THE EARLY OWNERS OF BURTON AGNES.
In Domesday Book,[1] under the heading "Terra Regis," we find—"In Burton, with the three berewicks of Grenzmore (Gransmoor), Arpen (Harpham), and Buitorp (Boythorpe), are 25 carucates of land to be taxed, which 15 ploughs may till. These Morcar held in the time of King Edward for one manor and the value then was £24. One farmer, at present pays ten shillings to the King. To this manor belongs the soke of these lands, Langtoft, Haisthorp, Thwing, Brompton and Thomholm. In all these are 25 carucates to be taxed, which 14 ploughs may till. It is now waste.
From the subsequent entry[2] it would seem that directly after the returns of the survey had been arranged and transscribed at Winchester, a fief was made up, chiefly in Cleveland and mostly out of land as yet reserved by the King, and given to Robert de Bruis. In the East Riding Earl Morcar's lordship of Burton, with soke and berewicks was given to him. It continued to be held in capite by the Bruis family and their successors, the Thwengs and Lumleys; the sub-tenants—the Stutevilles, Merlays, Somervilles and Griffiths—of these great families concern us.
Roger de Stuteville, a younger son of the Roger de Stuteville who fought in the battle of the Standard, was probably the builder of the earliest work at the Hall, in the basement of the building to the west of the present mansion. According to a document[3] still preserved at Burton Agnes, this Roger had a son Ancelm, who died without issue, and five daughters, Alice, Agnes, Isabell, Gundreda and one who
