BMLHG Films and Videos: click here
  • Latest Updates

    27th Mar - Leeds/Thirsk line 1850 - Press/Trans
    20th Mar - Carousel additions - above!
    18th Mar - Facebook WI Memories - Org/WI
    15th Mar - Local Railway Talk - News/FutureE
    13th Mar - 2nd Forge (advert) - Shops/fFarms
    6th Mar - NY Record Office Visit -News/Recent
    5th Mar - Scratchard /Freedom Mill - Buildings
    27th Feb - Lomas Family - People
    13th Feb - New Project Ideas - News/Ongoing
    7th Feb - Monkton Hall Owners -Buildings/MH
    26th Jan - Northallerton Archives-News/Future
    25th Jan - Dunesforde Report - News/Recent
    16th Jan - DunesfordeBrochure - Home, News
    29th Dec - RadioYork at the VH - Organise/VH
    21st Dec - 1850 Parish Boundaries - Map/P&B
    21st Dec - Wood, HollinHall, Fitzwater - People
    20th Dec - Fitzwater Grave - Home
    18th Dec - Dunesforde Visit - News/Future
    1st Dec - Website Hits - ContactUps/PopPage
    1st Dec - Hackfall Presentation - News/Recent
    13th Nov - Hackfall Pictures - News/FutureEv
    29th Sep - Events Updates - News/Events
    15th Sep - Hackfall Woods Talk - News/Future
    5th Sep - 3 Autumn/Winter Events - News/Ev
    19th Aug - Star Inn, Chambers family - Pubs
    7th Aug - Photos - Gallery & Crown- Pubs
    2nd Aug - Studley Royal Talk - News/FutAct
    3rd July -  Yorkshire Film Archives - Home
    2nd July - Cricket timeline - Organisations
    30th June - Floods 1991 & 2000 - Gallery
    17th June - Update to various Events - News
    14th June - 1816 Enclosure - Maps 19th Ce.
    6th June - BM Panoramas - Gallery, BirdsEye
    3rd June - Church painting by Sue Hargreaves
    30th Apr - Events Update - NewsEvents
    12th Apr - Our Postman McLoughlan - People
    10th Apr - Newby Hall Visit - News/FutureEvnt
    28th Mar - Films of Yesteryear - News/FutureE
    20th Mar - VH Construction Pics - Org/VHCon
    20th Mar - 'Lockdown' - Covid Exib. (& scroll)
    18th Mar - 1672 Hearth Tax - Records
    18th Mar - Photos - Gallery/Village Views
    15th Mar - 1985 Domesday Project - History
    15th Mar - Black Death - Historical Events
    15th Mar - Aerial View 2010 approx - Gallery
    13th Mar - 1379 Poll Tax - Records
    20th Feb - YesterYear Films(YFA) - News/FA.
    10th Feb - Best kept village - Gallery extras
    20th Jan - Memories of Hymas family -People
    17th Jan - Planetarium visit - News/Recent
    8th Jan - The 7 Pubs Film - Pubs
    3rd Jan 2023 - Mrs Burnan Fete - People
    30th Nov - Events & Reports - NewsEvents
    11th Nov - Tidy up of Events - Home & Events
    2nd Nov - George V Jubilee - HistoricalEvents
    28th Oct - Monks Life Report - NewsRecent
    25th Oct - Jubilee Celebration Films - Home
    12th Oct - Events Update -Home+NewsEvents
    30th Sep - Village Map 1970's - Maps
    26th Sep - Events Updates - NewsEvents
    23rd Sep - Dolly Curtis, Postlady - People
    22nd Sep - Entertainments - Organisations
    20th Sep - Butterfield Book - Parish History
    23rd Aug - Many photos - mainly Gallery
    22nd Aug - Medieval finds - Home
    18th Aug - Two new Events - NewsEvents
    16th Aug - Charnock family - People
    5th Aug- Masons Arms Photos - Pubs
    2nd Aug - Mrs Burnan - People
    2nd Aug- More old flood photos-Gallery floods
    21st July - Ripley Tour report - NewsEvents
    29th June - Time capsule recalls -History/StW
    21st June - Some general tidy-up
    17th June - Old pictures of Ings farm - Farms
    17th June - Village Pictures - Gallery
    17th June - School Pictures pre WW2
    17th June - Lee family at Ings Farm - People
    17th June - Parish Mag 1931/34/50 - Church
    14th June - Projects Help - News/Ongoing
    14th June - Update - NewsEvents page
    14th June - Tidy-up & Update - Home page

    14th June - Village Party film - News/Recent
    4th June - Jubilee Memories - Home page
    26th May - Ripley Castle Tour - Home page
    26th May - Jubilee Memories - Home page
    25th May - QEII Diam'nd Jub.- HistEvent/2012
    25th May - QEII Silver Jubilee -HistEvent/1977
    24th May - Page Names & ClickLinks Updated
    18th May - BBC Yorkshire website -HomePage
    9th May - Display boards at Aug Exhib - Covid
    2nd May - 'Up to a Point' report - News/Recent
    28th Apr - Various - Home page
    21st Apr - Tickets still available for 27th -Home
    14th Apr - Cricket 1971+Records -Orgs/Cricket
    13th Apr - Chairman's Letter - News/Messages
    12th Apr - Birds Eye View - Gallery
    16th March - Visit report - News/Recent
    3rd March - Membership information - Home
    15th Jan 2022 - Ripon Catherdal - News/FA
    Earlier updates are on 'Contacts&Updates'
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  • Welcome to our Village's History

    We are compiling pictures, maps, personal stories & all kinds of memorabilia about this historic village & you are very welcome to add to the resource if you can.
    Bishop Monkton dates back beyond the Viking era but starts to become important just after the Norman Conquest. Archbishop Thurstan had a manor house here and in 1132 monks from St Marys Abbey in York stayed there over Christmas on their way to founding Fountains Abbey. Even then the Manor of Monkton, known as Munchetone, was a parcel of ancient possessions of the Archbishop of York.
    But the site is not just about ancient history, there are pictures, records & many items about the everyday life of the village over the past 150 years. Please come in & see what you can find, who knows you might meet your ancestors.We are a group of locals who are building up a record of life in our beautiful village, These's been lots of work done finding out about the way we used to live here & inside you'll find people, documents, photos and maps.
    We'd really like to encourage everyone who has any connection with the village from whatever part of the world to look into their own records & contribute anything they believe would be interesting; photos & documents certainly, but personal histories & memories would be really welcome. This is not an official document but should be able to show what life was like here to generations to come.So please, get searching the attics & photo albums or persuade your relatives to give us their personal stories.
    Happy Hunting


 

Next Event - Wed 17th April - Talk about the Leeds/Thirsk Railway


Click here for details

For various accounts of the planning, building and early use of the line, 1844 to 1854 please click here 

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BISHOP MONKTON REMEMBERS - Colin Philpott is running a series of these on Bishop Monkton Together Facebook, with No. 4 being the old WI Hall


Click here to see the many memories and responses.

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New Research leads to Amazing Discoveries

 

 The Lomas family, once a very big owner of land and buildings in the village fell on hard times & one of the descendants ended up as an infamous Australian convict. See the Lomas Family in People section for more details

We are Looking for Ideas for a New Project
Please click here for full details

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Tuesday 5th March - NY Northallerton Records Office Tour


Visit report & some of our findings - please click here 

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Monkton Hall ownership including Thomas Charnock


Click here to see the document in full and which can be magnified

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Wednesday 24th January - Report on visit to Dunesforde Vineyard and Roman Room Tour and talk

Please go to News & Events for the full report of another successful event in the History Groups Calendar

For the Dunseforde Brochure click here

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A mysterious gravestone "Unearthed"

Whilst the weather in December is not very pleasant for us its very useful when it comes to uncovering that which is normally hidden by the overgrown state of the older part of the St Johns graveyard. The Editor noticed this obscured gravestone & decide to investigate. So armed with a brush & photoshop he was able to show the result below.

We know little about Hollin Hall & its history but this tombstone gives us a clue. Its says:-

Mary Fitzwater

...Housekeeper

To Richard Wood Esq

Of Hollin Hall

The 29th of April 180?

The prefix Fitz often meant the illegitimate child of nobility - Can anyone shed light on this mystery?

Richard Wood lived from 1750 to 1815 having married Cordelia Schaak from Askham Bryan on 3rd May 1774 and inherited Hollin Hall (below) from his Father John (1682-1757) who bought it for £1,600 in 1719.


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Hackfall Woods Presentation - Wed 29th Nov

About 40 members and friends attended this very interesting presentation by david Mason of the Woodland Trust. Click here for a fuller report.

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Website use ('hits' overall and 'popular' pages)

Some statistics have been gathered together, click here to see.

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The Royal Bread Structures of Leeds & a Railway Excursion Notice for October 5th 1894

These posters have come to us showing a famous occasion when the Duke & Duchess of York visited Leeds in 1894. Its of interest because the railway poster shows Wormald Green as a stopping point, the station for Bishop Monkton. Someone from the village must have made the journey to see this unusual event, the fare was 1s/2d (6p today). Local tradesmen took advantage of the visit to advertise their wares - hence the bread arch & the subsequent calendar.

 

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The Star Inn - "New" Photos.

Our thanks to Heather Wilson for 3 new photos of the Chambers Family at the Star Inn around 1870 - see Pubs

 


Village films preserved for posterity


Queen Pauline: a day to remember.

Three films made by Bishop Monkton Local History Group are to be preserved by the Yorkshire Film Archive. The three films are -- ‘The Village Pubs’ made in 2020 and first shown in 2021; - ‘The Village Likes to Party’ about the history of village celebrations during the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, made in 2022 for the Platinum Jubilee’- ‘The Bishop Monkton 2022 Platinum Jubilee Celebrations’ also made last year.

Please click here for further information

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St Johns Church by Sue Hargreaves 1964

 

In the course of sorting out some old items Sue came across this painting she made aged 7 of the Church. Thank you Sue for allowing us to share it with all our followers. 

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Please click here for a report on the visit to Newby Hall on Thursday 18th May

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The construction of the Village Hall 

About 50 pictures from cutting the first sod to it's opening in 2005.  Please click below -


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Is this our Village bridge at Ings Lane?

This very old photograph of workmen constructing a bridge over the beck was found by the Editor during a recent trawl of Ripon Library. It has no details but the background looks familiar, it certainly isn't the current bridge. What do you think?.

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 The film made by BMLHG of our 7 pubs is now available on-line. 

  There have been recorded 7 pubs in the Parish, dating back into the early 1800's.  The video shows where they were and what they look like now - unfortunately only one is open at present. Also there are many reminiscences of villagers -  who lived in one of the pubs (Elizabeth Wilkinson), with a landlady (Sue Quinn), memories from other residents and those from regular customers who also highlight the importance of pubs to village life.
Please click on the picture

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Now available are the two films made by BMLHG about Jubilee celebrations in the village.

The  film ‘The Village Likes To Party’ is a
record of the many celebrations held in Bishop Monkton during the reign of the
late Queen including the Coronation in 1953, the Jubilees of 1977, 2002, 2012
and the Platinum Jubilee earlier this year. It contains fantastic archive film

and interviews with people about their memories.

Please click the picture

‘Bishop Monkton Platinum Party Celebrations 2022’ is a more detailed record of this year’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations including both professionally shot film and videos and photos taken by people on their phones. 

Please click the picture
 

Both films were screened in the Village Hall earlier in the year.

The co-producer of the films, Colin Philpott, said – “The Local History Group is delighted to make these films available for anyone, anywhere to enjoy for posterity.”

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Fascinating Finds in a Boroughbridge Road Garden


They are thought to be lead religious amulets or pilgrims tokens from the medieval period. We've passed these pictures on to various experts and hope to get more information soon.

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Mrs Burnan - (nee Morland?) A Mystery

This postcard / photograph from about 1920 has been donated by the descendants of Netta Park but we have no information about what was obviously a very well known lady.

Please can you help?



 The Parish Magazine from December 1931 - extracts to follow!

 

Please click here (and scroll down) to see further editions

To see more about the Lee Family of Ings farm - click here

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Images Of Isolation Exhibition (August 2021 - Exhibition in the Village Hall) - now fully online here!

Click on the "Covid" Section (or here) to see all the pictures & stories

Our thanks to Martin Minett for a wonderful job and an immense effort!

We even made the BBC Regional news!


Please  click here here to see their full article

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2023 Annual Membership - 12 months from 1st April

Membership reminders have been emailed out but for those who have not received one or for any new members (very welcome), the subscription is just £12.50.  This pays for itself by attending say a couple of events where the tickets are usually cheaper for members. Please click here for a downloadable form for you to complete - thank you

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St Wilfrid's Stone - Photos from 1957 & Report in Parish History

A fascinating look at one of the villages iconic items

Please click here for details

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 Please Note:  

FYI the new website address is: https://bmlhg.chessck.co.uk

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 "The Day War Broke Out"

 

This is a photograph of Keith Whitfield and his family in Bishop Monkton, taken on the day war broke out on 1st September 1939. Please click on the link below for the fascinating story of a young Bishop Monkton lad reminiscing about his wartime experiences as told to Richard Field through the BBC Peoples War website:

The Day War Broke Out

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 WW2 Kindertransport recollections from Josef Eisinger - Incredible tale of a young boys' courage  who escaped from the Nazis in Vienna & ended up at Low Farm - see "People" section or use this link:  click here

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 Tales from the History of Bishop Monkton from A Parish magazine Article dated January 1930

This is the first page of a handwritten account by a former resident Mr Norman Roberts of an old Parish Magazine Article. It was first published in 1930 but Mr Roberts got it from his neighbour Mr A Smith in 1956. Thanks to David Banks for its discovery. Does anyone have anymore information?

The rest of the original plus a transcription can be found in Parish History.

 

or use this link to read the transcription: click here

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Interesting Discovery

Whilst investigating the history of the current planning application on Knaresborough Road, it seems that's not its original name. According to the 1816 Enclosure map for the village it shows clearly that its actually called "Ottercrofts Road". That name is also mentioned in the reports about the enclosures around the Turnpike from Harrogate to Ripon in the York Herald and County Advertiser dated 7th November 1801 (click here to see the press clipping).

Should we revert to Ottercrofts Road ?

  


We have made a short video covering historical references to the village, to the Archbishop and to a Palace including drone maps produced in conjunction with Tony Hunt (Yorkshire Archaeology) 

It can be viewed by clicking here and then clicking on the 'Bishops Palace Bishop Monkton' YouTube icon (best to then maximise the viewing)



 
FASCINATING NEW ADDITIONS TO THIS SITE


Please go the Press Pages of our site to look at fascinating records of daily life in our village over the past 200 years. Thanks to work by David Darbyshire & Martin Minett we can show you what's made the headlines in the national & local papers involving the past residents of Bishop Monkton from the early 18th century. This is still very much ongoing.  You'll be surprised - click here.


  

 In 2008 both Harrogate Borough Council  and Bishop Monkton residents independently produced substantial reports relating to the Parish - a little history, quite a lot of the present and then looking towards the future.  Also the 1958 Book about Bishop Monkton by Butterfield. These can be seen by clicking on -                                                                          


         for the HBC Appraisal      and for the Parish Plan       and for the Butterfield Book                                                                                         

 

 To see the Archbishop's Palace Page for the amazing drone photos click here

 If you have any information for us use the contact page or the guestbook of this website or email me directly on BishopMonktonYesterday@gmail.com