MALTBY-YORKSHIRE
It is a bromidic saying that no two people see the same thing in the same way, and as this is obviously true we are publishing three accounts of visits to the hamlet of Maltby, Yorkshire, feeling confident that all Maltbys will find new viewpoints, different observations in each article, which are of individual interest.
The first article is by Miss Martha J. Maltby, of Columbus, Ohio, who visited Maltby in 1895. This account appeared in Maltby Booklet No. 2 and is reprinted here for the benefit of those who were unable to obtain the booklet owing to the entire sale of the issue shortly after publication.
The second account was contained in a personal letter to the compiler from Miss Marion “Davenport Maltbie of Syracuse, a cousin of the late Dr. Maltbie Davenport Babcock, and a lineal descendant from Ormud de Dauneport, who was born in 1086. Miss Maltbie visited Maltby in the summer of 1909.
Our third account of Maltby was written from Rotherham, Yorkshire, by Mrs. Neavando A. Eldvado, to her mother, Mrs. James T. Hoblit and at the request of the compiler. Mrs. Hoblit consented to allow its publication.
A DAY AT MALTBY, WEST RIDING, YORKSHIRE
By Miss Martha J. Maltby
When in York, in 1885, a gentleman remarked upon introduction, “There is a parish in Yorkshire by your name.” I was at once all attention, but succeeded only in learning that it was an ordinary English hamlet which he had once visited in the West Riding.
In 1895 a chance meeting with an English bishop brought the second bit of information, for he remarked, upon learning my name, “My first living was the parish of Maltby and I remember it with pleasure.” But our ways parted before I could learn much more, or more helpful knowledge as to how to find the place, for no guide book I have seen has it mentioned and I knew of no railway guide with its name on it. So when a fortunate chance fornd me in Durham and with the opportunity of questioning the learned archaeologist, Canon Greenwell, the president of the British Archaeological Society, and he too referred to the parish in connection with my name, then I learned what I had long wished to ascertain; i.e., how could Maltby be found?
He had visited the hamlet on an archaeological excursion and remembered it had an old church tower and he gave the much desired information concerning the way.
A few days later my friend and traveling comparion and I broke our journey southward at Doncaster, took a train westward for a few miles, leaving it at Conisboro for a seven mile drive southward from that station for Maltby.
Let me note in passing that Conisboro is known for its well preserved Norman tower of the castle which Sir Walter Scott makes the scene of the tournament in “Ivanhoe,” which Rebecca reports to the knight. The short way for our trap and driver gave us the opportunity to look at the tower.
Unfortunately a drizzling rain set in as we started for Maltby which is situated up a valley from Conisboro and the mist shut from sight some of what must have been a charming view in the heart of north English country, could we have seen it in the distance. The road wound along between stone walks and English hedges and fertile farms, growing wheat, barley and turnips and with pasturage for cattle and sheep, lay on both sides of the way. The farmhouses had the appearance of comfortable prosperity and from their scattered positions we judged the farms were large in acreage. Two or three hamlets lay on the way and one had an ancient stone cross to testify of its age.
The village school had just closed for the day as we drove through Maltby village to the church whose spire we had seen in the distance. To our driver’s question of “Where he should take us?” we had responded, “To the church, or course.”
Our trip had excited sufficient interest in the school children for some of them to follow us and gather about the two American women, who had left the carriage and were admiring the oaken Lychgate, built in the ancient style and forming a beautiful entrance to the churchyard. They were as ready to answer questions as we to ask them. The sexton was mowing the churchyard and we knew the church was open as we could hear the organ and we soon found our time of visit was auspicious for the organist and some of the leading parishioners were in the church and they too were willing to give information to the strangers.
The church itself is only some fifty years of age and is neat and pleasing in appearance, but the tower onto which it is built, is very interesting and well worth seeing. It shows some four stages in building and must be very old. The lowest part is doubtless Saxon, having the heron-bone stone work about three feet from the ground. Bits of what look like Roman bricks are scattered along promiscuously in the stone wall. High up from the foundation are small windows. A large modern window has been placed in the western side of the tower. The walls are very thick and are strong and well built.
The sexton told us that when removing the old church, they found its walls so firm that the workmen used powder to blow them up. The tower’s first story is some thirty or forty feet in height. The second one is only some over a third as high, and has small, narrow windows on three sides. The third is different and its double windows look like Norman work. This story ends with a paneled battlement. A fourteenth century looking stone spire has been built above this. I can give no authority for my opinion that this tower was some centuries in building but judge this is true from illustrations in books on English architecture.
I have often wished I might have seen Canon Greenwell again after the visit to Maltby for I am sure he would have refreshed his memory of his visit there and given me valuable information.
The sexton opened the old chest in the vestry room to allow us to see the old records. The very oldest were written on parchment and were mildewed with age. I thought I could decipher one date as 1609 but I am not sure.
We could not learn that anyone of the name of Maltby was resting in the churchyard, or lived in the parish, within the sexton’s memory, not had he ever heard of the name in the records. On the last subject he would hardly be authority. He showed us some yery old carved stones, one of which is supposed to have been the cross of the bishop who consecrated the first of the three churches to stand on the site of the present one.
The headstones in the churchyard did not look old and their dates were not such, while the names they bore were ordinary English names.
We were told that in digging for the foundation of a new house in the south of the village, the workmen found graves and it was thought that the ground belonged to an ancient burial place.
The old market cross testifies to the age of the hamlet. It was surrounded by flower beds and occupied a small plot of ground in the heart of the town.
The houses of the village are simple and plain but comfortable, with the cleanly air so common in England. The streets were narrow but clean. The whole town looked like a conservation old English place, as it is, with trees about its boundaries and in the lawns of the larger houses.
Maltby Hall is an old place with some fine trees about it. We did not enter it as the hour was growing late and we had a train to catch in Conisboro for our return and our journey on to Lincoln that night.
Some weeks later, in the Library of the British Museum I found what I copied there and give with this for your information.
It was nearly dark when we were set down at the railway station and the hour was decidedly late when I finished writing in my diary and turned – a tired, happy woman – to retire. I had seen Maltby parish. Whether there is any connection between it and the Maltby name, who can tell us.
The following is copied from “Kelly Directory of West Riding of Yorkshire, England, 1897,” in the Library of the British Museum, by Miss Martha J. Maltby:
“Maltby parish and township in the Doncaster Division of Riding in the Rotherham union and county court district and rural deanery, archdeanery of Sheffield and diocese of York.
“The church of St. Bartholomew is a plain building of stone in Gothic style and was rebuilt with the exception of the tower in 1859 on the site of the former church. It consists of a chancel, nave, aisles, south porch and western tower with spire containing three bells.
“There are several memorial windows, lecturn, organ and lychgate of carved oak and a lychstone which were given by Miss Crossley and Miss Mary Crossley in 1880. The lychgate and stone were given in memory of their mother.
“The register dates from 1678 (See footnote III.) and is in good condition. The living is a vicarage, average title rent charge L58, net yearly values L90, including 30 acres of glebe with residence is the gift of the Earl of Scarborough. The poor estate prudence L28 yearly. In the village stands an ancient stone cross.
“Two miles southeast are the ruins of the once magnificent Abbey of Roche or de Rupe, founded in 1147 by Richard de Busti and Richard Fitz-Tugis for monks of Cistercian order and dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
“A natural phenomenon heightened by art probably induced the monks to settle in this rocky limestone valley. A fracture in the rocks bearing some resemblance to Our Saviour on the cross was held in great reverence during the whole period of the existence of the abbey. Henry Crandall, the 28th and last abbot surrendered the abbey with seventeen monks and a yearly revenue of L271-11-4 to Dugdale. Henry VIII, granted to Wm. Ramesden and Thomas Valasor the ruin of the once extensive and splendid abbey. The Earl of Scarborough has made some excavations in the ruins.
“Sandbeck Park, two and one-half miles southeast of the village, is the seat of the Earl of Scarborough, Lord Lieutenant of the Riding, and Lord of the Manor and principal landowner. The mansion is a spacious edifice erected about the middle of the last century and a finely timbered park of 350 acres, surrounded by extensive woods well stocked with deer. Attached to the Hall is a private chapel where services are conducted by the Earl’s private chaplain.
“The soil is limestone, some parts clay and loam. The sub-soil is limestone. Chief crops are wheat, barley and turnips, with some pasture. Area of township 4096 acres. Rentable value L4-10-2. Population in 1891, was 709 and in the parish 766.
“People of some importance: Earl of Scarborough, Sandbeck Park and Army and Navy and Carleton Clubs, London, S.W. Miss White of Maltby Hall: Miss Mary Elizabeth White, Ladies’ Boarding School, Maltby Hall.”
Note I.-Maltby is situated on the edge of the famous Sherwood forest.
Note II.-The station for Maltby for those going north is Rotherham, which is a little northeast of “Sheffield. It is a seven mile drive from Rotherham to Maltby.
Note III.-From a list of Yorkshire parish registers we quote the following: Records begin Maltby, 1597; Muston, 1542; Doncaster, 1557; Rotherham, 1556 (Published); Tickhill, 1538.