Parish records of Saxton

Scope and Content

Includes register of christenings, 1539-1996 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1777-1796); register of marriages, 1540-1648, 1650-2014; register of burials, 1538-1992 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1777-1812, ages only from 1796); register of banns, 1865-2002; register of services, 1924-1993; Roll of Honour, 1914-1918; benefice income papers, 1923, 1962; charity records, including Hungate’s Charity. 1959-1978, Rev. Samuel Duffield’s Foundation, 1960-1978, and Mabel Smart Charity, 1959; churchwardens’ records, including accounts, 1921-1927, faculties, 1876-1989, fabric papers, 1876, 1908, 1964-1998, churchyard papers, 1954-1974, and papers concerning St Mary’s Chapel, Lead, 1962-1977; records of incumbents, including statistical returns, 1958, 1962, 1968, and preacher's book, 1908-1923; school records, including managers’ minutes, 1958-1978, rents and accounts, 1963-1974, staff records, 1960-1977, and other papers, 1958-1977; Vestry/Parochial Church Council records, including minutes, 1921-1993, correspondence, 1973-1976, and church accounts, 1927-1996; papers and photographs relating to lightning strike, 1991-1998.

Administrative / Biographical History

The existence of a church at Saxton was recorded in Domesday in the eleventh century, when it was held by the Peytevin family. In the twelfth century the advowson was granted by Robert de Peytevin to St Leonard’s Hospital in York. The living was augmented through Queen Anne’s Bounty in 1737 and 1809.
The parish church, which is dedicated to All Saints, dates to the eleventh century with a fourteenth century south chapel and fifteenth century tower. It was restored in 1876 and 1907.
The parish historically included Barkston Ash, Cockbridge, Scarthingwell and Towton, the latter being the site of the Battle of Towton during the Wars of the Roses. Barkston Ash was transferred to Sherburn in Elmet parish in 1888 and in 1912 the township of Lead was transferred to Saxton from Ryther. Lead had its own church, dedicated to St Mary, although it was made redundant in May 1977.
Today the parish is part of the benefice of Sherburn in Elmet with Saxton, which also includes Barkston Ash.

Access Information

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws. 24 hours' notice is required to access photographic material.

Acquisition Information

The archive was deposited at the Borthwick Institute in 1966 by the incumbent. Further additions were made to the archive in 1983, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2002, 2008 and 2016.

Note

The existence of a church at Saxton was recorded in Domesday in the eleventh century, when it was held by the Peytevin family. In the twelfth century the advowson was granted by Robert de Peytevin to St Leonard’s Hospital in York. The living was augmented through Queen Anne’s Bounty in 1737 and 1809.
The parish church, which is dedicated to All Saints, dates to the eleventh century with a fourteenth century south chapel and fifteenth century tower. It was restored in 1876 and 1907.
The parish historically included Barkston Ash, Cockbridge, Scarthingwell and Towton, the latter being the site of the Battle of Towton during the Wars of the Roses. Barkston Ash was transferred to Sherburn in Elmet parish in 1888 and in 1912 the township of Lead was transferred to Saxton from Ryther. Lead had its own church, dedicated to St Mary, although it was made redundant in May 1977.
Today the parish is part of the benefice of Sherburn in Elmet with Saxton, which also includes Barkston Ash.

Other Finding Aids

A typescript finding aid, to file level, is available for consultation in the searchroom of the Borthwick Institute. This includes all material received up to and including 2016.

Alternative Form Available

Registers of christenings, 1539-1888, marriages, 1539-1900, and burials, 1539-1900, are also available on microfilm at the Borthwick Institute (References: MF 762, 1757).
Our collection of parish baptism, marriage and burial registers has been digitised by both Ancestry and Find My Past. Copies of digitised records can be viewed online on Ancestry or Find My Past, as part of larger UK-wide parish registers datasets. You can find out more about these record sets, and how to find our registers, here: https://borthcat.york.ac.uk/index.php/are-you-looking-for-parish-registers.

Archivist's Note

Created by S. A. Shearn, 04.03.16. Updated 04.08.16 to include 2016 accession.

Conditions Governing Use

A reprographics service is available to researchers subject to the access restrictions outlined above. Copying will not be undertaken if there is any risk of damage to the document. Copies are supplied in accordance with the Borthwick Institute for Archives' terms and conditions for the supply of copies, and under provisions of any relevant copyright legislation. Permission to reproduce images of documents in the custody of the Borthwick Institute must be sought.

Accruals

Further accruals are expected.

Bibliography

Yorkshire Parish Register Society, 'The parish register of Saxton in Elmet, 1538-1812.' Transcribed and edited by George Denison Lumb (Leeds, 1932).

Additional Information

Published

GB 193