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Willerby Parish information from Bulmers' 1892.

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WILLERBY:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1892.

Wapentake of Dickering - County Council Electoral Division of Sherburn - Petty Sessional Division of Norton - Poor Law Union, County Court District, and Rural Deanery of Scarborough - Archdeaconry of the East Riding - Diocese of York.

This parish lies on the southern hank of Hartford river - the boundary of the North and East Ridings - and has Folkton on its eastern side and Ganton on the western, Its total area, according to Ordnance measurement, is 4,566 acres, and its population in 1891 was 446. It includes the townships of Willerby, Binnington and Staxton, which are united for poor-law assessment, hut are separately rated for highway purposes. The York and Scarborough branch of the North-Eastern Railway passes through the north part of the parish, but the nearest station is at Ganton. The township of Willerby contains 2016 acres, inclusive of water, and is valued, for rating purposes, at £1,738. The soil is sand and chalk, and the subsoil various. In the low lands wheat, oats, barley, and turnips are chiefly cultivated; and on the high grounds barley, oats, turnips, and seeds are the principal crops. The Earl of Londesborough is sole owner of the township and lord of the manor, which is co-extensive with the parish.

The church and two farmhouses are all that is now left of the ancient village of Willerby, which is situated in a valley on the northern slope of the wolds, six-and-a-half miles south-by-west of Scarborough. The church, dedicated to St. Peter, is a stone edifice in the Early English style, and was probably erected at the latter end of the 12th or beginning of the 13th century. The tower appears to have been added or rebuilt two centuries later. The church had originally a north aisle, but this was taken down, as was also the chancel, probably in one of the churchwardian restorations of the last century. The fabric was restored in 1882, at an expense of about £700, raised by subscription. It was re-roofed, re-seated, a north aisle added, and the old arcade of the original north aisle opened out. It is now five-and-a-half bays in length, four of the columns being cylindrical and one octagonal, the capitals of each bearing figure-heads, chiefly in chain 'armour. There are also some rude figures in the wall of the porch. During the restoration, the old altar-stone, with its five crosses engraven thereon, symbolical of the five wounds, was discovered under the floor of the nave, and is now in the floor of the sacrarium, under the communion table. The base of the ancient font was found at the same time. It has been ornamented with heads, but these have been mutilated beyond recognition. The interior is neatly furnished for 140 worshippers. An organ was added in 1887. The registers date from 1653. The living is a vicarage, nett value £200, including 187 acres of glebe, in the gift of and held by the Rev. George Day, M.A., Oxon.

BINNINGTON is a township and hamlet, containing 910 acres, of which Sir Charles Legard, Bart., of Ganton Hall, is the sole owner. The whole township is divided into three farms, besides which there are 12 cottages. The rateable value is £1,407.

STAXTON township comprises 1,640 acres, chiefly the property of the Earl of Londesborough, the executors of the late Thomas Rivis, the executors of the late Richard Dennison, and the Rev. George Day. The soil is chalk, sand, and peat, subsoil the same, and the chief crops are barley, oats, and turnips. A considerable number of sheep are reared. The rateable value is £1,497. The village, which is large, stands on the high road from Scarborough to Malton, seven miles from the former place, 16 from the latter, and two-and-three-quarter miles from Ganton, the nearest railway station. The Wesleyan and Primitive Methodists have chapels here: that belonging to the former was built in 1813, and the other in 1847. They are both brick buildings, with neat interior fittings.

A School Board, consisting of five members, was formed, in 1875, for the parish of Willerby, and the present school, with teacher's residence, was erected near the village of Staxton, at a cost of £760, exclusive of the site, which was given by the Earl of Londesborough. There is accommodation for 100 scholars, and an average attendance of 65.

Carman's Hospital, described under Flixton (page - ), stood within the boundary of this township. A farmhouse now occupies the site, and bears the name of Spittal. About two years ago the workmen, whilst digging in a garth immediately in front of the house, came upon some skeletons in a good state of preservation. They were evidently not those of the inmates of the hospital, as the skulls were pierced with bullet-holes.

[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.


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