Temp. Hen. 8. Leland says "Walling Fenne hath many carres of waters in it: and is so bigge that a fifty-eight Villages ly in or abut on it, whereof most part be in Hoveden Lordship, longing to the Bishop of Duresme, and part in Harthil Hundred."

"From Scalby to Hoveden four miles, scant one by enclosed pasture, and three by marishe and fenne ground."

"Certain Chirches do homage of Hoveden Chirch. There is a Park at Hoveden longing to the Bishop of Duresme, in the way to Bernehill."

"These following be gentilmen of most fame in Hovedenshire, Metham of Metham, Moncketon of Cavill, and Portington of Portington."

The Bishop's Palace, he says, "lyeth south of the Chirch, the centre is of tymber, the other three most of stone, and part of bricke." The arms of Skirlaw still remain over the porch, formerly the principal entrance.

The River extent of the Manor is from Cawood to Welton, about thirty miles. It includes the following parishes and townships, or rather portions of them, in several of which are mesne Manors, some of them dependant on the See, others the fee of private individuals, and not a few of these have fallen into desuetude, by negligence or failure of a sufficiency of tenants legally to uphold

them.

Asselby.

Belby.

Cliffe-cum-Lund.

Eastrington.

Ellerker-cum-Brantin- Walkington.

gham.

Kilpin.

Barmby-on-the-Marsh. Knedlington.

Riccall.

Saltmarshe.

Skelton.

Welton-cum-Melton.

Howden.

A considerable portion of the Manor is of the tenure called customary freehold. The fines are small and certain, These customary payments are more vexatious than profitable, and are of inconsiderable amount.

The demese lands of Manor, are considerable, amounting to about thirteen hundred acres. They are almost all in Howden, Saltmarshe, and Skelton, The Rev. J. D. Jefferson, Philip Saltmarshe and William Scholfield, Esquires, are the principal lessees,

A subdivision of the lands in Howden would be of great advantage to the town, and the Bishop of Ripon, if so minded, might not only benefit himself, but confer a great boon on the inhabitants of the place.

Lord Howden, the second bearing that title, is. the Steward of the Manor, and he appointed a deputy Steward in January, 1830, neither of whom interferes in the ordinary business of Manor Courts, These duties are performed by Mr. R. B. Porter, of Howden, Solicitor, who is Clerk of the Bishop's

Halmot Court. He is also Coroner of the Division of Howdenshire as constituted before the recent subtraction of some portions of it. This appointment is appendant to the Manor.

The palace and grounds around it, ought, on every account, to be given to the Vicarage, to which there is no residence. It may be doubted if the Prebendal buildings, now being demolished, do not belong to the Vicar. By the ordination of March, 1267, it is provided that "the area or Church-yard shall be divided among the Prebendaries, for their habitation." When the Church was dissolved, these buildings and the ground on which they stood, as a portion of the Church-yard antecedently to the ordination, would apparently revert to the Vicarage, when the Prebends became vested in the crown.It is clear that they either belong to the grantees of the Prebends or to the Vicar, as also the ground on which they stand.

Howdenshire for ecclesiastical purposes was a Peculiar in the patronage of the Dean and Chapter of Durham. This court had jurisdiction over all causes matrimonial and of divorce, and such as appertained to health of souls and correction of morals. The principal causes of citation were, not bringing children to be baptized, conventicles in private houses, adultery, non-repair of the fabrick, &c. It pronounced decrees of divorce, a mansâ et thoro, restitution of conjugal rights, penance, public and private, &c. The official was styled "The Worshipful the Keeper, Vicar General and Official,

Principal of the Spiritual and Peculiar jurisdiction of Howdenshire, &c." William Gray, Esq., M.A. was the last person who filled this dignified situation. The Visitations were always held at Howden.

This Peculiar is now merged in the Archdeaconry of the East Riding. It comprised the following Parishes and Chapelries.

Parishes of Howden.

Eastrington.

Holtby.

Hemingbrough.

Skipwith.

Brantingham.

Welton,

Walkington.

Chapelries of Barmby Marsh.

Barlby.

Blacktoft.

Ellerker.

Laxton.

The 6th and 7th William 4th enacted "That all parishes which are locally situate in one Diocese, and are under the jurisdiction of another, be made subject to the See within which they are locally situate."

This transferred the Peculiar to the Diocese of the Archbishop of York.

C

The Church,

Which was dedicated to St. Peter, was originally a Parochial Rectory in the patronage of the Prior and Convent of Durham, and so continued till it was made Collegiate in 1267.-The structure, we may safely conclude, stands upon the foundation of a heathen temple, which was probably transformed into a Christian church, during some of those sudden and mysterious conversions of a population which, in whole tribes, were occasionally won over to the true faith, and in a body underwent the rites of baptism.

We know that it had its fair share of shrines, saints, and reliques, in Saxon times. This clearly proves its great antiquity. St. Osara was held in especial favor, and her miracles and shrine had a fame beyond the confines of the kingdom, then known by the name of Anglia. Osara was the sister of Osred, king Northumbria, of which name there were two, in the eighth century. She had a tomb of wood in the church, of which no trace remains. A singular tale is told of her miraculous power, in Gyraldus Cambrensis, to whom we refer the curious reader,

In the Month of March, in 1227, the eleventh year of Henry the Third, Walter, Archbishop of York, with the assent of Fulk Basset, the Parson of