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Bedale, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1834.

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BEDALE:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1834.

"BEDALE, a small neat built market town, in the parish of its name, which is partly in the eastern division of Hang wapentake, and partly in the wapentake of Hallikeld, in the north riding, is 223 miles from London, 34 N.W. from York, 12 N. from Ripon, the like distance S. from Richmond, and 8 S.W. from Northallerton; situated on a little rivulet that discharges itself into the Swale, near Gaterby, and near to the Roman causeway, called Leeming Lane, leading from Richmond to Barnard Castle. The manufacture of linens and carpets is carried on here to a limited extent. The neighbouring country is noted for its breed of hunting and road horses; and the town derives considerable advantage, and no trifling degree of consequence, from the many seats of the nobility in the immediate neighbourhood; amongst these may be enumerated Hornby castle, the seat of His Grace the Duke of Leeds; Newton house, His Grace the Duke Cleveland; Bedale hall, Admiral Beresford; Constable Burton, Marmaduke Wyvill, Esq.; Thornton hall, Sir Edward Dodsworth, Bart.; Thorpe Perrow, Mark Millbank, Esq. &c.

The places of worship are the parish church, and chapels for methodists, baptists, & Roman catholics. The church, which is dedicated to St. Gregory, is a large and venerable structure, with a square embattled tower, surmounted with pinnacles of great strength. Within the church are several interesting monuments; amongst which is one to the memory of Sir Brian Fitzalan, lord lieutenant of Scotland, in the reign of Edward 1, who occupied a castle near the church, of which no traces remain. The living of Bedale is a rectory, in the gift alternately of Miss Peirse and Miles Stapleton, Esq., and incumbency of the Hon. & Rev. Thomas Monson. A free grammar school, of ancient foundation, is here; also two national schools, in which children of both sexes are instructed. The market day is Tuesday; the fairs are Easter Tuesday, Whit-Tuesday, and July 5th and 6th, for horned cattle, horses, sheep, leather and hardware; October 10th and 11th for cattle, hogs and leather; and the last Monday but one before Christmas day for horned cattle and sheep. By the parliamentary returns for 1821 the whole parish of Bedale contained 2,631 inhabitants, and in 1831, 2,707, of which last last number 1,266 were returned for the township.

Aiskew is a township and village, in that part of the parish of Bedale which is in the eastern division of Hang wapentake, about half a mile N.E. from Bedale. The township contains a chapel for Roman catholics, a free school with a small endowment, and a population of 586 inhabitants."

[Transcribed by Steve Garton ©2000 from
Pigot's directory (Yorkshire section) 1834]