Community Archive

BISHOPTHORPE COMMUNITY ARCHIVE

Since the founding of Bishopthorpe Local History Group in 1998, individuals and organisations have given or loaned the Group collections of documents and/or photographs. Following the refurbishment of the Village Hall in 2005, the Hall Committee generously gave a room in which to store the Archive. Since then, members of the Group have been cataloguing the collections. Loaned items are photocopied or digitised while original collections are stored in archive-quality boxes or sleeves. These  are expensive so donations are always welcome and gratefully received.

As well as the archive collections, there are searchable listings and transcriptions of the Bishopthorpe entries in Trade Directories (1823 – 1900); 19th and 20th century newspapers; and digital copies of The Valuation Office Survey, 1910 – 1915, which provide descriptions of every building in the village at that time.

The Archive is open on Monday afternoons (Bank Holiday Mondays excepted) 2.30 pm – 5.00 pm. Otherwise, please make an appointment by contacting Linda Haywood on 01904 704584 or email this site at: historygroup@bishopthorpe.net

There follows a brief alphabetical listing arranged by subject with coverage dates.  This list is not comprehensive and will be added to as material is catalogued.

AINSTY DEANERY MAGAZINE

This has four pages of local church – related news from the Ainsty parishes including Bishopthorpe with Middlethorpe and Acaster Malbis written by the vicar. 1923 – 1951 (Incomplete. List available.)

ALLOTMENTS

Annual Show: Circulars, notices, social evenings etc.    1948 – 1949

Appleton Road: Correspondence & various notes on ownership, status, historical details & the sale of part of the allotments. Parish Council          Financial Reports.    1968 – 1999

Bishopthorpe Gardening Association/Gardens Guild and Bishopthorpe Social Club Allotment and Gardens Section:

Various papers, e.g. seed price list, rules, programme of events etc.    1957 – 1972

AMATEUR DRAMATICS

The Bishopthorpe Play (later Pageant): Programmes and photographs, 1928, 1930, 1954, 1956, 1965, 1970, 2000.

Bishopthorpe Pageant on the steps of the Palace in July 1954.  Courtesy Northern Echo.

Pageant souvenir mug.    1970

Photographs, publicity material, accounts, administration records, ephemera, video recording, tape of the song This is Our Bishopthorpe, souvenir mug.    2000

The Bishopthorpe Players: Programmes, tickets, etc.    1947 – 1949

Bishopthorpe Children’s Welfare Society: Script of Cinderella, news cuttings, photograph. 1950

The Ebor Players: Programmes. 2000, 2002 – 2007, 2009 – 2011

ARCHBISHOP OF YORK’S SCHOOL

News cuttings, centenary celebrations leaflet. Photographs.    1922 – 2004

Archbishop Hope’s visit to the school to watch the Nativity, 2004. Courtesy The Yorkshire Evening Press.

BISHOPTHORPE BUSINESSES

Bills and leaflets.   1923 – 1950

Butcher Robert Dixon’s weekly bill for Mrs. W. Paver in 1937.

BISHOPTHORPE OPEN ANNUAL SHOW

See Events.

BISHOPTHORPE MEN’S ASSOCIATION

Printed notices, news cuttings, children’s Christmas party invitations.  1945 – 1950

Margaret Anfield’s 1949 Christmas party invitation.

BISHOPTHORPE RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL

Booklet: Bye-laws with respect to New Streets and New Buildings in The Rural District of Bishopthorpe.   1909

CONSERVATIVE ASSOCIATIONS (Men, Women & Young / Junior)

Bishopthorpe and Acaster Malbis

Leaflets, news cuttings, notices, correspondence, programmes.    1947 – 1951

COUNCIL HOUSE TENANTS’ COMMITTEE

Bishopthorpe Council House Tenants’ Committee: various notes from meetings.   1956

Tenants’ Handbook published by Tadcaster Rural District Council. (No date.)

CYCLE PATH: SUSTRANS LTD.

The 15 mile York to Selby Railway Path and Cycle Route Project:

Leaflets, plans, newsletters, bulletins, news cuttings, correspondence, reports, Ranger Report Book and cards.   1985 – 1989

Lists of wildlife seen on the path.    1988 & 1989

Photographs: contact prints of the construction of the path.

DEEDS

Photocopies of a number of Bishopthorpe properties.

EVENTS IN BISHOPTHORPE

Celebrations:

Leaflet describing the celebrations for George V and Queen Mary’s Silver Jubilee.  1935

Queen Elizabeth II Coronation, programme of events, news cuttings, photographs.   1953

Millennium: Ephemera and photographs of various events.   2000

Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee, Ephemera and photographs of various events.    2002

Bishopthorpe Open Annual Show (Held on a field in Acaster Lane.)

Programmes & schedules, balance sheets, news cuttings, photographs.    1946 – 1953

(Hill 1/7/1-29)

Programme for the 1948 Bishopthorpe Open Annual Show. See also Saint Andrew’s Church.

LINK (The present-day Parish Magazine.)

1971 – present. (Incomplete. List available.)

LOCAL ADMINISTRATION

See: Parish Council, Bishopthorpe Rural District Council, Tadcaster Rural District Council, West Riding County Council, Ward Newsletters.

MANOR OF BISHOPTHORPE

Admission out Court: George Spanton by will to Ann Spanton, 1845; Deed of Covenant: George Croft to James Croft (1872); lists of pains (1909); will of Thomas Stead (1852); bailiff’s authorisation (1909).

MAPS & PLANS (Photocopies except where stated.)

Thomas Jeffrey’s map of ‘The Environs of Abberford, Cawood, Selby,      Wetherby, York’.   1772

Francis White’s ‘Plan of York and the Ainsty’.   1785

Robert Cooper’s map of the Ainsty.   1832 (Photograph)

Deposited Plan and Section of the Proposed Railway      (Township of Bishopthorpe).   1846

Plan of Bishopthorpe. Hand drawn plan by unknown person showing names       of inhabitants. 1863

Plan of Bishopthorpe re a planning application (West Riding County Council).       c1956 (16/2/6)

Ordnance Survey maps for Bishopthorpe published 1851, 1893, 1910, 1938,        1967, 1971, 1985

York to Selby Railway Path & Cycle Route.   1985

MISCELLANEOUS

Miles Alderson’s original will, dated 3 May 1721.

Family Bible: a large family bible containing information on the Osborn family.

Bishopthorpe: A Residents’ Guide.   1981

MONUMENTAL INSCRIPTIONS

Recorded inscriptions from the headstones in St. Andrew’s Churchyard.

New churchyard: 1892 – 2001, old churchyard: 1779 – 2000

Alphabetical list of burials and cremated remains in the new churchyard.    1892 – 2009

Grave Location Plan.

Acaster Malbis: Recorded inscriptions from within the church and the churchyard:

1750 – 1975

NEWSPAPERS

Chronological listing of Bishopthorpe entries in 19th, 20th and 21st century newspapers. Corresponding print-outs or new cuttings. Ongoing.

An article in the York Herald, Tuesday, 21 October 1884, p7.

ORAL HISTORY

More than 60 interviews held with residents and former residents. Transcriptions available.

PAGEANT

See Amateur Dramatics.

PARISH COUNCIL, Bishopthorpe

General Account Book, 1902 – 1906

Receipt & Payment Book, 1969 – 1976

Allotments Rent Book, 1977 – 1980

Minute Books: 1895 – 1955

Plans of Reading Room / Village Hall, c1949, c1950, c2009

PARISH MAGAZINES

1873 – 1918 (Incomplete. List available.)

Bishopthorpe Parish Magazine, 1885.

PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS

Constituency of Barkston Ash: Elections 1950, 1951, 1955

Election leaflets, poll cards, Labour & Conservative candidates’ election communications, correspondence, news cuttings, Register of Electors communicationS.

PHOTOGRAPHS

Numerous photographs of Bishopthorpe people, events, buildings and scenes.

The Palace from the river Ouse.

What the best-dressed lady tennis players were wearing c1912.  This was taken in the grounds behind The Marcia.

A peaceful scene in Main Street as a horse-drawn wagon load of hay passes The Marcia Inn.  c1925

POLITICS

See: Conservative Associations; Parliamentary Elections.

READING ROOM / ST. ANDREW’S HALL

Committee Minute Books: 1908 – 1972

The Reading Room minute book in 1910 which reveals that one of the leisure activities of the all-male membership was the use of a rifle.

Photographs, printed notices.   1949 – 1953

A flyer announcing the opening of St. Andrew’s Hall (Village Hall) following refurbishment in 1950.

See also Parish Council.

SAINT ANDREW’S CHURCH

Notices, news cuttings, orders of service and leaflets for various functions including raising funds for electric lighting in church.   1917 – present.

Leaflets appealing for funds for the proposed new church at Bishopthorpe.    1897 – 1898 (50/2/3-4)

Order of Service: Burial of Zoe Thomson, wife of Archbishop Thomson in old churchyard. 1913 (50/2/7)

Christmas card from Archbishop Temple and his wife.    1936 (15/2/1)

St Andrew’s Church Calendar signed by Rev. H. C. Warner, vicar of Bishopthorpe.   1937 (15/2/1)

“Thanksgiving for Victory”, a Form of Service for use in churches, factories and the home to mark the end of hostilities in Europe.   1945 (15/2/3)

Order of Divine Service held for the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.   1953   (50/2/13)

Bishopthorpe Churches Centenary Community Survey. 1999   (13/2/3)

Order of Service: Dedication of the Fifth Bell.    1988 (15/2/4)

See also Ainsty Deanery Magazine; Parish Magazines; Link; Monumental Inscriptions.  

 SCOUTS

Bishopthorpe Group Committee Financial Statements, pamphlets, etc. Photographs.

1951 – 1996

SOCIAL GROUPS

Wednesday Club: Diary, photographs, etc. of a social group that met at Vernon House. 2004 – 2007

Not-So-Young Club: photographs and news cuttings.    1960s

See also: Tennis Club, Women’s Institute, Youth Club.

SPORTS & LEISURE

Bishopthorpe Sports & Leisure Management Committee: Minutes and Accounts.

1988 – 2001

Proposed Sports / Community project (aborted).   1993 – 1994

See also: Tennis Club

TADCASTER RURAL DISTRICT COUNCIL

Local candidates’ election communication.    1949

Correspondence concerning renumbering of houses in Bishopthorpe

Planning:

Estate agent’s information sheet for the Keble Park Estate.  1972 See also Council House Tenants’ Committee

TRADE DIRECTORIES

Photocopies of Bishopthorpe entries in Trade Directories and York City Year Books.

1823 – 1953

A searchable transcription is available.    1823 – 1898

TENNIS CLUB

Accounts: 1937 – 1962

Constitution: 1979

Draft lease, Acaster Lane: 1980

Insurance policies: 1932 – 1955

VALUATION OFFICE SURVEY, 1910 – 1915

Digitised pages from the field books for Bishopthorpe, (and corresponding plan), giving detailed descriptions of every building in the village within the above period.

(The National Archives: IR58/94763/4/5)

VILLAGE HALL: See Reading Room / St. Andrew’s Hall

WARD NEWSLETTERS

2002 – 2011 (gaps)

WEST RIDING COUNTY COUNCIL

Elections: Conservative candidates’ election communications; news cuttings giving election results; various leaflets.   1946 – 1955

WOMEN’S INSTITUTE (Bishopthorpe branch)

Programmes, printed notices, membership cards, correspondence. Photographs.

1948 – 1969

WORLD WAR II

‘Welcome Home for the Forces Fund’: Notices, rules.   1945 – 1946

Home Guard: Photographs, printed notices, correspondence, and notices for      the Home Guard & Rifle Club Annual Reunions.   1944 – 1949 (3/2/5)

Reg Foggin’s Home Guard Record of Service, 1940 – 1944.

Reg Foggin on a training exercise in the grounds of Bishopthorpe Palace.    1942

War Office Casualty Cards (Photocopies).   1940 – 1943

See also Saint Andrew’s Church.

YORK CITY& DISTRICT SOCIETY OF MODEL ENGINEERS

This Society rented the garden at the rear of The Poplars, Main Street, Bishopthorpe, (now Bishopthorpe Social Club) in order to run a miniature railway. The Society operated the railway there between 1949 and 1966. Members filmed the railway and have since digitised the cine footage taken during that period. Three DVDs have been donated to the Archive.

YOUTH CLUB, Bishopthorpe

Committee Minutes, reports, financial statements, balance sheets, constitution, rules and   miscellanea.   1953 – 1996

Youth Organisations / Services:

Tadcaster Youth Council Minutes.   1957 – 1962

Claro Area Youth Committee Annual Reports.   1958 – 1962

Various general Youth Service pamphlets, booklets, bulletins.     1948 – 1996