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"Shap was invariably in ancient times written Hep or Heppe, most probably from the fruit of the bramble which still bears that name. By the common people that fruit is still pronounced choup, from whence the transition to Shap is not difficult. Nor doth it at all derogate from this account, that there are at present few shrubs of that kind there; for the face of the country is totally altered since those ancient times; for all was then forest and wood, even so late down as the foundation of the abbey.
The parish of Shap is bounded on the East by the parishes of Morland and Crsoby Ravensworth; on the South, by the parishes of Crosby Ravensowrth and Orton; on the West, by the parishes of Kendal, Bampton, and Barton; and on the North, by the parishes of Bampton, Lowther, and Morland: And contains about 182 families [in 1777] ; all of the church of England except one or two.
The church is dedicated to St. Michael the archangel... It is a vicarage.... The church is a pretty large ancient building; with a square tower, and three bells.
Within the parish of Shap, is the manor of Rosgill or Rosegill; probably not so called from any shrub of that name growing there, as we have before supposed for Shap and of Sleagill; but rather from Rhôs or Rose, which in the British signifies a moist valley or dale.
Thornthwaite was anciently a large forest. It is part in the parish of Shap, and the other part in the parish of Bampton.
Mardale... is part of the forest of Thornthwaite, and lies part in the parish of Shap, and part in the parish of Bampton. The chapel of Mardale is in the parish of Shap.
Swindale.. also is part of Thornthwaite forest; which extended wide in these uncultivated places. It may have received its name, either from the situation, as Swin signifies inclining or crooked; so there is a Crookdale in this same parish of Shap: Or may be so called from wild boars having frequented there; as there are in Grisedale, Boredale, Stybarrow, in the neighbouring parish of Barton; and Wildboarfell in Ravenstonedale. At this place is a small chapel, which was built by the inhabitants to answer the purpose both of school and chapel.
Mosedale, Mossdale, is a wild, bleak, mossy, and mountainous dale; but profitable for fine blue slate: which, since it was found out (which is not a century ago), hath quite altered the face of the country as to building. It is a beautiful, dry, clean, light covering; and, in Westmorland, by reason of its vicinity, cheaper than thatch, because durable. Much of it, by land-carriage, is conveyed over Stanemore into the counties of Durham and York.
South-west about a mile and an half from Shap is the hamlet of Sleddale, Sleadale, distinguished from another Sleddale in the barony of Kendale by the name of Wet Sleddale; for if any rain is stirring, the air scoops it surprisingly into the hollow of that dale.
Next we come to the manor of Hardendale and Wasdale (Waste dale)...[which] belonged to Byland abbey in Yorkshire. "
Nicolson and Burn: The history and antiquities of the counties of Westmorland and Cumberland. 1777. Transcribed by Anne Nichols.
Returns survive for the 'census' of 1787 and are held at the Kendal Record Office of Cumbria Archives Service. The Record Office reference is WQ/SP/C. They are transcribed in Vital Statistics published by Curwen Archives Trust 1992. ISBN 1897590008. There are trancriptions on EdenLinks for
Census returns are available from the usual sources for 1841-1901.
A transcript of the 1841 census of Shap [HO107/1162] is provided by Virginia Gretton. It includes the following names:
ABBOTT, ADDISON, AINSLEY, AIREY, ASHWORTH, ASKEW, ARNISON, ATKINSON, BAINBRIDGE, BALLANTINE, BANKS, BARNS, BECK, BENNET, BENSON, BIRBECK, BLAND, BOWSEN, BREAKS, BROWN, BRYHAM, BURN, BURTON, CARTER, CARTMELL, CASTLEY, CHAPELHOW, CLARK, COATS/COATES, COCKBURN, COOPER, COPLEY, COWARD, CUMMINGS, DENT, DENNISON, DEWHURST, DIXON, DOBSON, DOUTHWAITE, EBDALE, EDMUNDSON, ELLIDOOD, ELLISON, ESKRIGG, EUBANK (also see UBANK), FARRER, FAWCETT, FELL, FERGUSON, FIN, FLEMMING, FORSYTHE, FURNASS, GARNETT, GARSIDE, GIBSON, GOODE, GREEN, GRIFFIT, GROVES, HAIN, HALL, HARRISON, HARTLEY, HAWKSWORTH, HAYTON, HEATH, HERRING, HIGGINS, HILL, HINDSON, HOBKIRK, HODGSON, HOLME, HOW, HOWEL, HUDSON, HUNTER, HUTCHINSON, ION, JACKSON, JAQUES, JOHNSTONE, HEWATSON, KENDALL, KITCHING, KNOX, LAKE, LAMB, LAMBERT, LANCASTER, LANGHORN, LANGLEY, LATTON, LAVERICK, LIGHTON, LOWIS/LOWISE, LOWTHIAN, LUKUS, McEWIN, MACERETH, MARSHALL, MARTINDALE, MAWSON, MEDCALF, MOFFAT/MOFFET, MONKHOUSE, MOSS, MOUNSEY, NEWTON, NICHOLSON, NIVISON, NIXON, NOBLE, OBERINE, PARK, PARKER, PEARSON, POLLARD, POTTS, PRIESTMAN, RAWES, REBANKS, RELPH, RICHARDSON, RIGG, RILEY, ROBINSON, ROPER, ROW, ROWLANDSON, RUDDAM, RUDDICK, SALKELD, SANDERSON, SARGINSON, SARJANT, SCAFE/SCAIF, SCOT/SCOTT, SEWELE/SEWELL, SHANNON, SHEARMAN, SHEPHERD, SHEROW, SIMSON/SIMPSON, SMALLWOOD, SMITH, SOWERBY, STEPHENSON, STEWARD, STEWARDSON, STORROW, STRONG, SWAINSON, SWALE, SWINDLOW, TAYLOR, TEASDALE, THOMPSON, TINKLER, TODD, TOPPING, TOWERS, UBANK (also see EWBANK), WALKER, WALLIS, WANE, WARD, WELYDON, WHARTON, WHITESMITH, WHITFIELD, WILKINSON, WILLAN, WILLIAMSON, WILMAN, WILSON, WINDER, WORKMAN, WREAY, WRIGHT.
Transcript and index for 1851 has been published by the Cumbria Family History Society and also in 'North Westmorland - An Index to the 1851 Census' compiled by David Lowis and Barbara Slack.
St Michael.
Apart from c1200 S arcade substantially a C19th church with W tower of 1828 and chancel of 1898-9.
The parish records and BTs are held at the Kendal Record Office of Cumbria Archives Service. The Record Office reference is WPR84
Baptism registers [1559]-1948 Marriage registers 1559-1951 Banns registers 1754-1981 Burial registers [1559]-1932 Bishops transcripts 1665-1880 For searching on www.familysearch.org see Jake Prescott's list of IGI batch numbers.
The details for the parish from the Parson & White's Directory for 1829 are transcribed on Edenlinks site.
"Hep, Hepe, or as now 'tis called Shap, a small Village, once famous for a small
Monastery, of which we shall hereafter in its Place particularly speak, but now
of no Note, save for certain great Stones in the Form of Pyramids, (some of them
nine Foot high, and fourteen thick) almost in a direct Line, and at equal Distances
for a Mile together. They seem intended to be the Memorials of some Action or
other, but Distance of Time hath made it impossible for us to find out the Occasion,
having no History of this County.
Robert de Vipont, a Parliamentary Baron, and a Person much in Favour with King John,
was Lord of this Town as Part of his Barony
of Appleby, and it seems upon some Occasion laid up his Arms (for he was a very
warlike Person) in the Abbey of Hep. He died indebted to King Hen. III. Reg 12 in
the Sum of 199 pounds, 11 shillings 6 pence five great Horses, and five Tan of Wine;
whereupon the King after his Death, sent his Precept to the Abbot of Hep, to deliver!
up all the Arms belonging to the said Robert, which were in his Custody, to this
Bailiff to be kept in his Castles.
Roger Lord Clifford 4th died possessed of this Manor 13 Rich. II. But how it came into
his Family from the Viponts we have not discovered as yet."
Magna Britannica et Hibernia.Volume 6: Westmorland by Thomas Cox (Vicar of Bromfield, Essex) 45 pages, printed in 1731.
Transcription by Sarah Reveley, Joan Fisher and Lisl Schoenwald. (Rootsweb Westmorland Listmembers) (c) 2003
British History Online provides Shap from The Later Records relating to North Westmorland by John F. Curwen (1932)
A present-day web map is available from Multimap.
| 1641/2 | 928(est) |
| 1671 | 689(est) |
| 1787 | 767 |
| 1801 | 828 |
Shap is in the diocese of Carlisle and wills will be in
Carlisle Record Office.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Shap transcribed on Edenlinks
Window Tax records for 1777 Shap transcribed on Edenlinks.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Rayside (Shap) transcribed on Edenlinks.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Sleddal in the Bottom (Shap) transcribed on Edenlinks.
Hearth Tax records for 1674 Hardendale (Shap) transcribed on Edenlinks.
Last updated: Nov 2008 Dave Huddart
