Harrogate, Yorkshire Genealogy

England Yorkshire  Yorkshire Parishes K-R North Riding  Harrogate Low

Parish History
HARROGATE, a celebrated watering-place, comprising the villages of High and Low Harrogate, of which the former, with the hamlet of Bilton, constitutes a township in the parish of Knaresborough, and the latter is in the parish of Pannal, Lower division of the wapentake of Claro, W. riding of York, 15 miles(N.) from Leeds, 21 (W. by N.) from York, and 200 (N. N. W.) from London; containing, exclusively ofLow Harrogate, 3372 inhabitants. This place, which is within the limits of the ancient forest of Knaresborough, derives it name, originally Heywraygate, from its situation on the road from Knaresborough to Heywray, now Haverah Park; and, prior to the discovery of its mineral waters, consisted only of a few farm houses and widely scattered cottages on a barren heath. About the year 1571, Captain Slingsby, of Scriven, after his return from Westphalia, found a spring in the forest of Knaresborough, which resembled, in its properties, the waters from which he had derived much benefit abroad; this spring is now the source of the old Harrogate spa. TheTewit Well was subsequently discovered, and both the springs gradually attracted public notice for nearly a century before any provisions were made for the reception of the increasing number of visiters, till, in theyear 1687, an inn, now the "Queen," was erected fortheir accommodation, to which another, now the "RoyalOak," was subsequently added. The town has sinceby degrees become extensive, and is at present one of the most fashionable and best frequented watering-places in the kingdom.

High Harrogate is finely situated on an eminence, commanding a richly varied prospect bounded by the mountains of Craven, the hills of Hambleton, and the wolds of Yorkshire; and is connected withLow Harrogate, in a valley to the west, by ranges of houses of modern erection, which, from their position between thetwo villages, have been called Central Harrogate. Thehouses are chiefly of stone, and many that have been built for visiters are spacious. There are several hotels,containing suites of apartments affording every accommodation for families of the first class; and attached tothe principal are pleasure-grounds laid out with greattaste, and embellished with shrubberies and plantations.The pump-rooms, baths, and assembly-rooms, also, areof the first order. In High Harrogate are a subscription library, and a repository, with a museum offossils, shells, minerals, birds, and insects: there islikewise a library at Low Harrogate. Assemblies andconcerts take place during the season at the Dragon,Crown, and Granby hotels, weekly, and occasionally atthe other inns; and a band of music is stationed on the Green at High Harrogate, every evening. The environs afford pleasant walks and rides, and about a mile to the west of Low Harrogate, is Harlow Hill, a gentle acclivity,on the summit of which a tower was erected in 1829, commanding an extensive prospect. An act was passed in 1846 for better supplying the town with gas, and in the same year another act for supplying it with water. In 1845 an act was obtained for a railway from Leeds, by Harrogate, to Thirsk, with a branch of half a mile from Harrogate to Knaresborough, there to join the York and Knaresborough railway; and in 1847 a line was opened from Harrogate to Wetherby and Tadcaster.

Of the buildings recently erected, the Royal Promenade, or Cheltenham Pump-room, is the most conspicuous for magnificence of style, and the extent of its grounds; it is of the Doric order, with a portico of six fluted columns,supporting an entablature and cornice surmounted by a triangular pediment, and forming the entrance to the pump-room, which is nearly 100 feet in length and more than 30 feet in breadth, and is lighted by a range of windows embellished with stained glass. The water, asaline chalybeate, was discovered in 1819, and the pumproom was erected by the late Mr. Williams. The building contains a library of 2000 volumes for the use of subscribers to the rooms; the reading-rooms are supplied with the London, Dublin, and provincial journals,and the principal periodical publications, and the promenade is enlivened by a band of music. The subscription for the season is £1. 10., and for a family £2. 2.The Montpelier gardens, near the Crown hotel, thoughnot so extensive as those of the Royal Promenade, are beautifully laid out, and much frequented as affording the united advantages of a saline chalybeate and a sulphureous spring, both of which are introdueed into anoctagonal building resembling a Chinese temple, erected by the late proprietor, Mr. Thackwray, in 1822. The promenade is attended by a band. The Victoria Promenade rooms were erected in 1805, at an expense of £3000;the building is of the Ionic order, and contains a principal room, 70 feet in length and 30 feet wide. The subscription for a family during the season is £1. 10.,and the subscribers have the use of a library, the daily journals. and the periodicals.

The old spa, better known as St. John's Well, on thecommon, discovered by Capt. Slingsby, was covered witha dome by Lord Loughborough in 1786, and has recently been inclosed by an octagonal building in theItalian style, with angular pilasters supporting an enriched cornice and attic, erected at an expense of £180.Not far from it is the Tewit Well, over which has beenplaced the dome removed from the old sulphur well.They are both saline chalybeates; and at each, personsare in attendance for supplying the water to visiterswithout any charge. A strong saline chalybeate springwas discovered in the gardens of the Crescent inn byMr. Walker, and has been conveyed into a room infront of the Crescent buildings; the water contains alarge proportion of carbonate of soda, and muriates ofsoda, lime, and magnesia, and is raised by a small pumpin the building. The Old Sulphur Well has long maintained a high character for its superior efficacy, and isstill the principal attraction of this distinguished watering-place. It is situated near the Crown hotel, and wasformerly received into a stone basin covered with a domeresting on pillars, but which has been superseded by apump-room erected at an expense of £2000, by the commissioners under an act of parliament passed in 1841 for the improvement of the town. At Starbeck, half waybetween Harrogate and Knaresborough, are chalybeate and sulphureous springs of weaker quality; and to the west of the old sulphur well, and in the direction of Harlow Tower, is a small portion of marshy ground,upon which a number of sulphureous springs are to befound, which are under the control of the commissioners,and are of considerable utility, though not of so great power as those already described. Among the principal Bathing establishments are the Victoria baths, near theold sulphur well, built by Mr. Williams, in 1832; there are six baths for ladies, and seven for gentlemen, and also warm, vapour, and shower baths. The Montpelier baths, situated in the gardens of that spa, were built by Mr. Thackwray, in 1834; in the front of the building is a handsome portico, leading to the hall, which is lighted by a dome. The Starbeck baths have been enlarged and improved since they were originally erected in 1828; they comprise four warm, two shower baths, and a cold bath. The cold baths situated between the lower town and Harlow Tower, comprise plunging, shower, and spouting baths; and there are also accommodations for warm and cold bathing at most of the hotels. The water of the old sulphur well, and that of the sulphur spring in the Montpelier gardens, are annually resorted to by an increasing number of visiters; and it appears that these, as well as the numerous other springs at Harrogate, present very little variation, either in the amount of sulphur or salts, during the entire year, so that they may be considered perfectly efficacious at any time. Under the act procured in 1841, the protection of the springs is vested in 21 commissioners, of whom seven retire annually.

The old chapel of St. John, in High Harrogate, towards the erection of which, in 1749, Lady Elizabeth Hastings largely contributed, was taken down in 1831, and the present church, dedicated to Christ, erected on its site,at an expense of £4500, of which £900 were a grant from the Incorporated Society, £300 paid from the revenues of the duchy of Lancaster, and the remainder raised by subscription. It is in the later English style, with asquare embattled tower crowned by pinnacles, and contains 1250 sittings. A district comprising 4100 acres has been since assigned to it, and the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Vicar of Knaresborough,augmented to £150 per annum from the Canonry Suspension Fund. The district church of St. Mary, in Low Harrogate, was erected in 1826, by subscription, aided by a parliamentary grant, on a site obtained, with two acres for a cemetery, from the duchy land; it has 1000 sittings, of which 500 are free in consideration of a grant of £500 from the Incorporated Society, and the living isa perpetual curacy, endowed with £50 per annum from the revenues of the duchy: patron, the Vicar of Pannal. There is a place of worship for Independents in Low Harrogate, and one for Wesleyans in Central Harrogate. The free school, situated about a mile from High Harrogate, was founded in 1785, by Richard Taylor, Esq., who endowed it with lands producing £30 per annum. The Bath hospital for patients requiring the benefit of the waters, was erected by subscription in 1825.

From: ewis, Samuel A., A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 416-421. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=51009 Date accessed: 08 September 2011.

Civil Registration
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Church records
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