HAHS - News

Advanced Notice - "Joseph Foord Day" at Ryedale Folk Museum

As part of the National Park's Lime and Ice Programme, a "Joseph Foord Day" at the Ryedale Folk Museum is being planned for 30th September 2012.

It is anticipated that there will be a walk, a talk, demonstrations using Foord's theodolite, and a chance to view George Wright's journals.

Peter Turton, National Park Education Activity Leader, will be leading the event; watch this space for more information as it becomes available!

Training course - archaeological drawing and surveying

Gigi Signorelli, a noted freelance archaeologist, ran a course on archaeological drawing and surveying; four Members attended. We practiced in Helmsley churchyard on tomb stones as there were no trenches available.

Gigi took us back to basics, not GPS or cameras. It was trig points, tape measures and human eye to record the position of a tomb stone of our choice. I chose one in the sun, since I have done enough excavations when snow covered the ground, and lazy winds whistled through multiple layers!

Susan Hall

Guided Visit to Easingwold II

On a cool, cloudy - and potentially-showery - day, six members of the Society met with Valerie and Brian Taylor for our second guided tour of Easingwold; what a change from last year's weather - which was almost unbearably hot!

We then moved onto Long Street eastwards, past the hospital, and towards the old Toll Bar; crossing the road, we viewed St John's RC Church, designed in 1830 by Charles Hanson, the brother of Joseph Hanson of "Hansom Cab" fame.

Returning westwards along Long Street, the locations of ten public houses / coaching inns were pointed out, together with Flemish Bond and tumbling brickwork (the latter a traditional, end-on, weathering detail on gable wall copings), firemarks, the old Salvation Army Citadel, the remains of ghostly advertising lettering on a tailor's window - and several grand, elegant buildings, including Longley House and Crawford House (above).

The Helmsley Archive is a collection of more than 5000 images illustrating the history of Helmsley over the last 150 years. The Archive, started by the late John Collier, is now being augmented by local residents.

The website is in its infancy, and we are currently scanning and cataloguing images; we are aiming to have a significant proportion of the Archive available online in early 2011.

We are also eager to hear from you if you have further information on any image; please send your Comments using the form at the bottom of each image.

These pictures show visits of Helmsley Archaeological Society to Mount Grace Priory in 1953, and to Weaverthorpe in 1960.

The Workhouse Records for the Parish of Helmsley, dating between 1783 and 1874, have recently been discovered in an attic room of Canon's Garth. They comprise a single vellum volume, with entries made from both ends - one the Agreements, Rules and Regulations, and the other the Finances and Payments made to individuals.

These make interesting reading, and are a fascinating insight into the time. The Records are a valuable genealogical resource, and are being scanned by the Ryedale Family History Group with the view of making them more widely available (they already have many Helmsley-related articles - see here).

To whet your appetite, a scan of the first page and a transcript of the Rules are shown below:

1. That all, and every Poor person or persons, that may or shall be put into the Work-house, shall be Obedient to the Master and Mistrefs of the House, in all and every thing Lawful and Expedient, and all and every such person or persons disobeying such Lawful Commands, shall be liable to One Day's Confinement, or other Punishment, at the discretion of the Committee.
2. From Lady Day until Michaelmas, each and every Poor person according to their abilities, shall Work from Six o'Clock in the Morning, until Seven in the Evening; and from Michaelmas, until Lady Day from Seven in the Morning until Seven in the Evening; and for the better encouraging of Industry, each and every Poor person shall out of every Shilling they shall Earn, be allowed at the least Two-pence for their own Use.
3. All and every Poor person, whose bodily Strength will permit shall attend Divine Service twice every Lord's Day, and Family Prayers every Evening at Sev'n oClock, to be made by the Master of the House, or some other Person by him appointed, and whoever shall be absent, without a lawful Cause, shall be punished as the Committee shall direct.
4. If any of the Poor are, or shall at any time be Sick, or Lame so as to require the Advice, and Assistance of an Apothecary, or Surgeon; they shall be attended on, and provided for, according to the Direction of such Apothecary, or Surgeon, as shall or may be appointed.
5. None of the Poor shall at any time go out of the Yard belonging to the Work-house, without leave of the Master or Mistrefs, nor shall they or any of them haunt or frequent any Ale-House, Gin-shop etc. under pain of punishment as the Committee shall direct.
6. If any of the Poor, shall at any time abuse or waste the Victuals for them provided, or shall be guilty of Cursing, Swearing, Obscene talking, or using Scurrilous or abusive Language, they shall be punished as the Committee shall direct.
7. Any Poor Child or Children, that may or shall at any time be in the Work-house, shall as soon as they are of proper Age, be Properly taught and Instructed in Reading, Writing, Knitting, and Sewing, by some proper Person or Persons, appointed for that purpose.
8. When any Child in the Work-house is fit to put out Apprenticed, such Child shall go out Decently Clothed by the Master of the Work-house.
9. Any Complaint that may or shall at any time be made by the Master of the Workhouse against any of the Poor, that may ~~or shall from time to time, or at any time~~ be committed to his Care, or by any such Poor person or persons, against the Master, or Mistrefs of the Work-house; which may be of such a Nature and consequence, as the Two or more Committee Men acting at that time, do not think proper to redrefs; they shall afsemble and call together, the whole Committee, with the Church-Wardens and Overseers of the Poor, for the time being; who after deliberately hearing, and examining both parties, and all and every person therein concerned, shall Decide the Matter.
10. That none may plead Ignorant of these Rules, a Copy of them shall be put up in a Publick place in the Work-house, and shall be read over, at the going in of any and every Adult person, and on the last Friday-Evening, in each and every succeeding Month, by One of the Church-Wardens, Overseers of the Poor, or Committee Men, for the time being, or by any other person at their request.

And for the Binding of all, each and every Party concerned in this Agreement, and all, every and each of their Deputys and Succefsors for the time being; to the just Observation and true fulfilment and performance of all and every thing therein Exprefsed, Contained, and Intended, the aforesaid William Fletcher for the due performance of his part; and the Church-Wardens, and Overseers of the Poor, and other Inhabitants of, and for and in behalf of the aforesaid Parish of Helmsley (including Carlton, and the Moorhouses), the Township of Pockley, with Beadlam and Sproxton on their part; have hereunto, in the presence of each other, set and subscribed their Names or Marks.

N.B. The Master of the Work-house is to be Charged with any School or Doctors Bills; such Bills, or Debts, must be paid by the Overseers of the Parish, or Parishes, for whose Poor such Debts were Contracted.

N.B. and the said Wm. Fletcher doth agree to give notice to the Inhabitants of the Town of Helmsley at Michaelmas in Each succeeding Year provided he wishes to be realised (sic) of this Contract inspecting Maintenance of the Poor as aforesaid and the Inhabitants doth agree to do the same on their part.

We, Two of the Justices of the Peace acting for the North Riding of the County of York dwelling near to the within mentioned Parish of Helmsley (including Carlton & the Moorhouses), & the Townships of Pockley, Beadlam & Sproxton do consent unto, allow and approve the within written Contract.

Records rediscovered in Canons Garth by Jen Harris; scanned and transcribed by Paul Harris