Masham, North Riding of Yorkshire

Historical Description

Masham, a small market-town, a township, and a parish in the N.R. Yorkshire. The town stands on the river Yore (derivation of Yorek-shire), 6 miles SW by W of Bedale, and 10 from Ripon; is a well-built and picturesque place, amid beautiful environs; has a station on the N.E.E., a post, money order, and telegraph office (R.S.O.), and three good inns; and gave the title of Baron to the family of Scrope, one of whom, the friend and councillor of Henry V., was executed for treason in 1415, and has been immortalized by Shakespeare. The title became extinct in 1517, but was revived in 1891 in favour of Samuel Cunliffe-Lister, Esq., who was created Baron Masham in that year. A weekly market is held on Wednesday, and a fair for livestock is held on 17 and 18 Sept., and there are malt-houses and breweries. The township comprises 1680 acres; population, 1053. The manor belonged to the Mowbrays and Scropes, passed to the Danbys, and belongs now to Lord Masham. The parish contains the townships of Ilton-with-Pott, Fearby, Ellingstring, Ellington, Healey-with-Sutton, Swinton-with-Warthermarske, and Burton-upon-Yore, and is sometimes called Mashamshire. The parish has a local board of nine members. Masham Moor has an area of 8550 acres. Fine salmon and trout fishings are in the Yore, and some beautiful walks are along the river's banks. The living is a vicarage, united with the vicarage of Kirkby Malzeard (W. R.), in the diocese of Ripon; net value, £243 with residence. Patron, Trinity College, Cambridge. The church has a Norman W doorway, is chiefly of the 14th or 15th century, has a lofty tower and spire figuring conspicuously in the landscape, and contains a brass of 1689, a monument to Sir Marmaduke Wyville, Bart., and several other monuments. The churchyard contains a curious sculptured cylindrical stone, which may have been the base of an ancient cross. Population of the ecclesiastical parish, 2384. There are Baptist, Wesleyan, and Primitive Methodist chapels, an endowed grammar school with £50 a year, an endowed free school for girls, a mechanics' institute, and almshouses. There is an artesian well, 435 feet deep, and permeating strata (chiefly shales, sandstones, and millstone grit) whereof specimens are deposited in the museum at York.

Administration

The following is a list of the administrative units in which this place was either wholly or partly included.

Any dates in this table should be used as a guide only.

Church Records

Findmypast, in conjunction with various Archives, Local Studies, and Family History Societies have the following parish records online for Masham:

Directories & Gazetteers

We have transcribed the entry for Masham from the following:

• Samuel Lewis' A Topographical Dictionary of England, by Samuel Lewis, seventh edition, published 1858. (Masham (St. Mary))

Land and Property

The Return of Owners of Land in 1873 for the North Riding of Yorkshire is available to browse.

Maps

Online maps of Masham are available from a number of sites:

• Bing (Current Ordnance Survey maps).
• Google Streetview.
• National Library of Scotland. (Old maps)
• OpenStreetMap.
• Streetmap.co.uk (Current Ordnance Survey maps).

Newspapers and Periodicals

The British Newspaper Archive have fully searchable digitised copies of the following North Riding newspapers online:

• York Herald
• Daily Gazette for Middlesbrough
• Yorkshire Gazette
• Yorkshire Evening Press
• Whitby Gazette