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Bedale, Yorkshire, England. Geographical and Historical information from 1835.
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BEDALE:
Geographical and Historical information from the year 1835.
"BEDALE, a parish comprising the market-town of Bedale, the townships of Aiskew, Burrel with Cowling, Crakehall, and Firby, and the hamlet of Rands- Grange, in the eastern division of the wapentake of HANG, and the township of Langthorne in the wapentake of HALLIKELD, North riding of the county of YORK, and containing 2631 inhabitants, of which number, 1137 are in the town of Bedale, 33 miles N.W. from York, and 223 N.N.W. from London. This town, which is of prepossessing appearance, is pleasantly situated on the banks of a stream flowing into the river Swale near Scruton, and consists of one principal street. The houses are in general of brick, and irregularly built; the air is pure, and the neighbourhood, which is well cultivated, affords many pleasant walks and much picturesque scenery. The market is on Tuesday: fairs are held on Easter- Tuesday, Whit-Tuesday, and July 5th and 6th, for horses, horned cattle, and sheep; and October 10th and 11th, and the last Monday but one before Christmas- day, for cattle, sheep, hogs, and leather. Constables and other officers are appointed at the court leet of the lord of the manor. The living is a rectory, in the archdeaconry of Richmond, and diocese of Chester, rated in the king's books at £89. 4. 9., and in the alternate patronage of Miss Pierse and Miles Stapleton, Esq. The church, dedicated to St. Gregory, is a spacious and venerable structure, in the early style of English architecture, with a square embattled tower crowned with pinnacles, of remarkable strength, having been used as a place of security from the incursions of the Scots. Within the church are several interesting monuments, one of which is to the memory of Sir Brian Fitz-Alan, Lord-Lieutenant of Scotland in the reign of Edward I., who resided here in a castle near the church, of which there are no remains. There are three places of worship for Methodists, and one each for Particular Baptists and Roman Catholics. A free grammar school, supposed to have existed here prior to the dissolution of religious houses, was endowed by Queen Elizabeth with £7. 11. 4. per annum, to which the Countess of Warwick added £13. 6. 8. per annum. The latter sum is now given to the National school, for the instruction of eighty boys, to which also is appropriated the produce of £100, bequeathed by William Heaton, in 1709, for preparing eight boys for the grammar school, which'is in the churchyard. An hospital for six aged men was founded by Dr. Samwaies, in 1698, and endowed with £55. 3. 2.; it is a neat stone building, containing six apartments, to each of which a garden, comprising half an acre, is allotted: there are also almshouses for three aged women, founded by Richard and Thomas Young, in 1667, besides many bequests for the poor. Sir Christopher Wray, Lord Chief Justice of the court of King's Bench in the reign of Elizabeth,, was a native of this place."
"AISKEW, a township in that part of the parish of BEDALE, which is in the eastern division of the wapentake of HANG, North riding of the county of YORK, a mile N.E. from Bedale, containing 620 inhabitants. There are two places of worship for Anabaptists, and one for Roman Catholics. A free school has a small endowment for the instruction of children."
"BURREL, a township, joint with Cowling, in that part of the parish of BEDALE, which is in the eastern division of the wapentake of HANG, North riding of the county of YORK, if- mile W.S.W. from Bedale, containing, with Cowling, 113 inhabitants."
"COWLING, a township, joint with Burrel, in that part of the parish of BEDALE, which is in the eastern division of the wapentake of HANG, North riding of the county of YORK, 2 miles S.W. from Bedale. The population is returned with Burrel."
"CRAKEHALL, a township in that part of the parish of BEDALE, which is in the eastern, division of the wapentake of HANG, North riding of the county of YORK, If mile W.N.W. from Bedale, containing, with Rands-Grange, 550 inhabitants. There are places of worship for Baptists and Wesleyan Methodists. The village forms a spacious' quadrangle,-, enclosing an extensive and pleasant green, ornamented with stately trees."
"FIRBY, a township in that part of the parish of BEDALE, which is in the eastern division of the wapentake of HANG, North riding of the county of YORK, 1? mile S.E. from Bedale, containing 76 inhabitants."
"LANGTHORNE, a township in that part of the parish of BEDALE, which is in the wapentake of HALLIKELD, North riding of the county of YORK, 3 miles N.N.W. from Bedale, containing 135 inhabitants."
"RANDS GRANGE, a hamlet in that part of the parish of BEDALE, which is in the eastern division of the wapentake of HANG, North riding of the county of YORK, 1 mile N.W. from Bedale. The population is returned with the township of Crakehall."
[Transcribed by Mel Lockie © from
Lewis's Topographical Dictionary of England 1835]