Ilkley Yorkshire Family History Guide

| |
Updated on
Links marked with a * mean that we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. It all helps to keep the site online and free for everyone.

Ilkley is an Ancient Parish in the county of Yorkshire. 

Other places in the parish include: Nesfield, Middleton with Stockhill, Middleton near Otley, Middleton, Langbar Moor, Langbar, Ilkley with Rumbolds Moor and Wheatley, Wheatley, West Hall, Rumbolds Moor, and Nesfield with Langbar. 

Riding: West Riding

Parish registers begin:

  • Parish registers: 1597
  • Bishop’s Transcripts: 1598

Nonconformists include: Primitive Methodist, Roman Catholic, and Wesleyan Methodist.

Adjacent Parishes

ILKLEY THE GROVE
ILKLEY THE GROVE

Ilkley Parish Records

An index of parish records for people from Ilkley in the West Riding of Yorkshire. The index includes information from Paver’s Marriage Licences The Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series Vol XL for the Year 1908 and Index of Wills in the York Registry 1627 to 1636 Administrations 1627 to 1652 v.10

Marriage Licences

The records below have been extracted from the book Paver’s Marriage Licences The Yorkshire Archaeological Society Record Series Vol XL for the Year 1908

1632 William Laycock and Maud Rothery, Ilkley—there.

1632 John Metcalfe, Ilkley, and Isabel Mann, Kirkby Malzeard — either place.

1633 Thomas Jackson, yeoman, Spofforth, and Eliza Pickerd, spinster, Ilkley — either place.

1634 Christopher Lister, woolwebster, Ilkley, and Mary Dibb, spinster, Fewston — either place.

1634 Richard Lister, carpenter, Skipton, and Christabella Robinson, spinster, Ilkley — either place. (Not at Shipton. in footnotes)

1635 John Heber, gen., Ilkley, and Jane Willisse, spinster, Gisburn — either place. (In footnotes – Of Hollinghall, near Ilkley, Capt. in Parliamentary Army. Dugdale calls her dau. of Wm. Willis, citizen of London. (See Dugdale’s Vis. Continued).

1636 William Wood, clothier, Leeds, and Ann Fountaines, spinster, Ilkley — either place. (Not at Leeds in footnotes)

1637 William Stead, agriculturer, Baildon, and Eliza Rogerson, widow, Ilkley—at Baildon.

1638 Alexander Squire, yeoman, and Ellen Lodge, spinster, Ilkley — there.

1638 Thomas Parker, agriculturer, Rothwell, and Rosamond Ramsden, spinster, 32, Ilkley — there. (Not at Rothwell, in footnotes)

1638 George Hudson, labourer, Ilkley, and Ann Robinson, widow, Fewston — there.

1639 Christopher Hogge, tailor, 24, Ilkley, and Grace Gotte, spinster, 23, Trinity, Micklegate — there. (In footnotes Not at Trinity.)

1639 Francis Holdsworth, glover, 30, Ilkley, and Ann Holmes, spinster, 26, Rigton — at Ilkley.

1639 Lionel Rogers, yeoman, 23, and Jane Heber, spinster, 12 (so), Ilkley — there.

1641 Thomas Blakey, yeoman, 33, and Elizabeth Gibson, spinster, 24, Ilkley — there.

1642 Richard Pudsey, yeoman, Kirkby Overblows, and Mary Teale, spinster, Ilkley — either place.

Ilkley Parish Church
Ilkley Parish Church

Wills and Administrations

The records below have been extracted from the book Index of Wills in the York Registry 1627 to 1636 Administrations 1627 to 1652 v.10

__, Thomas, Ilkley, Feb. 19, 1627. July 17, 1629. (Probate)

Fountance, Thomas, Langber, par. Ilkley, Sep. 16, 1628. Dec. 22, 1628 (Probate)

__, Richard, Ilkley, June 20, 1639. Jun. 18, 1630. (Probate)

Thackwray, Anne, Hinganstone (bur. Ilkley), Feb. 26, 1629. May 13, 1631. (Probate)

__, Samuel, Langbarre, par. Ilkley, fol. 400, Craven. Nov. 7, 1632

__, John, Woodhowse als. Ramsgill, par. Ilkley, fol. 451, Craven. Sep. 30, 1635

Sheffeild, George, Ilkley, fol. 432, Craven. Jun. 18, 1634.

__, Thomas, Ilkley, fol. 521, Craven. July 31, 1639

Parish History

The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales 1870

ILKLEY, a village and a township in Otley district. and a parish partly also in Skipton district, W. R. Yorkshire. The village stands on the river Wharfe, under Rombald’s-Moor, at the terminus of a branch railway, 6 miles W by N of Otley; and has a post office, under Leeds, and two hotels. The railway to it was opened in Aug. 1865, and communicates both with Leeds and with Bradford.

The Roman station Alicana was here; has left very distinct traces; is proved, by an inscription exhumed on the spot, to have been rebuilt in the time of Severus; is further proved, by a votive altar found in the river Wharfe, to have been occupied by the second cohort of the Lingones; is still further proved, by that altar, to have reverenced as a goddess a mythical personage called Verbeia, whom antiquaries suppose to have been the genius of the river Wharfe; and is inferred, from names, on the surrounding heights, as Castleberg, Counterhill, and Woofa-bank, to have had summer camps and outposts.

The neighbourhood not only retains traces of ancient camps and earthworks, which may have been originally Roman, but also has tumuli and rocking stones of an earlier people. The churchyard, too, contains parts of three ancient crosses, thought by Camden to be Roman, but showing such Runic design as proves them to be really Saxon. The village is now notable for a cold bath which issues from the side of Rombald’s-Moor, and is deemed highly salutary in relaxed and scorbutic cases; and it contains many recent houses, variously neat, handsome and elegant, for lodging visitors. Two splendid hydropathic establishments, Ilkley Wells House, and Ben-Rhydding, are in the vicinity.

Ilkley Wells House stands on the slope of the hill immediately above the village; is a stately edifice, in the Italian palatial style; contains a dining room with easy accommodation for from 80 to 100 persons, a public drawing room, a billiard room, and a news room; and has extensive grounds, in which are an American bowling alley and other appliances for health and amusement.

Ben-Rhydding stands about a mile to the E; was erected in 1846, at a cost of nearly £30,000; is an imposing edifice, in the Scottish baronial style; and has about 100 acres of pleasure grounds, with racket court, covered arcade, large billiard room, and bowling green. Two other hydropathic establishments, the Craiglands and the Troutbeck, are in the village.

The Ilkley hospital, a fine building for such persons as cannot afford the expense of the hydropathic establishments, also is here; and it admits patients for three weeks free on the recommendation of a subscriber, and allows them to remain three weeks longer for very moderate payment. The Retreat, for persons afflicted with mental disease, is in the adjoining parish; and it occupies a beautiful high site, with an extensive view.

The parish church, at the village, is a neat structure of nave, aisles, and chancel, with a tower; and contains an interesting monument of Sir Adam de Middleton of 1312. An Independent chapel, with a tower and schools, all in the early decorated style, was built in 1869. There are also a chapel for Wesleyans, an endowed school with £44 a year, and charities £69. The scenery in the neighbourhood of the village is very attractive; and the places of interest, within range of pleasant walk or drive, are many and various.

The township includes the village, and comprises 3,961 acres. Real property, £6,658; of which £80 are in gasworks. Pop. in 1851, 811; in 1861, 1,043. Houses, 185. The parish contains also the townships of Middleton and Nesfield-with-Langbar. Acres, 8,880. Real property, £10,326. Pop., 1,407. Houses, 267. The property is not much divided. The manor belongs to Peter Middleton, Esq. A considerable portion of the land is high moor, abounding in grouse. The living is a vicarage in the diocese of Ripon. Value, £126. Patron, L. L. Hartley, Esq.

Source: The Imperial Gazetteer of England & Wales [Wilson, John M]. A. Fullarton & Co. N. d. c. [1870-72].

Administration

  • County: Yorkshire
  • Civil Registration District: Otley
  • Probate Court: Exchequer and Prerogative Courts of the Archbishop of York
  • Diocese: Post-1835 – Ripon, Pre-1836 – York
  • Rural Deanery: Craven
  • Poor Law Union: Carlton Gilbert Union
  • Hundred: Claro; Skyrack
  • Province: York