Parish records of York, St Mary, Castlegate

Includes register of christenings, 1604-1974 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1771-1812, and in the later years was also used for York, St Michael Spurriergate); register of marriages, 1604-1957; register of burials, 1604-1849, 1922-1928 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1773-1812); register of banns, 1823-1902, 1923-1980 (also used for York, St Michael Spurriergate); register of services, 1923-1958; records concerning benefice income, including note of fees, 1692, and correspondence, 1935-1942; charity records, including list of benefactions, 1611-1745, and list of recipients, 1871; churchwardens’ records, including accounts, 1750-1877, 1885-1891, 1926-1950, rates, 1732-1755, 1808, 1830, 1849, fabric papers, 1873-1874, 1926-1949, and churchyard papers, c.1800; constables’ records, including assessments, 1732-1755; records of incumbents, including parsonage house papers, 1893, 1935; overseers’ records, including accounts, 1741-1856, rates, 1732-1800, 1836-1838, 1840, 1842, 1844-1846, 1849-1851, 1854, correspondence, 1780-1857, appointments of overseers, 1830-1873, settlement papers, 1721-1725, removal orders, 1724-1857, maintenance orders, 1725-1850, apprenticeship indentures, 1698-1820, lists of parish paupers relieved, 1846-1853, and York Union paupers relieved and vaccinated, 1846-1847; records concerning parish rooms and societies, including Women's Guild minutes of meetings, 1943-1951, and garden party cash book, 1939; school records, including accounts for Sunday and Night schools, 1871-1873; surveyors’ records, including accounts, 1760-1822, and accounts for lighting and repairing street lamps, 1819-1823; terriers, 1849, 1857; Vestry/Parochial Church Council records, including minutes of meetings, 1717-1759, 1762-1800, 1831-1856, 1885-1903, 1930-1938, voters' lists, 1854-1856, parish rental, 1749, land tax assessments, 1749-1805, assessed taxes receipts, 1810-1824, correspondence and papers, 1799, 1832, 1846-1853, 1930-1937, electoral roll, 1937, and electoral roll applications, 1920-1956; historical notes on the church, n.d.

The church of St Mary Castlegate was dedicated in the late 10th or early 11th century and appears in Domesday when the advowson of the rectory was held by the Percy family. They retained the advowson until 1537 when it passed to the Crown.
The parish was not affected by the consolidation of city parishes that took place in the 16th century. In 1761 and 1774 the living was augmented through Queen Anne’s Bounty, which funds were used to buy land at Alne and Scrayingham. In 1814 it received additional funds from a parliamentary grant, and in 1843 and 1883 this was augmented further by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Parts of the church were rebuilt in 1868-1870 by William Butterfield, with stained glass by J. W. Knowles.
In 1885 the benefice was united with that of St Michael Spurriergate but both churches remained in use. In 1936 the two parishes were formally joined to become York St Mary Castlegate with St Michael Spurriergate and in 1972 St Mary’s Church was declared redundant. The interior was subsequently remodelled in 1974-1975 by George Pace and Ronald Sims. Today the church is run by York Museums Trust as a centre for contemporary art exhibitions.

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.1969 by the incumbent. Further deposits were made to the archive in 1974, 1982, 1984, and 2001.

The church of St Mary Castlegate was dedicated in the late 10th or early 11th century and appears in Domesday when the advowson of the rectory was held by the Percy family. They retained the advowson until 1537 when it passed to the Crown.
The parish was not affected by the consolidation of city parishes that took place in the 16th century. In 1761 and 1774 the living was augmented through Queen Anne’s Bounty, which funds were used to buy land at Alne and Scrayingham. In 1814 it received additional funds from a parliamentary grant, and in 1843 and 1883 this was augmented further by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners. Parts of the church were rebuilt in 1868-1870 by William Butterfield, with stained glass by J. W. Knowles.
In 1885 the benefice was united with that of St Michael Spurriergate but both churches remained in use. In 1936 the two parishes were formally joined to become York St Mary Castlegate with St Michael Spurriergate and in 1972 St Mary’s Church was declared redundant. The interior was subsequently remodelled in 1974-1975 by George Pace and Ronald Sims. Today the church is run by York Museums Trust as a centre for contemporary art exhibitions.

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 2001.

Registers of christenings, 1604-1974, marriages, 1604-1957, burials, 1604-1849, and banns, 1823-1852, are also available on microfilm at the Borthwick Institute (References: MF 856-857, 1763-1764).
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, 24.11.15

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 not expected.

For related material held by the Borthwick Institute, see the parish records of York, St Michael Spurriergate which include the Parochial Church Council minute book of St Michael Spurriergate and St Mary Castlegate, 1930-1938.

Yorkshire Parish Register Society, 'The parish registers of St Mary Castlegate, York. 1604-1705.' Transcribed and edited by M. Loyola Mulgrew (York, 1970).

Alexandra Medcalf, 'Poor Law Stories: George Crosby's family and a Christmas Removal', from the Borthwick Blog, December 2013 (http://borthwickinstitute.blogspot.com/2013/12/poor-law-stories-george-crosbys-family.html)

Published

GB 193