According to the Torre manuscript in York Minster Archives ‘It was then in 1146 that a chappell was built by Roger second abbot of Byland who after he had finished the work and furnished it with books, vestments, font and other ornaments caused the little bell of the mother church in Old Byland to be taken down and hung therein. Made for the easement of his benefactor Lord Hugh de Malbys and his men for them therein to hear divine services and receive the sacraments reserving for ever to the mother church of Old Byland the burialls of the dead bodies of the parishioners of Scaltun at all times happening. And having done so he collated to it Richard his clerk who was by Henry Murdac, Archbishop of York instituted and served the cure for 54 years’.
To put this into context the most northerly of the Scaltun manors shared a common boundary with Begesland as Old Byland was then known and as a Saxon named Aschil was in possession of both manors before the Norman conquest it is thought highly probable that Scaltun people were journeying to Begesland for their services early in the 11th century and as the father of Hugh de Malbys held the manor of Scaltun as a knight’s fee from Roger de Mowbray it is thought that he may also have held Begesland before de Mowbray granted the land to the Savignian monks in 1142, four years before the chapel was built at Scaltun. It was Archbishop Henry Murdac who gave the abbot permission to build the chapel to save the Scaltun parishioners the fatigue of the journey across difficult terrain to and from Old Byland and it is interesting to note that the Malbys manor house is thought to have been located on the site of the present-day Church Farm less than a hundred yards from the church and the dwellings of his peasants would have been centred on the church just as the houses of the present-day village are today.
Although various alterations have been made to the fabric church during its 858 years of existence many parts remain that were the work of the 12th century monks and as the font which is large enough for the total immersion of infants is the one bought from Old Byland it had been used to baptise at least thirty generations of the children of Scawton. Similarly the smaller of the two bells in the tower will have called the same number of generations of Scawton people to prayer as it carries arms that are thought to be those of Abbot Roger and the inscription Campana Beate Marie together with the words ‘Johnes de Copgraf me fecit’. No historical facts are known about Johnes de Copgraf but his bell has certainly stood the test of time.
The church is by far the oldest building in the village and we are fortunate to be able to record the names of 54 men, most of whom served as Rectors, on a list that is continuous except for the period between 1201 when Richard the second abbot’s clerk died and 1294 when Thomas Malebys was instituted by the Archbishop of York on the presentation of his father Richard the Lord of the Manor who held the advowson.
