Parish records of Gate Helmsley

Includes register of christenings, 1689-1968; register of marriages, 1689-1807, 1813-1959; register of burials, 1689-1993 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1804-1812, ages only); register of services, 1961-1970; records concerning benefice income, including glebe correspondence, 1846, 1900-1934, 1938, glebe deeds, 1800-1874, and a letter, 1849; charity accounts, 1880-1930; churchwardens’ records, including accounts, 1857-1950, fabric papers, 1913-1964, and churchyard papers, 1879-1880, 1944, 1964; records of incumbents, including correspondence about unions of benefices, 1929-1930, 1938-1939, and dilapidations correspondence, 1935; school managers' minutes of meetings, 1903-1948; Vestry/Parochial Church Council records, including electoral roll applications, 1920-1941.

The present church of St Mary at Gate Helmsley dates to the thirteenth century, although the earliest known vicar was instituted in 1351. It was however still described as a perpetual curacy in 1840.
The parish was part of the Prebendary of Osbaldwick and was subject to its peculiar jurisdiction until the nineteenth century.
The church was renovated and enlarged in 1885-1886, with stained glass added by Ward and Hughes of London. A new organ was installed in 1913, built by Leeds firm Abbott and Smith. It retains parts of the earlier building however in west half of the nave and the font, which date to the thirteenth century, and the church tower, which was added in the fifteenth.
The parish historically included the village of Stamford Bridge. In 1868 part of the village separated from Gate Helmsley parish to form a chapelry within the parish of Catton. In 1899 Gate Helmsley parish was united with that of Upper Helmsley
Today St Mary’s is one of ten churches within the united Benefice of Harton, together with Bossall, Buttercrambe, Crambe, Flaxton, Foston, Howsham, Sand Hutton, Upper Helmsley and Whitwell on the Hill.

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 in 1972 by the incumbent. Further additions were made to the archive in 1983 and 1993.

The present church of St Mary at Gate Helmsley dates to the thirteenth century, although the earliest known vicar was instituted in 1351. It was however still described as a perpetual curacy in 1840.
The parish was part of the Prebendary of Osbaldwick and was subject to its peculiar jurisdiction until the nineteenth century.
The church was renovated and enlarged in 1885-1886, with stained glass added by Ward and Hughes of London. A new organ was installed in 1913, built by Leeds firm Abbott and Smith. It retains parts of the earlier building however in west half of the nave and the font, which date to the thirteenth century, and the church tower, which was added in the fifteenth.
The parish historically included the village of Stamford Bridge. In 1868 part of the village separated from Gate Helmsley parish to form a chapelry within the parish of Catton. In 1899 Gate Helmsley parish was united with that of Upper Helmsley
Today St Mary’s is one of ten churches within the united Benefice of Harton, together with Bossall, Buttercrambe, Crambe, Flaxton, Foston, Howsham, Sand Hutton, Upper Helmsley and Whitwell on the Hill.

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 1993.

Registers of christenings, 1689-1885, marriages, 1689-1885, and burials, 1689-1993, are also available on microfilm at the Borthwick Institute (References: MF 698, 882).
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, 23.02.16.
Revised (Schema arrangement and retroconversion) 01.2021 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.

Further accruals are expected.

Published

GB 193