Airedale & Wharfedale Family History Society
Finding New Routes to Trace Your Old Roots
Arncliffe Overseers of the poor records 1848-1849.
Charity records including Fawcett’s Charities 1632-1896, Topsfield’s Charity 1866-1909, Litton Dale Poor Money 1815-1860, Canon Shuffrey’s Charity 1928, general charity records 1830, Charity for Ecclesiastical Purposes 1984.
Read MoreBy Stanley Merridew
Readers of both the Wharfedale and Keighley journals may recall my previous articles regarding the Primitive Methodist movement in both Addingham and Eastburn. In both I referred to “Silsden Primitve Methodists” by WJ Robson published in 1910. This gives a detailed history of the churches and chapels within the former Silsden Primitive Methodist Circuit.
Read MoreBy Stanley Merridew
Before the introduction of the Poor Law in 1601 those falling on hard times relied on largely on charity. Local charities were setup by benefactors and continued in some cases to the present day. It is always worth checking if any records survive, although in my experience many give very little details of those receiving assistance. The new act provided for the appointment of overseers in each township.
Read MoreBy Stanley Merridew
In tracing your ancestry obviously a grasp of history, historical dates and facts can be useful but it is worth taking into consideration that geography, economic geography in particular, plays just as an important part in our research. Some researchers are fortunate in finding a family stayed in one parish for generations but they are in the minority. For the majority our forebears flitted from place to place leaving no apparent trail.
Read MoreWhen you have exhausted the resources of civil registration, census, parish registers and wills it is worthwhile looking deeper into available parish sources to flesh out the bones of your ancestors lives. The parish chest, the historical resting place for parochial documents, normally kept in either the church itself or the vestry room, contains the administrative papers of the parish. These include vestry minute books, overseer’s records, churchwarden’s accounts and a variety of other records relating to the running of the parish and its inhabitants.
Read MoreBy Stanley Merridew
Methodists & Methodism Upper Wharfedale
By Stanley Merridew
Upper Wharfedale was originally part of the Haworth/ Keighley Circuit. The earliest recording of Methodism in the area was at Skyrethorns in 1763. This was followed by early societies forming in Burnsall, Grassington, Hebden & Skyreholme. John Wesley preached in Grassington in 1780 and again in 1782. No doubt this would have increased his followers in the dale.
Read MoreHeld at Northallerton Record Office
Rate books, sometimes referred to as Poor Rate books, detailing those who were paying the rate which was used at least in part to support the poor of the parish. Here is an example:
Thorpe Rate Book 1869
Read Moreby David Johnson and Trevor Blackwell
The subject of Conscientious Objectors, even a century later, can still rouse strong emotions. My problem is that I can always see both sides of an argument and this sometimes makes it difficult for me to make decisions. The Conscientious Objectors of WW1 had no such qualms and stood against the state and overwhelming prejudices to defend their principles. Most of Britain’s population at that time stood firmly behind the war effort and Conscientious Objectors had a very difficult time often resulting in abuse and even ostracism.
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By Stanley Merridew
When I visited the church to record the War Memorial, the Pastor Geoff King, mentioned that they had archive records of the history of the church. Naturally I took the opportunity to borrow it and came up with many items of interest to us. Much of this material can be added to our existing publication “Horsforth Non-Conformist Records.” Here is one example:-
ZION BAPTIST SUNDAY SCHOOL HORSFORTH
CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS 1814-1914
11TH & 12TH September 1915
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