Ackworth, Yorkshire Genealogy

England Yorkshire Yorkshire Parishes  West Riding  Ackworth

Parish History
This ancient parish (AP) was created before 1813. Parish registers began in 1558.

ACKWORTH (St. Cuthbert), a parish, in the Upper division of the wapentake of Osgoldcross, W. riding of York, 3¼ miles (S. S. W.) from Pontefract; containing 1828 inhabitants. This parish, which occupies an elevated situation, comprises 2537a. 3r. 27p. of profitable land, and 36 acres of roads and waste; the soil is fertile; the surface is boldly undulated, and richly embellished with wood. Freestone of excellent quality is abundant, and there are some extensive quarries of it at Moor Top, in the parish. The village, which is divided into High and Low Ackworth, is situated on rising ground near the source of the river Went, and contains numerous neat and well-built houses, with several pleasant villas in the immediate neighbourhood. Ackworth Park is a beautiful seat. Handloom weaving is carried on to a limited extent. The living is a rectory, valued in the king's books at £22. 1. 0½., and in the patronage of the Crown, in right of the duchy of Lancaster; net income, £403. The tithes were commuted for land and a money payment, under an act of inclosure, in 1774; the glebe comprises 152 acres. The church, an ancient structure situated in Upper Ackworth, has at various times undergone much alteration and repair. There is a place of worship for Wesleyans. The school here belonging to the Society of Friends was originally and for some years an appendage to the Foundling Hospital of London, for which purpose it was originally built, at an expense of £13,000, defrayed by subscription, aided by a grant from parliament. Upon its separation from that institution, the house, with 84 acres of land attached to it, was purchased in 1777 by Dr. Fothergill and two or three other gentlemen of the Society of Friends for £7000; and it was afterwards appropriated as a school for the education of the children of the less wealthy members of that community. The buildings are situated between High and Low Ackworth, and now comprise arrangements for the reception of 180 boys and 120 girls; the land has been extended to 274 acres. The hospital and school at High Ackworth were built by Mrs. Mary Lowther, who in 1741 endowed them with 17 acres of land, now producing £30 per annum, and with £700 invested at 5 per cent interest.

From: Lewis, Samuel A., A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 9-12. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50743 Date accessed: 09 August 2011.

Yorkshire

Civil Registration
Birth, marriages and deaths were kept by the government, from July 1837 to the present day. The civil registration article tells more about these records. There are several Internet sites with name lists or indexes. A popular site is FreeBMD.

Church records
Here is a list of church records on microfilm at the Family History Library (FHL) in Salt Lake City.

Non conformist Churches
Wesleyan Methodist Church

Ackworth is part of the Pontefract Methodist Circuit.

Neighboring Parishes
The GENUKI: Church Database is helpful in determining the names of the churches in the area. By typing the name of the parish, a list will show the names and denominations of the other churches in a selected radius.

Contributor: Include here information for parish registers, Bishop’s Transcripts, nonconformist and other types of church records, such as parish chest records. Add the contact information for the office holding the original records. Add links to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Census records
Contributor: Include an overview if there is any unique information, such as the census for X year was destroyed. Add a link to online sites for indexes and/or images. Also add a link to the Family History Library Catalog showing the film numbers in their collection.

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Rutland Probate Records to find the name of the court having primary jurisdiction. Scroll down in the article to the section Court Jurisdictions by Parish.

Maps and Gazetteers
Maps are a visual look at the locations in England. Gazetteers contain brief summaries about a place.


 * England Jurisdictions 1851
 * Vision of Britain

Web sites
Contributor: add any relevant sites that aren’t mentioned above.