THE ROMANS

 

In 54 BC, Julius Caesar made a failed attempt to invade Britain. However, in AD 43, they were successful.

 

 

 

THE ANGLO-SAXONS

 

PLACE NAMES

Ellerby: Elfweard's farm.

Dowthorpe: Dufa's hamlet.

Oubrough: Owl haunted stronghold.

Langthorpe: Lambi's village.

 

Woodhall was the site of the chief manor. Oubrough and Langthorpe were granges of  Swine priory.

 

THE NORMANS (1066 -

 

 

After his invasion of England in 1066, William rewarded his followers by giving them land as tenants in chief. The area which we now know as Holderness (among many others around the Country) was given to Drogo de Beuvriere, a rather unsavoury character, married to William’s niece. Drogo, as “Lord of all Holderness” built his base at Skipsea Castle.

When Drogo’s wife died under mysterious circumstances, Drogo fled the country. William issued orders for his arrest but he was never captured.

 

The Harrying of the North 1069-70

 

Following his victory at Hastings in 1066, William “the Conqueror” supressed a series of uprisings around the country. H

 

owever, he met considerable resistance in Northumbria (the area between the Humber and the Tyne). His solution was to undertake the Harrying of the North during the winter of 1069-70.

The harrying involved the wholesale destruction of villages, the murder of their inhabitants, the burping of their food supplies and crops and the slaughter of their livestock. Sixteen years later, the Domesday Book gives evidence of the destruction.

 

The Domesday Book

 

 

 

 

 



 

In 1086, the Domesday Book, the manors comprising modern Ellerby (then known as Alverdbi or Aluuardehi) are described (in translation from the original Latin) thus:

In ELLERBY Frani, Elaf, Man, Thorbiorn and Ramkel had 4 carucates of land to the geld and there could be 4 ploughs. Now Frumold, Drogo’s man has 1 plough there; and 2 villans and 3 bordars and [there are] 20 acres of meadow. [It is] 1 league long and half broad. TRE worth 40s; now 10s.

In OUBROUGH, Thorfridh had 2 carucates of land to the geld, and there could be 2 ploughs. Now Frumold, Drogo’s man has 1 plough there; and 5 villans and 3 bordars with 1 plough and 10 acres of meadow [It is] half a league long and a half broad. TRE worth 30s; now 20s.

In LANGTHORPE, Thor had 1 carucate of land to the geld and there could be 1 plough.

 

 

3.3 STEPHEN. 1135 - 1154

 

During Stephen's reign, Robert de Verli founded a Cistercian priory, under Fountains Abbey, at Swine. Dedicated to St Mary, the priory was originally occupied by 14 nuns and a prioress.  Later, male premonstratensian canons were introduced, a situation which gave rise to periodical complaints of impropriety! They were removed before 1287.

In his will of 1403-4 Walter Skirlaw, then Bishop of Durham, bequethed £100 to the monastery.