Place:Sedbergh, West Riding of Yorkshire, England

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Family History Library Catalog

source: Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names

the text in this article is based on an article in Wikipedia

Since 1974 Sedbergh is a small town and civil parish in Cumbria, England. Previously it was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire. It lies about 10 miles (16 km) east of Kendal and about 10 miles (16 km) north of Kirkby Lonsdale. The town sits just within the northern edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Sedbergh is at the foot of the Howgill Fells on the north bank of the River Rawthey which joins the River Lune about 2 miles (2 km) below the town.

Sedbergh has a narrow main street lined with shops. From all angles, the hills rising behind the houses can be seen. Until the coming of the Ingleton Branch Railway Line in 1861, these remote places were reachable only by walking over some fairly steep hills. The railway to Sedbergh was closed in 1965.

The civil parish covers a large area, including the hamlets of Millthrop, Catholes, Marthwaite, Brigflatts, High Oaks, Howgill, Lowgill and Cautley, the southern part of the Howgill Fells and the northern part of Baugh Fell.

George Fox, a founder of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), spoke in St. Andrew's Church (which he called a "steeple house") and on nearby Firbank Fell during his travels in the north of England in 1652. Briggflatts Meeting House was built in 1675 and is the namesake of Basil Bunting's long poem Briggflatts (1966).

History

Sedbergh's parish church dedicated to St. Andrew dates from the 12th century, though restored periodically since then. There is at least one house in the village dating from the 14th century, and there are the remains of a motte and bailey castle believed to date from Saxon times.

Sedbergh's main industries for many years were farming and the production of woollen garments. Wool was taken to mills where it was spun into yarn from which people in their homes knitted clothing, including hats and socks. The garments were sold by local merchants to, among other places, the coal miners of Northumberland and Durham. This trade has long since disappeared. It is remembered at Farfield Mill, just outside the town, where there is an exhibition of weaving equipment, and workshops for a number of artists and crafts workers.

end of Wikipedia contribution

Sedbergh was originally an ecclesiastical or "ancient" parish in the Staincliffe and Ewcross Wapentake in the West Riding of Yorkshire, England. The ancient parish had two townships: Dent and Garsdale. It became a separate civil parish in 1866 and from 1894 until 1974 it was located in Sedbergh Rural District. In the nationwide reorganization of municipalities in 1974 it was transferred to Cumbria.

Research Tips

• British History Online (Victoria County Histories) do not cover the West Riding of Yorkshire
• GENUKI has a page on all three ridings of Yorkshire and pages for each of the ecclesiastical parishes in the county. Under each parish there is a list of the settlements within it and brief description of each. The list is based on a gazetteer dated 1835 and there may have been a number of alterations to the parish setup since then. However, it is worthwhile information for the pre civil registration era. GENUKI provides references to other organizations who hold genealogical information for the local area. There is no guarantee that the website has been kept up to date and the submitter is very firm about his copyright. This should not stop anyone from reading the material.
• The FamilyTree Wiki has a series of pages similar to those provided by GENUKI which may have been prepared at a later date from more recent data. The wiki has a link to English Jurisdictions 1851 which gives the registration district and wapentake for each parish, together with statistics from the 1851 census for the area.
• A Vision of Britain through Time, Yorkshire West Riding, section "Units and Statistics" leads to analyses of population and organization of the county from about 1800 through 1974. There are pages available for all civil parishes, municipal boroughs and other administrative divisions. Descriptions provided are usually based on a gazetteer of 1870-72.

• Map of the West Riding divisions in 1888 produced by UK Ordnance Survey and provided online by A Vision of Britain through Time
• Map of West Riding divisions in 1917 produced by UK Ordnance Survey and provided online by A Vision of Britain through Time. In other counties, the map for 1900 has been used, but it is not coming up in Vision of Britain's list.
• Map of West Riding divisions in 1944 produced by UK Ordnance Survey and provided online by A Vision of Britain through Time

• The above three maps indicate the boundaries between parishes, etc., but for a more detailed view of a specific area try a map from this selection. The oldest series are very clear at the third magnification offered. Comparing the map details with the GENUKI details for the same area is well worthwhile.
• Yorkshire has a large number of family history and genealogical societies. A list of the societies will be found on the Yorkshire, England page.
• In March 2018 Ancestry announced that its file entitled "Yorkshire, England: Church of England Parish Records, 1538-1873" has been expanded to include another 94 parishes (across the three ridings) and expected it to be expanded further during the year. The entries are taken from previously printed parish registers.
• GENUKI on Sedbergh. The GENUKI page gives numerous references to local bodies providing genealogical assistance.
• A Vision of Britain through Time on Sedbergh.
• The FamilySearch wiki on the ecclesiastical parish of Sedbergh provides a list of useful resources for the local area.