George I.
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Shortly after this William Knaggs is recorded again in the Register of Papist Estates in which he is described
as owning land in Danby and Skelton, with a mortgage on property in Skelton of £60. His Wife, Isabel and son John are
named as his heirs.
1727 - The death of George I and the accession of
George II.
19 years after inheriting Skelton estate Lawson Trotter, who
was unmarried, sold the estate to the husband of his sister and heiress
Catharine.
The new owner was a wealthy Durham merchant named John Hall.
There was also a new priest at Skelton Church, George Flower,
who
remained here for three years.
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1730 - The new priest at Skelton Church was Thomas
Tankred.
1733 - Bastardy Act ordered that all fathers of
illegitimate children shall be committed to gaol until they gave
security to indemnify the parish from expense.
The new priest at Skelton All Saints Church, from this year
until 1780, was Thomas Kitching.
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Chariot racing on Saltburn sands.
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Death of John Hall, 6 years after purchasing Skelton estate.
He was buried in Crossgate Church, Durham and was succeeded by his son,
also called John, who was only 15 years of age at the time.
John Hall Stevenson went up to Cambridge University, where he
befriended Laurence Sterne, who later achieved fame as the author of
'Tristram Shandy' and 'A Sentimental Journey'.
He left Cambridge well versed in Latin, French and classical literature and like most landed gentry of the day
made the European tour.
On his return to Skelton Stevenson lived the life of the dilettante play-boy of the time.
He gathered round him a circle of reputedly "gay squires and clerics" who called themselves the "Demoniacs".
Skelton Castle became the venue for boisterous and, for that time, erotic parties with much over-eating and drinking.
It was said - "He kept a full-spread board,and wore down the steps of his cellar."
David Garrick, the actor is said to have been among the visitors.
Another was one Zachary Moore of nearby Lofthouse, who inherited wealth from his family's ownership of alum mines.
It was said he shod his horses with silver shoes and spent his life in riotous living with noble friends, who
"assisted him in the laborious work of getting to far end of a great fortune."
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Illustration from "Crazy Tales"
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Laurence Sterne became in 1738 the clergyman for Sutton in
the Forest,
8 miles from York and he also had duties at York Minster.
Despite this he had a reputation as a lady's man and made frequent visits to his old friend at Skelton and joined in the
revelries.
John Hall Stevenson had many eccentricities and used to take
to his bed whenever the cold east wind blew off the sea, which in
Skelton is often.
It is said that Sterne, to fool his friend into activity, was in the
habit of paying the stable boy to climb to the weather cock and fasten
it in a south westerly direction.
Among their pastimes was "chariot racing", when they competed in their
chaises along the several mile stretch of flat sand
between Saltburn and Redcar.
The character Eugenius in Sterne's Tristram Shandy is supposedly based
on Stevenson, who was himself, a witty author.
His works include "Fables for Grown Gentlemen" [1761- 1770]
and "Crazy Tales" [1762]
It is generally thought their tone and turn of thought, occasionally
obscene, are very similar to the works of Sterne, but lacking the
latter's literary genius.
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Drawing of Skelton Castle made by Samuel Buck in the
1720's
[This image and the picture of John Hall Stevenson below have been
kindly contributed by Dr Tony Nicholson, Lecturer
in History at Teesside University.]
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His works had some recognition in the eighteenth century as
third
reprints were published.
Sadly, no one has ever found a picture of old Skelton Castle, which was
pulled down and rebuilt at the end of the eighteenth century.
Some have suggested that the illustration for the frontispiece of
Stevenson's "Crazy Tales" is a true representation of it.
The drawing made by Samuel Buck in the 1720's suggests that it was
similar.
However, it looks like no other Norman castle and, like the surrounding
scenery, some features could be the creation of the illustrator's
imagination in line with the title of the book. The map of 1773, which
follows, proves that there was no moat at this time in front of the Castle.
Stevenson's ribald life-style must have rubbed off on Sterne,
it is said, for "Tristram Shandy" could never have been written by a
typical strait laced parson, or perhaps such people were few, attracted
by the relatively rich 'livings' in these times rather than Christian
sacrifice.
A hundred years after Sterne's death, Skelton still held his memory, an
area near the wood above Skelton Mill being called Sterne's Seat and
the wood behind is Mount Shandy.
Did Sterne obtain his hero's name from the wood or was the wood called
after the book or is there any connection
at all.
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[Laurence Sterne's remains now rest against the South wall of
St. Michaels Church in Coxwold, N. Yorkshire, where he
served as vicar.
But they arrived there by a strange route.
He died in London and was originally interred at St. George's in
Hanover Square.
His corpse was dug up by the "bodysnatchers" who earned money selling
their wares for anatomical lectures.
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Laurence Sterne.
1713 to 1768.
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John Hall Stevenson of Skelton Castle.
1718 - 1785.
Painted in 1740 by Philipe Mercier.
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It is said that someone recognised Sterne and his body was hastily
returned to St. George's.
In 1969 St George's churchyard was going to be "developed" and the
Laurence Sterne trust transferred his remains along with the original
headstone to St Michaels, Coxwold.]
The following lines which were on the front of a reservoir
which supplied the castle were most probably Stevenson's
Leap from thy mossy cavern'd bed,
Hither thy prattling waters bring
Blandusia's Muse shall crown thy head
And make thee too a sacred spring
Hall-Stevenson considered major restoration work to Skelton Castle, but did not have the funds for such a massive project
and was warned against it by Sterne -
"But what art thou meditating with axes and hammers ? It may be very wise to do
this — but 'tis wiser to keep one's money in one's pocket, whilst there are wars without and rumours of wars within."
The following lines by Hall-Stevenson are said to describe the condition of the building at the time.
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1857 Map showing Sterne's Seat and Mount Shandy
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There is a castle in the north
Seated upon a swampy clay,
At present but of little worth
In latter times it had its day.
This ancient castle is called CRAZY,
Whose mouldering walls a moat environs,
Which moat goes heavily and lazy,
...A turret also you may note
Its glory vanished like a dream
Transform'd into a pigeon cote
Nodding beside the sleepy stream
From whence, by steps with moss o'ergrown
You mount upon a terrace high,
Where stands that heavy pile of stone
Irregular and all awry.
If many a buttress did not reach
A kind and salutary hand
Did not encourage and beseech
The terrace and the house to stand,
Left to themselves and at a loss
They'd tumble down into the foss.
Over the castle stands a tower,
Threatening destruction every hour.... |
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