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

CAWOOD:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1868.

"CAWOOD, a parish in the lower division of the wapentake of Barkstone Ash, in the West Riding of the county of York, 7 miles from Tadcaster, 5 N.W. of Selby railway station, and 10 from York. The village, which is lighted with gas, is pleasantly situated on the navigable portion of the river Ouse, and was formerly a market town. There is a good ferry over the river. The quarter sessions for the liberty of Cawood, Wistow, and Otley, were formerly held here, but are now transferred to Otley. In the Saxon times the manor was given by King Athelstan to Wulstan, the 15th Archbishop of York, and from that time the northern prelates frequently resided here. The living is a perpetual curacy* in the diocese of York, value £140, in the patronage of the Archbishop of York. The church dedicated to All Saints, is an ancient edifice in the English style, with a monument to Archbishop Montaigne's memory. The register commences as early as 1591. The Wesleyans and Primitive Methodists have places of worship. There is a school for boys, endowed with a master's house, school-house, and £20 per annum, by the late Archbishop Harsnett; likewise a school endowed with £80 per annum and house, by the Rev. S. Duffield, for the board and education of six girls. There is an almshouse, consisting of four tenements, founded about 1723 by William James, Esq., and endowed by him with £18 for each of the four occupants; also an almshouse, consisting of six tenements, founded and endowed in 1839 by James Waterhouse Smith, Esq. In the vicinity are the ruins of Cawood Castle, once the magnificent seat of the archbishops of York. It was to this castle that Wolsey retired after his fall, and here he was arrested on a charge of treason by the Earl of Northumberland. At the conclusion of the Civil War it was dismantled by order of parliament, and has gradually fallen to decay, so that at present the principal gateway is almost all that remains entire. A market was formerly held on Wednesday, but is now discontinued. There are two fairs in the year, one for cattle on the 12th May, and a pleasure fair held in August."

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