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| Earl Morcar of Pocklington? |
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Myths and Stories are told that the legendary Earl Morcar had his castle in or near Pocklington. Earl Morcar fought with his brother Edwin against the viking invaders of Harold Hardrada and the treacherous brother of King Harold, Earl Tostig, but was defeated at Fulford in 1066 . It is said that after the defeat, Morcar pulled back to his stronghold in Pocklington and awaited Harold's army to arrive. In pursuit of Morcar, the Vikings took the route to Pocklington via Stamford Bridge, which was the only crossing point of the Derwent at that time apart from Kexby. Which begs the question, had Morcar fled back across Kexby bridge after the battle of Fulford and destroyed it? Thus forcing the famous deciding battle to be held at Stamford Bridge? This is pure speculation. However two slender pieces of evidence have emerged in support of this. An early letter to the 'Hull Packet' newspaper on March 15th 1831, and the discovery of an old poem in a book called "The Days of Harold" published in 1816 by John Benjamin Rogers, which describes Morcar marching his troops from Pocklington to the Bridge (Stamford). Is this the origin of the 'Brass Castle Hill'** name found in Pocklington and was 'Tute Hill' the site near the church of the fortified manor of Earl Morcar?, or was it the site of an ancient sacred burial mound that the church was sited near to?
**In early references called 'Brass Castle Island' (which was an island when the beck flowed either side) |
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An early letter to the 'Hull Packet' newspaper on March 15th 1831 |
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An old poem in a book called "The Days of Harold"
published in 1816 by John Benjamin Rogers |
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