Gribthorpe and weather

 A Happy New Year to everyone. I do not know where December went but now we are in January 2025 and  the weather is decidedly wintry. This weekend we had heavy snow but this morning it has all gone and we just have rain. Our pond level is very high and the birds are eating nuts and fat balls with great enthusiasm. Meanwhile our old cat, Poppy, is very reluctant to venture out and spends many an hour asleep on a bed.

But, as my mother, Joan Watson of Eastrington often quoted, every day it is 'a cockstride lighter' and the snowdrops and daffodils are well on their way.

I have watched some Christmas television - I enjoyed the latest Wallace and Gromit with all the witty humour -  but have also been researching on the computer.

I am engrossed at the moment in looking at the Eland family who had connections with Barnhill and Laxton but who spent many years farming at Gribthope.

For anyone who does not know where Gribthorpe it is not far from Bubwith. In 1892 it was described as

 'a small township situated about three miles east of Bubwith. It contains 875 acres of land, and present population is 29, The soil is strong clay; subsoil, clay. Wheat, oats, barley, and beans are the chief crops; a considerable quantity of land is in grass; and turnips and potatoes are sparsely grown. Lord Leconfield is lord of the manor and owner of the whole township, except 25 acres which belong to C. Blackburn, Esq., of Brighouse.'

It is still a small settlement situated on a dead end road

The Elands lived at Gribthorpe from around 1750 until the 1860s and were farm tenants of the Leconfield family's Wressle estate.

This was largely owned until a sale in 1957, by the descendants of the Percy family.  It is a slightly confusing story as to what these descendants were called!

The male Percy line died out and the vast Percy inheritance passed through the female line to the 6th Duke of Somerset of Petworth House who had married heiress Elizabeth Percy.

Their son Algernon, the 7th duke, died in 1750 with no legitimate male heirs.

So it was agreed that after his death the Percy lands should be split. Half should go to his daughter Elizabeth's husband, Hugh Smithson, who was given the title of Duke of Northumberland - this inheritance included Airmyn.

The other half should go to descendants of Algernon's sister who had married Sir William Wyndham, who was given the title of Earl of Egremont. This half included the Wressle estate.

Their grandson, the third Earl inherited in 1763. He was a noted patron of the arts, fathered around 40 illegimate children but left no legitimate heir. His eldest son inherited most of the property in 1837 but could not inherit the title and was known simply as Colonel George Wyndham.

Then in 1859, Queen Victoria bestowed a brand new title of Baron Leconfield on Colonel George, so the family continued to be known as Lords Leconfield. 

Researching  the Elands is therefore a bit of a challenge as most of the estate records are still held  in the Petworth House archives in Sussex.

Other families who lived at Gribthorpe after the Elands were the Hills who lived at  Gribthorpe Manor  and the Jenkinsons.

John Thomas Hill and his wife Ellen outside Gribthorpe manor c 1898

Edward Jenkinson of The Beeches died in 1915. The newspaper report reads as follows

 By the death of Mr Edward Jenkinson, farmer, of Gribthorpe, which took place somewhat suddenly  on Saturday morning at his residence, an esteemed and well-known Howdenshire agriculturist has been removed. Deceased, who was 72 years of age, and for half a century a regular attender at Howden market, was out on the land near his home and attending business upto Wednesday week. During the sixty years he had lived the farm he had never had a doctor, had spent but one day indoors through illness. and had never taken but one bottle of medicine. It was found necessary, however,  to summon medical aid  on Thursday morning, but  he never rallied, and passed peacefully away as stated. For many years he represented Gribthorpe on the Howden Board of Guardians, until advancing years prevented his leaving home early to attend the meeting. He resigned the some six years ago. He was a devout Wesleyan, and regular attender at the Spaldineton Wesleyan Chapel. He  leaves a widow, three sons, and two married daughters. 

Some changes have happened in Gribthope over the last few years!! - barn conversions etc and the threat of a  giant solar farm nearby but I am sure the Elands would still have recognised their village.

Here is an advert from 1990.