The first record of Gaythorn Hall is that the whole, or part of it,
belonged to the Hospital of St. Leonard at York. In 1281 they had a
grant of free warren in Docker and Gaythorn. According to Burn it was
next in possession of the Pickerings, and sold by Sir Christopher
Pickering of Ormshead in the reign of James I. to Sir James Bellingham
of Over Levens. This cannot have been the case, for in the reign of
Henry VII., this manor, Levens, Helsington and Fawcett Forest were
bought by Alan Bellingham, 8th son of Sir Robert Bellingham, Knight,
of Burnshead. Alan was treasurer of Berwick, and deputy warden of the
marches. He was succeeded by his son Thomas, who died previous to
1550. Thomas left two sons, Alan the elder, and Thomas, who married a
daughter of Thomas Blenkinsop of Helbeck, Esq., and sister of the wife
of Lancelot Pickering, Esq., of Crosby Hall. He resided at Gaythorn
Hall.
After the Dissolution, the Bellinghams became possessed of the advowson
of Crosby Church, and in 1597, Thomas Bellingham made a presentation of
the living to William Willan. Gaythorn then passed to James Bellingham,
Esq., of Helsington, eldest son of Thomas' elder brother Alan. James
lived at Gaythorn as early as 1604, and it is believed he was the
builder of the present Hall. He was knighted by King James I. at
Durham on his first coming into England in 1603. He died in 1641. The
property descended to his eldest son, Sir Henry Bellingham, baronet;
he was knight of the shire in Charles I.'s reign. He was succeeded
by his brother Alan, who represented the county in 1661 and died in
1672. Then followed James of Levens, his son, who died in 1680, and
succeeded by his son Alan. He was knight of the shire in 1681 and 1685.
Being a wild and gay young man, he consumed a vast estate, and sold
Levens, Gaythorn, etc., to Col. James Graham, privy purse to James II.;
who represented the county for many years, and left an only daughter,
Katherine. She married Henry Bowes Howard, Earl of Berkshire. They had
issue William, Viscount Andover; he died in the lifetime of his father,
but left issue Henry Howard, Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, in the
descendants of whose family it still remains.
Gaythorn Hall is situated in a wild and dreary district, far away from
any other habitation, and it is rather surprising to find so stylish
a building in such an isolated situation. It is a large building, in
the Elizabethan style, with large mullioned windows of six and eight
lights each. There is a projection on the front side, supported by an
arched doorway with three large mullioned windows in the upper story,
and above the arch are the Bellingham arms. Within this is the door,
above which is a rudely carved figure of a mermaid, and the footstones
are curious grotesque heads. The lower rooms are large and spacious;
the ceiling of one is beautifully ornamented with vine leaf and branch
work, with the family arms in the centre. The upper rooms are also very
spacious; in these are one or two very handsome stone chimneypieces.
Behind the Hall was, at one time, the remains of a private chapel, but
it is now all gone, and no record of it is left, excepting the upper
part of a mullioned window, more ancient in style than the present
Hall, which no doubt occupies the site of a previous building.
There is a curious legend connected with Gaythorn Hall, respecting a
family who lived there. The husband was a Protestant, the wife a Roman
Catholic. Their first born son the mother insisted should be reared
according to her faith; the father objected, and wished him to be a
Protestant. The mother, being a determined woman, insisted that if
it might not be as she wished, the child should not be brought up to
any religion. The consequence was, the heartless mother had the child
put down into a cellar below the house, without any clothing. Into
this place she threw it some straw and old rags to lie upon, and for
its food, potato peelings, paste and dirty washings. These she threw
in at a hole without even herself entering the place. Here the child
remained unknown to any but themselves till it was six years old,
when by accident a man about the building heard a peculiar cry. There
being always curious suspicions respecting this child, he was induced
to compel its mother to disclose its hiding-place, and it was brought
forth, a hideous looking monster, unable to walk. The nails of its
hands and feet were grown like eagles' claws, and its body was almost
covered with hair, which was matted with dirt and filth. The child was
then cleaned, clothed and properly fed, sent to school, and eventually,
though enduring such hard treatment in infancy, grew up to manhood,
occupied a respectable position in society, and lived to a good old
age.