- The North Riding did not suffer from the ravages of war during the Baron's War between Simon d Monitort and Henry III (1216-72). John de Vesci of Malton fought on the baronial side and was wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Evesham, 1265.
- JURISDICTION: The power derived from great possessions was increased by royal grants of jurisdiction and by exemptions from taxation. All the great houses received, by royal grant, sac and soc, tol and team, and infangentheof, and the rights were enjoyed also by the Prioress of Yedingham. Henry III gave to Malton in common with all Gilbertine Convents, the power of holding courts with full rights, even including that of judicial combat, together with fines levied on their men wherever they were indicted. The power of life and death belonged to most of the great houses, although the smaller convents, notably that of the Hospitallers, did not posses it.
- EXEMPTIONS. Henry II, took Rievaulx under his protection, and allowed the monks to hold their lands,free from the shire, hundred and wapentake courts, and Henry III. Gave a similar privilege to Malton Priory.
- A Grandson of Eustace Fitz-John was honoured with a visit from KING JOHN (1199-1216) in 1213. The quarrel between the King and the northern barons broke out in 1213 when Eustace de Vesci of Malton, whom John had outlawed and deprived of his property. The monarch was here in 1215 and had it slighted. In July 1216, Alexander II, of Scotland took up arms on behalf of Louis of France and overran Northumberland. But Hugh and Bernard de Baliol held Barnard Castle against the invader, and Eustace de Vesci of Malton, the brother-in-law of Alexander, approaching too near the castle, was killed by a bolt from a cross bow, which pierced his forehead.
- EXTRACTS from THE EARLY HISTORY of the NORTH RIDING, by WILLIAM EDWARDS, M.A. (Headmaster of the Middlesborough High School) Printed in 1924.
- AGRICULTURE. Land at a distance was worked from granges which were built to afford accommodation to conversi who could not return to the Abbey at night, and to store the produce of the farms until it could be forwarded to the Abbey or sold to merchants.
- In 1244 Malton Priory had eleven granges, and forty-nine ploughs were in use in the lands belonging to the Priory. The profits of agriculture were considerable, and were often used for the purchases of more land from impoverished landowners. In fourteen years the Canons of Malton spent £500 in extending their estates, and in 1244 they bought seven bovates of land from William of Richburgh, in return for which they paid 36½ marks of his debts to Joses, nephew of Aaron of York. Enormous profits were made on wool, and in the middle of the fourteenth century the Canons of Malton made an average annual profit of £373 3s. 6d. It is probable that this was not all made on wool from their own flocks, but that they collected wool from other sheep farmers and retailed it for their own advantage.
- BARONIAL RIGHTS. The Barons enjoyed many rights and privileges. They held their own law courts, which their tenants were bound to attend. They claimed the right of administering justice and executing laws in their own lands, (sac and soc) of apprehending thieves, (infangenthoft) of hanging criminals, (gallows) of holding the assize of bread and beer, and punishing defaulting bakers and brewers. These rights were claimed by sub-tenants as well as tenants-in-chief, by women as well as men.
- Agnes de Vesci had gallows and assize of bread and ale at Malton in 1276
- Malton sent members to Parliament in 1295 & 98 in the reign of EDWARD 1ST (1272-1307) and in this period the Prior of Malton was elected a representative, who, on his return from parliament, was arrested for debt, but, pleading a privilege of exemption in going and returning from parliamentary duty, he was liberated; this is perhaps the earliest claim of the privilege by a member of parliament. This borough sent two members to parliament, elected by the householders, paying scot and lot. This right was suspended from the close of the reign of Edward I. Until the year 1640, when it was restored upon petition. Hon Thomas Danby in 1661. and the Hon Thomas Wentworth in 1715
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