The Parish Registers Of Askham Bryan 1604-1837 & Askham Richard Yorkshire 1813-1837

The Parish Registers of Askham Bryan & Askham Richard

Step back in time to the heart of rural Yorkshire, where the soil is rich with history and the air whispers tales of Vikings, saints, and restless spirits. For the family historian with roots in this ancient land, this meticulously transcribed volume is not just a book—it is the key to your past.

Presenting The Parish Registers of Askham Bryan (1604-1837) and Askham Richard (1813-1837), an indispensable collection of vital records that chronicle the lives, loves, and losses of your ancestors across centuries of change.

A Treasure Trove of Genealogical Gold

Within these pages, you will find the primary source material that brings your family tree to life:

Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials from Askham Bryan (1604-1837): Spanning over 230 years, these records carry your family through the tumult of the English Civil War, the stoicism of the Commonwealth, and into the grand Georgian era. Discover the names of those who tilled the fields, prayed in the pews, and built the community from the ground up.

Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials from Askham Richard (1813-1837): Continue your journey into the 19th century with the records of the neighbouring parish. Find the unions that joined families and the final resting places of generations who called this quiet village home.

These transcriptions save you countless hours of deciphering archaic handwriting in difficult-to-access original ledgers, allowing you to connect directly with the people who form the foundation of your story.

More Than Just Names: Where History Meets Legend

The villages of Askham Bryan and Askham Richard are more than simple dots on a map. The name "Askham" itself derives from the Old Norse "Aska's ham"—"the homestead of a man named Aska," a testament to the Viking settlers who shaped this region.

But the most chilling and enduring legend belongs to the historic St. Nicholas's Church in Askham Richard. Local folklore tells the eerie tale of the "Crying Priests" or the "Screaming Skull" of Askham Richard. The story speaks of a former priest of the church, whose remains were disturbed and moved from their hallowed ground. It is said that his spirit, so outraged by this indignity, returned to haunt the church and village. His disembodied cries would echo on the wind, and a skull, said to be his, would shriek if it was not handled with the utmost respect.

As you trace the names in these registers, remember: you are not just looking at a list. You are walking in the footsteps of the people who lived with these legends. The farmer who buried his child in 1650, the couple who married in 1790, the old woman laid to rest in 1835—they all knew the stories, they all heard the whispers, and they all lived their lives in the shadow of the church and its restless spirit. Could you find the burial record of the priest at the centre of the tale? Or perhaps an ancestor who was a witness to a paranormal event noted only in local gossip?

Who Is This Book For?

Genealogists with family links to Askham Bryan, Askham Richard, or the wider West Riding of Yorkshire.
Local Historians researching the social fabric of these two parishes over four centuries.
Anyone with a passion for Yorkshire history and the fascinating surnames that have populated it for generations.
Don't let your ancestors remain forgotten names in an archive. Order your copy of The Parish Registers of Askham Bryan & Askham Richard today and begin a journey of discovery that bridges the gap between historical fact and the legends that made a community.