Elias fitz Elias

notes

From 'Parishes: East Cowton', in A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 1, ed. William Page (London, 1914), pp. 160-162 http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/yorks/north/vol1/pp160-162 [accessed 10 February 2015].

Manor

EAST COWTON belonged in the time of the Confessor to Torchil, from whom it passed at the Conquest to Landric the man of Count Alan. (fn. 7) It was ever afterwards held directly of the lords of Richmond, its owners doing suit at the court of Richmond every three weeks. (fn. 8) From some time in the reign of Stephen (fn. 9) to the end of the 12th century it was held as one fee (and must have included South Cowton, (fn. 10) q.v.) by Conan son of Elias, who, again, was son of Theophania daughter of Roald the Constable. (fn. 11) Conan was probably seneschal of the lord of Richmond, and had, like other household officers a station at Richmond Castle, his being at the east, outside the wall and close to the court of the keep. (fn. 12) Conan had no children, and his inheritance was divided between his aunts Beatrice, Parnel and Constance. (fn. 13) William de Lascelles, son of Parnel, and Elias de Crakehall, son of Constance, (fn. 14) granted their parts to their heir Sir Richard Fitton (fn. 15) of Bollin in Cheshire; but the part of Beatrice, who married one of the family of Hornby, was retained by her descendants until her greatgrandson Thomas de Hornby (fn. 16) in 1241 granted half of one third of the capital messuage and fish-pond to Sir Richard Fitton (fn. 17) in exchange for a quitclaim in Smeaton. (fn. 18) This Sir Richard was seneschal of the Earl of Richmond for eighteen years in the time of Ranulph Earl of Chester (fn. 19) (1181–1232). (fn. 20) His descendants (fn. 21) held East Cowton (fn. 22) until his greatgrandson John gave it to William Clervaux of Croft for life, (fn. 23) and in 1324 confirmed the reversion to him. (fn. 24) From this time until 1548 the Clervaux family of Croft (q.v.) held East Cowton. (fn. 25) Richard Clervaux obtained a grant of free warren in February 1477–8. (fn. 26)

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