STORM AND COMPANY
The Early Years
In the beginning.......Professor Dr Alexander Brugge of the University of Christianaia has reported that Yorkshire and Lincolnshire were at the heart of Scandanavian England, and it wasn't until the end of the 12th century that the aristocracy dropped their Scandanavian names. Whitby has been called the most Scandanavian part of Yorkshire and a place name ending in "....thorpe" e.g. Fylingthorpe, is of Danish origin, and "....thwaite" e.g.Langethwaite (see 1563 below), is from the Norwegian word for a seperated small holding. The "...by" of Whitby and Normanby is, of course, of well known Scandanavian origin and there was a time when travellers from the Scandanavian countries probably felt comfortable with the language when arriving in the Whitby area. Ravenscar could have its roots in the fact that the raven was the bird of Odin, and the invasion by Norwegians can be seen in a roll of prophecies found by the Carmelites of Scarborough that read "when the black fleet of Norway was comed and gone, after in England should there be a war never". (10)
Early references to Fylingdales may be found in Charlton's History of Whitby describing the acquisition of part of Fylingdales from William the Conqueror by Tancred the Fleming who then sold it on after 30 years to the Abbot of Whitby. Then and in later years there are references to "Fielingam et aliam Fielingam", "Fieling and the other Fieling","Figeling", and "the town of Suthfieling" And it was about the year 1107 when William de Percy, Abbot, founded St Stephen's chapel.
George Young writing of the Domesday of
1086 refers to
(a) the Land of Earl Hugh in Witebi and Sneton and 'to this manor
belongs the soke of these places Figelinge 1 carucate.
Nortfigelinge 5 carucate' , and...
(b) Land of William de Perci Langburgh Wapentake 'In Figelinge
Merowin had 1 carucate'... and then.....
(c) Earl Hugh claims of Wiliam de Percy 1 carucate in Figelinge
in the wapentake of Langeburgh saying 'it belongs to Witebi, but
he has no proof'.
To see a copy of the actual relevant extract from the Domesday Book itself click here.
On a lighter note it should be said there have been attempts to link the famous Robin Hood to the Bay. Perhaps the most entertaining piece is the following extract from ROBIN HOOD's FISHING:(11).
| In summer time when leaves grow green, When they do grow both green and long, Robin Hood that bold outlaw It is of him I sing my song. |
"The thrassle cock and
nightengaal Do chaunt and sing with merry good cheer I am weary of the woods," said he, "And chasing of the fallow deer. |
"The fisher-man more money hath Then any marchant two or three; Therefore I will to Scarborough go And there a fisher-man will be." |
1301 Lay Subsidy list of names in Filyng, Stoup et Thirnathe (12)
June 19th 1332. In the 3rd year of the reign of King Edward John Storm was convicted of taking a hind calf in Overstyrigg within the forest of Pickering, and he was outlawed. John Storm of Levisham, bailee, had to find 13s 4d, and William Storm paid 5s because the said John did not appear.
1390 Charlton's preface reads - "As for the Allatsons, we find them located at Fyling-Dales , anno 1390; but I am of the opinion they possessed no freehold there, the whole parish belonging to the Monastery of Whitby."(9).
 |
1535 The Valor Ecclesiasticus, which reported the properties and revenues of Whitby Abbey, gives "Fylyng & Stowpe cum Thornay & Raw ac Bay". This may well be the first written reference to Bay albeit without the Robin Hood! (14)
1539 At the Dissolution Richard Cholmley Esq., obtained a lease for 21 years of the site of the abbey and several portions of its lands. In 1550, before the expiration of the lease, these were sold by the Crown to John, Earl of Warwick, and the following year they were resold to Sir Edward Yorks, from whom they were purchased in 1555 by Richard Cholmley, who had, in the meantime. received the honour of a knighthood.(2). One of the properties is listed as Stoupe Brow with Willms. Cockerell as tenant.
1539 A muster "within the liberties of Whitby and Whitby Strand" includes "Fyling Dallz 52." (3)
1540 A survey of Whitby Abbey after the
Dissolution has 'Robin Hoode Baye' with familiar names and a
'herynge house'. (4)
Charlton writes: "Nay, even the parish of Whitby itself was
contracted and reduced within the ancient limits; the chapelry of
Fylingdales, which always from its foundation had been dependant
on Whitby, being now made into a seperate parish,..."(9)
c1540 John Leland reports ".... and so a 9.miles to Scarborow....Thens an 8. miles to a fischer townlet of 20 bootes caullid Robyn Huddes Bay, a dok or bosom of a mile yn lenghth; and then 4. miles to Whiteby....."(5)
c1540 Sir Richard Cholmley (6)
1542 A list of 82 billmen and archers of "Robin Hoyd Baye and Fylling Dayll" includes William, Robert, Peter and John Storm.(7)
1544 An attempt was made to save a small ship from the Scots by "the men of Robynhodbay in three of their boats and a dozen archers"(8)
 |
1563 In the particulars of the grant by
Queen Elizabeth to Sir Richard Cholmley on 20th February there
is: (9)
"....and several houses in Robynhoodebaye in the tenure of
John Bircham...."
"....also twenty two cottages in Robynhoodebaye in the
several possessions of....."
(names in alphebetical order by the editor)
John Bircham, John Cockerell, Robert Dales, Thomas Fletcher,
William Forster, Robert Gretham, George Grindale, John Idill,
Robert Johnsonne, John Kinge, Christopher Malteby, Thomas
Marsigigall or Massingall, Thomas Pape, John Rawner, Robert
Richardson, James Richardsonne, Richard Smythe, John Storm, the
wife of ? Watson, Edward Wignar, William Wilsonne
"....also a close in
Robynhoodebaye called the Cow Close let to Matthew Storm for a
yearly rent of 38s 4d..."
".....also a cottage and close called Langethwaite Close
near Robynhoodebaye in the possession of George
Hewitson.......... and a cottage at Langethwaite ... let to
Robert Richardson ..... and another close at Langethwaite ..let
to Peter Storm...."
"....also twenty eight cottages in Robynhoodesbaye let
to..."
John Clemens, Richard Daysonne, Katherine-lately the wife of John Dixson, Robert Docheman, Richard Hart, William Hepler, William Hewetsonne, William Huntrowes, John Laycocke, Robert Lelone, John Malteby, Joanna-lately the wife of Christopher Malteby, John Morsonne, the wife of Robert Moresonne, William Richardsonne, Agnes Salmon, John Smythe of Wakefelde, William Smythe, Thomas Stanrigge, Bartholomew Storm, Peter Storme, Robert Storme, William Storme, Thomas Thomsonne, William Willson, William Wrenche, Robert Wyndell.
-with landholdings -
"in Normanbye" - George Conyers, Thomas Stancliffe,
William Stubbs
"in FylingeFeilde" - John Huntrowes and Thomas Huntrowes, William Stanerige.
"in Fylinge" - Edward Allatson, Richard Broune, Peter Dale, John Dobson, Joanna Fletcher, Robert Gretham, John Huntrowes.
"in Thorpe" - including 15 cottages - Allotson, Beane, Becham, Colson, Dale, Doson, Floter, John Grenekell the Parson, Harland, Jenkinson, Mershingales, Manne, Pate, Poskett, Radstone, Salmon, Sheminge, Sneton, Thomsonne, Watson, Wilsonne, Wodehouse.
1572 Yorkshire Fines ... Robert Brewester als. Balland,
Robert Storme and Johanna his wife, Messuage
with lands in Aystlebye. Stephen Carre, Robert Watson, gent. ...
Feet of Fines of the Tudor period [Yorks]: part 2 (1888)
1573 Edward Sneton of Fylingthorpe willed that his wife should be followed in possession of his farm by his daughter,Isabel Storm.
1578 A survey of English ports with an iron furnace listed Robin hodes baie, (Who was the blacksmith, I wonder? -editor)(13)
1579, 1584 & 1588 Saxton map and Waghenaer's charts
Refs:
(1) Dr George Young's History of Whitby, vol 2, 1817 p297.
(2) Bulmer's Directory of North Yorkshire
(3) J Gardner & R Brodie, editors of Letters and Papers,
Foreign and Domestic of the Age of Henry 8th, pt 1, 1894 p314.
(4) Cartulaiun Abbatiae de Whiteby, Surtees Society LX11, 1905
p741-2 (PRO SC 6/4624, m6R, Ministers' Accounts. Henry 8th.
(5) The Itinerary of John Leland c1535-1543 edited by Lucy
Toulman Smith (1907-1910) reprinted by Centaur Press Vol 1 Part 1
p51 (Bodleian)
(6) Calendar of Patent Rolls, Edward V1, 3, 1925 p372 and 4,1926
p34.
(7) Alan's Family & Maritime Community:Robin Hood's Bay
(8) Barrie Farnhill's A history of Robin Hood's Bay p31
(9) Charlton' History of Whitby (A list of subscribers includes
Mr Matthew Storm).
(10) The Norse Settlements in the British Islands. Transactions
of the RHS 4th Ser., Vol.4, 1921 pp 173-210
(11) Robin Hood's Fishing edited by Stephen Knight and Thomas H.
Ohlgren c/o Rochester University originally published in Medieval
Institute Publications 1997 by Kalamazoo, Michigan.
(12)Summa, xls vd q.From: 'The Subsidy: Liberty of Whitby',
Yorkshire Lay Subsidy: 30 Ed. I (1301) (1897), pp. 107-111. URL:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/
(13) Iron Furnaces in English Ports and
Landing Places 1578 by David and Gervase Mathew. Oxford University Press
(14) Article "Why Robin
Hood's Bay" by Jack Binns in the Transactions of the
Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society Number 36 of
the year 2000.
