YORKSHIRE - THE NORTH RIDING - 5

 Thirsk Thornton-le-Dale (Topcliffe)  Well  Wensley West Tanfield  Whorlton-in-Cleveland  Whitby Wycliffe  Yarm

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Thirsk - St Mary
The church is open daily
Frederick Roger Frankland (1844) Midshipman HMS Winchester. Died at Sierra Leone.
Thomas Frankland (1857) Lt 48th Madras Native Infantry. KIA by the Sepoy Rebels aged 29
Harry Albert Frankland (1817) Midshipman HMS Alard. Died of Vera Cruz aged 17
Sons of Sir Frederick William Frankland Bt & Dame Katherine Margaret
The Hon Amelia Frederick Wilhelmina Melesina Sparre (1773)
The only surviving child of Charles Baron Sparre by Elizabeth Countess of Gyllenborg Sparre.
Her father was Swedish minister to the British Court. By Fisher of York.
NB The names are incorrect in Pevsner
May Bentley (1852) and her husband John (1854)
Floor slab in the porch
Ann Pybus (1778)
Spinſter
Joseph Midgley AM (1705)
Pastor of this church
Other Monuments
Joseph Dresser (1856) of Hay's Wharf, London; and his only surviving child, Elizabeth (1860) aged 7. White tablet with interior gothick frame and floral surround on black base.
Edwin Haggart Johnson, William Malcom Johnson, Edith Mary Johnson, Mabel Annie Shaw, Ethel Johnson, and Francis Arthur Johnson. 'The memorial was provided in 1992 by the will of Ethel Johnson.' Children of Alfred Johnson, butcher, and Annie Maria. Wood with incised lettering
Margaret, Jane, Robert, William Wasse, William Jonah, and William Lambert of Thirst. Brass dated 1874.
Captain F E Ferguson MC (1917). 3rd Batt Guides Infantry, IA.  KIA North West Frontier of India aged 25. White tablet with gable with St John's Cross on black base
George Appleton (1902) Trooper South African Constabulary. Aged 22
Robert Thirsk (1419) Founder. Brass with demi-figure
Thorton-le-Dale - All Saints
Church unlocked; limited parking outside. Delightful village
O/S Ref: SE 838 832
    
Lady - early 14th century.

Lady Beatrice Hastings
, who extended the church in the early 14th century.
Note some interesting features: The gablett over the lady's head, more usually seen on standing statues (to keep the rain off!), two dogs one on top of the other at her feet, and the three shields with arms on either side.
John Hill (1773)
signed by Fischer, York
Richard Hill Esq (1855) Richard Johnson Hill (1793) Ann Webb (1812) & Rev John Web (1837)
 Rector here for 53 years
Helen Turville Terry (1842)
and three children who died in infancy
Topcliffe -  St Columba
A modern church - 1885

Tablet top left: Sir William Robinson Bt (1770). Centre standing monument: Sir Metcalf Robinson Bt (1622). Top right cartouche: Sir William Robinson Bt (1736)

Please note: I do not yet have a representation of the famous and excellent Topcliffe brass to Thomas de Topcliffe (1362) and his Wife (1391). He is in civilian dress

Well - St Michael  
 
Sir John Neville, 4th Lord Latimer (1596) The monument is not in its original position and a panel which was probably set above is now separated and at the foot of the tomb; it is shown above left. Sir John's feet rest on a griffin who holds a shield (above right) which now faces the wall, which may further indicate the tomb has been moved.
The shields on the sinister side of the monument bear the arms of his four daughters: Katherine, who married the 8th Earl Percy of Northumberland, Dorothy, who married Burghley, Earl of Exeter,  Lucy, who married Sir William Cornwallis, and Elizabeth who married Sir John Danvers


Left: Lady Dorothy Neville (1526) She was 1st wife of Sir John Neville, 3rd Baron Latimer of Snape and mother of the Sir John Neville above.

Above: Inscribed brass from the Lady Dorothy tomb

Right: Lady Margaret Milbank (1852)
By Richard Westmacott the Younger.
Left Top: Sophia Katharine (1818) Aged 1 month. Infant daughter of Mark Milbank and Lady Augusta. Left Bottom: Mark Wm. Vane Milbank (1883) and his wife, Babarina Sophia (1856); also their two young sons, Ralph H Vane Trevor (1845) at 19 days, and Ralph Vane Trevor (1852) at 18 months. Above, left & right: John Milbanke (c. 1700) set on the wall below this cartouche (on the right above) is his tombstone. Above: William Milbank (1802); his wife, Dorothy (1797); and their daughter, Jane (1798) Age 1 year. 'In the family vault on the west side of this church are deposited the remains of...'
The list of names are given in the box below.
John Strangeways (1749); his wife, Gratiana (1746). Their son, Richard Strangeways (1764); his wife, Faith (Topham)(1769). Their elder son, John (1736), aged 7, and their younger son, Richard (1828) at 78. This latter Richard's first wife, Ellen (Fryer) (1773); their only child, Gratiana (1773) an infant.  Richard's second wife, Catherine (Purchas)(1783); their second son, Thomas (1779) an infant, and their second daughter, Gratiana (1780) an infant. Richard's third wife, Louisa (Strangeways)(1840), aged 90. Her son, Francis (1821), Lt 65th Reg, died at Surat, East Indies; her son, Henry (1802) aged 9.
Other Monuments
The chapel was restored in memory of Edith Dorothy Milbank (1933) by her nephew, Percy Mark Herbert. Wooden tablet with incised letters.
Lady Augusta Henrietta Milbank (1874) Brass
Below: Clear lettering on slab of William Cecil Esq (1715) His age has been omitted
Right: Slab I have not been able to decipher
Wensley - Holy Trinity
Church open. Park outside or nearby.
The church is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust O/S Ref: SE 093 895


Sir Simon de Wensley, rector (1394). An earlier date of the 1330's has been assigned to this Flemish brass, which often appears in books on brasses as an example of a priest in mass vestments. Henry & Richard, children of Lord Scrope, who both died in 1525. Black marble slab with the figures in low relief; now fixed to the wall.  Medieval grave slab with cross
Far right top: 'Edward Raper Son of Edward Raper of this Parish erected thisin memory of his Mother GraceRaper who departed this Life Aug  the 13  1700 aged _5 & alſo of his two ſisters Elizabeth & Ann both dying inInfancy'
Far right bottom: ' In Memory of Peter Hammand Esq.r who died Aug JJth J773 Aged 87and Elisabeth his Wife who died Nov.br 26th J763 Aged 89
Likewise Peter their Son who died Sep.br J2th J7J5 Aged 3 years also Elizabeth their Daughter who died Sep.br 24th J75J Aged 4J and Peter their Grandson who died July 2nd J769Aged 32

West Tanfield - St Nicholas
Church unlocked; park outside. Well worth a visit - a beautiful well kept church and village
O/S Ref: SE 268 788
 Possibly Sir William Marmion (1275)  Lady of the late 14th century
Lady of late 14th century lying on tomb chest with shields.
Very mutilated
Knight, late 13th or early 14th  century (possible Sir John Marmion (1330)) and lady later 14th century, so not a matching couple, but now together under a canopy of  about the same time as the knight. see also below




Knight, late 13th or early 14th  century (possible Sir John Marmion (1330)) and lady later 14th century, so not a matching couple, but now together under a canopy of  about the same time as the knight. See also above. Above & below:  Probably Sir John Marmion (1387) & Elizabeth - or his younger brother Robert  & Laura. Alabaster and under a iron hearse with candle holders; this is said to be unique.
    


Above:
Sir John Marmion (1387) & Elizabeth

Right: Hollis's etching of the above where they are labelled as Robert and Laura

Below are side view etchings by Hollis of the Robert and Laura effigies
I'Anson's drawings:

Left:  of Sir John Marmion of 1330 (see above)

Above and right: of
Sir William Marmion of 1225 (see above)

Whorlton-in-Cleveland  -  Holy Cross
This may be a difficult church to find. Find Swainby and turn left over the river passing the modern Church of the Holy Cross on your right; continue and you will come to Whorlton-in-Cleveland. This is just a ruined castle and a partly ruined church but no village. The chancel of the church and the tower have been restored and are locked. You will need to write to the church to gain access: they were very kind and helpful indeed. Park outside the church.
O/S Ref: NZ 483 024
Knight oak early 14th century, said to be that of Lord Nicholas de Meynell (1322) of Whorlton Castle. It now rests on an unfortunate wooden board in a 15th century canopied tomb.
Bare Feet?
   
 It can been seen from the centre bottom photograph above that the knight appears to have bare feet, or at least the toes have been carefully cared in outline, although not in great detail.  This is a very unusual - although certainly not unique feature - feature. It will also be noted that the mail has not been carved anywhere  on the effigy in the places where it would have been exposed in life.
   Alfred C. Fryer in his Wooden Monumental Effigies in England and Wales (Elliot Stock, 1924) notes this feature and states that it has been suggested by Sir William Hope that the feet would have been enclosed in leather, like gloves, as spurs could hardly have been worn on bare ankles. The excellent guide book, by Joan Hartley (1978) dismisses this as 'a debateable point' but is she may be misinterpretting what is said in Fryer's book:  it is not the wooden effigy that is described as wearing leather on the legs and feet but that this was done in life. Mail stockings would have been uncomfortable to say the least and some kind of protective undergarment - like that on the body over the mail shirt- must have been worn. Perhaps the mail ended before the toes, leaving them free for better movement and comfort, so that the latter covered in leather is what we seen here. The vast majority is effigies, it must be said, have mail carved over the legs and toes.
   Another possible explanation is that what we seen is a wooden core and that this was covered in a th[n layer of gesso into which the mail was then stamped and we would just have a vague outline of the shape of the toes.
   A third possibility is that the toes were carved by a vandal. The fact that they are well carved does not contradict this statement but is it hardly in the vandals' usual repetoir.
   There is another effigy with bare toes in Pickering (see this page) and this is made of stone with the mail carved into the stone and in the correct places. Here the toes certainly seem to protrude protrude from the mail stockings. Like the oak effigy here it is relatively free from vandalism and is much harder to carve anyway. But here we have a problem: only one foot is treated like this, the other  being covered in mail, unless I am misreading the phtograph.



Colour Sergeant Robert Temple (1855). "nd Battalion, The coldstram Guards. Fought at 'Alma' and 'Balaklava'. (The Crimean War). Died of 'a disease'
Left: Unidentified stone now in church. Top right: Robert (1855) & Mary (1854) Walker Possibly part of a monument
Although I do not normally cover graveyards and cemeteries in these pages, that of the Old Church is of particular interest. Here are two 'double sides' tombstones with a 'dead' side and a 'resurrected' side. Note that the inscription is written on the dead side of one and theresurrected side of the other.
William Hebbron (1763)
Note that the inscription with name, dates etc is on the 'dead' side.
The 'resurrected' side looks like it was intended for further inscription but nover finished
Henry Tod (1736)
Here the inscription with name and dates etc is on the 'resurrected' side, although now hard to make out.
The 'dead, side has a further inscription.
Whitby - St Mary  
There is nothing of great artistic or historical merit in the church monuments here but this is a wonderful and interesting church to visit from several points of view, including the interest of the monuments. St Mary is famous for its box pews and galleries. In fact Whitby itself (if you close your eyes to the commercialization, as you always should) is itself a wonderful place to visit. Remember Dracula landed here and it can feel like it in a storm; the shops in the town will remind you!
Above from left to right: 1) John Yeoman (1782), Henry Walker Yeoman (1800), Henry Walker Yeoman (1875), Henry Walker Yeoman (1897), Archdeacon of Cleveland, Thomas Lawrence Yeoman (1901).  2) General Peregrine Lascelles (1772) '...in short, an honest man.'  3) George Cholmley (1857)  and his wife, Hannah (1883).  4) Not legible  5) John Frankland (1831); his only son, William (1858). Thomas Pierson (1855), son of William & Jane Frankland, aged 15 m. Catharine (1859), wife of John. Jane (1807), wife of William Frankland; William John (1916),  son of William and Jane; Jane Ann (1925), 3rd daughter of William and Jane.  6)  Hugh Cholmley (1705) and his wife Katherine (Wentworth) (__ 8).  7) Illegible. detached panel  8) William Barker (1819) and his wife, Elizabeth (Cayley) (1815)
 
Francis Skinner (1788) Gul. (William) Skinner MD (1785)
Latin text but not numerals
As left but Roman numeral as well
Tombstone
Robert Pittman (1850)
of Winchester
Israel Hunter (1831), his wife, Jane (1784), their son, William (1822); and his son, William Reynolds (1851)  
Ann Simpson (1834) and her youngest daughter, Ann Power (1913)
Signed: Willson, Sculpt, Bath Place, New Rd, London
Rev James Andrew (1843)
'...performed the duties of this church for the apace of 34 years...'
There are a large number of grave stones in the church yard, many no longer vertical and many, hardly surprisingly, because of their position, very eroded.
The above is a triple tomb stone with slate panels commemorating:
Joseph Barker (1887); Barker William Barker (1844) and his wife, Bell Cayley Barker (1892); their son, Joseph Huggins Barker; and his wife, Rebecca Mary Barker (1911) James Atty Junr (1815)
Left Centre Right
Thomas and Eliza Marwood (Jan 1839 - May 1840)
Charles Vincent (1846-1864)
Rev George Willis Marwood MA (1880)
Thomas Marwood (1886)
Eliza Adamson (1891)
, wife of Thomas, above
William Henry (1892)  eldest son of Thomas and Eliza, above

Below has been added:

Eliza Mary (1905),  elder daughter of Thomas and  Eliza, above
Thomas Marwood (1844)
Margaret Marwood (1849),
wife of above
Hannah Bella (1831), daughter of Thomas and Margaret above
Anna Maria (1871), wife of Thomas Nelthorpe Marwood.
Marmaduke (Sept 1871-Jan 1872) son of Thomas Nelthorpe and Anna Maria Marwood above
Willis (Dec 1883-Feb 1884) son of Thomas Nelthorpe and Emily Marwood

Below has been added:

The above Thomas Nelthorpe Marwood (1897)
Jane Marwood (1855), wife of William Marwood
Henry Edward Marwood (1844-1845), son of above William and Jane
Thomas Christopher Marwood (1865) son if the above William and Jane
Emily Marwood (1885), wife of Thomas Nelthorpe Marwood. (see centre panel)
Emily Willis Marwood (1894) daughter of Thomas and Eliza Marwood
Other Monuments
1. The following tablet is in memory of members of the crew of the Whitby Lifeboat who lost their lives on 9th February 1861; there was only one survivor: John Storr (50), Coxswain, Christopher Collins (28), John Dixon (55), Isaac Dobson (35), Robert Harland (42), Robert Leadley (42), Mathew Leadley (37), George Martin (25), John Philpot (44), William Storr (45), William Tyerman (27), and William Walker (53). Dark gray tablet with gold lettering; cross in relief sunk in circular depression above.
2. Rev John Barry MA (1856) Rector of Great Smeaton. White tablet with cornice on black base.
3. James Marshall (1851) who drowned here while bathing age 14; and his sister Jane (1834) who died here at nine months. The family was London based. White with apron and gable on black base.
4. Edward Cayley (1805) and wife Mary (Brown) (1816) White with draped urn above and drapery below, on black gabled base.
5. Elizabeth Fearon (1808), '...her remains and three of her infant children are interred in the church yard...' Also her daughter, Elizabeth (1882) . White tablet with urn above; latter on blacked gabled base.
6. Christopher Marwood (1914) 'Fifty years a lay preacher and temperance worker' Tablet with white rope surround on black base.
7. Christopher Richardson (1875) Light brown tablet with cross in gable on black base
8. Henry Simpson (1826); his eldest daughter, Eliza (1806) aged 15; his youngest son, George (1824); Wakefield who died in infancy; Susannah (1829), wife of above Henry Simpson. White tablet with urn atop on black arched base.
9. Harold & Wilfrid Hubert Chapman. (Brothers of Percy). They came from Canada and India to fight in the Great War. KIA France (1917) and Gallipoli (1915). White tablet on black base.
10. __Cholmeley (1688) , His wife,___ Ye Right Hon The Lady Ann Compton (170_) Black tombstone cut.
11. Anne Cholmeley (1691) Aged 3 years, 7 months, 7 days. Also John Cholmeley (1724), brother to Hugh. White tombstone.
12. Henrietta Catherine Cholmeley (1769) Black with brass indent
13. Ann Cholmeley '...'she was untimely born 1672 and dyed the 3 J....' Unfinished Daughter of Sir Hugh Cholmeley and his wife An. Small white stone.
14. Thomas Simpson (1843) and his two sons, John Broderick (1841) aged 18, and Charles Septimus (1840), aged 7. White tablet with draped urn; the black base follows the outline
15. Percy (1862-1952) and Alice (1956) Shaw-Jeffrey. Brass on wooded base
16. William Benson (1833) White tablet on black base
17. Richard Moorson JP (1831) and his wife, Barbara (1832) White tablet with cornice on top of which an urn, on arched black base.
The following are among a number of memorial brasses (and possibly other metal plates)or coffin plates now set out with a number of stones on a table.

18. Harold Jameson MC (1917) 2nd Lt Royal Flying Corps. '...shot down in aerial combat in France' Aged 20. Brass with botanical border and RFC badge.
19. Henry Stonehouse (1802) and his wife, Ann (1821) Brass.
20. Francis Barry (1855) Brass
21. Joseph Watson (1826) Brass

22.  Robert Usherwood (1844) and his children: Robert Marwood (1845) aged 14, John Steward (1845) aged 5, Maria Keld (1846) aged 17, Margaret Ann (1846) aged 23. And his widow, Mary (1879) White tablet with cornice and urn on black arched base.
23.  Rev Richard Moorson (1846) Vicar of Seaham, Co. Durham, where he is buried. White tablet on black base.
24. A tablet on the wall gives a copy of the inscription of the original stone beneath. This records Francis Huntrodds and his wife, Mary, who were both born on the same day (Sept 19th 1600), were married on their birthdays, had twelve children, and both died on the same day, their birthdays, aged eighty.
25. Thomas Peterson (1848) 'Banker and merchant' And his wife, Frances (Fawcet) (1791) White tablet on black base
26.  Rev William Keene MA (1873) Rector. White on black base. Very steep gables.
27. Private William Waller XII Royal Lancers '...erected by the XII Royal Lancers Past and Present.' KIA South Africa 1900. ?metal plate, now blackened with military badge.
28.  Martha Richardson (1883) White with arched top on black base. Signed: Langale Whitby
29. John Richardson (1855) White tablet with pediment and gable; pilasters on shaped black base. Signed: Wadby, York
30. Margaret Richardson (1849) and her daughters: Ann Barker Richardson (1835) and Mary Holt Richardson (1830). White tablet with gable and square pilaster with oak leaves; back shaped base.
31. George Austen MA (1933) Rector of Whitby 1875-1920, Canon Residentiary of York Minster 190-, Chancellor of York Minster 1912-1933. In his memory the chancel of this church was rebuilt and St Hilda's, West Cliff, built

Wycliffe - St Mary
Another challenge to find!  Leave the A66, travelling north to Thorpe then round a right angle bend. (You'll find another Wholton, see above, over the river, which the SatNav gave instead of that above) Continue until a left turn marked 'Wycliffe', but do not take it; rather continue towards Wycliffe Hall. Before the Hall you will see a footpath to your left marked with an indistict wooden sign ; this is easy to miss so if you pass the two entrances to the Hall (also on your left) you have gone too far. Park outside the footpath, go through a metal kissing gate and along the pleasant footpath through the woods. Take care: the latter part is downhill and very uneven. You will reach the entrance to the church yard. The church is locked at the moment (but this may change in the future) but there are several keyholders listed in the porch. O/S Ref: NZ 117 143
Upper half of male civilian, now set upright Incised slab to John Foster, rector 1435-1456. Note the very small feet: the sculptor clearly ran out of space! Above: Brass to boy, Ralph Wyclif 1606.
Below:
Hogsback Tombstone - part of a 9th century Danish burial - dug up from the church yard in 1801
Fragments built into the wall, including a cross slab with shears and inscription.

Yarm - St Mary Magdalene
Park in the High Street for a very modest cost. The church is on the other side of the railway viaduct, and  open Mondays 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and Wednesdays 10.00 to 4.00 pm. Better check this. Very friendly. The church is Georgian, replacing an earlier medieval church which was badly damaged by fire in 1728
O/S Ref: NZ 417 129


Above:
. This monument probably comes from the earlier church. It is now set in the floor immediately to your left when you enter the south door; it is protected from damage by an easily moveable table.
Double effigy of a male civilian and female on a stone slab; the figures are a little under 4 feet tall. Above the male is carved a bird and above the female a seated figure with one hand raised in benediction. Fourteenth century.

The monument has obviously been reused at some time as an inscription has been added: 'here lyeth the body....and was buried the 2nd July An. Do. 1638'
Above from left to right: 1.  Sarah (1759) & David Burton (1784);  2. 'To perpetuate the memory of a worthy and honest man...' William Chaloner Esq (1801); 3.  Mary Frances (1874) & Marshall Fowler (1878) & their 3rd son Henry (1865); 4. Sir Robert Burton (1810) Barrister at Law, Grays Inn, MP for Wendover.
   
  Above:  Elizabeth Hickes (1819) daughter of David & Sarah Burton.
Right:
David Burton Fowler (1828) and below this: 'in the same grave are deposited the remains of' Sarah (1828) relict of Marshall Robinson and niece of the above. 'also lies interred in the same burial ground' David Robinson (1828 @ 12 m) son of Marshall & Sarah Robinson
 

 
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