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

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WHITKIRK:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1868.

"WHITKIRK, a parish in the lower division of Skyrack wapentake, West Riding county York, 4 miles E. of Leeds. It has a station at Crossgates on the Leeds and Selby line of railway. The parish includes the township of Austhorpe, Temple Newsham, Thorpe Stapleton, and Seacroft, recently erected into a separate parish under Lord Blandford's Act, and the hamlets of Crossgates, Colton, Halton, Killingbeck, Lane End, Newsham-Green, and Temple-Thorpe. The manor of Temple Newsham, mentioned in Domesday survey as Newhusum, was given in the 12th century by William de Villers to the Knights Templars, who had a preceptory here, and upon the suppression of that order was given by Edward IIL to the Darcys, and subsequently came to Matthew, Earl of Lenox, during whose residence here Henry Lord Darnley, husband of Mary Queen of Scots, was born. The land is fertile and well cultivated. The substratum abounds in coal and ironstone, which are chiefly worked in the township of Thorpe-Stapleton. The population of the parish in 1861 was 3,032, principally located in the villages of Whitkirk, Temple Newsham, Seacroft, and Crossgates. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Ripon, value £200, in the patronage of Trinity College, Cambridge. The church is dedicated to St. Mary. The pulpit is in Caen stone, and adjoining the S. aisle is a mortuary chapel, with sculptured effigies of the Scargill and Ingram families, and a monument to John Smeaton, founder of the Eddystone lighthouse, who was a native of Austhorpe in this parish. There is besides a new church at Seacroft, erected in 1845. There are National and other schools. The charities produce about £35 per annum."


"AUSTHORPE, a township in the parishes of Whitkirk and Garforth, lower division of the wapentake of Skyrack, in the West Riding of the county of York, 4 miles to the E. of Leeds. Great and Little Mauston are hamlets of this township The Hull, Selby, and Milford Junction railway passes through it. The engineer, Smeaton, who erected the famous Eddystone lighthouse, was a native of Austhorpe (1724). Austhorpe Hall is the principal residence."


"BARROWBY, a hamlet in the township of Austhorpe, and parish of Whitkirk, in the wapentake of Skyrack, West Riding of the county of York, 4 miles to the E. of Leeds. Barrowby Hall is the chief residence."


"COLDCOTES, a hamlet in the township of Seacroft, and parish of Whitkirk, in the West Riding of the county of York, 4 miles E. of Leeds."


"COLTON, (or Coulton), a village in the township of Templenewsam, in the parishes of Whitkirk and Leeds, West Riding of the county of York, 3 miles S.E. of Leeds."


"CROSSGATES, a hamlet in the township of Seacroft, and parish of Whitkirk, in the West Riding of the county of York, 3½ miles N.E. of Leeds. It is a station on the Leeds and Milford junction branch of the North-Eastern line."


"FOUNDRY, a hamlet in the township of Seacroft and parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 4 miles N.E. of Leeds."


"GREAT MANSTON, (and Little Manston) hamlets in the township of Austhorpe and parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 4 miles E. of Leeds. It is a station on the Leeds and Milford Junction branch of the North- Eastern railway."


"HAIGH MOOR, a hamlet in the parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 5 miles N.W. of Wakefield."


"HALTON, a village in the township of Temple Newsam and parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 3 miles S. of Leeds."


"KILLINGBECK, a hamlet in the township of Seacroft, and parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 4 miles N.E. of Leeds."


"LEEFAIR, a hamlet in the parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 5 miles N.W. of Wakefield."


"NEWSAM GREEN, a village in the township of Temple-Newsam and parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 3 miles S.E. of Leeds."


"OSMONDTHORPE, a hamlet in the township of Templenewsam, parishes of Whitkirk and Leeds, West Riding county York, 4 miles S.E. of Leeds."


"SEACROFT, a township in the parish of Whitkirk, lower division of Skyrack wapentake, West Riding county York, 3½ miles N.E. of Leeds, its post town, and 10 from Tadcaster. It is situated on the road from Leeds to York, and includes the hamlets of Coldcoates, Crossgates, Foundry, Killingbeck, and Whitbridge. This place was the scene of two battles, one in the Saxon times, and the other in the reign of Charles I., when Lord Goring defeated the parliamentarians under Fairfax. The substratum abounds in coal, of which several mines are in operation. The living is a perpetual curacy* in the diocese of Ripon, value £131, in the patronage of the Vicar of Whitkirk. The church is modern. The Wesleyans have a place of worship. There is a National school."


"SKELTON, a hamlet in the township of Temple Newsam and parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 2 miles S.E. of Leeds."


"TEMPLENEWSAM, a township in the parish of Whitkirk, lower division of Skyrack wapentake, West Riding county York, 4½ miles S.E. of Leeds, within which borough it is included. It contains Colton, Halton, Whitkirk, and five other hamlets It is mentioned in Domesday Book as Newhusam, and was a Knights Templars' preceptory. At the suppression of this order in 1311 the manor was given by Edward III. to the Sir John D'Arcy, whose descendant, Thomas Lord D'Arcy, was beheaded by Henry VIII. for joining the "Pilgrims of Grace," and his forfeited estates given to the Earl of Lennox, from whom they reverted to the crown, and were given by James I. to the Duke of Richmond, who sold the estate to Sir Arthur Ingram, ancestor of the present proprietor. The mansion was built by Sir Arthur. There is a school endowed with £15 per annum by the late Marquis of Hertford."


"THORNES, a hamlet in the township of Templenewsam, parish of Whitkirk, West Riding county York, 3 miles S.E. of Leeds."


"THORPE STAPLETON, a township in the parish of Whitkirk, lower division of Skyrack wapentake, West Riding county York, 3½ miles S.E. of Leeds. In this township, which is situated on the N. bank of the river Aire, are several collieries and ironstone mines."


"WHITBRIDGE, a hamlet in the parish of Whitkirk, wapentake of Skyrack, West Riding county York, 5 miles from Leeds, on the road from Leeds to York."

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