The Family de Cawood, in process of time, rose to become one of the first of the old Yorkshire families. In
1279, during the reign of King Edward I (1272-1307), David de Cawood, son of the heir of Johannes de
Cawood, had the keeper ship of the wood of Langwath. In 1304, the same David de Cawood held 600
acres, a wood and a moor in Cawood. In 1312, he held a third part of the town of Cawood in return for his
service as keeper of the forest of Langwath, between Ouse and Derwent. During this long tenure of office
as Keeper of the Woods, the members of the Cawood family were most liberally rewarded for their service.
The fortunes and position of the family were undoubtedly greatly enhanced by David de Cawood. On the
28th of May, 1263, he was confirmed Abbot of Selby by the King, and ruled that monastery for six years.
Other Cawood’s were prominent in the work of the church: 1279 Thomas de Cawood was Vicar of St.
Felix. In the same year and place Will de Cawood was deacon.
John, son and heir of father David De Cawood, born at Cawood on the day of St. Gregory the Pope. 1294, succeeded his father as keeper of the King’s Forest, and in 1335 held 60 acres of land, with their appurtenances. in Cawood, for Thos service.[caywood.FTW]
The straight line of descent from Johannes de Cawood appears in other early records. This John died in 1390, when he held in Cawood a third part of the town of Cawood and three fishgarths (fish catch or trap) in the river Ouse there and other lands there and in other places. This John was buried in the church of All Saints of Cawood.
By now England entered into a period when the old feudal system had to some extent been destroyed by the rising power of the middle class which it had partialy created. The state of serfdom had decreased with the process of years , and was eventually frustated by the wealthg the people created for themselves by commerce and industry. And so it apears to have happened at Cawood. The archbishop found it necessary to grant properties belonging to the church to certainpeople of the middle class who, in the course of time became landed proprietors, thus raising the importance of the town in which their property was located. History mentions several families as holding land in Cawood and in this connection, states that ” An older family comes before us members of which attained to some distinction, the family De Cawood” It was undoubtedly at this time that John De Cawood became the owner of Cawood castle and all of its appurtenances since,according to the record. “I 1403 John De Cawood held the castle of Cawood and a piscary in the river Ouse.” He married Isabella, and another record states. In 1429, Isabella, who had been the wife of John De Cawood held divers lands in Cawood for service as custodian of the forest between Ouse and Derwent.”

At a relatively early date the Cawood family was granted a coat of arms. These arms are described as follows: CAWOOD—Per Chevron embattled. sable and argent. three harts’ heads caboshed, counterchanged.
In1426, Peter De Cawood was ordered and appointed by the king’s council for the safe conduct of divers hostages of James, king of Scotland, from the tower of London to the city of York and there to deliver them to a Sir Richard Nevyll.
In 1449, Peter, armiger, held in Cawood ond capital messuage, 66 acres of land, 11 acres of meadow, 14 acres of pasture, 12 messuages, 10 toft and a windmill.
Includes NotesNotes for John De Cawood:
Notes for JOHN CAWOOD:
In 1454, John held in Cawood 16 messuages, 14 tofts, 1 windmill, 80 acres of meadowland, and 20 acres
of pasture there. Before this time the office of King’s Chief Forester, had been held by the family of
Cawood for over 300 years.
John Cawood (son of John De Cawood and Agnes Fairfax)18, 19 was born 1475 in Cawood England20, 21, and died 1540 in Cawood, England22, 23. He married Elizabeth Folkinham.

Cawood is a word of great antiquity. The first syllable, CA, means hollow, also a field. The last syllable,WOOD, is self evident. It is a place-name of Anglo-Saxon origin, and was first used to describe one who lived in a wooded hollow or field. Cawood, England is our starting place. Cawood appears to have been names for the family Cawood. Cawood is but a half mile from the mouth of the Wharfe River. About the middle of the 11th century, a monk, one Benedict of Auxerre, sailed up the Ouse on his quest to find a suitable place to build a monastery. He came to the vicinity of Cawood, and a short distance away, a place called Selby, built a magnificent Norman Church, in all its majesty and splendor, on what had previously had been a wild waste of marsh and fen-land. He described it as a beautiful place. More than 900 years have passed and beautiful place can still be applied.

The town of Cawood stands on the south bank of the Ouse. From the ancient records we know a manor house was built during the reign King Asthelstan (924-940) and in the Norman Period it was raised to the dignity of a castle. It was a place of resort for kings and their followings during the war with Scotland.

Since the commencement of the family of Cawood is lost in obscurity, our story starts with Johannes De Cawood, who as early as 1201, in the reign of King John (1199-1216) held by grand Sergeant, one plough land in Cawood and was hereditary Custodian of the Kings Forest between the Ouse and Derwent. Since the office was hereditary, we know the family existed long before that time, perhaps through the reign of William the Conqueror, or earlier. Their office was honorable and lucrative one, for “as forest are of great antiquity, so the care and charge of them was in England always committed to great and honorable personages.”

The obligation held by Johannes De Cawood was directly to the crown, and he was probably not in sympathy with the barons who, in June, 1215, at Runnymede, wrestled from King John the famous instrument known as the Magna Carta. Continuing with our history of the Cawood family, the rule of Archbishop Walter De Gray, (1216-1256) gives us the earliest material in detail. The records show that on the 13th of December, 1227, the Archbishop made the following exchange of land with Johannes De Cawood, Archbishop’s and the King’s Chief Forester—“a member of the family established in gentility in Cawood,” and his heirs: We give him the toft (land suitable for residential location) which belonged to Hugh Noren and William Motte, the toft of Hugh Brand and Peter Carectarius (the cartman), the toft late of Adam Forestarius (the forester), and two undivided portions of open land which we acquired of Willam de Saneta Pace, and a portion called “‘Grescroft” in the west part of “Fleteuro.” He gave us a toft late belonging to John, son of Dreng, a toft late of Adam Parvus (the little), a toft late of Ralph, the son of Roger, and two seylones belonging to the aforesaid toft, and all he had in “Fleteuro.”

From Johannes De Cawood the line of descent continues. According to the record, the hereditary position of King’s Forester continued in the family for over three centuries, and third fact is proof of descent of later Johannes De Cawood of 1201.

The ancient records of the Cawoods were in Latin, and deciphering of many of them turned out to be a chore, requiring many years of patient effort. Many people were unable to read or write, and the priest of the parishes were called upon to do this for them. This included property, deeds etc. A reproduction of a original deed to Johannes De Cawood dated September 14, 1242 follows this page.

The notable family of Cawood remained one of great prominence in the district for over 500 years
The above information came from this site:

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/c/a/y/Dan-Caywood/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0017.html

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