Saxton, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1835.

SAXTON:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1835.

"SAXTON, a parish in the upper division of the wapentake of BARKSTONE-ASH, West riding of the county of YORK, comprising the townships of Saxton with Scarthingwell, and Towton, and containing 472 inhabitants, of which number, 378 are in the township of Saxton with Scarthingwell, 4 miles S.W. from Tadcaster. The living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry and diocese of York, endowed with £200 private benefaction, and £400 royal bounty. R. O. Gascoigne, Esq. was patron in 1805. The church is dedicated to All Saints. Lords Dacre and Westmorland, with a vast number of the slain in the sanguinary battle of Towton, fought on March 29th, 1461, between the houses of York and Lancaster, were interred here."

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"SCARTHINGWELL, a township, joint with Saxton, in the parish of SAXTON, upper division of the wapentake of BARKSTONE-ASH, West riding of the county of YORK, 4 miles S.E. from Tadcaster. The population is returned with Saxton."

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"TOWTON, a township in the parish of SAXTON, upper division of the wapentake of BARKSTONE-ASH, West riding of the county of YORK, 3 miles S. from Tadcaster, containing 94 inhabitants. Between this place and Saxton is the celebrated Towton field, where was fought, on Palm-Sunday, 1461, the most important battle between the houses of York and Lancaster, which lasted from nine in the morning till seven in the evening, and ended in the defeat of the latter: in this bloody conflict, it is recorded, one hundred and ten thousand Englishmen were engaged, of whom thirty-six thousand seven hundred and seventy-six were slain."

[Transcribed by Mel Lockie © from
Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1835]