Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/fragmentavetustaOOhalf OR NAM KNV5 in S 1 W1LUAM s CHAPEL TO Sir MARK MASTERMAN SYKES, Bart. FELLOW OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES, LONDON, AND ONE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES IN PARLIAMENT FOR THE . CITY OF YORK, THIS VOLUME IS DEDICATED, IN TOKEN OF SINCERE RESPECT AND GRATITUDE, by ins MOST OBEDIENT AND HUMBLE SERVANT, JOSEPH HALFPENNY. 1JVTR DID UCTXQN* The Romans have left many indifputable proofs of' their magnificence, in their public bulling?. Mr. Gibbon on the fubject tells us, that "All the Provinces of the Empire were embelhfhed by the u fame liberal fpirit of public grandeur; and were filled with theatres, " temples, porticos, triumphal arches, baths, &c." Mr. Camden's words are alfo thefe: " It may be inferred what figure Eboracum then " made in the world, feeing it was the feat of the Roman Emperors." York, therefore, a place of fuch great confequence to them in this ifland, may be fuppofed to have contained many of the national buildings, how- ever few their remains now are, or the reprefentations, which have been handed down to us. Itappears alfo, that York was ftrongly fortified by the Romans, and Flaccus Albinus or Alcuin, a native of the place, who died A. D. 780, informs us, in a poem ftill extant, " That York was *' built by the Romans, and fortified with lofty towers, and high-built " walls; which gave fecurity to their leaders, and honor to the Empire." It is alfo evident, that from the time the Romans finally quitted this ifland down to the prefent time, this City has always had fortifications ; though we cannot fuppofe that the prefent walls were built by the Romans, as their foundations are not more than three feet deep within the earth, and not more than fix feet thick. Leland, in his Itinerary fays, " The walls of the City of London built by them," (meaning the Romans) " were eight feet deep in the earth, and nine feet in thicknefs " above the foundation." The walls at Aldborough, near to Borough- bridge in this County, are alfo of the fame dimenfions. The vifible a ii INTRODUCTION. remains of Roman building at York, is the lower part of the Multangular Tower, and perhaps, fome parts of the Gates or Bars: remains yet may be, as fome certainly have been concealed, by the great accumulation of earth and rubbifh: for there was lately difcovered, in digging a drain from the Cattle, near to the Sallyport, about feven feet below the furface of the earth, a flone on which is cut the word Civitatiy and which was probably part of fome Roman infcription: a representation of which is given in the Frontifpiece to this Work. When the Romans withdrew themfelves, and left Britain a prey to the barbarous nations, fo large a Lhare of thofe miieries fell upon this City, that towards the conclufion of the Scotch and Saxon wars, it was nothing but a fhadow of what it had been: for, when Paulinus preached chnftianity to the Saxons in this Province, it was reduced fo low, that the whole City could not afford even a fmall Church wherein to baptize King Edwin, who, in the year A. D. 627 ere&ed a fabric of wood for the purpofe of divine worfhip, intending afterwards to build another of ftone, of which he had fcarcely laid the foundation, when he died, leaving the work to be completed by his fucceffbr, King Ofwald. From this time, the City began to be great in ecclefiaflical dignity: and notwithstanding the deftruction that befel it, in the time of William the Conqueror; yet, in the reign of Henry V. it appears to have greatly increafed, from the lift of Parifli Churches, and other religious houfes delivered upon oath to the King's Commiflloners. The number of them according to Mr. Drake (I take his own words) is: u Forty-five Churches, feventeen Chapels, fixteen Hofpitals, and nine " religious houfes." Of which, great numbers are utterly destroyed by time, and of many, even the very lite is unknown at this day. An in- controvertible proof of the great ufe and benefit of topographical draw- INTRODUCTION. ings, in illuftratlng the hiftory of our forefathers, and tranfmitting to porterity thofe monuments of antiquity which the hand of time is rapidly wafting away. Monuments of this fort are the hiftory of pad: ages, and fo long as thofe remain, or are handed down by faithful reprefcntations, they will give 1 eel: Lire's of inftruclion to man, and will alfo afford him intellectual pleafure; as whatever brings to our recolleclion, the cuftoms and manners of ancient times, will never fail to produce an afTociation of ideas, that muft ever delight the imagination. That the remains of antiquity in York, are by time, and various alterations which frequently take place, declining almoft into oblivion, is fo manifestly clear, as to require no farther obfervation: — and although fome few detached prints have been published, I have, notwithftanding, been induced to offer a feleclion of fubjecls, accompanied with extracls from the bell authorities, in one volume: and although the inferiority of the execution of the plates, to many in fimilar publications at this period, may be great; yet the advantage of local refidence may, it is hoped, produce a minute attention to the various parts, that will, in fome meafure, atone for other imperfeclions. My utmoll endeavours have been exerted to give faithful reprefentations, and I hope, my labors will meet with the approbation of the Public. J. H. 2"ORK, Nov. u 1807, HISTORICAL COMPENDIUM OF THE ■MeMHBgaMMWMM»MMMMH«Wim«BWM«MaBB»f ITt — ffl^BHBBMW^MMMMWW— BBB8WWBM8BM A. D. THE Romans finally quitted Britain in the reign of Honorius CCCCXXX A. D. 430, and modern hiflorians allow only a few months be- tween their departure and the arrival of the Saxons. The City of York was, foon after the departure of the Romans, befieged by the Scots and Picts. In the year 450, Hengift the Saxon General defeated the Scots and CCCCL Picls, and took from them York and all the country, on this fide the Tees. Aurelius Ambrotius, coming before York 466, fummoned Octa to fur- CCCCLXVI render. The young Prince, terrified by his father's fate, at length furrendered. In 490, Octa and Eofa again invert: the City of York, and the Britifh CCCCXC King Uter coming to its relief, where, under the very walls, after an obflinate refiftance, difcomfited their whole army and took both the brothers prifoners. Colgrin, having loft a great battle, was under the neceflity of fhutting DXVI himfelf up in York; in the year 516 King Arthur befieged him, and 4 during the fiege, Baldolf being prevented from giving aid to his brother Colgrin in York; by disguiling hitnfelf, he pafTed through the Britifti trenches without fufpicion, and advancing near to the Walis of the City, was diicovercd hy the Centinels, and, drawn up in the night-time, was conducted to his brother. — King Arthur raifcd the (iege and retired to London, but it was delivered up to him foun after the battle of Badon- Hill. Cadwallo, the Britifh King of Wales, having got pofTefTion of York in 633, was befieged by Ofrick with an army of undifciplined troops; the Welfh King having fallied out, and attacked him fo furioufly, that he put his army to the rout and left him dead on the field. During the Heptarchy there is nothing remarkable, that relates to the City Walls. dccclxvii Hinguar and Hubba, the Danifli Generals, enter the Humber with a fleet in 867, which fpread terror throughout England; they marched directly to York, where Ofbert had collected an army to oppofe them. He fallied out and attacked the Danes, but being (lain, and his army defeated, a vi&ory was obtained that opened the Gates of York to the Danes. DCCCCXXVI 1° y ear 9 2 ^ Godfrey and Anlaff, on the death of their father Sithrick, ftirred up the Northumbrian Danes to rebel, which attempt brought Athelftan upon them fo fuddenly, that the two fons of Sithrick with Reginald, had much to do to efcape falling into his hands at York. The City he took, and with it all Northumberland fubmitted. But the A. D. DCXXX11I Cattle of York being then prodigioufly ftrong and well manned with Danifh ioldiers, held out a long time; but at length falling into his hands, he razed the Caftle to the ground in the year 937, left it mould be any more a nurfery of rebellion. A. D. Soon after the death of Atbelftan, AnlafF again, in 940 laid fiege to DCCCCXL York, and the Gates were immediately opened to him, by means of the principal inhabitants, who at that time were moft of them Danes. In 1065, the Northumbrians came upon Tofta fo fuddenly, that he MLXV narrowly elcaped their tury; and had juft time to elcape from York, with his wife and children to the fea coaft, from whence he found means to be conveyed into Flanders. The Revolters miffing their chief aim, fatiated their revenge upon what he had left behind him; they fpoiled and plundered his Palace, brok^ open his Exchequer, and drowned two hundred of his fervants in the river Oule ; as Simeon of Durham fays, " extra muros civitatis." The King of Norway and Tofta in 1066 having raifed a powerful MLXVI army, fet fail for England with a fleet of near fix hundred mips, and, landing their forces at Rickall within fix miles of York, they marched directly to York, which, fays Simeon of Durham, " they took by ftorm, *' after a fore conflict with Morchar the Governor, and Edwin Earl of " Chefter." This defeat happened on the eve of St. Matthew 1066, at Foulford, a village a mile South-eaft from the City. After the battle of Halting?, William the Conqueror had ftill the MLXiX North to fubdue, and York had ftill Earl Morchar for its Governor; B 6 but the inhabitants voluntarily fubmitted themfelves to the clemency of - the Conqueror. This gained them a rcmiffion of corporal punifhment, but they were obliged to pay a large fine, and moreover had the morti- fication to fee two Ca&Jes fortified in the City, and ftrongly garrisoned with Norman foldiers. Soon after a considerable league was formed f.gainft the Conqueror, and Ofibern the Danifh General, at the head of the confederate army, marched directly to Yoik. The Norman garrifon in the Caftles were reiolved to hold out to thelaft extremity, and having fet fire to fome houfes in the iuburbs, by an accidental wind the flames fpread further than was intended, and burnt down great part of the City. The Danes taking advantage of the confufion that the fine muft necef- farily occafion, entered the City without oppofition; and then, the Con- federates dividing their forces, attacked both the Caftles at the fame time, and the charge was made fo vigoroully that a dreadful flaughter •enfued, for all the Norman garrifon was cut in pieces. This conflict was September 19th. William was foon informed of the deftruction of the Norman garrifon at York, and with all the fury imaginable, fwear- ing by God's fplendour, he would not leave a foul of them alive. A. D. MLXX At his coming before the City, he fumrmned the Governor to fur- render; but the befieged being well gamibned, and provided with all rtecefifaries tor a fiege, it is fuppofed that it continued for fix months; when a breach being made in the Walls with his engines, the Governor furrendered. Whatever articles had been flipulated at the furrender, they were little regarded by the Conqueror. For, William of Malmfbury fays, that " he looked upon York as the only neft of rebellion in the " kingdom, and accordingly razed the City to the ground, and with it " fell all the principal Nobility and Gentry ; moft of the inhabitants, 7 -<* and the English and Scotch garrifons, all perimed."" And further, *• that the City mould not receive any aid to reftore it, he laid all wafte «' between York and Durham, fparing only the lands of St. John of *' Beverley." The country around York was fo defolate, that the land lay uncultivated for nine jears„ Though York had fuffered greatly under the Saxon, Danifh, and other invafions, yet in peace it always returned to its former greatnefs. But William's barbarity and malice went fo far as to erafe, as much as pof- fible, all the noble remains of antiquity it could then produce; for, fays Leland in his Collectanea, " hsec clades deturpavit, aut potius penitus *' abrafit, quicquid erat monumentorum aut antiquae nobilitatis a Ro- *' manis relictae EboracL" — Alfo, that the fuburbs of the City before the Conqueft extended to the towns a mile round it — '* conftans fama " eft aliquot villas effe uno ab Eboraco milliario, ubi, ante tempora " Gulielmi nothi, termini erant fuburbanarum sdium." The author of the Polychronicon writes, that " York feemed as fair as the City of " Rome, before it was burnt by William the Conqueror, from the " beauty and magnificence of the buildings;" and what was ftyled by William Harrifon, "Altera Roma," and by Alcuin, "Caput totius regni," at this period was nothing but a heap of ruins. A. D. Neverthelefs a within feventy years after this, we find that in the time MCXXXVIII of King Stephen, David, King of Scotland taking advantage of the civil war between the Emprefs Maud and Stephen, laid fiege to York with a powerful army, intending to make it a frontier town againft Stephen ; but the battle at Northallerton put an end to his dtfign. 8 A. D. MCCXVI During the intcftine troubles of England, 121 6, between King John and his Barons, the htter laid fiege to York; but receiving a thouland marks from the inhabitants, a truce was granted them. MCCCXI Edward II. in the fourth year of his reign, kept his Chriftmas at York, 13115 and, as he forefaw an invafion, he now caufed the Walls of the City to be ftrongly fortified, and put in a pofture of defence. MCCCXIX In 1 31 9 Thomas Randolph, Earl of Murray, the Scotch General, in order to evade Edward's army, marched another way into England, wafting all with fire and fword, until he came to the very Gates of 'York, and was near taking the Queen before ihe could get into the City. The City he did not attempt to befiege, but burnt and deftroyed the fuburbs; which done, he drew off his men and marched back into Scotland. In Rymer's Foedera is a mandate from Edward III. part of which is to the following effect: The KING to his well-beloved the MAYOR and BAYLIFFS of his CITY of YORK, greeting: MCCCXXVII We flriclly command and charge you, upon your faith and allegiance, and of the forfeiture of every thing you can forfeit to us, immediately on fight of thefe prefents, without excufe or delay, to infpe<£t and over- look your Walls, Ditches, and Towers, and the ammunition proper for the defence of the City; taking with you fuch of our faithful fervants as will be chofen for this purpofe, and to take fuch order for its defence, that no danger can happen to the City by neglect of fuch fafeguards. — 9 And we by thefe prefents, give you full power and authority to diftrain and compel all and Angular holders of houfes or rents in the faid City; or merchants, or ftrangers inhabiting the fame, by the leizure of their bodies or goods, to be aiding towards the fecurity of the Walls, Bul- warks or Towers, as you in your difcretion (hall think fit to ordain, and for the making other ufeful and neceffary works about it — Puniihing all thofe that are found to contradict or rebel againft this order, by imprifonment, or what other methods you think fit. — Dated at Durham, July 15th, 1327. By the KING. A. D. About this time the Citizens began to fortify themfclves with new MCCCLX Walls, adding many Towers for their further lecunty. In the reign of Henry VI. after the battle of Wakefield, where MCCCCLX Richard Duke of York met his fate ; his head was crowned with paper in derifion, put on a long pole, and placed on the top of Muklcgate Bar, with his face to the City. — Queen Margaret, in .sh tkcipear's Henry VI. fays *' OfF with his head, and let it 011 Yurk Gates; fo " York may overlook the town of York." Richard III. began to raife a new Caftle from the ground, near which MCCCCLXXXIII ftands the fliell of Clifford's Tower. In the reign of Charles I. September 2d, 1642, the City of York MDCXLII was ordered to be put immediately into a poiture of defence, and ord- nance mounted at the Gates. C IO A. D. mdcxliv In 1644 the City was clofely befieged by an army of forty thoufand men, under the command of Sir Thomas Fairfax, General Lefley, and the Earl of Manchefter, and feveral batteries were erected againft the City, particularly one on a hill near to Walmgate Bar, where four pieces of cannon played almofl lnceflantly on the town. Nor were the befieged idle from within, but in one day fired above one hundred great (hot on the beliegers' woiks. The King's forces made feveral gallant fallies, but were ltill beat back with like courage. Rufhworth fays, " every " day produced fome notable action," and laments they were not journalized by any hand that he ever faw. — June 15th, Manchefler's forces had undermined St. Mary's Tower, at the North-eaft corner of the Manor, and Colonel Clayford fprung the mine, which quite de- molifhed the Tower ; and, having made another breach in the Wall lower down in Marygate, entered and took poffeflion of the Manor. But Prince Rupert, with an army of twenty thoufand men, advancing to York, the Rebels thought proper to draw off" their forces to Marfton Moor, about five miles from York. After the battle of Marflon Moor, the City of York was fummoned to furrender; and SirThomas Glemham the Governor, after a fiege of eighteen weeks, furrendered up the City to Lord Fairfax, who was constituted Governor of it by the Parlia- ment. MDCXLVIII The City Walls being much mattered in the time of the fiege, were, by order of the Governor and Lord Mayor, put into repair and were three years in perfecting: — and from that time to the prefent, fuch repairs as have been done to the Walls and Bars, have been at the cxpence of the Corporation, monk: bak INSIDE OF MONK BAR k Sally-port . 40 Feel . IH del: et [e- Published Nov i 1807 by I Halfpenny York a Entrance, b Staircaces. C Recesses Ao the loop-holes d Well . Sz M TOWER a e Stone Coffin, f Fireplaces . g Privies, h Buttresses • to the upper story 3|0 4,o Feet H" del-et fe- Published Nov- i [807 by I Halfpenny Yovk PI- 23 O L— 2 zn 3 3 5> 4 FISHERGATE BAR MULTANGULAR TOWER. PLATE t This Tower is fituated at an angle of the City Walls: on the one fide the Walls extend to Bootham Bar, on the other fide they are fuppofed to have extended in a right line to the Cattle, as their foundations have been difcovered near to the Manfion-Houfe, and alfo in Coney-ftreet. The bafement of the tower is built of fmail fquared ftones, with a flratum of Roman bricks, which, is continued a confiderable length in the wall leading towards the Cafllej the whole being cemented together into one folid mafs; fo as to entitle it to be confidered a Roman work. Mr. Drake in his Eboracum, with great labour, has endeavoured to prove that the Temple of Bellona was fituated near to this place, from whence, Publius Victor fays, *' they ufed to give audience to foreign " Ambaffadors, when they would not admit them into the City; and from " the fame Temple declared war, and alfo received their Generals at their *' return from performing fome fignal fervice abroad." — From the fitua- tion of the Multangular Tower, and the extenfive plain before it, where it is probable the Campus Martius was, the lower part of it may poffibly be the remains of the Temple of Bellona. INSIDE of the MULTANGULAR TOWER. PLATE II. This view of the upper part of the Tower, by the defign, evidently marks it to have been built fome time fubfequent to the period of the lower part (as reprefented Plate I.) where the external appearance is much deeper, not having any accumulation of earth. BOOTHAM BAR PLATE III. This Bar is at a 1itt T e (lift ru€ from the Multangular Tower, and is the entran e into t e C :y from the North. On the front of this Bar are two fhields with the Arms of the City; and above them a fhield within the Garter, but fo defaced, that it cannot be diftinguimed what the arms have been. The internal part is altogether modern, and by the appearance of the turrets in the front, it may feem to have fuffered much in the rebellion during the reign of Charles I. MONK BAR. PLATE IV. This view of the front of the Bar, which is the entrance into the City from Scarborough, has two fhields with the Arms of the City, and above them the Royal Arms and Helmet : but it is difficult to determine whether they were placed there before or after the reign of Henry V. as the fleurs-de-lis are fo mutilated: the figures on the battlements appear in the act of throwing down ftones. — In the Memoirs of Sir Henry Slingfby, we read, " this Bar was beaten down as low as the Gates, in the great te rebellion;" but the whole building retains more of its ancient form, both external and internal, than any of the other Bars, fo that it is probable Bootham Bar is the one that fuffered. INSIDE of MONK BAR. PLATE V. This Plate reprefents the infide of the Bar towards the City, and is the only one that retains its ancient form : the room over the Gate is arched with ftone in the fame manner as the Gateway itfelf; and another Room on the fecond floor is alio arched in like manner : the portcullis and its windlafs are alfo entire. PLAN of MONK BAR. PLATE VI. All the Bars feem to have been conftrudted from one defign: the Bar- bacan is evidently a fubfequent building to that of the Bar, as it is built againfl: it, and the old buttrefs is yet vifible. LAYTHORP POSTERN. PLATE VIL Laythorp or Layrethorpe Poftern is fituated at the end of a bridge over Fofs, and has had a portcullis and Gates. The Walls with their Towers extend from this Poftern to Monk Bar, part of which are repre- fented in this view. WALMGATE BAR. PLATE VIII. This entrance into the City from Hull is taken in profile, to mew the projection of the Barbacan. On the front of the Bar are the Royal Arms, as tiled by H nry V. The internal parts, having undergone va- rious alterations retain nothing of their antiquity. This Bar fuffered mofl in the rebellion, having been undermined in the fiege; but was repaired in 1648, the date under the City Arms at the outer entrance of the Barbacan. The City Walls adjoining to this Bar, are built upon arches in the foundation; and, from the conftruction and materials, ap- pear to be of great antiquity: in feveral places the Walls are arched on the infide, but they are of a much later date. SALLYPORT to the CASTLE. PLATE IX. That the Caftle has been ftrongly fortified, this view will convey fome idea; and the double Walls and Towers, together with the deep Fofs which have furrounded it, will fufficiently demonftrate the pofition. The principal entrance into the Caftle was by a draw-bridge over the Fofs, between Fifhergate Poftern and the Towers reprefented in the Plate. In making fome alterations for the purpofe of publicly executing the fentence of capital punifhments, the Sallyport and the Tower ad- joining are now entirely taken away. MICKLEGATE BAR. PLATE X. On the front of this Bar are the Royal Arms as ufed before the time of Henry V. over them is a helmet on which is placed a lion ; and on each fide is a fhield with the City arms; below are the arms of Sir John Kay, Bart. Renovata A. D. 1727. — Mr. Drake fays, " Cromwell, on '* palling through York in his expedition into Scotland, to compliment '* his Excellency, the Magistrates thought fit to take down the King's " Arms at Micklegate and Bootham Bars, and put up the State's Arms " in their place;" but this could not have been the cafe on Micklegate Bar. — The internal part of this Bar has nothing worthy of notice, except in the fecond ftory, where the Royal Arms of Queen Elizabeth are with this motto, God fave the Queen. INSIDE of the CITY WALLS. PLATE XI. This view is taken between Micklegate Bar and North-ftreet Poftern. And here it may not be improper to give an account of the Walls and Towers as they were in the time of Leland, who in his Itinerary fays, ** The City of York is divided by the river Oufe; but that part which ** is on the Eaft fide is twice as great as that on the Weft. — The great