Hide

Guisborough, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1868.

hide
Hide
Hide

GUISBOROUGH:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1868.

"GUISBOROUGH, (or Gisboro'), a parish, market, and post town in the E. division of the liberty of Langbaurgh, North Riding county York, 10 miles S.E. of Middlesborough-on-Tees, with which town it is connected by a branch line of the North-Eastern railway, and 44 N. of York. It is situated in a hilly district near the north-eastern coast, about 4 miles from the mouth of the river Tees. The parish includes the townships of Commondale, Guisbrough, Hutton-Lowcross, Pinchinthorpe, and Tocketts, with the hamlets of Barnaby, Bellmangate, Carlinghow, Skelderskew Grange, Sleddale, and Slapewath. The Romans had a settlement here. In the Domesday Survey the place is called Ghigesburgh. In the 12th century, a priory of the Cistertian order was founded by Robert de Brus, who then held the land. The building was a fine specimen of Gothic architecture; but about the year 1289, a conflagration destroyed its principal parts, though to the present day there are some- traces of its former beauty. The first alum works were founded here by Sir T. Challoner, to whom the site of the priory was given by Queen Elizabeth. The town, consisting of one main thoroughfare, with several new streets branching to the right and left, contains a townhall, erected in 1821, market-house, two commercial banks, one savings-bank, and a penny bank. Petty sessions are held fortnightly on Tuesdays, for the E. division of the liberty of Langbaurgh, and the town is a polling place for the North Riding of the county. A large portion of the parish is moorland, but the land along the banks of the Tees is extremely fertile. It abounds with ironstone, the obtaining of which affords employment to a large number of people. Malting, brewing, and the processes of preparing leather give occupation to a considerable number of the inhabitants. A short distance from the town is a spring possessing medicinal properties. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of York, value £176, in the patronage of the Archbishop of York. The church, dedicated to St. Nicholas, is a large stone structure of the last century. The register commences in the year 1661. The parochial endowments produce nearly £600 per annum. Robert Pursglove, the last prior, founded a school and hospital or almshouses for 12 persons, the income of which is £350. Providence school has an endowment of £114. The Independents, Wesleyans, Primitive Methodists, and Society of Friends have places of worship. Captain Chaloner, R.N., is lord of the manor. Tuesday is market day. Fairs are held for the sale of wool on the last Tuesdays in March, April, June, and July, Tuesday before Whit-Sunday, third Tuesday in August and September, and second Tuesday in November."


"BELLMANGATE, a hamlet in the parish of Guisborough, liberty of Langbaurgh, in the North Riding of the county of York, not far from Guisborough."


"CARLINGHOW, a hamlet in the parish of Guisborough, and liberty of Langbaurgh, in the North Riding of the county of York, not far from Guisbrough."


"COMMONDALE, (or Colmondale), a township in the parish of Guisborough, in the eastern division of the liberty of Langbaurgh, in the North Riding of the county of York 6 miles S.E. of Guisbrough. This place is so called after Bishop Colman, who had a hermitage here."


"HUTTON LOWCROSS, (or Hutton-locras), a township in the parish of Guisborough, E. division of the liberty of Langbaurgh, North Riding county York, 2 miles S.W. of Guisborough, and 44 N. of York. The village, which contains a large number of scattered houses, is situated in the vale of Guisborough, under Roseberry Topping. William de Bernaldby founded a hospital here for lepers, dedicated to St. Leonard, and subsequently given to the priory of Guisborough, traces of which still exist. Ralph de Neville also founded a nunnery here for the Cistercian order, portions of which have recently come to light while ploughing."


"PINCHINGTHORPE, a township in the parish of Guisborough, E. division of the liberty of Langbaurgh, North Riding county York, 3 miles S.W. of Guisborough, and 5 N.E. of Stokesley. It is a stationon the Stockton and Darlington railway. It is a small but increasing village, much of its present prosperity being due to the discovery of ironstone in the neighbouring hills. The soil is a strong clay, and the lands are in good cultivation."


"SKELDERSKEW GRANGE, a hamlet in the parish of Guisborough, liberty of East Langbaurgh, North Riding county York, 2 miles from Guisborough and 45 N. of York, near the coast."


"SLAPEWATH, a hamlet in the township and parish of Guisborough, North Riding county York, near Guisborough."


"SLEDDALE, a hamlet in the township and parish of Guisborough, liberty of East Langbaurgh, North Riding county York, near Guisborough."


"TOCKETTS, a township in the parish of Guisborough, E. division of Langbaurgh liberty, North Riding county York, 1½ mile N.E. of Guisborough. The surface is undulating, and the high lands command a view of the sea and the Cleveland hills. It had formerly an ancient chapel founded by the Tocketts, who resided here for several centuries. Captain T. Chaloner is lord of the manor."

[Transcribed from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland 1868]
by Colin Hinson ©2013