Of Knights and Bishops: Part I

The Whartons of Kirkby Thore

Now we take a look at what's called the Junior Branch of the Wharton pedigree, though it actually becomes our primary branch. Its junior because it begins with Gilbert Wharton (b.1395), younger brother of Thomas Wharton (b.1388), the latter being the branch through which the Whartons attained peerage. Yet, while the senior branch was off fighting wars and immersing themselves in politics—only to die out in debt and outlawry—it was the junior branch that was amassing property and building fortunes.

Gilbert de Querton had been born at Croglin, which had been in the family since Emma de Hastings (co-heiress of Croglin) married Gilbert’s 2nd great-grandfather, the elder Gilbert de Querton (b.abt. 1250). However, this younger Gilbert moved to Kirkby Thore after he was married and we have his wife, Joan Kirkby, to thank for that. It was Joan who inherited Kirkby Thore from her father, John de Kirkby.

Kirkby Thore

The first reference to the village is in the 1179 Register of Holm Cultram, where it appears as Kirkebythore and sometimes Kirkby-Thure as it is spelled in the act passed in 1812 enclosing the commons. Kirkby means "village with a church" and Thore may reference either the old Norse god Thor, or from the old British word for a tower. It suggests that either a church or a Scandinavian temple was there by the 10th century, a forerunner of medieval parish church of St Michael that now sits close to the site of an old Roman fort. The village consists of clusters of buildings, pleasantly situated near the confluence of the Eden and Trout-beck, almost 5 miles northwest of Appleby, partly on the Penrith Road.

A hall and a great part of the village were built out of the ruins of Whelp Castle, which stood on rising ground called Burwens. Ownership descended from the Whelp family who held it mid-12th century. It passed to the Wharton family through whom it was held until the death of William Wharton in the mid-18th century. From there, ownership of the town passed to the Tufton family, lords of the barony of Appleby, though John Wharton of Skelton Castle remains the present lord of the manor and owner of a large portion of the land.

The village was on the site of a Roman cavalry camp called Bravoniacum. Roman coins, sandals, urns, earthen vessels, and the cusp of a spear have been found. There are three late 1st-century cavalry tombstones, as well as evidence of an Algerian-born camp commander, most likely a 3rd-century cavalry officer called Agathopus.

The camp lay on the Stainmore Road, the major east-west Roman road that ran eastward from Bravoniacum, through old Penrith, Carlisle, and eventually to western seaports (Figure 1). Another Roman road, called the Maiden Way, led north from Bravoniacum to Whitley Castle, and then on to the fort of Carveron at Hadrian's Wall. The Maiden Way was probably constructed to facilitate lead and silver exploitation near Alston in the uplands of the northern Pennines.

Figure 1–Roman Roads through Cumbria County. [1]

In 2016, a blend of radar and light technology called LIDAR revealed another Roman road running southwest from Kirkby Thore to the Roman fort at Low Borrowbridge. So, it seems that the Wharton's had inherited a major crossroad used by the Romans. Although, since the roads were built at different times and seemingly used two Eden River crossings, it was never an actual crossroad, but more of a spaghetti-type meeting of roads.

The Wharton Diaspora

While the family of Gilbert's older brother was living at Lammerside in Kirkby Stephen until Wharton Hall was built, all in Westmoreland County, the rest of the Wharton's began spreading out and building fortunes of their own. These places were in north central and northeastern England, though Whartons could be found throughout England.

It all began, however, in Kirky Thore. Each successive generation spread out from there—over the Northern Pennine Hills (or around them) to North Yorkshire County (Gillingwood and Skelton Castle) and Durham County (Old Park, Dryburn, and Offerton) in northeastern England (Figure 2).

Figure 2—Wharton Family Holdings in Northern England

 ¹ Gilbert Wharton of Kirkby Thore m. Joan Kirkby

Gilbert's lands at Kirky Thore passed to Sir John I Wharton.

 ² Sir John I Wharton of Kirkby Thore m. Isabel Lancaster

John Wharton and Isabel Lancaster had two sons, John II and Christopher, ancestor of the Whartons of Offerton in Durham County. John I Wharton died about 1465, and was succeeded by his eldest son John II. Isabel was the daughter of John Lancaster. ▼

The Isabel Lancaster in our tree represents a common problem in many family genealogies undertaken by amateur enthusiasts (so said without failing to include myself in that category). A preponderance of these ancestry trees show that Isabel is descended from John of Lancaster Plantagenet, the third son of King Henry IV and brother of King Henry V. However, this is absolutely NOT true, but rather the product of faulty assumptions and wishful thinking and.

In reality, biographies of John Lancaster Plantagenet clearly state that he was married twice, first to Anne Borgogne (Anne of Burgundy) who died without bearing any children. He was then married to Jacquetta of Luxembourg and when he died two years later, he left no heirs—they were childless as well. She did remarry and give birth to many children, but they were all of Woodville name. So, it is impossible that Isabel Lancaster is this John Lancaster's daughter.

In addition, there is ample evidence that an Isabel Lancaster was the daughter of John Lancaster of Brampton in Longmarton Parish, Westmoreland. This makes more sense since that Parish is close to Kirkby Thore, where Sir John Wharton lived.

The warning is clear. Be wary of making assumptions about linkages simply because they sound right. Too often, these errors are compounded over time by multiple genealogies until they appear to be written in stone.

^3a Sir John II Wharton of Kirkby Thore m. Lady Elizabeth of Fenwick

John II Wharton became counselor to Lord Clifford during the reign of Henry VII, from 1485–1509. He married Elizabeth, daughter and co-heiress of Fenwick of Wallington, Northumberland County.

Lady Elizabeth Fenwick adds an interesting complexity to our family tree—her ancestry can be traced to the de Morvilles. Elizabeth's mother was Joan Leigh, daughter of Sir William Leigh (1376-1428), a knight and prominent member of Parliament. The Leighs were a family of some antiquity, having over the generations acquired extensive estates in Cumbrian villages and within the city of Carlisle. Sir William was the Sheriff of Cumberland for three terms and remained on the county bench until his death.

Joan's grandmother was Margaret Multon whose great-great grandather married Ada de Morville, and thus connects the Whartons to the de Morvilles. Ada's father was a first cousin of Hugh de Morville who, as noted in How the Whartons Got Their Name, participated in the murder of Thomas á Becket. It was this Hugh de Morville who gave his Querton estates away, which eventually landed in the hands of the first Gilbert de Querton. So the lands she came into as a result of marrying John II Wharton was inherited by John from her own ancestor by a circuitous route.

Figure 3—The small village of Kirkby Thore looking east.

^3b Christopher Wharton of Offerton

 ⁴ Sir Gilbert Wharton of Kirkby Thore

Gilbert married a pair of sisters. From the sons of these two sisters came the ancestors of Old Park (and then Offerton), Gillingwood (and then Skelton Castle), and the continuation of the Wharton line at Kirkby Thore.

         m. (1) Catherine Machel

                   ^5a John III Wharton of Kirkby Thore ▼

There is some conflict and confusion in the records, but it appears that John II was succeeded by his eldest son, John III, and then another John Wharton's that followed at Kirkby Thore. That fourth John Wharton came into possession of Kirkby Thore in 1649. He had no sons, and in order to provide marriage for his three daughters, he sold the estate of Kirkby Thore to his third cousin, Humphrey Wharton (1628–1669), of Gillingwood. From there, Kirky Thore passed to the Whartons of Gillingwood, our ancestors.

                   ^5b Charles Wharton of Old Park

         m. (2) Elizabeth Machel

                   ^5c Anthony Wharton of Gillingwood

What follows is a brief description of each of the places where significant Whartons ended up. Gillingwood will be taken up in the next chapter to show where our particular branch of the family came from and which direct ancestors of ours crossed the big pond.

Offerton

The following offers the best description of Offeeton's historical context: [2]

The earliest reference to Offerton seems to be c. 930 A.D., when King Athelstan gave "South Wearmouth" and its appendages, which included "Ufferton", to the see of Durham. Thereafter it is mentioned in 1172 and 1327, but with little supporting information. In the 18th century "the mansion house", presumably Offerton Hall, at the west end of the village, was the seat of Francis Middleton. The plan of the village has been interpreted as an irregular two-row plan, without a green. Today there are remains of 18th-19th century farms and a lot of modern infilling (Figure 4).

Figure 4. View of Farm and Countryside from Offerton Lane.

Offerton was one of the first places a Wharton moved to outside of Westmoreland County. Its located in Houghton-le-Spring parish, County Durham, near the River Wear, 4 miles southwest of Sunderland, and 1½ mile from Hylton station. While Offerton has been split by a major road (A19) and has been inundated by modern dwellings, the manor estates still exist as Offerton Hall Farm (Figure. 5).

Figure 5--Location of Offerton Hall Farm

Christopher Wharton (3b of the Whartons of Kirkby Thore above) moved to Offerton, though the Wharton name was not attached to the manor for very long—just two further generations—until it ended up in the hands of the Myddleton (Middleton) family. Though it eventually did land back in the hands of the Whartons of Old Park.

^3b Christopher Wharton m. Margaret Crowdy
 ⁴ George m. Mary Gilpin
         ^5a Richard Wharton (died childless).
         ^5b Christopher Wharton.
                   ^6a Mary
                   ^6b Elizabeth m. Sir George Myddleton

It was through Elizabeth that Offerton was passed down through the Myddleton family. Though eventually it came back into the hands of the Whartons of Old Park.

                    ⁷ Francis Myddleton
                    ⁸ Richard Myddleton
                             ^9a Catherine Myddleton m. Cuthbert Heron

Cuthbert Heron took the name Myddleton by stipulation of the will to receive Offerton, not unusual for the times, becoming Cuthbert Heron Myddleton. He and Catherine died childless.

                             ^9b Mary Myddleton m. Robert Wharton of Old Park

When Cuthbert and Catherine Myddleton died childless, title to the lands and manor of Offerton revert to Catherine's sister, Mary, who just happened to be married to Robert Wharton of Old Park. So Offerton, originally bought by Christopher Wharton, was once again in Wharton hands.

Old Park

Old Park, a township in Whitworth parish, Durham, is 2½ miles NE of Bishop Auckland, and half a mile from Byers Green station. A mansion here formerly belonged to the Wharton family ... It was rebuilt by Dr Wharton, and was frequently visited in his time by the poet (Thomas) Gray (Figure 6). [3]

Figure 6—Old Park Hall, Byers Green, County Durham.

in 2014, The Old Hall was restored into the Old Hall Cottages at the North edge of the village of Byers Green above the River Wear, with no through traffic. The cottages include semi-detached buildings used as dwellings, for agricultural purposes, or surgery for doctors who lived and practiced from The Old Hall. A lane runs about 1,000 feet from the northern edge of what appears to be a walled-in estate to the River Wear, which then doglegs and parallels the river to what looks like another old property (Figure 7).

Figure 7—Location of Old Hall Cottages near the River Wear.

Charles (5b from the Whartons of Kirkby Thore above) is considered the ancestor of the Wharton's of Old Park, though it was his grandson, John Wharton (1525-1609), who actually purchased Old Park about 1600. The estate of Old Park remained in the Wharton family for at least eight generations.

^5b Charles Wharton of Old Park
 ⁶ John Wharton
 ⁷John Wharton (bought Old Park)
 ⁸ Dr. Thomas Wharton

A celebrated physician, Dr. Thomas Wharton, Sr. discovered the "duct" which is still called "Wharton’s duct" in medical books. He remained in London during the plague of 1665–1666 to attend the Guards, and was rewarded by the King for his service.

          ^9a Dr. Thomas Wharton Jr.
                   ^10a Robert Wharton m. Mary Myddleton—died childless ▼

Robert Wharton. assumed the middle name Myddleton by the terms of the will of Francis Myddleton.

                   ^10b Richard Wharton (b.1774)—died childless ▼

He was a member of Parliament and one of the joint secretaries of the treasury.

          ^9b Richard Wharton (b.1721) m. Anne Lloyd ▼

He was mayor of Durham in 1760.

                   ^10c Rev. Robert Wharton (1751–1808) m. Sarah Whaley ▼

Chancellor of the Lincoln Cathedral and a profound scholar.

                    ¹¹ William Lloyd Wharton (1789–1869) of Dryburn (see below)

I have found no further mention of further Whartons living at either Old Park or Offerton, although they were both certainly sold at some point since neither are in the possession of the family any longer.

Dryburn Manor

The Whartons came to Dryburn, in the northern suburbs of Durham City much later than other places. First known as Driburnhouse in 1353, when the Bishop of Durham gave land there to Isabel, daughter of Robert de Leicester. After having many owners, Dryburn ended up in the Hutchinson family until 1760. At that time, it was purchased by William Lloyd Wharton (1789–1869), High Sheriff of Durham from 1833 to 1836, who was from the Old Park Whartons (Figure 8).

Figure 8—William Lloyd Wharton

William Lloyd Wharton was instrumental in the building and operation of a railway across the region as director of the North-Eastern Railway. Today, the home he built, Dryburn House, sits on the grounds of the University Hospital of North Durham. At last report, it was set to be demolished to make way for a new multimillion accident and emergency department for the Hospital.

But long before William Lloyd Wharton arrived, precisely on the spot where the Hospital now sits, was the site of Durham’s old gallows. What was once Dryburn Hall and its grounds was a gruesome place of execution. The gallows in Durham were at Dryburn, opposite the present County Hall. ▼

The peacefulness of the Dryburn in William Lloyd Whartons time was a far cry from the often tumultuous reign of Queen Elizabeth I, when it was nothing less than a killing ground. Elizabeth’s elder sister, the Roman Catholic Mary, had persecuted many English Protestants. They were executed for their refusal to give up their new church practices. However, after ascending the throne, the Protestant Elizabeth did all she could to restore the Church of England as established by her father, Henry VIII. Particularly targeted were Roman Catholic priests, to whom she showed no mercy. If they were caught saying the Catholic mass, it was considered treason and punishable by death.

It was here on July 24, 1594, that the Catholic priest John Boste became a martyr, dying for his faith. The priest had for years preached secret masses against orders of the Crown. He was captured and sentenced to hang at Dryburn, after having been tortured n the rack in the Tower of London where he refused to renounce his beliefs, even though he ended up badly disfigured. He was to be hanged, drawn and quartered, but his death turned out to be far worse.

On 24th July 1594, Boste climbed a ladder at Dryburn's gallows, praying as he did so. A noose was placed around his neck and the ladder removed, but the drop was insufficient and the priest fell only a short distance. He was left hanging, twisting, and kicking until the executioner cut the rope. Boste fell to the ground on his feet, still very much alive. As he stood there, gasping for breathe, the hangman pounced on him. He was castrated, his abdomen slashed open allowing his insides to spill out, and his heart cut out. Finally, his his head was removed and displayed to the watching throng, shouting, “Here is the head of a traitor.” And that was all done before he was quartered. Many years later, in 1970, Boste was canonised and pilgrims still visit the Durham Martyrs’ memorial near the crossroads at the bottom of the Dryburn House estate.

Though William Lloyd Wharton bought the Dryburn estate in 1760, he didn't build Dryburn Hall until 1824. At the same time he also began work on the creation of a large garden, in which Wharton took such pride. A park called Wharton Park on the northern edge of Durham City was opened to the public in 1858, presented to the appreciative people of the area by William Lloyd Wharton. ▼

After the railway was constructed in 1857, William Lloyd Wharton turned the rough land north of the railway into a public park and had the mock castle (the Battery) built as a look out over the railway and the city. The mock castle soon became known as the Battery, when a Crimean War Sebastopol gun was moved there in 1858. William Lloyd Wharton continued to own and run the park, using it to hold public events.

In 1863 he planted a memorial oak in the park, in memory of Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband. It was planted in a special stone-built container near the north Road entrance to the park which is still there today, complete with an inscription which reflects Prince Albert's life, "While we have time, let us do good to all men." In 1912, Mary Dorothea Wharton Dawin of Dryburn, offered to hand over Wharton Park to the city of Durham at virtually no cost. In 1915 the city council took up her offer and took over the running of the park.

During the Second World War there was an air raid shelter in the park, and allotments. Guns from the Battery were removed for war salvage. By the 1980s one tennis court had been turned into an area for battery-driven cars for children. Another tennis court was used for a conservatory with exotic plants. In 1994 The Way sculpture was installed in the park. In 2012, the Olympic Torch Relay passed through Wharton Park. In 2016 Wharton Park was re-opened by the Duke of Kent after a major year-long refurbishment.

William Lloyd Wharton died in 1867 and was buried in St Cuthbert's churchyard. Stained glass windows in both St Margaret's Church and St Cuthbert's Church are memorials to this remarkable man, who had interests in science experiments, astronomy (he had the nearby obelisk built for the university), athletics, the Durham Regatta, and Durham Markets Company. He also found time to be High Sheriff of Durham apart from his duties as Director of the North Eastern Railway.

From 1867 to 1894, Dryburn remained in Wharton hands, at which point Mary Dorothea Wharton married Col. John Waring Dawin. During the Second World War, Dryburn House was an emergency hospital for wounded servicemen of both sides and still exists as part of the University Hospital of North Durham (Figure 9).

Figure 9—Old Dryburn Hall at the University Hospital of North Durham.

———————

FOOTNOTES

[1] Ratledge, David. The Roman Roads of Roman Britain, Roman Roads in Cumbria   Roman Roads Research Association. Accessed 30 March 2022.

[2] Sitelines. Gateway to the Tyne and Wear's Historic Environment Record, Offerton Village   Tyne and Wear Archaeology Office. Accessed 30 March 2022.

[3] Lewis, Samuel. A Topographical Dictionary of England, "Old Park." seventh edition, 1858.

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