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Summary

A park at West Butterwick was associated with the Sheffield family, who resided in a tower house in the village in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Monument Types

• DEER PARK? (MED/PM, Medieval to Post Medieval - 1400 AD? to 1700 AD?)

Protected Status - None

Associated Finds - None

Associated Events - None

Full description

John Snape's 1778 map of West Butterwick, as redrawn by Russell, depicts a group of four fields on the south side of the village with 'Park' placenames: Low Park, Park Hill, Pond Park and Upper Park. [1]

A map of Lincolnshire by Christopher Saxton was published as Plate 26 in Camden's 'Britannia' in 1637. Saxton died in 1610 or 1611, so the map was prepared some time earlier.

A green tinted area enclosed by a fence or pale is depicted at 'W: Butterwick'. A great house symbol is shown within the park. A larger enclosed park is shown at 'Kelfeld' to the south [2, 3]

A Robert Sheffield, the third of that name, was knighted by Edward I (1272 - 1307). He married the daughter of the owner of West Butterwick, Alexander Lound, and thus came into the estate. His descendant Sir Robert Sheffield, born in 1470, was Recorder of London and then Speaker of the House of Commons. Sir Robert married Helen, daughter and sole heir of Sir John Delves, and according to the historian Leland he built a 'great tour of brick' at West Butterwick. His son, also called Robert, also resided in the tower at West Butterwick. His grandson Edmund was created 'Baron Sheffield of Butterwick' by the will of Henry VIII. In 1616, Sir Edmund Sheffield was appointed ' President of the Council of the North' and in 1625 was created Earl of Mulgrave. According to the local historian Morle, 'His castle was now called Mulgrave Castle'. [4 - 6]

Both of the parks on the Saxton map must have been constructed for the Sheffield family, who owned land at West Butterwick and Kelfield. Ownership of a deer park for hunting would be consistent with the status of the Sheffield family in the late medieval and early post-medieval period. The smaller park at West Butterwick may have been for pleasure, rather than serious hunting. The Saxton map is at county scale, so does not allow a reconstruction of the position and size of either park. [7]

According to the local historian Morle, in about 1897 a 'large number of corpses' were found near to the house occupied by J Threadgold. Morle supposed that these burials were of prisoners from the 'castle', held by Lord Mulgrave in 1625. 'Mr Threadgold's house is built on ground which formerly formed part of the park on the estate of Lord Mulgrave…(who) would require a burial ground on his estate…at a distance from his castle.' [8]

<1> North Lincolnshire Museum, Parish files, West Butterwick (MUSEUM RECORDS). SLS1344.

<2> Camden, William, 1586-1695, Camden's Britannia (BOOK). SLS4627.

<3> National Library of Australia, http://nla.gov.au/nla.map-rm1208 (WEBSITE). SLS4628.

<4> Sutton Park Stately Home (WEBSITE). SLS4035.

<5> WB Stonehouse, 1839, The History and Topography of the Isle of Axholme, 269-70 (BOOK). SLS4033.

<6> Stanley Morle, History of West Butterwick, 17 - 18, 23, 46 (BOOK). SLS4037.

<7> M Hemblade, 2011, Untitled Source (PERSONAL OBSERVATION). SLS4629.

<8> Stanley Morle, History of West Butterwick, 46 (BOOK). SLS4037.

Sources and further reading

Related records

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