Aysgarth, Yorkshire Genealogy

England Yorkshire Yorkshire Parishes   North Riding  Aysgarth



Parish History
Aysgarth St Andrew is an Ancient Parish in the county of Yorkshire, and was formerly the largest parish in England. Other places in the parish include: Cotterdale, Carr End, Cubeck, Fossdale, Grange, Helme, High Abbotside, High and Low Blean, Litherskew, Low Abbotside, Marside, Mossdale Moor, Newbiggen, Newbiggin, Sedbusk, Shaw, Shawcote, Simonstone, Thoralby, Thorlaby, Thornton Rust, West Bolton, West Burton, Wether Fell, Worton, Abbots Common, Abbotside Common, Bainbridge, Birk Riggs, Bishopdale, Bow Bridge, Burton cum Walden, Cam Houses, Carn Houses, Carperby cum Thoresby, and Counterside.

AYSGARTH (St. Andrew), a parish, in the wapentake of Hang-West, N. riding of York; comprising the townships of High and Low Abbotside, Askrigg, Aysgarth, Bainbridge, Bishopdale, West Burton, Carperby cum Thoresby, Hawes, Newbiggin, Thoralby, and Thornton-Rust; and containing 5725 inhabitants, of whom 269 are in the township of Aysgarth, 8½ miles (W.) from Middleham. This parish, which is about 22 miles long, and from 4 to 8 or 9 wide, contains 96,000 acres. It comprehends the upper part of the splendid valley called Wensley dale, and the surface is strikingly diversified with high moorlands and fertile vales, famed for grouse and other game; the grounds are principally in pasture, and the district is noted for its superior dairy productions, butter and new-milk cheeses. The village is pleasantly situated near the river Ure, which rises in the parish, and in its progress forms cataracts at Aysgarth, Askrigg, Hardraw, and West Burton. There is a sheet of water, named Semer water, covering about 500 acres, and abounding with fish of several varieties; the Ure, also, abounds with trout of a rich flavour, as well as with the greyling, and affords to the angler at certain seasons sport not generally to be met with. At a short distance above Aysgarth Force, is Yore bridge, built in 1539, a curious and interesting structure, which rises in one elliptical arch of 32 feet, with a span of 70 feet, exhibiting numerous petrifactions in its concave, and having its battlements festooned with verdant ivy: this bridge commands a fine view of the falls made by the river in its course through rocks in some parts craggy and abrupt, and in others beautifully intermingled with foliage. There are some veins of lead, and strata of coal. A coarse description of knitted hosiery is manufactured by the females and children of the lower classes, for the use of sailors, and for exportation. The living is a discharged vicarage, valued in the king's books at £19. 6. 8.; net income, £137; patrons and appropriators, the Master and Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge. The church is in the early English style, with a square embattled tower, which was heightened in the reign of Henry VIII., when the whole building was renovated: the chancel is separated from the nave by an elegant and highly enriched screen and roodloft, said to have been removed from the abbey of Jervaulx. There are other churches at Askrigg, Hawes, Hardraw, Lunds, and Stalling-Busk. The Society of Friends have places of worship at Aysgarth, Bainbridge, Hawes, and Counterside; and the Wesleyans at Aysgarth, Burton, Thoralby, Carperby, Askrigg, Bainbridge, and Gayle: at Thornton-Rust the Calvinists have a meeting-house; and at Hawes the Independents and Sandemanians one each. Mary, Queen of Scots, was imprisoned for a short time at Nappa Hall, an ancient mansion in the parish.—

From: Lewis, Samuel A., A Topographical Dictionary of England (1848), pp. 120-124. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=50772 Date accessed: 10 May 2011.

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
To find the names of the neighbouring parishes, use England Jurisdictions 1851. In this site, search for the name of the parish, click on the location "pin", click Options and click List contiguous parishes.

This ancient parish (AP) was created before 1813. Church of England records began in 1709.

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.

Poor Law Unions
Bainbridge Gilbert Poor Law Union, Yorkshire

Aysgarth Poor Law Union, Yorkshire

Probate records
Records of wills, administrations, inventories, indexes, etc. were filed by the court with jurisdiction over this parish. Go to Yorkshire 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.