History

The History section of this site is constantly evolving, but has three main aspects:

1. People. Information about people associated with the village has been gathered from a variety of sources, and is collected together and cross-referenced here.
2. Periods. The history of the area goes back thousands of years. We try to summarize it into palatable chunks.
3. Places. Many individual buildings and places in the village have their own page on the site. These are cross-referenced with the people who lived in them.

Historical links on other sites

Click here

Please help

These questions have been sent by email to the website. If anyone can help, please email ~people~.

William Taylor

Q: Attached is a bereavement card for a WILLIAM TAYLOR, late Thixendale who died in 1902 aged 81.

Would you have any references to him in any records you possess?

Not sure where he died but I suspect Knaresborough, York, Harrogate area

Any help would be welcome

Joshua Boyes / Brass Band / (George?) Wood

Q: We hope you may be able to help us. Back in 1891 my Great Grandfather (George Wood?) was an apprentice to a Joshua Boyes in Thixendale. He was also a member of what appears to be a brass band. We were hoping you may be able to tell us if someone recognizes the uniforms or the background of the picture.

I am enclosing 2 pictures and we hope someone may recognise them. Thank you for the help. It is appreciated. Frank Ogden, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

A: (From High Wolds Heritage Group) We have a similar photo of the Thixendale Church Choir Brass Band taken in the 1890s which has the names of those in the band. Listed are Joshua Boyes (euphonium) and a George Wood (aged 16, cornet). The latter may well be your great-grandfather. The photo you sent is a new one for our archives – thank you.

The photo is also in our publication – “Thixendale Remembered Revisited” which has lots of old photos of the village and its residents.

At that time there was a Wood family living in one of the chalk cottages in 1898 and there is a photo in the book entitled “The Wood Family”, although there is no George listed in it.

Looking at the surnames you mention, there is a Charles Henry Wood, killed on the Somme in 1916, who is mentioned on the war memorials inside and outside the church; is he a relative? There are members of the Boyes family who still live in the village (3rd generation!) so I will print your photos and see if they can recognise the location and also if they can tell me anything about Joshua Boyes.

A: (From High Wolds Heritage Group) Hello Frank – again !

The photo is attached, as promised.

Joshua Boyes is 3rd from the left on the back row with a euphonium. George Wood (aged 16) is in front of him in the centre of the middle row behind the drum holding a cornet.

I think this photo was taken outside the village hall in Thixendale. If so, the door is still there – not used any more but incorporated into the wall.

In readiness for the First World War, Charles Wood signed up in the Wagoners’ Reserve on 4th July 1917 – Wagoner 211.

A: (From High Wolds Heritage Group) I attach another photo of the Thixendale Church Band in which I think your great grandfather is sitting to the left of the drum. This photo is on the back cover of our book – “Thixendale Remembered Revisited”. When this book was published we were not certain of his name, so now we can correct our records – thank you!

Holliday / Holyday

Q: For some time I have been researching my family genealogy. It seems Thissendale/Thixendale was home to a few of my ancestors, and I was wondering if you could provide any information about them or help guide me to someone who does.

The lineage I have been able to piece together so far is:

Father
1. Thomas Holiday b. abt 1665~1680 d. abt 1725 Wharram Percy (burial: Castleford Old Cemetery)

Children
2. John Holyday b. 1702 Thissendale
(moved to Beverley)
Thomas Holyday b. 1705
Elizabeth Holyday b. 1709 d.1709
Ann Holyday b. 1710

Andrew

Q: I visited Thixendale last year while researching my family tree, we met Mrs Smith from the post office who was very helpful. I have since found the family on the 1881 census. It appeared that they lived in Thixendale, but the address seems to be a little confusing. The address of Paradise Cottages, which we visited, perhaps was not the right address. My Great Grandfather was Tom Andrew, Tailor and Church Organist. He appears on the photograph of the church band with my grandfather Wilson Salton Andrew. Wilson Salton Andrew was a blacksmith. On reading your website I found that my Great Grandmother Hannah Andrew is buried in the churchyard. Hannah’s father was the Station Master at Wharram le Street. Tom’s father and mother are buried at Wharram le Street – John and Amy.

I would be most interested to know if any one has any further information as we will probably visit again this year. I have traced the family back to about 1739 and would be willing to share information with you and others.

Piercy

Q: I think my grandmother Ethel Piercy was born around 1890. She is on one of the school photos in the Thixendale book. Her sister Elsie is also on the photo but there were also more sisters and a brother – Annie, Alice, Agnes, Kate and Alfred. Elsie died while still young. Her mother (Annie) and father (Mark) worked at Raisthorpe Manor (Raisthorpe). I believe her father was foreman on the farm and they were probably there for about 2 years. I do not have any dates such as birth or marriage, only that her mothers maiden name was Dobson. When they left the manor they settled in Hull.

(Later) Since my first contact I have found some more info. My grandmother Ethel had 5 sisters and a brother. Alice born 1886, Agnes born 1889, Kate born 1893, Alf born 1896, Elsie born 1899 and Edith born 1901. Ethel herself was born at Enthorpe in 1891. Her father Mark Piercy was a farmers hind and he worked at Raisthorpe Manor with his wife Annie Dodson about 1905/1906. Mark Piercy’s father William Piercy was born at Raisthorpe 18 December 1814, so I presume that his father must also have worked there.
Have you any more info?

Towse

Q: I have just begun to trace my ancestors and located my Great Great Grandad, David Towse,┬áand Great Grandad, John Towse having searched for Thixendale on the internet when I found out that my Grandma Norah Towse was born and lived there. Norah moved to the village of Carnaby with her husband John Rawling and had my uncle and mother rather late in her life. Norah was 46 when my mother came along. My mother therefore did not know her grandfather as I believe he was also older when he had his children. I was interested to find out that David and John Towse were landlords of the public house – The Cross Keys and was wondering if anything or any history exists from when they were the landlords.

Q: I am trying to find out information about my Great Grandmother. Her name was Ellen Towse. The only things I know about her are:

• her father’s name was David Towse
• she married George Broadley (My Great Grandfather) on 25/12/1883 at Thixendale Parish Church
• sometime after her marriage she moved to Wigan (I think – that was where my Grandfather William was born) and ended up living in Glossop Derbyshire

The David Towse listed on your website (Landlord of the Cross Keys Inn) does not list her as a daughter in the 1881 Census so I am wondering if anybody knows anything about her, or anybody could tell me where I might find anything out about her.

Q: I am particularly interested in a John Towse who was probably born in 1819 in Appleton le Street (mother Mary Towse). On the 1871 census John Craven Towse was staying with him and his wife Mary (he was shown as their nephew). Two children John G Towse aged 16┬áand William Towse aged 18┬áwere also shown, however I am not sure┬áhow John Towse fits into John Craven Towse’s family as John C’s father (David) did not appear to have a brother John. in 1871 they were living in Yapham. Can anyone help?

A: (Jane Rhodes) In response to the query regarding Ellen Towse, daughter of David Towse, and her whereabouts in 1881.

From my information, the 1881 census lists her as a general servant working for John Askwith at Farm House, Etton. John Askwith was originally from Fridaythorpe which presumably provides the link for her working quite a way from home.

We are related to Ellen’s mother, Elizabeth Towse (nee Craven), and also to John Towse (b.1821) who was also landlord of the Cross Keys at various times. I was interested to see that Ellen married George Broadley on Christmas Day.

A: (Graham Lyne Broadley) Ellen Towse was my grandmother. She died 23.11.37. I myself was aged 7 at the time although I remember her and have photo’s. Your grandfather William Broadley was my uncle and I lived 2 doors away, for the first 25 years of my life. I have birth dates and place of birth for all six children of Ellen Towse. William being the third child and my father George Broadley being the youngest.

A: (Sylvia Wallace) I am interested in the information you have on Ellen Towse and family. You have Ellen’s date of death wrong, she died 2 Oct 1938 – I have a copy of the death cert. George died Nov 1937. I am your cousin Sylvia (Iris’ Daughter) I remember visiting Uncle George when we came to see Granddad. I now live in Cheshire. Please contact me if possible. (Webmaster: Details passed on)

Banks

Q: Richard Banks was a labourer at Townthorpe manor farm in Wharram Percy parish and died somewhere around there I’d like to find where he is buried. His wife Elizabeth (Lee) and Richard were married at the old church there in 1805. Son Joseph was christened there in 1818. My ggggrandfather Jabez was the second oldest and Jabez, his mother (Elizabeth) Joseph Eliza, Sarah, Robert, James, Richard jr. a school teacher moved to Glenelg twp.and Amaranth Ontario Canada. Robert moved to U.S. after a year… Have a photo of Jabez and family and a story about them and said he was from Thixendale before 1842. Would like any information about Jabez his father Richard and mother Elizabeth (Lee) or any relatives

P.S. found Rev Jabez Banks at Bempton St. Micheal church and Rev. Jabez Banks at Burton Fleming 1823 maybe a relative

A: (Shelley Banks) Richard Banks was buried at St. Martin’s Church at Wharram Percy in 1837, and although there is no marker for him in the old churchyard, his funeral is recorded in that parish register. He died before the family emigrated, and his adult children who came to Canada were (in order of age, from eldest to youngest): James, John, Robert, Joseph, Sarah, Jabez and Eliza – most with spouses and children. (James, John and Joseph were all accompanied by sons named Richard.) The family of Jabez’s wife Ann Wass at one time lived in Thixendale, but the Banks family lived and worked at Towthorpe Manor. And, yes, the Reverend Jabez Banks was related – he was Richard Banks’ younger brother.

Ireland

Q: I am hopeful someone with local knowledge of your area may be able to assist me in locating a number of addresses where my ancestors lived from about the 1860’s onwards.

My GG Grandfather, Robert Ireland and his wife Elizabeth, moved from Langtoft to Tunnel Top Cottage in Wharram Percy Parish in the 1860’s. He was a Blacksmith and we presume he moved to work on the Driffield – Malton Railway. We don’t think the house exists now but are there any ruins?

According to the 1871 Census, their son (My Great Grandfather) Thomas Lamplough Ireland had left home and lived at ‘The Farm House’, Raisthorpe where he was a farm servant. Was/Is this part of what is now the Raisthorpe Manor complex?

Thomas Lamplough Ireland married Elizabeth Burgess who had lived with her grand parents, Robert and Jane Banks at Lodge House. Again is this within the Raisthorpe Manor complex ?

In 1881 he is recorded as a gamekeeper living at Gamekeepers Cottage, and┬áwe think the house was somewhere to the west of Wold House where Robert and Jane Banks eventually moved. Thanks to your ‘walks pages’ I have visited Wold House.

It would be from Gamekeepers Cottage that all my Great Aunts and Uncles walked to school in Thixendale!

Around 1900 the family moved to ‘Church Cottage’ next to Bella House, Wharram Percy, where they stayed a short while before moving to New Row, Duggleby. Do you think this is a reference to the cottages next to the Church at Wharram Percy?

I would be very grateful for any help you can give as I would like to visit the areas if there is still public access.

Note: Brian Buxton of Southampton is the Great Grandson of Elizabeth and Thomas Lamplough Ireland above, via their Daughter Alice. Alice married Ellis Scurry. He would be interested in information about this branch of his family and would be pleased to help anyone researching these families.

Matilda Clarke

Q: Has anyone any historical information on Matilda Clarke and her father Richard Clarke who were resident in the village in 1881? They lived in the station house for Raisthorpe and Burdale railway station just outside the village. Richard was the stationmaster. Did Matilda marry anyone in or near the village, likewise did Richard die in the area? Any information about the family would be of great interest to me.

John Potter

Q: (Carole Moore 2004) Can anyone help? My great grand father John Potter was, according to all the census’s 1881, 1901 etc born in Thixendale in 1843, I cannot find his birth certificate anywhere, having written to all (I think all the record places). There doesn’t seem to be any Potters living there now looking at the web site, is this so?. I am completely stuck until I can find someone to fill in the blank so that I can find his parents. He was living in a dwelling called Breckonholme in 1881, this may have been in Kirby Underdale. He married Rosannah Ibbson “AT THE CHURCH” in 1871.

Q: (Carole Moore 2012) Hi, I have just been looking at your Thixendale website at the names and dwellings of the old inhabitants. I come from the Potter/Ibson family who were dwelling according to the 1881 census with their family of 5 at Brecknown, I also have this detail written in a family bible, yet there is no mention of either family name living in Thixendale, indeed John Potter gives Thixendale as his birthplace on all the census records I have. John Potter and his wife Roshannah Ibson where married at Wharram Percy on January 2nd 1870,witnessed by Francis Dale and it looks like Dickenson Pickering. I wondered if the would be of interest to you and I also hoped it would in turn help me as cannot find the name of John Potters Mother I believe his father was called Harrison Potter. If you would like anymore information please ask I will help if I can.

Richard Clarke

Q: Are there any amateur historians there who know anything about Richard Clarke who was stationmaster at Burdale in 1881? He lived then at the station house with his daughters Amelia and Matilda (aged 31 and 19 respectively) and his son Francis M (Frank) aged 21 (his other children had left home by then). Richard may have been a widower at that time as his wife Jane is not mentioned in the 1881 census of the area.

I have looked in Malton library and can find nothing about him but other stationmasters are mentioned in books about the area.

Thank you John Clarke (~John.B.Clarke~)

A: Dear John, I just wanted to let you know that I have checked the Thixendale Village Churchyard Register to see if there were any Clarkes buried there and there were none. I did find a headstone for a chap who was ‘late of Burdale Station’ and may therefore have been the Station Master before Richard Clarke. His name was Thomas Smith and he was buried in December 1871. Whether this indicates that Richard took over from him at that time I cannot tell. Sorry not to be of more help. Denise Priddey

George Pudsey, Church, Kirby Underdale

Q: It is my understanding that my 5th great grandfather was Rev. at this church somewhere in the area of 1755. His name was George Pudsey. His son Hugh Pudsey was christened in this church and that’s all I know at present time. Would like to know if the church is still in use and the name of the present day minister that I would contact to see about any records of George’s wife and complete family etc. My cousin and I are coming to England and I hope to visit this site and check some records to see how far back I can get within a short period of time. My e-mail address at home is ~dianne.han~ and would appreciate it if you have any knowledge of any of the matters I am trying to track down and where would the closest records be kept. Here in Nova Scotia, Canada church records are kept in our little church. Others are kept in the local archives. .

A: Dear Dianne, You can find a photograph of All Saints’ Church on the GENUKI website: www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/ERY/Kirbyunderdale It has details of the parish as it was in 1823. To find out where the parish registers are kept you need a copy of The Phillimore Atlas & Index of Parish Registers which lists every parish in the UK. Its quite expensive to purchase (£50) but any good reference library should have a copy.

I found some details of your ancestors via The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints website: www.familysearch.com It shows 8 children of George Pudsey baptised at Kirby Underdale: Thomas on 29 Jan 1746; Elizabeth on 24 May 1748; John on 6 Oct 1749; George on 22 Sep 1751; Henry on 27 May 1753; Hugh on 25 Dec 1755; Seth on 29 May 1758 and William Pulteney on 8 Jun 1759. Unfortunately, their mother’s name is not shown, nor could I see a marriage for George Snr. The Batch No. is C105022 which covers the parish during the years 1726-1812.

Seth married Hannah and had a son, also George, bap. 3 Mar 1789. They had 4 daughters christened in the parish between 1818-1825. Other than these I could find no other references to Pudseys in K.U. on the website.

Good luck! Denise Priddey

Elizabeth Whitehead

Q: I was walking in Thixendale a while ago and noticed the name Elizabeth Whitehead. I am related to a George Whitehead who lived in Little Ouseburn. I have a copy of a family tree that includes a “Mary Elizabeth Whitehead” who was born on June 4th 1883. I’m wondering if this is the same person and Elizabeth just used her middle name instead of her first name throughout her life. If Elizabeth did become a teacher in 1904 that would make her 21, so there is an intriguing possibility it is the same person. If there is any connection, George Whitehead had a cousin called Julius Whitehead and Elizabeth would have been Julius’s daughter. I wondered if you had any more details on Elizabeth Whitehead? Alistair Appleby

Don Gregson

I am looking into my family history and stumbled across your article about the man who lived in the caravan near the pub in Thixendale. I thought you may be interested to know who he was and what became of him.

His name was Don Gregson and to me he was Uncle Don. He was my dad’s best friend and workmate. They both worked for Garrowby estate tree planting etc. They planted Deep Dale near Givendale and many others no doubt. I was born in Bishop Wilton and played cricket many times at Thixendale and enjoyed the pub of course.

Don left the area in the mid 70s and ended up living on a boat on the Norfolk Broads, in which he travelled around doing odd jobs for many years. I can only assume Don has passed away now, as no contact for some years.

I do hope this helps with the history of the village. I also remember a blacksmith who I think lived at Thixendale and he worked at Fishers Bishop Wilton. He used to ride around on a motorbike and sidecar called Eubert I think.

~duncan.01~

Malcolm Smith

I am researching my family history in particular regard to a Isobel Annie Ward b 1865 at Butterwick. Isobel married into my Gascoyne family tree by marrying a Jonathan Gascoyne but unfortunately he died very soon after the marriage and she later went on to marry a Herbert Williamson at Pocklington around 1899. I have managed to trace both Isobel and Herbert Williamson to the Cross Keys Inn at Thixendale in the 1911 census.

Unfortunately I cannot find any records for them after 1911 although I understand that they were the licensees of the Cross Keys from 1906-193 or therabouts. I am wondering if they remained in the village or if there are any records as to where they moved to after their association with the Cross Keys Inn.

Any information or assistance would be greatly appreciated .

Vessey

(Doreen Hendley) I have been on the web site and under the Medieval Period you have a mention of Thixendale going the same way as other township if not for the death of William Vessey. I am researching my family and find that my ggg grandfather George Vessey was born in Thixendale in 1793 and his father and grandfather were William Vessey. I am wondering if there is any connection to the William Vessey in your article?

I would appreciate if you would forward my email to anyone who has information regarding this period or can point me towards more info on this matter.

Andrew Holmes: Duck / Holmes / Piercy

To the people of Thixendale

I am currently researching my family and first came across Thixendale as a birth place, then a marriage then census records. In fact, Thixendale appears quite a bit and so I came across your website which has been extremely informative and has been an interesting read over the last couple of days.

The reason for my email is to see if anyone in the village is researching their family history or history of the village, and if any of my family rings any bells. I realise its a long shot, but I’ve spent so much time on your website that it’s clear you are proud of the village and the history, so I thought I would get in touch.

The first link is a Ann DUCK, who was born Thixendale 1834. She married a James HOLMES and lived their lives around Market Weighton. (It is the HOLMES line that brought me to this line of research). Ann’s father Thomas DUCK married a Mary PIERCY. Their children were born in Thixendale and the family were living in Thixendale 1841, 1851, 1861 and 1871. In fact the latter two are at Paradise Cottages on Gritts farm.

It’s also interesting that on your website as a previous resident of Paradise Cottages is a Mary HOLMES, which would be fascinating to see if they are related or somehow link the two branches. Your website also mentions PIERCY as a name associated with the town in the past.

This branch of my tree features heavily in the surrounding area such as Market Weighton, Pocklington and various townships that change through the years. Wharram Percy I see was part of Thixendale at one point, which also features. Other surnames include ELLIOT/ELLEOT, SHREW, VAUX.