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Sand Hutton: Sandburn Cross.

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Sandburn Cross
By John Hetherton.

In the far-off days of "The Merry Monarch" (Charles II), Sandburn Cross was erected by the Pasture Masters of Monk Stray, York. The Inscription recording the erection is as follows:

EBOR
Monk Ward
Stray
Mat. Walls
Jon Blackburn
John Beforth
Edgo Goforth
Pasture
Masters
1677

The Stray, over which not only the Freemen of York but also the inhabitants of Huntington and perhaps the Villagers of Stockton-on-the-Forest had rights of grazing, must then have extended as far as the Cross which probably was erected as a Boundary Stone. The Cross is locally known as "Mother Shipton's Stone" -the tradition with regard to this is referred to later:

The late William Giles, who was Deputy Town Clerk of York and in charge of the City's Records for many years, kindly made up for me a very interesting M.S.S from which it appears that York Corporation, as representing the Freemen of the City who had commonable rights over lands which apparently included part of the present Sandburn Estate, had, in maintaining the rights of these Freemen, frequent disputes with the inhabitants of adjoining Villages as shown by the following extracts from the Records of York Corporation :-1555, 18th February, " For the better tryal of or right bounders and Common within Holme Closes of Huntington adjoining to the Forest now in varyance between the City and Huntington certain old men to be examined what they have seen and know."

1574, 7th May "And whereas certayne of the inhabitants of Huntington have wrongfully taken and impounded the Cattaill of diverse free Citizens of this Citie as the same Cattaill were going to the Common of Stockton Moore belonging to this Citie: it is therefore now agreed by theis presens that every of the same Citizens that have any Catell soo ympounded shall comense Sewte against the said inhabitants of Huntyngton and shall lowse their said Cattaill by way of Replevyn before the Lord President and Counsell in these North ptie and it to be borne of the Chambre chardges."

Mr. Giles was of opinion that, as a settlement of the boundary up to which the York Freemen had rights, Sandburn Cross was erected in 1677 by the Pasture Masters, the successors of whom continued to carefully watch over the Freemens' rights as shown by the following Inscription

This Cross
repaired in the
year 1782 by
Willm. Barnbrough
John Dale los. Richd.
Gorwood Richd.
Pearson
Pasture Masters.

The rights of the Freemen and also of the inhabitants of Huntington and Stockton were extinguished by the Enclosure Acts and Awards which were made about the end of the Eighteenth and beginning of the Nineteenth Centuries and that part of the Common upon which Sandburn Cross stands was apparently awarded to the then Owner of Sandburn Estate -one of the Ancestors of the Duke of Sutherland in whose family the property of was vested for over six hundred years.

In 1840, the Stone was blown down as shown by the following Inscription thereon:

This Cross
was blown down
by the great
wind on the
7th of Janry
1839, and
replaced byher Grace the
Duchess of
Sutherland,
1840.

I have said that the Stone is locally known as "Mother Shipton's Stone." It is stated in Bulmer's North Yorkshire Directory that Sandburn Cross "is locally associated with the name of Mother Shipton who is said to have prophesied that it would fall three times" The tradition is that when it does fall on the third occasion the world will come to an end!

It is clear from the 1840 Inscription that it has been down once - whether it was down in 1782, when repaired, I don't know. At any rate, I thought after I had bought the Estate and had heard the tradition, I would keep the World going as long as I could, so in 1912, I had sundry cracks in the base of the Stone carefully cemented. As I pass Sandburn Cross daily, I can assure those who believe in Mother Shipton's alleged Prophecy that I will continue as long as I am the Owner of Sandburn Estate to see that the Stone is kept upright!

JOHN HETHERTON.


Article by
John Hetherton
transcribed from the Sand Hutton & Claxton Chronicle (circa 1925)
transcribed by Andy Kerridge ©2002.