Court of Sewers

The Commissioners of Sewers for the East Riding were created under the Statute of Sewers 23 Hen. VIII c.5 (1531), which authorised the appointment of commissioners charged with the drainage of low-lying land liable to flooding. The Court of Sewers, which consisted of the commissioners meeting with a jury, conducted their business in a judicial manner. The jurisdiction of the Court was over the repairs of sea-walls and sea-banks, the cleaning of public rivers, streams and ditches, becks and drains, and any other watercourse used for the draining of land. Their Courts heard complaints of nuisances; of failure to clean and clear drains and ditches, resulting in the flooding of neighbouring properties; and they had the power to arrest carts and horses, take trees for repairs, and appoint workmen, bailiffs and surveyors. They could fine for neglect, or for contempt, and levy a drainage tax to fund all work.


The Court minutes are difficult to trawl through if looking for people. A much richer source are the jury lists in class CSR/63, which spans 1725-1840, although there is one much earlier for the wapentake of Harthill, for 1646, in CSR/6/2. A second series, in class CSR/64, covers the period 1828-1834. The Jury Lists in the class CSR/63/2 covering 1725-1806 have been examined and the relevant entries extracted, but those in CSR/63/3 covering 1807-1840 have yet to be examined. Those in CSR/64 have all been checked, and two of the seven returns contain the names of Bubwith farmers.


Two other records from the Commissioners for Sewers were found that relate to Bubwith, a list of presentments (complaints) and amercements (fines) in 1833 (ref: CSR/67/29), this has been checked, and the names of Bubwith residents extracted; and a Petition in 1834 (ref: CSR/68/8), which has not yet been examined.


One Assessment for Drainage Tax for the hamlets of Foggathorpe, Gribthorpe, and Spaldington, was also located (ref: DDMW/7/48). DDMW is the class for The Market Weighton Drainage Commissioners, which were established under the Market Weighton Drainage Act of 1772. This has yet to be examined.


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CSR/63 Lists of jurymen for Howdenshire and the west parts of the East Riding
1725-1840
CSR/63/2 Jury lists for Ouse and Derwent, Howdenshire, Holme Beacon, Wilton Beacon, and Hunsley Beacon 1725-1806
CSR/63/3 Jury lists for Ouse and Derwent, Howdenshire, Holme Beacon, Wilton Beacon, and Hunsley Beacon
1807-1840



CSR/64 Lists of jurymen for Howdenshire and the west parts of the East Riding 1828-1834
CSR/64/1 List of jurymen for Holme Beacon [see below] 1828
CSR/64/2 Warrants for jurymen for Harthill [see below] 1829
CSR/64/3 Warrants for jurymen for Holme Beacon 1830
CSR/64/4 Warrants for jurymen for Holme Beacon 1831
CSR/64/5 Warrants for jurymen for Holme Beacon 1832
CSR/64/6 Warrants for jurymen for Holme Beacon 1833
CSR/64/7 Sheriff's return and panel of jury 1834




Extracts


CSR/63/2

Year Forename Surname Place
1759 Samuel ?oidhouse Spaldington
1763 Thomas Alerley Breighton
1732 Michael Atkinson Willitoft
1744 Michael Atkinson Willitoft
1765 John Barker Spaldington
1793 John Barker Spaldington
1792 John Beilby Bubwith
1799 Joseph Beilby Bubwith
1762 Henry Bell Spaldington
1802 Henry Bell Spaldington
1728 Luke Blanshard Spaldington
1731 James Blanshard Spaldington
1740 Nicholas Blanshard Gribthorpe
1740 James Blanshard Spaldington
1741 Luke Blanshard Spaldington
1763 John Blanshard Breighton
1791 John Blanshard Breighton
1792 George Blanshard Breighton
1735 John Blyth Harlethorpe
1725 John Brown Foggathorpe
1728 John Brown Foggathorpe
1741 John Brown Foggathorpe
1742 John Brown Foggathorpe
1791 William Brown Willitoft
1762 John Brownbridge Bubwith
1797 John Brownbridge Bubwith
1793 Gideon Burton Spaldington
1757 Robert Buttle Gunby
1741 Robert Carlile Willitoft
1757 Robert Chaplin Spaldington
1731 Barnard Clarkson Foggathorpe
1795 William Coats Gribthorpe
1741 James Dealtrey Breighton
1792 John Eland Gribthorpe
1755 Edward Ellis Spaldington
1726 Thomas Fle--- Gunby
1735 Benjamin Fligg Harlethorpe
1755 Edward Garret Willitoft
1737 John Geld Foggathorpe
1725 John Gell Foggathorpe
1731 John Gell Foggathorpe
1725 Jabez Gibson Spaldington
1741 John Gibson Spaldington
1793 John Grundell Breighton
1728 Marmaduke Guy Foggathorpe
1729 Samuel Guy Gribthorpe
1744 Nathaniel Guy Gribthorpe
1762 George Halley Bubwith
1741 William Halliday Foggathorpe
1803 John Hance Spaldington
1799 William Hawkins Bubwith
1726 John Hebden Gunby
1793 Robert Hepton Gunby
1794 John Hepton Bubwith
1780 John Huby Bubwith
1791 John Huby Bubwith
1801 John Hunter Bubwith
1773 John Jewitt Foggathorpe
1743 Thomas Johnson Foggathorpe
1759 William Johnson Spaldington
1762 Thomas Johnson Foggathorpe
1773 Thomas Johnson Foggathorpe
1725 John Lawton Spaldington
1772 Robert Leng Bubwith
1797 John Levitt Foggathorpe
1803 William Marshall Gribthorpe
1726 William Massey Harlethorpe
1780 William Massey Harlethorpe
1795 Thomas Massey Willitoft
1766 Mark Rowlan Spaldington
1744 Richard Savage Spaldington
1803 Anthony Scott Spaldington
1772 John Scrafton Bubwith
1737 George Sellars Foggathorpe
1794 William Smith Bubwith
1795 William Smith Bubwith
1728 Thomas Stevenson Gribthorpe
1768 Matthew Tate Bubwith
1800 Robert Tate Bubwith
1744 George Thorpe Harlethorpe
1744 Thomas Thorpe Spaldington
1762 Thomas Thorpe Spaldington
1768 George Thorpe Harlethorpe
1768 Thomas Thorpe Harlethorpe
1802 Richard Thorpe Spaldington
1744 James Tinegate Spaldington
1795 William Watson Breighton
1768 William Westoby Bubwith
1743 William Wilberfoss Foggathorpe
1726 Peter Wilson Harlethorpe

 
   
CSR/64/1 List of jurymen for Harthill, Ouse and Derwent, and Howdenshire 1828
  Jurymen for Holme Beacon:  
  Hugh Nottingham Fowler, Foggathorpe, yeoman farmer; John Hall, Foggathorpe, farmer  
     
CSR/64/2 Warrants for jurymen for Harthill, Ouse and Derwent, and Howdenshire 1829
  Jurymen for Harthill:  
  Thomas Ash, Bubwith, farmer; John Day, Bubwith, farmer; John Hepton, Bubwith, yeoman; John Harrison, Bubwith, farmer; John Bond, Breighton, farmer; William Jewitt, Foggathorpe, farmer; Charles Knapton, Foggathorpe, farmer  
     
CSR/67/29 Presentments and amercements by the Holme Beacon jury 13 Jul 1833
  Against the constable of Bubwith, George Blanchard, Benjamin Acey and the Bridge Company for a drain at Foggathorpe, drain from the Clow to the River Derwent, and the drain from Aughton to Bubwith Clow  
     
CSR/68/8 Petitions 1834
  To the Honourable the Commissioners of Sewers for Howdenshire and the West parts of the East Riding of the County of York.

The Petition of Simeon Webster and other proprietors of Lands and Grounds in the several Townships of Melbourne, Thornton, Storthwaite, Sutton upon Derwent, East Cottingwith, Ellerton, Aughton and Bubwith, within the Division of Howdenshire.

Sheweth
That the Drains and Embankments in the said several Townships of Melbourne, Thornton, Storthwaite, Sutton upon Derwent, East Cottingwith, Ellerton, Aughton and Bubwith are chiefly situated in Meadow lands of considerable value which being flooded in the winter require the greatest attention in the Spring of the Year to carry off the waters from the lower parts of them, consequently that great loss is often sustained from inattention to the state of the Drains and Banks until Midsummer which is the earliest period at which they are now viewed, at that time there is also considerable waste of grass by the soil from the Drains being necessarily cast upon it when nearly ready for the scythe.

Your Petitioners therefor pray an Order of this Honourable Court directing the said Drains to be severally well and sufficiently dressed cleaned and scoured and the said Embankments severally well and sufficiently repaired by those who of right ought to do the same on or before the twelfth day of May and the twelfth day of August in every year on pain for every rood there undone or in default such Penalties as the same now are respectively liable to under the Books of Pains for the Shire and parts aforesaid in case of not being done as now therein directed.

And your Petioners will ever pray, &c. 1834

Petitioner’s Names
Thornton:
George Gibson; John Clavidge of Catton, for the parish of Thornton, Steward for Thornton.

Melbourne:
Henry Mervyn Vavasour; Charles Howard; Wm. Parker; Matthew Whitfield; David Southcoate; Richard Clarke; George Hodgson; George Nichols; Robert Holliday; Charles James.

East Cottingwith, Ellerton, Aughton, Storthwaite, and Bubwith:
Simeon Webster of behalf of the townships.

Sutton upon Derwent:
Thomas and William Jennings; Joseph Moyser jun; William Pexton; John Shields; John Preston; Thomas Maure; John Horsley; James Coward of Woodhouse, in the parish of Sutton.
 
     
DDMW/7/48 Assessment for drainage tax 1 May 1821
  Gribthorpe
Lord Egremont: 52 acres, 3 roods, 25 perches; Tax - £3/4/4½ Signed: John Creshell; Leo. Robinson; Henry Edwards; Thomas Musgrave; C. B. Gill; J. Lister; Jno Inman

Foggathorpe
William Jewitt, late Simeon: 26 acres, 0 roods, 4 perches; Tax £1/9/7½ Thomas Coates, late Clarkson: 19 acres, 0 roods, 36 perches; Tax £1/4/7½ Mr. Thomas Musgrave: 10 acres, 0 roods, 0 perches; Tax £0/10/5 (same witnesses)

Spaldington
Sir Henry M. M. Vavasour, Bart.: 242 acres, 2 roods, 23 perches; Tax £17/7/8 (same witnesses)