Parish records of York, St Sampson

Scope and Content

Includes register of christenings, 1640-1656, 1661-1965 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1778-1812); register of marriages, 1640-1657, 1663-1964; register of burials, 1640-1655, 1661-1848 (note this register uses the Dade registration scheme for the years 1778-1812); register of banns, 1922-1969; register of services, 1930-1968; register of graves and plan, 1792-1843; records concerning benefice income, including glebe papers (some concern Holy Trinity King's Court), 1807, 1840-1841, and correspondence and papers, 1764-1887, 1902-1905, 1915-1920; charity records, including accounts, 1763-1890, correspondence and papers, 1872, 1876-1877, 1904, 1940; churchwardens’ records, including accounts, 1927-1933, fabric papers, 1763, 1845-1926, churchyard papers, 1962, and assessments, 1742-1753; constables’ records, including assessments, 1742-1753; faculties, 1893-1960; records of incumbents, including correspondence regarding transfer of patronage and suspension of presentation, 1925, 1966, and statistical returns, 1966; overseers’ records, including accounts, 1743-1807, 1825-1837, assessments, 1737, 1743-1753, 1849-1858, and apprenticeship register, 1818-1836; records relating to parish rooms and societies, including church room accounts, correspondence and papers 1886-1887, 1959, youth centre correspondence and papers, 1967-1980, social centre for the elderly correspondence and papers, 1974-1980; papers and plans relating to church restorations and repairs, 1845-1959; terriers, 18th century-1910; Vestry/Parochial Church Council records, including minutes of meetings, 1917-1938.

Administrative / Biographical History

The church of St Sampson was first recorded in 1154 when it was granted to Pontefract Priory by King Stephen. By the 14th century the advowson had reverted to the Crown who granted it to the college of vicars choral, with whom it remained until 1934. The parish was subject to the peculiar jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter of York.
The church was largely rebuilt between 1845 and 1848 by architect Frederick Bell of York. In 1865 the chancel ceiling was painted by J. W. Knowles, who also supplied new stained glass windows the following year. The church was restored in 1875 by Charles Hodgson Fowler and then again in 1881 and 1905.
In 1548 the union of the parish of York, St Sampson with that of York, St Helen on Stonegate was considered but ultimately not carried out. The parish was united with Holy Trinity King's Court on the 26th Jun 1886, and with All Saints Pavement 23rd May 1969, at which time the church was made redundant.

Access Information

Records are open to the public, subject to the overriding provisions of relevant legislation, including data protection laws.

Acquisition Information

The archive was deposited at the Borthwick Institute in 1963 by Canon Purvis. Further additions were made to the archive in 1969, 1972, 1974, 1978 and 1980.

Note

The church of St Sampson was first recorded in 1154 when it was granted to Pontefract Priory by King Stephen. By the 14th century the advowson had reverted to the Crown who granted it to the college of vicars choral, with whom it remained until 1934. The parish was subject to the peculiar jurisdiction of the Dean and Chapter of York.
The church was largely rebuilt between 1845 and 1848 by architect Frederick Bell of York. In 1865 the chancel ceiling was painted by J. W. Knowles, who also supplied new stained glass windows the following year. The church was restored in 1875 by Charles Hodgson Fowler and then again in 1881 and 1905.
In 1548 the union of the parish of York, St Sampson with that of York, St Helen on Stonegate was considered but ultimately not carried out. The parish was united with Holy Trinity King's Court on the 26th Jun 1886, and with All Saints Pavement 23rd May 1969, at which time the church was made redundant.

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 1980.

Alternative Form Available

Registers of christenings, 1640-1965, marriages, 1640-1964, and burials, 1640-1848, are also available on microfilm at the Borthwick Institute (References: MF 874-875).
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 10.11.15

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.

Related Material

For related material held by the Borthwick Institute, see the parish records of York, St Denys and St George which include a map showing alterations of the areas of the parishes of All Saints and St Crux with St Saviour and St Sampson with Holy Trinity, King's Court; St Michael le Belfrey and Holy Trinity, Goodramgate; St Cuthbert; Holy Trinity, Heworth; and St Denys, 1975.

Additional Information

Published

GB 193