b'of York, Gray created 36 prebends 9which wouldchapel in Bishop Wilton right up to the Reformation. bring income to the church. One of his first acts wasThe vestry of the church today is known as St Helens to separate the treasurership of the church of YorkChapel, and a Chapel associated with the church from the archdeaconry of the East Riding. In 1208 themanor house was mentioned in the inventory of the Treasury of York had an interest in Bishop Wilton 10will of the Treasurer of York, Martyn Collins, of 1508.and the Prebend of Bishop Wilton was created andFollowing the Reformation of Henry VIII, the annexed 11to the Treasury of York by 7 Jan 1242.Treasurership of the Church of York was dissolved in Thus two manors of Bishop Wilton were created,1547. From here the two manors take a different path one the Bishops Manor where the palace site wasof ownership only to be re-united with the marriage of located and the other the Treasurers or Prebendalthe heiress of Ralph Hansby to Sir William Hildyard of Manor which included the church and manor houseYork.site. It is likely that when the Treasurer of York would visit Bishop Wilton he would stay in the manorThe Prebendal or Treasurers Manorhouse next to the church. When this house was firstFollowing the Reformation and the dissolution of built is open to conjecture, but this manor housechurch lands, all the property owned by the treasury site itself may have ancient origins with a fishpondwas granted by Edward VI (son of Jane Seymourwhich is recorded as a moat on maps and in theone of the six wives of Henry VIII) to Edward Seymour, archaeological records. The two above named manorsDuke of Somerset and brother of Jane. This included appear in a document 12 of 1638 which mentions thethe Treasurers house in York as well as all the other late Sir William Hildyard, lord of the two manors ofassets. When Catholic Queen Mary came to the Bishop Wilton. The inventory of the manor house bythrone in 1553, he sold off much of the property or the church was included in the will of Martyn Collins,gave it to powerful friends in the Council of the North Treasurer of York, in 1508 13 . Whether this house wasand the manor was acquired by William Hildyard of used by the Treasurer as a vicarage is possible asWinestead, Recorder of York. He was one the Council one Treasurer, William de Rotherfield (1220-1242),members, who met in the Kings Manor in York and was likely to have been rector of Bishop Wilton 14 .Awho became very rich from the division of church vicarage was ordained in the church on Ascensionproperty. His son William Hildyard was to marry and Day (20 May) 1311. The Vicar (Richard de Wilton)live in the prebendal manor house at Bishop Wilton was to have the three principal oblations, with alland in so doing re-united the two manors once more.other oblations, mortuaries and quadrigesimal tithes;This manor had land to the west of the parish of tithes of corn growing in the enclosed crofts, tithes ofBishop Wilton and most of the pre-enclosure land of poultry, foals, calves, pigs, geese and such animals;the old open field system which would have the most harvest pennies and pennies of Holy bread, gardens,productive arable land.orchards, etc; bees and wax offered on purification day, eggs, and grass in the church yard. 15 The Bishops ManorThe church had 2 aisles added by ArchbishopIt seems that Archbishop Lee managed to hang Zouche and was newly consecrated shortly beforeon to the Bishops Manor which had all the land to his death in 1352. The inhabitants of Wilton were laterthe east of the parish including Hall Garth, Callis sued by his executors in the Ecclesiastical Court forWold, Blaeberry Moor, Thorn Park, Small Park, Foster the sum of 47s 6d due by contract to the ArchbishopLodge, Cow Close, Cot Nab and Wetwang Raikes. for the Consecration 16 .In 1537 Archbishop Edward Lee granted lease of In 1531-2 Sir William Bulmer, knight, settled landsthe above property to his brother Geoffrey Lee for 40 for the maintenance of a priest to say Mass daily in theyears. 18chapel of St. Helen at Wilton, and another priest to beThe same reference above mentioned states his associate. The master was to receive 4 10s, andin 1563, the above manor property was leased to the brother 4 17 . This indicates there was a Catholicanother powerful member of the Council of the 9Ebor: A History of the Archbishops of York from Paulinus to Maclagan 627-1908 by A.T. Hart10Yorkshire Assize Rolls Y.A.S. xliv 1911 p.3011Cart. Treas. York No. 21; cf. Reg. Gray p. 198, of 18 Apr. 1242.12Brynmor Jones Library Hull, DDSY/4/17113Surtees Soc. 1868 II Testamenta Eboracum Vol. IV p.27714The Treasurership of York and the Prebend of Wilton, Surtees Society 1931 Ap.Greenfields Reg. Vol1.No. 45, Appendix II15Domesday Book apud Ebor, Act. Cap. Tbf. 9116York Minster LibraryBishop Wilton information sheet.17Torre, Peculiars p. 106518Brynmor Jones Library, Hull, DDGE/3/25182 BULLETIN 11'