property was acquired by, or granted to, Ralph de Mortimer; and Barch’s by Hugh FitzBaldric. Let us first deal with Ralph de Mortimer. He was the only son of Roger, who derived his surname from Mortemer en Lions in the Pays de Caux, between Neufchatel and Aumale in France. Ralph de Mortimer died in his castle of St. Victor-en-Caux on 5 August 1100 (or 1104) and was buried in the Abbey church there. He left two sons, Hugh and William; and a daughter, Hawise, who became the wife of Stephen, Earl of Albemarle and Holderness. Hugh’s descendants became the Earls of March; William died childless. The family seems to have no recorded connection with Gilling, except for a later reference (in the 12th century) when Peter de Ros, who was linked with the Mortimers by marriage, gave two carucates of land to St. Mary’s Abbey, York. It is likely that this land so granted was Orm’s, which had probably come into the Ros family by marriage. The Ros family also had land of Ralph de Mortimer’s in Whenmore. In the 12th century the land was in the possession of the Mowbrays and the Stutevilles. Before we follow the fortunes of Orm’s land let us follow what is known about Barch’s portion. As we have already seen, it was granted to Hugh FitzBaldric (i.e. Hugh the son of Baldric). It is not known which Norman family he came from, if indeed he was Norman. It has been stated that he was a German archer in the service of William the Conqueror. However, before 1067 he “witnessed a charter of Gerald, granting the Nuns of St. Amand in Rouen the church of his fief of Roumare”. Immediately after the capture of York by William in September 1069, Hugh FitzBaldric appears to have been made Sheriff of the County of York by the King. He fell into trouble by supporting Robert Duke of Normandy against William and presumably lost his lands. However, nothing more is heard of him. Ivo de Vescy Reverting to the Mowbrays’ land (i.e. that which was originally Orm’s): the first positive figure to emerge from the mists of time is Ivo de Vescy, who was a tenant of the Mowbrays elsewhere. Perhaps one could infer that the Mowbrays had obtained possession of both manors by now. Ivo de Vescy granted two carucates of land to St. Mary’s Abbey, York, and his son-in-law and then heir Eustace Fitzjohn (died 1157) gave, or confirmed, to St. Mary’s Abbey four carucates of land and the church with its half carucate of glebe land. There is a record of a grant in fee arms by Eustace Fitzjohn to the monks of St. Mary’s Abbey of four carucates, the church, and half a carucate in 1135-1147. It was possibly quite an astute move on the part of Eustace, as the church was reported to be in a bad state of repair after the Harrying of the North. This is of interest because although no mention of a church was made in Domesday Book it must have been there some time before for it to be in a bad state of repair. The date of 1157 is of considerable interest. Down the centre aisle of the present church adjacent to the heating duct, and on the paving stones each side of
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