Wharram Percy Parish information from Bulmers' 1892.

WHARRAM PERCY:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1892.

Wapentake and Petty Sessional Division of Buckrose - County Council Electoral Division of Settrington - Poor Law Union and County Court District of Malton - Rural Deanery of Buckrose - Archdeaconry of the East Riding - Diocese of York.

This parish comprises the township of its own name and that of Towthorpe, but previous to its sub-division in 1871, it also included the townships of Thixendale, and Baisthorpe and Burdale, having a total area of 9,093 acres. Wharram Percy township contains 1,473 acres of land, belonging solely to Lord Middleton, who is also the proprietor of all the manorial rights. The place lies about eight miles south-east of Malton, and consists of two farmhouses, a few cottages, and the church. It is valued for rating purposes at £1,366, and had in 1891 only 56 inhabitants. A picturesque valley stretches through the township, and through this runs the Malton and Driffield branch of the North Eastern railway, on which there is a station called Wharram near the entrance to Burdale tunnel, about one-and-a-half miles distant. The soil is chalk; and barley, oats, and turnips are the chief crops.

The church, an ancient edifice of stone in the Norman and Early English styles, stands in a deep narrow dell. It is dedicated to St. Mary, and consists of chancel, nave, south porch, and an embattled western tower. This latter was restored in 1878, at a cost of over £200, defrayed by Lord Middleton. The church had formerly aisles. The interior is very plain. The registers date from the year 1654. The living is a vicarage, united with that of Wharram-le-Street, in the gift of Lord Middleton, and held by the Rev. William Gwillim Chilman, who resides at Wharram-le-Street. The gross united income is £260, including 49 acres of glebe.

TOWTHORPE township contains 1,710 acres of land, situated about two-and-a-half miles east of Wharram Percy, and is in the Driffield Union and County Court District. The rateable value is £980, and the number of inhabitants 62. Lord Middleton is sole landowner and lord of the manor. The nearest railway station is Fimber, one mile south. There is said to have been a village here formerly, which was the seat of the ancient family of Ughtred, before the Conquest. Towthorpe is of Scandinavian origin, and in the first syllable we have probably the name of its Norse founder. There are several tumuli or ancient British graves in the township and neighbourhood. A large one in Towthorpe planting was opened some years ago, when it was found to contain a single skeleton. The knees were drawn up to the chin, and one hand was placed against the face.

[Description(s) from Bulmer's History and Directory of East Yorkshire (1892)]

Directories

• Transcript of the entry for the Post Office, professions and trades in Bulmer's Directory of 1892.

Scan, OCR and html by Colin Hinson. Checking and correction by Peter Nelson.