In
the 16th Century, a new class of landowner started to take over from the
traditional aristocracy as Lords of the Manor, buying up village
copyholds
in order to have total control over property and policy.
There is a plaque at the
front end of the church to a former Lord of the Manor, Thomas Medlycott
(died 1761) erected by one of his two daughters, Barbara. Barbara (who
married George Hill) and her own daughter went on to become major
landowners in Cottingham. Interestingly, Thomas Medlycott actually had a
third daughter, Elizabeth Cooke who was, according to his will, 'born of
the body of my housekeeper, Judith Cooke." The will left Elizabeth and
Judith £4,000 and £500 respectively.
The
Lord of the
Manor would often have lived in a prestigious
house in the village he controlled, most likely 'Bury
House' (built towards the end of the 18th Century) which literally means
'Manor House', with the
word 'Bury' having been derived from the Old English word for a fortified
place 'burh' , which
later came to denote a fortified manor house.
There was also a building referred to as
Manor Farm on
the Spread
Eagle car park until it was demolished in the 1960s.
Manor Farm House |