Thirkleby

Thirkleby parish lies four miles south from Thirsk, seven from Easingwold and twenty north of York City. The nearest main road is the A19 between these places.
Thirkleby consists of two villages; Great (High) Thirkleby which was an ‘estate village’, while Little (Low) Thirkleby consisted of several farms let to tenants. There is no road between the two but are connected by a pleasant bridle path crossing the beck by a narrow footbridge.

There was an ancient settlement here, the name being of Danish origin, from a personal name, Thiekel or Thoekel, combined with the suffix ‘by’ meaning settlement. Mention is made in the Domesday Book (1080-86) when it was owned by Copsi who was later appointed by William the Conqueror to govern the area between the rivers Tyne and Tees.

Foundations of buildings and a silver coin of Elizabeth I’s reign have been found at the end of the long cottage gardens at the south side of Great Thirkleby. The villages, as now, are mainly 19th century although some houses are plainly much earlier with some still thatched until well into the 20th. It is not known when the first church was built but there was, in the early 12th century, a chapel of Coxwold here dedicated to nearby Newburgh Priory by Roger de Mowbray in 1145. At the dissolution of the monasteries, the church was given by Henry VIII to the Archbishop of York. The 17th century records start in 1611 with early church registers held at North Yorkshire County Record Office. The vicar lived in a house in the village dating back to 1637 called ‘the Old Vicarage’. From the 18th century onwards there are further parish records – the old church was demolished to be replaced by a new one, built in the Italian style in 1722 for Sir Thomas Frankland whose family vault could be found at the east end of the church.

However, in 1851, this building was replaced by the present All Saints Church which was erected by Lady Frankland-Russell in memory of her husband. It strikes an impressive picture, perched on the hillside set within a group of old trees. The spire above the tower does now seem disproportionally high but adds to its appeal. A chapel lies inside over the private vault of the family, and there is a stained glass window which was designed by her ladyship.

There are several monumental inscriptions in different parts of the church including some removed from the old church. The earliest commemorate mid-17th century members of the Ayscough family of Osgoodby Hall (the hamlet is within the parish), and the Franklands, which includes an impressive marble tablet with carved figures in memory of four children of Sir Thomas. All Saints became one of the first churches to be part of the Church conservation trust and allow nature to overtake the older part of the churchyard.

There was a Methodist chapel in Little Thirkleby, but villagers who attended the Anglican church would walk across the footbridge over the beck and up the fields to All Saints. Coffins would be carried this way, and one resident remembers the last funeral about 1934 when she walked behind the cortege when her grandfather died.

The school was in Great Thirkleby with an attached schoolhouse. Lady Frankland had it rebuilt and extended in 1841 who took a great personal interest in its running as a church school. Later, North Riding County Council took responsibility until the 1930s. There were usually about thirteen children and only one teacher. The property is now the parochial church hall with its clock still standing at twenty past three!

The Franklands owned the estate from 1576 – Admiral Sir Thomas held it for only the year 1783-4 followed by his son, also Thomas, from 1784 to 1831. His son became Sir Robert Frankland-Russell in 1837 on inheriting Chequers Court, Buckinghamshire. Twelve years later possession passed to his widow then to their daughter, Emily who married Sir William Payne-Gallwey. She assumed the name Payne- Frankland in 1882 and died in 1913. Thirkleby Hall was designed for Sir Thomas Frankland circa 1785 situated on a slightly elevated site north-west of the village. At the beginning of the 20th century, Sir Ralph Payne-Gallway and his wife lived in the Hall. Post the first World War, the heyday of the great families was nearly over. By 1927 the house was in ruins, the fine interior fittings were sold, (staircases, for example, went to America), and the buildings demolished although the stable block and West Lodges, on the A19, remained. The imposing western gateway which still survives now gives a grand entrance to the park and to an ancient avenue which at one time led to the old Hall. (This Elizabethan building was entirely removed when the new Hall was completed).

Even in the 20th century, the rules of the estate were very strict. At first, tenants working on the estate were forbidden to have children! This was eventually relaxed but they were not permitted to play in the village after 3pm and were ordered to attend church and Sunday School. Failure to comply incurred the parents’ dismissal. However, the estate and the villagers thrived with all the typical village various trades. In addition to farm workers there were builders, gardeners, gamekeepers living in the villages. Down at the mill the Pollard family milled grain, there was a joiner’s shop at what is now ‘The Sheiling’, a tailor at ‘Vickers Hill’ both at Little Thirkleby; a piggery at ‘Mill Lane Barn’ and a smithy which was ‘a real meeting place for men’ with the traditional chestnut tree still to be seen outside both at Great Thirkleby.

The pretty front gardens were formerly for vegetables and a few perhaps grew strawberries. At the beginning of this century, some still recall former village life with walking or taking a horse drawn rolley to sell eggs, butter and garden produce, including fruits from the many orchards to market at Thirsk. This money helped people to pay their rates. Many of the fruit trees still stand though some almost a hundred years old were blown down in recent gales. Before mains water came to every house there was a communal well ‘which never ran dry’, in front of ‘Rose Cottage’ and there were three taps at the foot of the village. In very dry spells, some people took buckets down to the beck where the water was clear in those days!

Then there were the servants at the Hall. In 1881, could be found a butler, footman, two ladies’ maids, cook, scullery maid, underhouse maid and groom. Living in the grounds, were four gardeners with two labourers, a coachman and the land steward – a small number when compared with some of the large houses in the region. Interesting to note that all these workers were not from the parish and some were originally from as far afield as Sussex and Scotland.

But it wasn’t all work; boys of 12-14 would act as beaters for the shooting parties, there was a rifle range for the men in the big barn at the Home Farm; popular quoits matches were held, the prize being a copper kettle. There were dances in the big barn, hockey teams for the women and girls, arranged trips to Scarborough and to the pantomime at Leeds.

Practically all those who live here now are ‘incomers’ but there are still families who really ‘belong’, their forebears having been born in the parish, and it’s the recording of their memories which helped with this article along with local records. As to the estate – now the beautiful grounds were opened to become Thirkleby Hall Holiday Cottages and Caravan Park still surrounded by the lovely countryside of this part of North Yorkshire. If travelling on the A19, look out for the grand ‘gateway’, and the church on top of the hill.

Carol McLee, Member 461

References
Lost Houses of York & the North Riding – Edward Waterson & Peter Meadows.
North Yorkshire Village Book – North Yorkshire Federation of Women’s Institutes
The National Archives
History of ‘The Thirklebys’ – no author mentioned
Census
1939 Register