History of Thrislington

The vill of THRISLINGTON (Thurstanton, Thorstanton, Thrustanton, Thrustyngton, Thruslington, Thrislington) is first mentioned in 1262, when the Prior and convent of Durham made an agreement with Adam son of Roger de Fulthorpe, Nicholas son of Thomas de Thurstanton, Roger son of William de Thurstanton, Thomas the Drenge, John de Skyrburne and Alice his wife, and Adam Paris and Beatrix his wife, as its owners and tenants. The family of Fulthorpe of Fulthorpe (q.v.) was probably already in possession of the greater part of the vill, the 'lordship' of which in 1336 belonged to Roger Fulthorpe. It was granted, probably by his grandson Alan, to the younger branch of the family, who also acquired Tunstall (q.v.), and the manor followed the descent of Tunstall down to the 17th century.

The family bearing the local name had, however, an independent holding. Bernard de Thurstanton, probably the heir of Nicholas, made an agreement with the Prior of Durham in 1309, and died in or before 1340 seised of a messuage, 70 acres of land, and 3 acres of meadow in Thrislington, held in chief for a twentieth part of a knight's fee. He left a son and heir Bernard, whose holding was evidently acquired by the Fulthorpe family before 1430.

Two important freeholds were held under the Fulthorpes by sub-tenants till 1614, when the subtenants became lords of the manor. In or before 1344 Richard de Kelloe died seised of a rent of 20s. from a messuage and 3 oxgangs in Thrislington, then held by John Mareschal. Agnes, widow of his heir William, had this messuage and 3 oxgangs in her own hands, and her descendants, the Forcer family, continued to hold them of the lords of Thrislington till 1531, when John Forcer died seised. The holding must have been purchased from his heirs by William Shawe, who was seised of it at his death in 1587. He then also held the second freehold, a messuage and land which in 1421 had been held of the Fulthorpes by Roger Usher and Joan his wife.  William Shawe's son Thomas died in 1590, and was succeeded by his brother John Shawe, sen. A younger brother William purchased from John his whole estate in Thrislington, and with his son John Shawe, jun., acquired the manor of Thrislington in 1614 from Nicholas and Christopher Fulthorpe.  He made a settlement of half of it in 1632 on his third son Thomas, and died in the same year. Both John Shawe, jun., and Thomas appear to have died without issue, and Robert, a fourth son of William, inherited the manor. Robert's three elder sons Robert, Thomas, and John  died without issue. His fourth son William died in 1709, leaving daughters and co-heirs. Thrislington was alienated between 1731 and 1750 by the heirs of the Shawe family to Sir Thomas Robinson of Rokeby, bart., who sold it to Hendry Hopper of Durham. Hendry Hopper died in 1750. His grand-nephew Robert Hopper Williamson was lord of the manor in 1823. William Hopper Williamson of Whickham, Robert's great-grandson, is the present owner.