b'Browne WillisSurvey of Cathedrals, 1726. (Source of the story of the Athelstan Gift)and Otley from time immemorial; at Beverley andin 938; this gave to the church of St. John of Beverley Ripon by such warrant that King Athelstan beforeconfirmation of immunities, liberties and right of the conquest of England, gave the manors tosanctuary, and also added lands in Brandesburton the Archbishop of York and his successors, fromand Lockington but made no mention of Wilton. It is which time all Archbishops of York until now havepossible that Bishop Wilton was given in this charter, remained in seisin of the liberty. [As an aside, this isbut there appears to be no specific reference to the most interesting as it mentions that gallows were inplaces mentioned by Browne Willis, nor indeed any operation in Bishop Wilton! Keble 3states that in thewhich mention Bishop Wilton directly. twelfth century, the Archbishops of York exercised anSt. John of Beverley, who died in 721, was also almost regal authority in their baronies of Beverley,Bishop of Hexham for 18 years and Archbishop Ripon, Sherburn, Patrington, Otley and Wilton. Theyof York for 13 years. The reason he appears in the had in each their own prisons, gallows, pillory andwest window was probably because of the story of ducking stool. They appointed the justices, with fullAthelstan, a cult follower of St. John, giving Bishop power to try, and execute, criminals.] Wilton along with other possessions in gratitude for Wheater 4in his history of Sherburn states thatthe victory in the battle of Brunanburg. Sherburn and Cawood were given as gifts in 938Keynes, in the York Gospels, raises the same following Athelstans victory over the Scots at theproblem with Otley which has no specific reference, battle of Brunanburg. There seems general consensusbut may have been among the ancient possessions that this was the case, though doubt has recentlyof the Archbishops of York. He states that in the 670s been expressed on this interpretation of history inEcgfrith and Aelfwine, kings of Northumbria, had more recent publications. In the Otley excavationgiven some of the properties that later belonged to report 5 , it states that There is a tradition that Otleythe Otley estates which may have been an important was an Athelstan grant but this grew up late. Theecclesiastical (possibly monastic) centre in the late archbishop in his reply to the Quo Warranto inquisitioneighth and early ninth centuries. Archbishop Wulfhere of 1279 mentioned above, made a distinctionis said to have taken refuge there from the Danes between Beverley and Ripon given by Athelstan,following their invasion in the late 860s. and other properties including Otley, that he held aIt seems that all the Athelstan references to Bishop tempore quo non extat memoria, or in other wordsWilton stem from Browne Williss mention of the held from time immemorial. village in 1726, and not by the earlier Torre. Browne In The York Gospels 6 , it states that in 934 KingWillis also, it seems, misread the Archbishops Quo Athelstan granted a vast estate comprising theWarranto inquisition of 1279 where he listed the whole of Amounderness in Lancashire to Archbishopmentioned manors but only specifically said that Wulfstan I and the see of York, apparently in the hopeBeverley and Ripon were given by Athelstan.It is that the Archbishop would be able to control thispossible that Wilton was given to the Archbishops area of recent Scandinavian settlement in the kingsmuch earlier than by Athelstan, along with the interest. Looking through the list of other chartersearlier held properties at Otley, but the documentary made by Athlestan 7and using the theory that the giftevidence for this has long been lost and will probably was made following the battle of Brunanburg in 937,never be found.this leaves one of the last charters made by Athelstan 3History of the Parish and Manor of Bishopthorpe by John. R. Keble. 1905.4The History of Sherburn and Cawood by W. Wheater. 1882. 5The Yorkshire Archaeological Journal Vol. 45. 1973. H.E. Jean Le Patourel and P. Wood6 The York Gospels: a facsimile, with intr. essay by Simon Keynes and Ed. N. Baker. 1986.7 Anglo Saxon Charters, an annotated list and Biography by P.H. Sawyer. 1968.226 BULLETIN 13'