Parish records of York, St Lawrence

Includes register of christenings, 1606-1638, 1661-1959 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1779-1812); register of marriages, 1606-1638, 1662-1975; register of burials, 1606-1637, 1662-1867 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1778-1812); register of banns, 1943-1970; register of services, 1909-1982; register of confirmations, 1909-1945; records concerning benefice income, including synodals and procurations receipts, 1847-1852, tithe accounts, 1794-1803, tithe rentals, 1843, 1852-1858, 1860-1865, 1867-1868, 1872, 1875-1880, glebe papers, 1843-1863, and correspondence, 1843-1871; charity records, including deed, 1894, and order for closing church cottages, 1913; churchwardens’ records, including accounts, 1674-1895, and fabric papers, 1898-1973; papers of the feoffees, 1702-1959; records of incumbent, including dilapidations papers, 1943-1971, and statistical returns, 1928-1936; overseers’ records, including accounts, 1784-1837, 1868-1885; collecting and deposit books of the Collector of the Poor Rate, 1886-1894, monthly statement book of the Collector of the Poor Rate, 1886-1892, and counterfoil receipt books for parish poor rates, 1885-1894; records concerning parish rooms and societies, including deed and correspondence, 1931, 1946, 1951-1954; school records, including plans 1951, 1968, and agreement for access road, 1955; Vestry/Parochial Church Council records, including minutes of meetings, 1821-1852, 1909-1938, electoral roll, n.d, map of boundaries, with report, 1871, 1936, accounts, 1867-1955, and magazines, 1962-1964; church inventory, 1997.
Unlisted material, comprising miscellaneous parish papers, mainly relating to Heslington, including settlement certificates, bastardy bonds, orders for removal, orders for maintenance of pauper lunatics, curates' licenses, churchwardens' receipts and subscriptions, 1707-1861.

The church of St Lawrence, Lawrence Street was confirmed to the Dean and Chapter of York in 1194 and remained subject to their peculiar jurisdiction until the twentieth century. A vicarage was ordained at an unknown date and in 1365 the parish was united with that of St Michael’s Walmgate. In 1586 it was united with St Helen’s, Fishergate, and All Saints’, Fishergate, and from 1644 it shared a benefice with the united parishes of St Edward and St Nicholas, following the destruction of St Nicholas’ Church during the Siege of York.
The vicarage was augmented in 1742 through Queen Anne’s Bounty, and received additional lands and money from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1870.
The parish consisted of an area in York and around half of the township of Heslington, but in 1869 the latter portion became part of the new parish of St Paul’s, Heslington. In 1871 a part of Fulford parish, known as New Fulford, was annexed to St Lawrence, as was the united parish of St Edward and St Nicholas in 1885. St Lawrence Church was demolished in 1881-1883 and replaced with a new, larger structure for the expanded parish, designed by J. B. Hall of Canterbury, and with stained glass by J. W. Knowles of York.
Today the parish is known as St Lawrence with St Nicholas, York.

This arrangement was designed to reflect the principal activities of the parish and its associated organisations, and to aid researchers in identifying the records these activities generate. This arrangement was introduced in 2020. Records are arranged within the following alphabetical series but retain their original archival reference at file/item level:
A: Parish Registers
B: Church Ceremonial
C: Parish Clergy
D: Property - Religious
E: Property - Secular
F: Parish Administration and Officers
G: Parish Social and Evangelical Activities
H: Overseer of the Poor and Parish Charity
J: Schools
K: Promotional and Informational Material

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws. 24 hours' notice is required to access photographic material.

The archive was deposited at the Borthwick Institute c.1967 . Further additions were made to the archive in 1972, 1981, 1982, 1992, 1997, 2010 and 2015.

The church of St Lawrence, Lawrence Street was confirmed to the Dean and Chapter of York in 1194 and remained subject to their peculiar jurisdiction until the twentieth century. A vicarage was ordained at an unknown date and in 1365 the parish was united with that of St Michael’s Walmgate. In 1586 it was united with St Helen’s, Fishergate, and All Saints’, Fishergate, and from 1644 it shared a benefice with the united parishes of St Edward and St Nicholas, following the destruction of St Nicholas’ Church during the Siege of York.
The vicarage was augmented in 1742 through Queen Anne’s Bounty, and received additional lands and money from the Ecclesiastical Commissioners in 1870.
The parish consisted of an area in York and around half of the township of Heslington, but in 1869 the latter portion became part of the new parish of St Paul’s, Heslington. In 1871 a part of Fulford parish, known as New Fulford, was annexed to St Lawrence, as was the united parish of St Edward and St Nicholas in 1885. St Lawrence Church was demolished in 1881-1883 and replaced with a new, larger structure for the expanded parish, designed by J. B. Hall of Canterbury, and with stained glass by J. W. Knowles of York.
Today the parish is known as St Lawrence with St Nicholas, York.

A typescript finding aid, to file level, is available for consultation in the searchroom of the Borthwick Institute. This includes all material received up to and including 2010. Later material has not yet been listed.

Selected records, including registers of christenings, 1606-1959, marriages, 1606-1961, and burials, 1606-1867, churchwardens' accounts, 1674-1779, 1824-1852, and marriage licences, 1881, are also available on microfilm at the Borthwick Institute (References: MF 842-845, 1759, 1771).
Our collection of parish baptism, marriage and burial registers has been digitised by both Ancestry and Find My Past. Copies of digitised records can be viewed online on Ancestry or Find My Past, as part of larger UK-wide parish registers datasets. You can find out more about these record sets, and how to find our registers, here: https://borthcat.york.ac.uk/index.php/are-you-looking-for-parish-registers.

Created by S. A. Shearn, 20.11.15
Revised (Schema arrangement and retroconversion) 06.03.2023 by N Adams

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

Parts of the archive were previously deposited at York Explore. The churchwardens' account book, 1674-1895, were transferred to the Borthwick Institute from York City Archives, now York Explore, c.1967. Accession 2015/086 was also transferred from York Explore in November 2015.

Further accruals are expected.

Yorkshire Parish Register Society, 'The Parish Register of St. Lawrence, York (1606-1812).' Transcribed by Egbert Claud Hudson (1935).

Published

GB 193