The left-hand side of Buck’s ‘The South-East Prospect of Kingston Upon Hull’, 1745 (see above) shows a small section of Myton manor immediately beyond Hull’s west-side 14th century town walls. Here shown is a three-cottage terrace of one-and-a-half storeys with three chimney stacks and, alongside, a four-sail post-mill. Jeffries map of Hull, 1767, the earliest 18th century map of Hull, shows the town wall on the west side to be then still intact with Hessle gate, Myton gate and, at the top, Beverley gate.
So what was the manor of Myton like from 1552 when it was donated by royal order to the burgesses of Kingston upon Hull (s.p.b.) and the late 18th century? Presumably manorial courts were held regularly to oversee the activities of those who held/worked land within the manor. Did the burgesses have a manor-house for Myton or, with it being so near the town, was another building so used?
The development of any town creates a market for any foodstuff grown/reared in the surrounding area. So were there open fields and/or market gardens, was there common pastureland within the manor (the post-mill shown on Buck’s picture must have been for grinding corn and was probably one of a number)? The answer to the last part of that question is ‘yes’ as between 1771 and 1773 ‘Myton Carr’ was enclosed by Parliamentary Enclosure and the relevant documents survive. The Preamble to the Act of Parliament of 1771 states ‘Whereas within the Lordship of Myton, in the Parish of Holy Trinity, in the town and County (s.p.b.s) of the Town of Kingston upon Hull, there is a certain Common Pasture called Myton Carr, containing One hundred and Seventy Acres or thereabouts, in which several Persons are intitled to, and enjoy a determinate Number of Cattle Gates or Beast Gates, or Pasture for a certain Number of Sheep, Horses and other Cattle’. The word ‘gates’ here meaning an entitlement to pasture, ten ‘gates’ being a larger entitlement (because you owned more farm animals) than on ‘gate’.
(to be continued)