Osmotherley

The Ancient Parish of OSMOTHERLEY

[Transcribed information mainly from the early 1820s]

"OSMOTHERLEY, a parish in the wapentake and liberty of Allertonshire; 7 miles NE. of Northallerton. The parish church is dedicated to St. Peter (see Churches for photograph); the living is a vicarage, in time patronage of the Bishop of Durham, and the Rev. Thomas Marshall, is the incumbent. There are besides in this parish a Catholic chapel, a meeting-house for the Society of Friends, and a chapel for the Methodists. The market here is held on Saturday. Population, 755.

The prebendaries of Osmotherly being mentioned on the records in the time of Edward I. some have thought this to have been a collegiate church; but it seems rather to have been a rectory, divided into three distinct parts or portions, and it is so rated in the Lincoln taxation. But it was afterwards of three sinecure portions, and a vicar endowed. Yet in the archbishop's certificate of all hospitals, colleges, &c. anno 37, Henry VIII. there is "the three prebends simpters within the parish church of Osmotherley, the yearly value £18" -Tanner."

---

"ELLERBECK, in the parish of Osmotherley, wapentake and liberty of Allertonshire; 1½ miles WSW. of Osmotherley, 5 miles NE. of Northallerton. Pop. 81."

---

"LOW MOOR, 4 farm houses in the township of West-Harlsey, and parish of Osmotherley; 3½ miles from Northallerton."

---

"NUN HOUSE, a farm house in the township of Thimbleby, and parish of Osmotherley; 2 miles SSW. of Osmotherley, 8 miles from Northallerton."

---

"THIMBLEBY, in the parish of Osmotherley, wapentake and liberty of Allertonshire; 1¼ miles SSW. of Osmotherley, 6 miles ENE. of Northallerton. Population, 200."

---

"THIMBLEBY LODGE, (the seat of Richard William Christopher Peirse, Esq.). in the parish of Osmotherley, about half a mile above Thimbleby, wapentake of Allertonshire. Now (2007) called Thimbleby Hall."

---

"WEST HARLSEY, in the parish of Osmotherley, wapentake and liberty of Allertonshire; 2¾ miles WNW. of Osmotherley, 5 miles NE. of Northallerton. Population, 51.

Here, says Leland, "Strangwaise the judge builded a praty castelle." (=pretty castle). The keep of this castle on the estate of the Earl of Harewood, having received considerable injury from lightning, was, a few years since, taken down."