History

Origin and Meaning

of the Name

Mulcaster/Muncaster

All the Mulcasters are descended from one David de Mulcaster, the son of Benedict Pennington who lived in King John's time.

"David had two sons - John and Adam, both called de Mulcaster, and so their posteriety take their surname of the place where their first ancestor David died."

 MULCASTER

MUL. MOEL. MEOLD. MULE

This word is derived from the Celtic meaing - "a bare hill" or "headland". (compare the Mull of Cantire). A plain dry ground between the mountains and the sea that the old inhabitants used to call such places the mule or meold. Eskmeal (where the ancient castle stood) is a plain low dry ground at the foot of the Esk, between the mountains and the sea.

CEASTER, CASTER

An old England term referring to an ancient fortification, usually of Roman date.

MUNCASTER

Comes from the latin meaning "fortress on the hill"

MULCASTER/MUNCASTER HISTORY

A castle near Eskemeold being a plain dry ground between the Mountains and the sea. This place is a fee belonging to the seignory of the Penningtons ever since the conquest, sometimes collaterally but for the most part lineally descending by their issue male to this time who took their surname from Pennington in Lancashire. 

Though this manor (of Mulcaster) was always theirs as aforesaid, some have greatly mistaken the same to have been first the Mulcaster's patrimony and to have come from them to the Penningtons by marriage or purchase. 

Mulcaster - The next fee unto Millum, holden immediately of the barony of Egremont, is Mulcaster, seated on the north side of the seignory of Millum. The manor is bounded between the river Eske and a little rill or beck called Mite. It is in form a long ridge or rising ground of hills from the foot of Eske, extended along between those rivers unto the great and vast mountains belonging to Egremont in Eskdale, Wastdale, and Mitredale. There are not many under fees belonging to this mannor. 

The place is now corruptly named Moncaster/Muncaster, howbeit the right name is Mulcastre or Meol-castre, of an old castle there towards the water side near Eskmeal, which was the ancient dwelling place of the Penningtons, and is yet visible in the ruins, they call it the Old Walls (now Walls Castle - the remains of a Roman Villa, standing close to the Roman camp, which names the place). The present mansion house is of later erection, made by some of them, much better and more conveniently set for state and avoidance of the air, and sharp distempers from the sea. It was called the Meolcastre or Mulecastre, from the meal on which it anciently stood, and it is accordingly written Mulecastre and Mealcastre, in all their old evidences and records. 

"Other early Anglican sites may be indicated by the suffix ceaster or caster, an old English term referring to an ancient fortification, usually of Roman date. Only two more names are added to the list...Muncaster (1096) stands at the entrance to Eskdale and seems to refer to the Roman settlement at Ravenglass where the placid tidal reach of the Esk and Mite is screened from the Irish Sea by a mountainous ridge of sand-dunes." 

"In 1242 Furness Abbey added another 14,000 acres to its mountain territory with the acquisition of upper Eskdale. This estate was the result of exchange with David de Mulcaster who received one of the abbey's properties. Monk Foss (1185) situated at the foot of the steep western slop of Black Combe". 

`bartering for sheep farm in exchange for estate on coastal plain.' 

Muncaster Castle (1096), magnificently sited above the estuary of the Esk... There Anthony Salvin built the relics of medieval castle and pele tower into a sumptuous Victorian mansion enveloped amid plantations filled with rhododendrons and many imported conifers. Muncaster Castle and its park are romantic and Victorian in conception, rather than Georgian; they belong to the world of tourists and guidebook writers of the 19th century. 

By the end of the 18th century, trade at Ravenglass was failing; the August fair had been reduced to one day, and an agent of the Earls of Egremont wrote to 

his master, -`Your lordship is always brought in debtor instead of creditor on your fair days.' 

In 1796 Lord Muncaster took over control of trading at Ravenglass and obtained a new charter for two weekly markets and three fairs of one day each...Only the sports that were once the culminating festivities of the three day August fair have survived as part of the 

Muncaster Flower Show.

The Boke of Records of the Burgh of Kirby Kendal

UM DA 670.C89 C92v7

Cordyners Freemen

65--Willmus Muncaster jur 27 Sept. 1621

66-- " codem die

79--quinto Mar 1617 Johes Muncaster, feltmaker, jur

Cumberland & Westmoreland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

(founded 1866) Tract Series 1-6 1882-91

U of M Grad Lib DA 670.C89 C93

p. 48 - Threpland, contentionis terra, is now a village and the inheritance of John Salked, a younger brother of Lancelot Salked of Whitehall. He holds it of Allerdale barony and had it by purchase from Lancelot Skelton of Arminthwait Esq. it descended to him by several descents of the Skeltons from Thomas Skelton, a younger brother who married the co-heir of Henry Multon Knt and Margaret his wife in Edward 3rd's time. Multon and his wife had if by fine from Wm de Redness alias Mulcastre, An. 15 Ed. 2. And the said Wm Thomas and John Mulcastre brethren successively had it before Multon by the Gift of Michael de Harcla in the time of Ed 1st, father to Andrew Earl of Carlisle.

p. 51 - Torpenhow (hill of Torpen)... An 31 Hen 3d. Wm the son of William de Ulfesby gave 3 carucats of land there to Robert Mulcastre, and held 5 parts descended to the Mulcastres, and from them to the Tilliolfs, whose co-heirs transferred the same with other lands to the families of the Moresbies and Colvilles.

p. 57 - Blennerhasset and uckmanby-parcel of Allerdale, which Alan Fitz-Waldeof gave unto Radulph de Lindsey with ye sister of ye said Alan named Ochtreda in frank marriage. From them

the inheritance came into the Mulcastres. In the time of King Henry 3rd, Robert de Mulcastre held the same. After him William his son who had issue Walter, and he another William whose son Robert transferred the Mulcastres' patrimony by a daughter to the Tilliols, viz, Hayton and Torpenhow (Sir Francis, Salkeld of Whitehall, Lord of Blennerhasset, 1687)

Radulf Lindsey, Lord of Blennerhasset and Uckmanby temp Hen 2nd.

Nicholas Stutevile, Ric 1st

Wm Peircy Hen 3rd

Walter Peircy

Robert Mulcastre

Wm Mulcastre

(He was Sheriff of Cumberland 31 Ed 1)

Walter Mulcastre

Robert Mulcastre

p. 73- Parton-The eldest line of Parton by a daughter transferred the inheritance to one Richard Mansell whose son and heir John Mansell sold the same to Robert Mulcastre, who gave the same to Robert de Grinsdale in Hen 3rd time.

p. 125-Newstaffol or Staffle lyes between Kirkoswald and Ainstaple, from the river Eden to the mountains. It is a fee of Kiroswald and gave the name to a family so called. The issue male whereof ended about the time of King--- and then the inheritance fell to the daughters who did transfer it by their marriage to the Chambers, Mulcasters, and Blennerhassets of Carliell.

p. 154- Piers Tylliolf son of Robert dyed 13 Hen 6th. He married Robert Mulcaster's daughter Hayton and his heir and got with her Hayton, Torpenhow, bothland, and Blemyre. And had issue Robert Tylliolf the fool (who died without issue), and Margaret his second daughter, wife of Thomas Crakenthorp, and first of Christopher Morisby by whom she had issue Christopher Morisby. And Isabell his eldest daughter married John Colvill, and thereby transferred the inheritance to the Colvills.