We hope to have the Births and Marriages records available to peruse later this year, but we are not yet ready to show them all. However, we can now show the burial records which can be accessed and searched. Please be aware that not all records have been entered.
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If you would like further information, can provide us with further information, become a contributor to this site or would like to offer your help, please send us your details and a brief description of how you can help via the comments box below.
I know from records that 3 generations of my family lived in Gargrave. In particular, my great great great grandmother Jane Preston (nee Maudsley) 1798-1865 was buried in Gargrave. She was married to James Preston 1811-1894 and her children were called Sarah, Robert Charles (my great great grandfather), Pheneas Buler, Jane and Susannah. I searched the churchyard on a visit earlier this year but did not find her grave. Do you have records of the graves?
Hello Simon,
Sorry it’s taken so long to reply to your query.
Yes we do have a record of the graves from that era. Your great great great grandmother, Jane Preston, was buried February 1865 in Zone F, Row VI, Plot 28 aged 66. Her cause of death was listed as stomach cramps. I note that you list Jane as one of her Children. Could this be Jane Elizabeth who died Aged 20? She was interred in the same grave in 1876.
Area F is the North eastern part of the 1852 churchyard with the Hearse House on the Northern Border. The Hearse House is the small stone building with it’s entrance on Church Lane.
We hope to have the graveyard interment plans on line within the next few months, but if you would like to come and inspect the plans that we have in the Church, please let us know and we would be pleased to oblige.
I hope that this has been of some help.
Regards,
Donavon Slaven
For Gargrave Heritage Group
This is the perfect way to break down this inrfmoation.
I am an author living in Vancouver Canada
I am looking for family of Thomas Hall Hart born 1816 died 1884
I know that his grandfather died July 23 1831 and was buried in Skipton
Hello Sari
I’ve found out quite a lot about Thomas Hall Hart, mainly from Ancestry and also from graveyard records. If a baptism, marriage or burial is listed as Gargrave, this will be at the parish church, St Andrew’s. There are also Quaker connections to the Quaker Meeting House at Airton, which is between Gargrave and Settle.
Thomas Hall Hart was baptised on 15 Oct 1815 at Gargrave. He was unmarried and worked as a joiner, carrying on his father’s business in North St, Gargrave. He died on 11 Oct 1884 and was buried at Gargrave.
His parents were John Hart and Mary Hall. John was born in Gargrave on 18 May 1786, but his birth was listed in the Quaker records. A note on the record says his parents “were not in unity”. Not sure what this means – maybe one of them was not a Quaker. He and Mary married at Gargrave on 28 Nov 1814. John died in 1853 and was buried at Gargrave. I think Mary’s dates were 1772 – 1854. Their other children were William 1817, Elizabeth 1818, Ralph 1821, and John 1824. I couldn’t find anything out about William, but the others lived to good ages, and didn’t marry.
His grandparents were John Hart and Mary Rook(?). John was born around 1744, died on 23 July 1831 and was interred at the Airton Quaker burial ground – a note on the record says he was not a member. He and Mary had married on 5 Aug 1780 at Gargrave (if I have the right Mary). The Airton Quaker records show they had at least 2 other children, Mary (1784 – 1785) and Ralph (1788 – 1789). The birth records of his children give his occupation as a linen draper and then as a grocer.
Hope this helps.
Sue
Secretary, Gargrave Heritage Group
Hi there
I just wanted to get in contact as I’m very interested in Gargrave…I’m from Bristol and my grandparents lived in Devon so I assumed they were Devonians. When I moved to Bingley 20 years ago (i’m still in Bingley!) my dad mentioned his family were from Gargrave (The Hunt’s. My g g grandfather was a well known Gargravian,having lived to the age of 92 and his son was the local registrar) and my interest in family history began…
I have some knowledge,some photos, and an interest in getting involved with Gargrave history somehow. Please get in touch if I can help in some way…
Regards
Fay
Hunt family. Hello Fay. I think your g g grandfather would be James Hunt. He was a shoemaker, born in Bradford in 1845, and appeared in Gargrave in 1861 as an apprentice shoemaker to John Bateson. He married Mary Elizabeth Holmes in 1870 at Gargrave. They had 4 children. George Downes 1874, Margaret Eliza 1876, Rose Ellen 1880 and Mary 1882. James died in 1937 aged 92. His wife had died in 1907. Son George was also a shoemaker and in the 1911 Craven Household Almanack was listed as the Deputy registrar. All this information was from Ancestry, which if you are not a subscriber is available at libraries.
If you have any photos or stories of old Gargrave we’d love to see them. The Heritage group is putting together a digital archive of the village in past times.
Regards Sue.
Secretary and researcher for Gargrave Heritage Group
I would like to know if St Andrew’s Church still has its bells. I believe one of my husband’s ancestors, Robert Markendale, was a church warden and his name is inscribed in one of the bells.
If you need any help eg transcribing church records, etc, I would be very willing to help.
Regards, Sheila Markendale
Son of a gun, this is so heufllp!
Hello Sheila
We still have the bells and they are regularly rung. Robert Markendale and his fellow church wardens are inscribed on bell 7 of 8, which is the second largest at 39″ in diameter. The original bell dates from 1747 and was made by Edward Seller of York. All the bells were recast in the 1970s and as far as I know, the inscriptions were included.
Robert Markendale died in 1753. His son John lived at Bank Newton Hall and John’s sons moved to Salford and set up in business as slaughterers and butchers. It seems that they kept farms in the Gargrave area to supply meat to Manchester. A descendent was Ellis Markendale who was a prominent businessman and lived at Ordsall Hall, Salford, which is now a museum.
Regards
Sue
Group secretary and researcher
I told my grtdamonher how you helped. She said, “bake them a cake!”
Hi Sue.
I’ve just found out that my grandfather William Alfred Adams is buried in the cemetery
Area I
Row VI
Grave 6
Date 1914
Any additional info would very much appreciated.. (Cause of death etc)
Regards.
William Adams.
Hi William
There are 2 other people buried in the same grave – Jane Tomlinson died 1959 and James Tomlinson died 1941. Would I be right in thinking this was his wife, who remarried? William died relatively young, and the only way to find his cause of death would be to send for his death certificate. If he had met with an accident, it might have been reported in the local paper. I see from the census of 1911 that he was boarding with Mrs Finister in Gargrave HIgh Street and worked as a railway porter. That’s probably all I can tell you. From Ancestry you can get the registration entry number for his death and send for the certificate from the General Register Office at a cost of £9.50.
Regards
Sue. Secretary and researcher for Gargrave Heritage Group
Hi Sue.
Thanks for the reply, so it sounds like William Alfred Adams isn’t buried there then?, you are right she remarried
Mr Tomlinson, I was told that William Alfred was killed on the railway, not sure if that’s correct though, I’m a member
of Ancestry.com, how do go about obtaining the reg entry number?
Thanks for the help.
William Adams.
Hello William
He is buried there, but Jane and James were added to the grave much later. If you look up his death on Ancestry and go to the index list, you will need to make a note of the year, the quarter, district, volume number and page number. Then go to the General Register Office website, where you’ll need to set up an account and from there you can order his death certificate.
Regards
Sue
I have only just found this site. I’ve been to Gargrave twice to try and locate my grandfather’s grave. He was George Reynoldson and died in 1964. Thanks to your information I have a better idea of location but still unsure where Area K will be in the graveyard. I’m also interested to know more about my grandfather sine I never met him. I wonder whether there are other relatives who still live in the area and how I might contact them.
Hello Christine
George Reynoldson is buried here, but he doesn’t have a headstone, but I’ve looked on the graveyard plan and have found the spot. When I mentioned the name Reynoldson to members of the group, it rang a bell with those who’ve lived in the village all their lives. They said there were quite a few in the village, including Arthur the chimney sweep. Could you give us any further information about how many children your grandfather had and if you might have cousins here. There were Reynoldsons in Appletreewick and up near Bainbridge if either of these places ring a bell. If I have some more details, I could maybe track down any possible relatives.
Regards
Sue
Secretary and researcher for Gargrave Heritage Group
Hello Christine my names Jenny my dad was George Reynoldson from Gargrave, Im one of the youngest of 11 children.
It would be really nice to meet with you and talk about our dad your Grandad and get to know more about our dad and his
days before he met my mother ,and share what we know about him and his life. I wondered if you might like to meet up with me and my sister sometime. Jenny Cassidy( Nee Reynoldson)
my gr. gr. grandfather Joseph, his family and his brother Thomas ran the High and Low mills in Gargrave in the early 1800’s. I would like details of the Heritage group with a view to attending meetings to hopefully pad out my current knowledge of these ancestors. I live on Tyneside but often visit Gargrave on my way back to my roots near Burnley.
Harry mason
harry
amazing that I found you on this site as I lost all my records thru computer crash and alas no back up. you may
remember me , charles mason from Australia. could you please drop me a line as I would like to check my records
against yours concerning joseph our common ancestor. I have a portrait of Joseph and sarah eliza via Catherine in
Canada. I would be glad to email it to you if you don’t have it.
charles mason
hi
my ancestor joseph mason is buried at st Andrews in area d row xv111 grave 4 ( this is from your records ). I have
visited the church on 2 occasions ( from Australia ) and the only gravestone I could find appeared to be on the ground
possibly a walking track, could this be the location for joseph died 1860. there is a monument there for some other
members of my family and a dedication glass panel in the church. any information would be appreciated
charles mason
hi
the mason family of which I am a descendant, have a lot of burials in your church. I have just found out that they also
have a vault rows IV ,V,V1. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN. is it a vault that can be entered or is it underground. It would be greatly appreciated if you could let me know as I have visited the church twice from my home in Australia without ever knowing
that my family had a vault in the graveyard.
charles mason
There’s a reference in the Thomason Tract E101(4) The Kingdomes Weekly Intelligencer May 2nd to the 9th of John Lambert raiding Gargarve. Is there any reference in local records to this raid ?
Hi there
All being well, I will be coming to Gargrave on Friday (I live near Wakefield) to look for the resting place of John Swire, who I understand is buried at the Church alongside other members of his family in Grave 21 Row III Area F.
I am currently on crutches, so it would be really helpful if someone could advise me – in advance – where I should head for.
Thanks in anticipation for your help.
Graeme
John Swire buried 1875 has notes of (). What does this mean? And do you have an actual burial date for him please?
Many thanks
Hi,
I’m Geoffrey Barrow now living in Weymouth Dorset.
My brothers and I are working on the Barrow Family Tree. As a lot of our family lived in Gargrave I was wondering if anyone had any information on our following relatives.
Miss Else May Barrow
Mr Albert Barrow
Mr James Barrow
Me Gilbert Barrow.
Thank you
Geoff
Hi Geoffrey
These Barrows are buried at Gargrave, but none of them have headstones. From the church records we know that Mabel (died 1966 aged 58) and Gilbert (1977 aged 80) are in the same grave. In another grave we have Albert (1962 age 66), Agnes Jane (1940 age 73) and William James (1948 age 83). Elsie May died in 1993 aged 93 at Curregate Nursing Home in Steeton. Her home was in Neville Crescent, Gargrave. They were at Garris Farm in Church Street for many years.
If you consult Ancestry (free at any library), you can find info about the family from the census returns and any public family trees that are on the site.
Regards
Sue
Hi,
I am a member of the congregation of St. Mary’s , Embsay. We are in the process of having our stained glass windows restored and producing a booklet to explain them. We have a problem .in that, the Church records for the period 1850 to 1890 have not survived. Four of our windows have been identified as by William Lazenby – they are unsigned. We understand that your clerestory windows are by Lazenby .Do you have any information about your clerestory windows ? ie What is there date ? Are they all made from original glass or a medley of glass or a combination ? Any information would be gratefully received. Regards Nigel Osborn
Hi Nigel
We have lots on info on our main windows, but I don’t know about the top ones. They are all coloured, which is unusual. The Heritage Group meets every Tuesday in church from 10 till 12. You’re most welcome to come and visit and we’ll see what we can find out for you. We have a visitor on 10 Sept, but after that, please feel free to call in and see us.
Regards
Sue