The Red Lion Inn, Skipton and the
Catterson Family
The
Red Lion Inn is situated on High Street, Skipton and is the oldest pub in the
town.
"It has been a licensed premises for more than
500 years. Workmen redecorating the Red Lion in the early 1990s stripped back
some plaster to discover a 400 year old large arched
fireplace and chimney which is on view today. The Red Lion also has large
arched cellars. Like most inns in Skipton, the Red Lion was also a combined
farmhouse. Jerry Croft, part of the Red Lion farm, was taken over when the
cattle market was constructed behind the Town Hall in 1906. The Red Lion farm
ceased after the First World War."
(Above quote taken
from the book Skipton
2000 - The Millennium Walk by Ian Lockwood)
The Red Lion inn and farm was
tenanted in the 17th and 18th centuries by the Catterson
family. There are many connections between the Cattersons and the
Petyts, both well-known Skipton families. Skipton church records include the
marriage of Thomas Catterson and Isabel Petyt in 1603, and Stephen Catterson
and Mary Petyt in 1615. William Petyt of Storiths married Mary Catterson at
Bolton Abbey in 1632. Mary became the mother of William and Sylvester Petyt. Their daughter Isabell married Francis Catterson at
Skipton in 1654. William and Sylvester lived at the Red Lion whilst attending
Skipton Grammar School. Their father William also moved there from the farm at
Storiths and died at the Red Lion in 1659. Francis and Isabell's son Stephen
Catterson, an attorney-at-law, was a favourite of his uncle Sylvester and is
bequeathed important items in his will of 1719.
One interesting descendant of these interconnecting
families was Willie Heelis, who married the famous author and illustrator of
children's books, Beatrix Potter.
Front of the Red Lion Inn
Rear of the Red
Lion showing 17th century window above door
Fireplace inside
the Red Lion
Date stone above
fireplace for Francis Catterson
FC 1681
Smaller fireplace
inside the Red Lion
Signature of
Francis Catterson on his will of 1701
WILL OF FRANCIS CATTERSON 1701.
- In the name of God Amen. I
Francis Catterson of Skipton in Craven in the
- county
of Yorke, yeoman, being sicke in body butt of sound and perfect mind and
memory
- praised
be allmighty God do this seventeenth day of February Anno Domini 1701
- make
and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following;
First I
- committ
my soule into the hands of almighty God my Creator and hoping through the
mercy
- of
Jesus Christ my saviour to have free pardon of all my sins. And my body I
- committ
to the dust to be buried att the discretion of my friends and executrix
hereafter
- named
And as touching the disposition of my generall estate my will and mind is as
- followeth.
That is to say first my will and mind is that my just debts bee paid and
funerall expenses.
- Item my will and mind is that I
doo hereby give and bequeath unto Frances Cooke
- widdow
my daughter and her two sons all my right tytles and interests which I
have or ought to have
- of or
in or to all that farme or tenement and all my lands thereabout belonging
situate and being
- in
Skipton aforesaid which I hold by vertue of a lease under the Right
- Honourable Thomas Earle of Thanet to
have and to hold the same farme unto my
- said
daughter Frances and her two sons their executors, administrators and
assigns.
- for the
remainder of the term yett to come and expired in the said lease
- with
all my further interest therein Item my
will ……..
- hereby
give and bequeathe unto my daughter Mary Ferrand, widdow, twenty shillings
- per
annum to be paid to her by my executrix hereafter named yearly so long
- as the
term in my said lease continues. And lastly revoking all former
- wills
by and heretofore made. I nominate and appoint the said Frances my
- daughter
sole executrix of this my last will and testament to whom I give all my
- goods
and personal effects whatsoever. And lastly I doo desire Mr. Christopher
Grendorge
- and Mr.
William Banks to be supervisors to bee assisting
to my said daughter Frances
- in the
execution of this will. I witness thereof I have hereunto sett my hand and
- seale
this day and year first above written.
Sealed, signed published and ordained, attested by us ( being witnesses) in the presence of the said testator. In memoranda
that the words ( and her two sons ) were first subscribed in the presence
of ..
John Wheatley
John Lupton
Henry Hoghton
WILL OF STEPHEN CATTERSON 1740.
- In the name of God Amen the
seventeenth day of September in the year of our lord one thousand and
seven hundred and forty I Stephen
- Catterson of Skipton in Craven in the County of Yorke
gentleman being infirm and weak but of sound and disposing mind and memory
- and
understanding yet mindful of my mortality do make and ordain this my last
will and testament in writing in manner and form following
- Principally I commend my soul
into the hands of Almighty God my Creator hoping in and through the merits
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ
- to have free pardon and
remission of all my sins and my body to the earth to be decently interred
at the discretion of my Executor hereafter
- named
and desiring to be buried by my dear father and mother if I shall dye
there and as touching such
temporal estate wherewith God hath
- been pleased to bless me I give
devise bequeathe and dispose thereof as followeth. First I will and direct
that all and singular my personal estate
- of what
nature or kind soever be applyed towards the payment of my debts funeral
expenses and charge of proving this will (except what is hereafter
disposed of) Item I give
- And devise unto my dear wife
Grace Catterson during the term of her natural life all those two closes situate
in Skipton aforesaid called
- the two
far Bailleybrigg closes and Crookes in the possession of Master John
Swainson and Mr. Alcock with three roods of freehold
- land in
Narrlamber Hill lying east of three acres of land belonging to the grammar
School there and from and immediately after her
- decease
I give the reversion of the said three roods of land to my son Francis
Catterson his heirs and assigns forever. Item I give and devise to
- my said
son Francis Catterson his heirs and assignees forever all that Messuage,
farm or tenement with the appurtenances
- called
Gawflatts farm or tenement and the lands thereunto belonging or commonly
occupied therewith situate lying
or being in Skipton aforesaid
- Sturton and within the parish of
Skipton aforesaid or in any of them upon trust nevertheless and upon this
express condition
- that
the said Francis Catterson his heirs or assignees pay or cause to be paid
to my daughter Martha the wife of Mr. Henry
- Mitton attorney at law the sum
of one hundred pounds of lawful money at the end of two years after my
- decease
without interest for the residue of her portion for which I stand bound to
Mr. Fawkes of Farneley in the said county in trust and for the benefit of
my said daughter
- with
which one hundred pounds my will is that that estate shall stand
chargeable. Item I give unto my son Francis Catterson
- his
executors, administrators, and assigns all my tenant right and term of
years yet to come and unexpired in and to the lands
- which I
hold of the master and feoffees of the said School. Item I give to my son
Silvester Catterson his heirs and assigns forever all that
- my
Messuage or Burgage wherein I and Mrs. Jane Swier now dwell with Barns and
stable and garden thereunto belonging and also
- the
Orchard which I purchased of Mr. Henry Mitchell in Skipton aforesaid and
the reversion of the said Closes called far Bailley
- Brigg House and the Crookes
herein before bequeathed to my said wife from and immediately after her
decease upon trust nevertheless
- upon
this condition that my said son Silvester his heirs and assigns shall pay
unto Edward Heelis who marryed my daughter Leah the sum
- of
forty pounds at the end of two years after my decease without interest for
the residue of her portion for which I stand bound to the said
- Edward Heelis with which forty
pounds my will is that the said premises devised to my said son shall
stand chargeable. Item I give to my said
- son
Silvester Catterson his executors, administrators and assigns all my
tenant right and term of years yet to come and unexpired in and to
- all and
singular the houses barns buildings lands and tenements in Skipton
aforesaid which are demised and leased to me by the
- right Honourable Thomas late Earle of
Thanet. Item I give to my daughter Mary Paley,widow,
her heirs and assigns forever all that my Messsuage
- a
dwelling house and the lands
now inhabited by and in the possession of Mrs. Catherine Parker in Skipton
aforesaid and the moiety
- or half
part of the garden with all the rights members
and appurtenances to the same belonging Item I give to my said son Francis
- Catterson his heirs and assigns
forever all that messuage house in the newmarket in Skipton aforesaid now
in the possession of Richard
- Oldfield my tenant together with
all the barns buildings outhouses garths and gardens thereunto belonging
provided always and I do trust order
- and
direct that my said son Francis his heirs and assigns shall pay satisfye
and discharge all such sum and sums of money as shall
- be due
and unpaid to my daughter Isabell Spencer and Mrs. Jane Swier their
executors, administrators or assigns upon any bonds, bills
- notes
or otherwise howsoever
entered into by me to them respectively with all the interest that shall
or maybe due to the same,
with which
- sum or
sums of money debt or debts and interest in my will is that the said last
above mentioned premisses shall stand chargeable for the
- more sure payment thereof. Item
I give
to my said loving wife all the household goods of what nature or kind
forever in the parlour which
- myself
and my said wife do now use for lodgings, my golden spoon, six pewter
plates, six pewter dishes of the middle sort and pewter slaver
- and my
silver Gill marked with S.C. To her own
and proper use and disposal which said lodgings my will is shall be
enjoyed by my said wife
- for her
life with free entry egress and regress into and out of the same. Item I
give to my said son Silvester Catterson my silver pint with
- my
uncle Mr. Sylvester Petyt's coat of arms upon it and also the picture of
my said uncle and the picture
of my brother Mr. Thomas Catterson
- Lastly I give one silver
tankard, six silver spoons, two plain silver oval salts, my pocket watch,
my long swinging clock and also my
- uncles
Mr. William Petyt and the said Mr. Silvester Petyt's two pictures in the
chamber over the house and all the residue and remainder of my
- real
and personal estate whatsoever not herein before disposed to my said son
Francis Catterson his heirs and assigns forever whom I make
- sole
executor of this my last will and testament hereby revoking all former
wills by me at any time heretofore made in witness
- whereof
I have hereunto set my hand and seal the day and year first above written.
Sealed, signed published and
ordained, by the
testator to be his last will and testament in the presence of us who have subscribed our
names in the presence and at the request of the said testator...
William Smith, Jane Benson,
Christopher Benson.
(Both wills transcribed by Gillian
Waters).
© Angela Petyt
2003-2010. All rights reserved.
Permission is
granted for all free personal and non-commercial uses.
Commercial use of
any portion contained herein is expressly prohibited.
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