Parish records of Westow

Includes register of christenings, 1549-1597, 1601-1638, 1648-1852 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1777-1778); register of marriages, 1549-1597, 1601-1638, 1648-2018; register of burials, 1549-1597, 1601-1638, 1648-1993 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1778 and 1808-1812); register of services, 1931-1952; records concerning benefice income, including bargain and sale, 1692, and deed, 1796; charity records, including Idle's Charity and Thompson's Charity papers, 1862-1958; churchwardens’ records, including accounts, 1815-1820, 1924-1925, elevations and sections of church, 1862, fabric papers, 1862-1958, and briefs, 1689-1750; constable’s warrant, 1822; record of incumbents, including benefice papers, 1964-1971, rectory papers, 1955-1966, and incumbents' papers, 1924-1966; overseers’ records, including rate book, 1849, poor law papers, 1738-1832, and accounts, 1780-1821; records concerning parish rooms and societies, including Westow Parish Club circular, 1960s; school records, including conveyance, 1872, and papers, 1936; surveyors’ records, including waymasters’ agreement, 17th century; Vestry/Parochial Church Council records, including minutes of meetings, 1920-1923, 1965-1978, accounts and financial papers, 1891, 1970s, antiquarian notes, 1930s, 1989, census enumerator's book, 1801, and census enumerator's summary return, 1811.

There was a church at Westow from at least the twelfth century, when it was granted to Kirkham Priory by Walter Espec. It was appropriated to them in 1311 and a vicarage was ordained there from at least 1294, when the earliest known vicar is recorded. The Priory held the patronage until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century, at which time it passed to the Crown and subsequently to the Archbishop of York.
The parish church, which is dedicated to St Mary, was known as St Mary of the Moor, or St Mary ad mora, on account of its location. The present building dates to around the fifteenth century, although some interior fittings are older. The church was repaired in 1801 and the chancel was restored by architect Ewan Christian in 1862. In 1864 the whole church was rebuilt, but for the tower, by architects Mallinson & Healey of Bradford. The south porch was reconstructed by George Pace in 1973.
The church also includes a stained glass window by J. W. Knowles, stained glass painters of York, and a pulpit carved by Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson in 1951. A new vicarage house was built in 1869.
The parish includes Eddlethorpe, Firby, Menethorpe and Kirkham. Today Westow is part of the united parish and benefice of West Buckrose, which includes Burythorpe, Settrington, Langton, Acklam, Birdsall, North Grimston and Leavening.

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 1963 by the incumbent. Further additions were made to the archive in 1989, 1994 and 2005.

There was a church at Westow from at least the twelfth century, when it was granted to Kirkham Priory by Walter Espec. It was appropriated to them in 1311 and a vicarage was ordained there from at least 1294, when the earliest known vicar is recorded. The Priory held the patronage until the Dissolution of the Monasteries in the sixteenth century, at which time it passed to the Crown and subsequently to the Archbishop of York.
The parish church, which is dedicated to St Mary, was known as St Mary of the Moor, or St Mary ad mora, on account of its location. The present building dates to around the fifteenth century, although some interior fittings are older. The church was repaired in 1801 and the chancel was restored by architect Ewan Christian in 1862. In 1864 the whole church was rebuilt, but for the tower, by architects Mallinson & Healey of Bradford. The south porch was reconstructed by George Pace in 1973.
The church also includes a stained glass window by J. W. Knowles, stained glass painters of York, and a pulpit carved by Robert ‘Mouseman’ Thompson in 1951. A new vicarage house was built in 1869.
The parish includes Eddlethorpe, Firby, Menethorpe and Kirkham. Today Westow is part of the united parish and benefice of West Buckrose, which includes Burythorpe, Settrington, Langton, Acklam, Birdsall, North Grimston and Leavening.

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 2005.

Registers of christenings, 1549-1852, marriages, 1549-1900, and burials, 1549-1900, are also available on microfilm at the Borthwick Institute (References: MF 807, 1756).
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, 22.03.16.

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