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Yorkshire

North Riding

Nearby places

The Ancient Parish of GREAT AYTON

[Transcribed information from the early 1820s]

"GREAT AYTON, a parish in the wapentake and liberty of Langbargh; 3 miles NE. of Stokesley, at the foot of Roseberry Topping. The church, dedicated to All Saints (see Churches for photograph), is a neat plain ancient edifice, and the living is a perpetual curacy, in the patronage of the Rev. G. Marwood. -Here are also chapels for the Society of Friends, Independents, Methodists, and Primitive Methodists.

Here is a School-house, which, from an inscription over the door, appears to have been first built by the late Michael Postgate, yeoman, in the year 1704, and rebuilt in l785, with a small endowment for the instruction of eight poor children within the township. Ayton is famous in story, by the Register-Office, written by the late Joseph Reed, of facetious memory; and in this humble village seminary, the immortal Captain Cook received his school education at the expense of Thomas Scottowe, Esq. under whom his father acted as hind, at his farm at Airyholme, in this parish. In the church is a monument of elegant workmanship, to the memory of William Wilson, Esq. formerly commodore and commander-in-chief of the marine force of the English East India Company, in which situation "he displayed one continued series of acts of disinterested patriotism and distinguished services." The river Leven may be said to take its rise from Ayton beck, a small rivulet which runs through this village. Population, 1023."

Information on the following places in this Parish is contained on a supplementary page.

Angrove Hall Langbargh Little Ayton Nunthorpe Sunny Cross Tunstall

Churches

• Here are photographs of Churches in the parish:
  • All Saints' Church, Great Ayton.
  • Christ Church, Great Ayton.
  • The ex-Primitive Methodist Church, Great Ayton, founded in 1895, now flats.
  • The Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Nunthorpe. No key available for visitors (even at Easter).
  • Nunthorpe Hall Chapel, Nunthorpe. (Photograph by kind permission of the owner of the Hall).

Church Records

• The whereabouts and dates of the Registers etc. for the Parish of Great Ayton.
• A transcription of the list of Vicars in All Saints' Church, Great Ayton.

Directories

• Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" in Baines's Directory of 1823.
• Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" in White's Directory of 1840.
• Transcript of the entry of "professions and trades" in Bulmers Directory of 1890.

Gazetteers

• There is further information about this parish from Pigot's 1829 Directory Yorkshire section.
• There is further information about this parish from Pigot's 1834 Directory Yorkshire section.
• There is further information about this parish from National Gazetteer 1868 Yorkshire extracts.
• There is further information about this parish from Bulmer's 1890 History and Directory of the North Riding.

Maps

• 
• For a more detailed map of the parishes in the riding please see the Yorkshire parish maps page.
• For a more detailed map of the county please see the Yorkshire map page.
• Here is a map showing the wapentakes for the county.
• View maps of Great Ayton and places within the boundaries of its ancient parish.

Memorial Inscriptions

• A transcription of the War Memorial Plaque in All Saint's Church, Great Ayton.
• A transcription of the the War Memorial in the churchyard at Great Ayton.

Societies

• This parish is covered by the following Society:
  • Cleveland FHS